LI832 -- Reflection Journal Week 5

Textbook

• Fink, Chapters 3-4

Books

• Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano

Film

• City of Ember (2008)

Textbook

Oh the failure. Abject failure. I may have caught up on my reflection journal, but I am so far behind in my textbook reading. I haven't ever read this many books in such a short span of time. It's actually exhausting. But I digress. I am so far behind on this it isn't even funny.

Books

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

I...didn't get this book at all. I love a good unreliable narrator, but I had a hard time "believing" the story, if that makes sense. Not only that, but I really didn't feel emotionally invested in this person's story. If this wasn't required reading, I wouldn't have read it. What started out with a bang, kind of fizzled as it went on. Yes, the main character does grow as the novel progresses, but I had a hard time connecting with her because she was not a nice person and I didn't really have a reason to like her. I don't have to like the character to enjoy the story, but I have to feel some emotional connection or there really isn't a point. I felt the entire plot was "and then...and then...and then...and then." I know a lot of people like King, my coworkers were shocked that I didn't like this story, but I no matter how hard I tried, I felt like I wasted my time.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I've been told by several people that I need to read this book. I will, I just haven't yet.

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano

This book was ok. I liked the description of life in the ghetto, but I felt like it was a little light on substance. I can enjoy a story that doesn't have a lot of depth, but I really need to feel a connection. I didn't here. Maybe it was my mindset that week (it was not the best week for me personally) but like King's book, I didn't get it. I did enjoy it a more than King, but I still felt it lacked something that would make it really good. Does that make me a story snob? I don't think so. I read a lot of different genres, but a story has to have a unique twist to it and it really didn't.

Film

City of Ember

Haven't watched this yet, but I expect I'll enjoy it. I know the book was very popular even if the movie didn't hit it off as much as was expected.