Looking For Alaska

I am currently reading Looking For Alaska by John Green. I have just started reading the book and it is good so far. It keeps my attention and it is an enjoyable read.

I chose this book because I like John Green books and my friend wanted me to read it. I thought I would give it a try. It sounded cool. I was interested to see if it was good because I really loved reading The Fault In Our Stars. This is also written  by John Green. 

The cover is mysterious. This is also why I wanted to read the book. I was curious. Interested. Engaged. The cover is black with smoke coming up from the bottom of the page. Before I read the book, I didn't know what is meant or if the smoke was a symbol. I want to continue to read to find out if it is a symbol and what is represents. 

I find it interesting that John Green writes the type of books that he does because he seems silly and outgoing. His books can have serious topics such as cancer. It seems like his personality and his style of writing are contrasting. 

I am very excited and glad to have chose such an interesting and compelling book because it has been very entertaining. Books are very fun to me. I have always liked to read. For a while I couldn't find books that I liked so I began to lose the fun feeling. Once I started reading Looking For Alaska, I began to like reading again.

Write a thematic statement for your novel and provide textual evidence that supports this theme

I am currently reading The Rule Of Thoughts. There is a common theme in the situations that the characters face in the book. The characters have to do things that are scary sometimes such as going into virtual worlds that are dangerous. A common theme that I have seen through out the book is never give up and don't be scared to face your fears and come out of your comfort zone. Also the characters stick together so that they can complete their goals together. 

I will provide examples from the book that express this theme.

I recently read Chapter 20 and this theme is very reoccurring in the chapter. The first quote is as follows, "Something pulled him away from Bryson and Sarah, but he held on to his friends. He curled his fingers tightly around theirs, refusing to let them slip away." This quote shows how Michael and his friends have a strong relationship that is worth keeping. They do everything together. They work extremely hard and stick together so they can accomplish missions easier.

Michael has a  very determined and powerful personality. He keeps going. All the time. He never seems to give up. Another quote that can be found in Chapter 20 is, "It's the sleep, he told himself in a rush of panic. It's not real, not happening. Endure. Don't let go." Michael is pushing himself to continue to endure the really difficult situation. 

In Chapter 20, Agent Weber has the 3 friends going on a terrifying mission to stop the main enemy in the book, Kaine. Michael is scared but he and his brave friends decide to carry on with the mission. A quote found in this chapter that fully shows how the friends are ready to face their challenge is, "'But we've proven ourselves,' Bryson said with a shrug. 'Honestly, would you really trust someone else to do this? It's us man. The Burn-and-Pillage-y Trilogy. If anyone can pull this off, it's me, you, and Sarah. Slip in, do our business, save the world from a psycho, slip out.'" This quote is perfect for showing how determined and strong these characters are. 

James Dashner does a good job including dialogue and events to show this theme of being strong and never giving up. This theme was evident in Chapter 20, but is also evident in other chapters in the story.