Refusal of the Call

"I was close enough to smell the wild odor on his coat and feel the warmth of his breath. Then I did what I had always wanted to- I put a hand on his dense ruff, and when he didnt flinch I buried both my hands in his fur." (Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater, pg. 20)


In my novel Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater the main character, Grace, did not hesitate or refuse the call out of her Ordinary World. As a child she grew up knowing that their were wolves living in the woods behind her house, and she also knew that these wolves were different. There was one special wolf, Sam, who was always watching over her, acting as somewhat of a protector. So when she grew older and fell in love with the human part of the wolf, she never refused the call to adventure to come into a different and dangerous world of werewolves. The part of the story in which this occured was when Grace touched the wolf for the very first time. This was significant because this was the first time they had had any connection, even after years of watching eachother. This was the first step in their relationship and even without this step she would never had met him in his human form and they would have never fallen in love. Even when Grace was told the dangers of Sam's world, she didnt think twice about stepping out of her safe world and into his.

Crossing the Threshold

"He stops, clears his throat, takes a breath, and continues. 'So I just wanted to tell you that I understand if you go. It's okay if you have to leave us. It's okay if you want to stop fighting.' This is the first time today that anybody has acklowledges what I lost. (Gayle Forman, If I Stay, pg.152)"



This quote that I chose is the main character, Mia's grandfather talking to Mia while she is in the hospital. This occurs after Mia crosses the threshold.

On a cold day in February Mia's family went for a drive and they spun out of control and crashed, her dad, her mom, and her little brother were all thrown for the car and instantly killed. Mia was very badly injured, but right after the crash she left her body and through the whole book she watched on in the hospital on her friends and family as they waited her to wake up fomr her coma. I believe that was the event when she crossed over into a special world. She likes it at first because she can't feel any pain and she doesnt want to wake up and go back into her ordinary world because she doesnt know how to live on without her mom, dad and brother. Eventually she realizes the grief that her family is feeling, and she wants more than anything to return back to her oridinary world.

Limiting Beliefs

The novel I am currently reading is Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. The main character, Auden is held back by many beliefs. Her mom is an english professor and is very successful but she expects Auden to care only about academics. Auden spent her life studying and trying to stand up to her mother's standardsand expectations. This held her back from having close friendships and experiencing high school. It wasnt until she spent the summer away from her mother that she realized the importance of friendships and what's like to live life stress-free.

The advice that I would give to Auden is to keep the friends she's made, and if given an oppurtunity to step outside her comfort zone, she should accept.

Hero Study

"It wasn't his fault. They were going through a four-way stop, and someone just ran it and hit them. A drunk. It tore Eli up, big-time. It was like Abe tooke some part of him when he went, you know? He's never been the same." (Sarah Dessen, Along for the Ride, pg.144)

The character in my book, Eli, has many heroic qualities. In the beginning, his best friend Abe was killed in a car accident when a driver ran a four-way stop and Eli was driving. He had always blamed himself. He gave up everything he loved to do because he felt like he didnt derseve doing them. In the summer, it all changed when Eli met Auden and she convinced him that it wasnt his fault and he slowly overcame the guilt and blame he had been carrying with him.

I believe a hero is someone that has endured hardships and overcomes them no matter the tole they take on them. I believe that Eli is a perfect example of that.