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.

Character Archatytpe- The Shapeshifter

"I did what I had to do so I could stay in the ocean, concentrating on the salt water healing me, washing over my eye, washing away my birthmark." (Renee Rosen, Every Crooked Pot, pg.15)



My character, Nina Goldman, doesn't really fit into any of the character archetypes. She does, however, take some attributes from the shapeshifter archetype. Nina is a shapeshifter because in the beginning when she was little she always thought she was special and different because of her birthmark over her eye. But as she grew older she was teased to the point of not loving herself and having an unhealthy body image. She eventually shifts back to her old self when she outgrows putting herself down.

Excerpt from Mostly Happy

"The accident happened in the spring of '96. I woke in a sweat. The telephone was ringing. It was Prissy. Cody was dead." Pam Bustin, Mostly Happy, pg.256



Cody was killed in a car accident at age.7, by his father who was drunk driving. The main character in this book, Bean, was Cody's aunt. They had a really close and speical relationship. This hits really close to home, because before I was born, my Aunt Karen was killed by a reckless driver. Karen had a special relationship with each of my family members as well. When Cody died Bean went into a pit of anger and self-blame. Bean carried on with her life, but i'm sure that her nephew never left her thoughts. This relates to me as well. I have never offically met my aunt, but she will always be a part of my family.

Cracked Up to Be

Summary:

Parker Fadley had everything. A loving boyfriend, straight A's, and captain of the cheerleading squad. Until one tragic event changed her life. She pushed everybody away, failing her classes, and being on constant suicide watch. Her self-destructive behavior was pushing everyone away and leaving everyone asking why? The reason is something she can’t tell anyone, not even herself, and it may have been all because of her.

Review:

Cracked Up to Be by Courteny Summers is a heartbreaking novel about the pressures of a high school student. Parker is a sad and angry character, which is a breath of fresh air. It is hard to read a book about a girl who punishes herself to the point of suicide. However, the story is so real, raw and very funny at times, that it was extremely hard to put it down.

I would recommend this novel to any reader that enjoys to read about very sad times and happy times all in one book.

Reading Quote

I have selected this quote by Harper Lee because it relates to me. Since an early age reading was always a part of my life. It became a way of life. I guess I sometimes may take reading for granted. I could have been born in a country where girls are never allowed to have the ablilty to read. So I am fortunate to live in a place where reading is something that can come naturally. I can't imagine a life any other way.