The 5 W's

The 5 W's

Being Henry David, written by Cal Armistead

Who: Okay, so this is the grab of the story. The main character of the story doesn't actually know who he is, so he goes through multiple names and personalities, one of them being the incarnate of Henry David Thoreau. Cool right?

What: So, for the sake of this, we'll call the main character Henry David. The ploy is that Henry David wakes up at a train station with a copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau in his hand, no wallet or anything, and absolutely NO recollection of who he really is. The novel is a chronicle of his journey to finding his life and accepting who he was and who he will become.

When: The story is set in the present, with flashbacks to Henry David's past life, and a boatload of Walden reference.

Where: Henry David pretty much gallivants all over the place, but the bulk of the novel is concentrated in Concord, Massachusetts where Walden pond is.

Why: I think this novel is trying to connect a classic piece of transcendentalists literature with modern teenage life. But the main issue I had with this is that to fully understand and really have any interest at ALL in the story requires prior knowledge of Henry David Thoreau and the Transcendentalism movement. I was fortunate enough to have just completed US History before picking up this book, but to those who know nothing about Thoreau, Walden, or Transcendentalism, you will probably find yourself confused and frustrated. Also, if you have any interest in reading Walden by Thoreau, this is probably not the book for you because there's a quote from and explanation of the book in every chapter, which can be exhausting and kind of annoying if you're like me and want to focus on one story at a time.

I give this book 3 STARS for 5 W's. I found it was really hard to connect with the main character because the reader is clueless as to who he is, other than a teenage boy. And I am in no way against amnesia stories, but this one just wasn't sine correctly, it jumped around and none of the threads seemed to connect.  I became quickly annoyed that the author kept inserting Henry David Thoreau quotes from Walden, confusing me between his story and Thoreau's story.
But the one thing that overall bummed me out about this book, was that the story built up brilliantly, and I was sure that there would be some ingenious plot twist or climax that would make me eek in surprise and make up for all the other things I didn't like, but no. There was no climax, no plot twist, the story was so predictable and it really bugged me that it took the entire book to get to the point, and the point wasn't even good, if there was any point at all. I remember finishing the book and going, “Ugh, that was underwhelming to say the least." I expected a lot from this book and I felt really let down by it.
Though I will say, the supporting characters were fantastically written and I loved each and every one of them, the setting was vivid, and the dialogue was believable teenaged dialogue. I also enjoyed the attitude of Henry David, and his spit-fire comments.
Overall, this book simply didn't do anything for me, it didn't surprise me, intrigue me, or even make me mad. I felt nothing, honestly, I felt like I wasted my time. But, this being Armistead's debut novel, I will overlook the actual story and probably read his next book because his writing is so effortless and witty. He has a lot of potential and promise, and hopefully he'll deliver next time. I think with the right story, he could produce an incredible book, with great structure and unique characters. I have hope for his future and will definitely watch out for him.

Let's Get Real About TFIOS

Okay, so if you're a breathing person on the internet, which I assume you are if you're reading this, then you have probably heard about The Fault in Our Stars, AKA, TFIOS.

The Fault in Our Stars is a novel written by author/blogger extraordinaire John Green, which quickly turned into the hot ticket item amongst teens. From personal experience, I found that if you are a female teenager who has not read the novel, it made you feel so uncomfortable and out of the loop that you immediately went to the library to check it out, but you couldn't because some other girl in the same boat as you beat you to it, so you ended up borrowing it or whatever. Point is, you read it, you know, if you fall under the description I just described.

I read the novel about this time last year, and can honestly say that out of all of John Green's novels, it was my least favorite. But, to be clear, it was a great read and very emotional, but I feel it is certainly not his best, as a die-hard Looking for Alaska lover. So you can imagine my surprise when it snowballed into what it is now, which is craziness.

I was however, thrilled to find out that the movie was being directed by Josh Boone, I am a HUGE fan of his debut film, Stuck In Love, which also features Natt Wolff, who appears as Isaac in TFIOS. I went to see the film with a friend and found myself in a theatre full of other teenage girls, who I ended up laughing, cringing, and to my surprise, crying with. I didn't cry when I read the book, but seeing it all unfold in front of me with actually people and actual medical equipment, I cried like a baby with colic.

The TFIOS fandom is INTENSE! The image of two clouds with the words, "Okay” scrawled in each is plastered all over the internet. People are overanalyzing and obsessing over each inch of the book and film, and I can honestly say that if it was any other book with any other author, I would be exhausted and annoyed. But I have a crazy amount of respect and admiration for John Green, not only because he was the ONLY reason I got through my World History AP test, but also because he is crazy smart, charitable, personable, and so gracious.

So, being real about TFIOS: No matter how overhyped, and teenagery it may seem, it is an excruciatingly harsh story about life, love, friendship, and the incredulous power of words. It is also about metaphoric death by cigarettes, Amsterdam, basketball, infinity, and the strength it takes to be on a rollercoaster that only goes up when life has given you every reason to felt down. I am proud to be a part of a generation that can recognize the beauty of fiction and latch on so tightly to it, I am thrilled that John Green has taken up the duty of being our voice, and screaming into the void for us, shouting at the world and calling their attention to what it's like to be young and broken, young and restless, and just, well, young. So thank you Mr. Green, thank you for your crazy mind and ability to lift us from our lives and drop us into a vortex of emotions so overwhelmingly swirling around us, and making us feel, just feel emotions instead of running away from them. Thank you for making this thing called life that much better.

As for TFIOS, novel and film, I suggest that you go to your local library and put your self on the waiting list for the book, because I am almost certain that there will be a waiting list. And after you've read the book in its beautiful entirety, you should get some popcorn and a box of tissues and sit in a theatre full of teenage girls, cry with them, laugh with them, and immerse yourself in the story. And when you leave, numb and exhausted from feeling all the feelings, learn from Hazel, and Augustus, and Isaac, and  Peter VanHouten, and seize the day, carpe diem. Don't take it for granted, or shy away from it, but take on life at 100 mph, live every moment like it'll be your last, do what you want when you want, damn it!

And, well, that's all I've got to say about that.

S&S Sandwich

I've recently been in the business of coupling together works of fiction with songs, I call it The Song & Story Sandwich. Basically, it's matchmaking for literature and music, which is an unbelievable amount of nerdy fun. I try to put together books that compliment a song, evoking the same feeling and setting the same mood. So without further babbling, here is my first attempt at making an S&S Sandwich.

 She Looks So Perfect
By: 5 Seconds of Summer


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                        The Beginning of Everything
                        By: Robyn Schneider



The reason I slapped both of these beauties together is because they both send pretty much the same message, which is: Boy likes Girl, even though she's awkward and self conscience, she's perfect in his eyes. Cute, right?

Let's break it down, shall we?

The Song: Written and performed by up-and-coming British pop band, 5 Seconds of Summer, "She looks so Perfect" is upbeat, quirky, and oh-so sensually sung, not in a creepy way, but in a I-want-to-make out-with-you way. It topped charts and shocked parents with a steamy music video, much like Jimmy Eats World's music video for "The Middle," both of which are basically kids running around in their underwear. It's a catchy tune, and is sure to get stuck right in your head and stay there like a stubborn child.

The Story: A debut novel from Robyn Schneider, "The Beginning of Everything" is a quirky and quick read. It revolves around the new and awkward life of Ezra Faulkner, and what would an interesting narrator/protagonist be if their life wasn't newly shaken and gross? Lucky for him, his life is both, after a car wreck on prom night leaves him crippled and unpopular, Ezra looks at the world differently, that is until he spots mysterious new girl, Cassidy Thorpe. She breaks him out of his self-inflicted state of misery and makes him feel alive. A book full of humor, realistic high school stuff, some heavy emotions, and one hell of a plot twist, it delivers and strings the reader along. Not to mention, has lit a fire under Schneider's career as a writer, she's gathered much a attention and praise for her first crack at a novel, You go girl!

There you have it folks, one S&S Sandwich hot and ready to go, make sure to check both of the lovely ingredients out, preferably at the same time. I hope you enjoy!



                                         

The 5 W's

The 5 W's

 

 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

 

Who: Narrated by Nick Caraway, The Great Gatsby is a story of lost and new love between Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan.

 

What: This is a story of how love can drive people to do crazy things, and how monetary things and wealth come into play when consequences must be paid.

 

When: In the roaring 20's, the age of prohibition, flappers, and the Harlem Renaissance.

 

Where: In the great state of New York, but more specifically, West and East Egg, separated by a bay and the Valley of Ashes. The Buchanan's live in West Egg, a neighborhood of old money, while Nick and Gatsby live in East Egg, a new money neighborhood where Gatsby is known for throwing huge parties in his grand mansion.

 

Why: The prime motivator in this classic American novel, is money and love. Gatsby acquires his wealth through questionable means in order to capture Daisy's attention. Daisy lives her life and makes decisions based on money and how society will perceive her. Very true to the time period, it I a story of emotional and moral struggle, beautifully written.

 

I give this novel 5 stars for 5 W's. As an infamous piece of classic literature, I can see how it may seem overhyped, but I assure you, it is just as beautiful and consuming as it is said to be. If you haven't read "The Great Gatsby," I suggest you do so, NOW!

 

 

 

Tangent Train

So, you know how you're just sitting and thinking, when BAM, you get a burst of inspiration. Well, this past week I've had a lot of those moments, and most of them were just little sentences that I felt could have a lot of "story potential" let's say. Some of these were things I overheard in conversations as well.
My challenge to you, is to come up with a 8 line blurb of a story that could stem from any of these lines.

1) Don't run over the homeless guy.
2) Damn, this tastes way worse than I thought it would.
3) Don't put honey in the tea you ignorant psycho.
4) Pink? Absolutely not, pink is completely inappropriate.
5) Pineapples are so confusing, don't pineapples confuse you Jerry?


Those are my 5 little tangents this week that I thought could be expanded upon and such. Have fun!