Jall's Blog

In 7th grade, I recall having to read the book Legend for class, and it was one of the first dystopian fictions I had ever read. After finishing the book, I was captivated enough to read the next book in the series in my free time that same school year. Unfortunately, however, I couldn’t manage to find the third book, Champion . That is, until recently when a friend of mine said she had it and could lend it to me—so, I immediately knew I had to immerse myself back into Marie Lu ’s world. The book follows two very different teens, June Iparis and Day , who get pulled into a much bigger fight than either of them could’ve participated. It’s full of political drama, fast pacing, and also perhaps an enemies-to-lovers dynamic 👀 The series opens with Legend , in a future version of the western United States, ruled by a nation called the Republic , with a highly controlling and militarized government. We meet June, a prodigy raised by the Republic and Day, the Republic’s most wanted crimi...

  There Will Come Soft Rains I recently read the short story There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury and thought it was interesting, so I wanted to write my thoughts about it. You may know Bradbury from some of his other well known works such as Fahrenheit 451 , The Martian Chronicles , and Something Wicked This Way Comes . An important detail to note about There Will Come Soft Rains is that it was written during the Cold War, when the fear of nuclear destruction was everywhere, and that’s something to consider when thinking about the story’s mood.  There Will Come Soft Rains is a short story about an automated modern day house that continues to function even though it’s completely untenanted. The story is told by descriptive scenes that are set by the house itself, especially the talking clock that announces reminders and daily routines that were once meant for the family who lived there. It says things like “ Eight-one, tick-tock, eight-one o'clock, off to school, off ...

          One of my favorite books from my early childhood was Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Suess. It was also one of my class's favorites and my kindergarten teacher read it on numerous occasions during our read-aloud times. It is a classic book for young children and is very simple and easy to read. It also includes many engaging pictures that are fun to follow along with. Not only is this a fun book, but it also includes valuable lessons.       One of my favorite parts about this book has always been the pictures because of the unique and recognizable style of Dr. Seuss's illustrations. Dr Seuss's illustrations in this book feature various whimsical and eccentric characters and objects which make it more attractive to young children paired with the interesting fantastical plots. For example, something as simple as a tree or boat is transformed into a different shape or form, that it still recognizable to what it's supposed to be, but is ...

  I recently listened to the audiobook If He Had Been With Me , a story about Autumn, who is starting her first year of high school. She’s in a very close friend group known as the “weird” kids around school. This book goes through her years in high school and focuses on her relationships, challenges, and growth.  One thing that stood out to me was how much this book reminded me of The Summer I Turned Pretty . Autumn’s mother is best friends with Aunt Angelina (who isn’t her biological aunt), who is the mother of Finn, Autumn’s childhood best friend. Just like Belly and Conrad/Jeremiah, Autumn and Finn grew up like family. Autumn and Finn also have absent fathers, just like Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah. Although the two protagonists in the story drifted apart sometime in 7th grade, to keep in line with “social order” (Finny is popular, Autumn is weird), they obviously continue to care deeply about each other.  Despite these interesting parallels, I didn’t really like this ...

Until I find other stories to read, I’ve been scouring through my old backpacks and bins of school supplies for some books I haven’t read for… wow, six years now. Nearly seven! I saw Janny’s blog post a while back on a tale about a china rabbit and suddenly the vague memories I had about the book became clearer, so when I happened to stumble upon my old copy The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane I just knew I had to read it again! Edward is a snobby porcelain rabbit doll (oh, not a doll I guess—he doesn’t like being called a doll) who cares a lot more about his appearance than his loving owners. That is, until Edward finds himself lost, travelling from owner to owner, being treated both as a beloved companion and as a burden, as trash. With each new owner, Edward’s outlook on his life changes. At a first glance, the book might just seem like a simple tale about a porcelain rabbit getting lost, but the story quickly turns into something deeper. It explores themes of what it means to ...

"WE ARE ONE IN ALL AND ALL IN ONE. THERE ARE NO MEN BUT ONLY THE GREAT WE, ONE, INDIVISIBLE AND FOREVER." These are the words of truth for the society in the book Anthem .      Published in 1938, Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian novella following the life of main character, Equality-72521 in a future world where the word "I" is forbidden and is the worst law you could break with the consequence of death. This book serves as a diary for 21-year-old, Equality-72521 as he writes about his life.       In this society, being different is frowned upon and everyone must be alike. Though, Equality-72521 is different. At 21 years old, he is six feet tall which he calls a burden as not many people are this height. Many of his teachers and leaders say that he has evil in his bones because he is taller than everyone else. He believes he has a curse which caused him to be so different. On page 5 he states, "We were born with a curse. It has always driven us to th...