Reading Log Lvl 1

Book 1:The Fault In Our Stars
Author:John Green
Text Type:Novel
Date Read:April 2019

The Fault In Our Stars is a book based on a 16 year old girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster with a Thyroid cancer that affects her lungs. Whilst at a support group for cancer survivors she meets a 17 year old boy named Augustus Waters who was in remission, also missing his right leg as a result of his Osteosarcoma cancer. They began to talk after meeting that day and had an instant connection. They both grew feelings for each other. One day they decided to switch novels. He gave her his favourite and she gave him hers, She expressed to him how much she admired the book and author, and how she had tried many times to contact him but never succeeded. After Augustus read this novel he got in contact with the author and surprised Hazel with tickets to Amsterdam to meet him. On the plane to Amsterdam, Augustus confessed his love towards Hazel. Once in Amsterdam they were surprised and disappointed to find that with author was actually a rude drunk. Because of how rude he was, his nice assistant organised Augustus and Hazel to go to the Anne Frank house, Where they shared their first kiss. That same night they both lost their virginity to each other, and during Hazel tells Augustus that she loves him. The next day Augustus confesses to Hazel that his cancer has returned, Hazel was sad, scared and promise to continue loving and supporting him. Once returning from Amsterdam, Augustus’s cancer worsened rapidly and not long after he died leaving Hazel absolutely heartbroken. At the funeral she is given an obituary that she was unaware of written by Augustus. The novel ends with her reading it and feeling content with herself.

The main character that i found interesting in this novel was the author of Hazel’s favourite book, Peter Van Houten. I found this character interesting because although he was able to write an incredible, meaningful novel that inspired Hazel and many others, the way that his character is shown is through a selfish, rude drunk when met by Hazel and Augustus. This was interesting to read because it shows that you can never really know what an individual is like until you have met them, you could be persuaded by an image you have created in your head of what they are like but, that can be completely wrong and that person can be nothing like what you wanted or imagined.

The main messages i took out of this novel were to live everyday to the fullest. The reason i say this is because in the novel everything switches so quickly, by saying this i mean, Augustus goes from being this healthy, happy, energetic and full of life guy to this sick, and unhappy guy. During the novel Hazel says “Some infinites are bigger than other infinites.” By saying this she is referring to other relationships lasting longer than others and this caused a realisation that when we are committed in relationships or even friendships we have this feeling that it will last forever or it will always be good and easy when that isn’t always the case.I also realised throughout the book is that he was constantly living his life to the fullest and not having fear be a part of the decisions he made. The message i took from this is regardless of wether you are sick or extremely healthy, you never know when it could switch and it could be your last day, so the book was very inspiring in that sense.

I think a main challenge in the novel was Hazel losing Augustus to cancer but still being acceptant of his death and being grateful for the times she had. The way she showed this was by saying “You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and i’m grateful.” This was inspiring to read because she found the appreciation for him despite the amount of pain she also felt. The way that this made me feel was extremely sympathetic towards Hazel because she had fallen in love and formed such an amazing bond with Augustus and to lose that so quickly must of been so extremely hard. This challenge she faced really made me appreciate my health, the health of others around me and to make sure i am constantly grateful for having the ones i love around me. In this generation it is sometimes easy to get caught up with everything and sometimes forget the value of having health and wellbeing, so we need to make sure that we take a step back and spend time with loved ones and be grateful for every second and moment that we are alive.

The reason that the title of this novel is meaningful is because, throughout the novels there are small ways and words that the author has symbolised Hazel and Augusts love as being the stars. When reading the novel it created an image in my head of the stars representing the love, bond and connection that they shared, so the reason the title of the book is linked to that is because their relationship had a fault. Cancer took over their relationship. By saying “The Fault In Our Stars” my perception is that they are saying The Fault in our love story.

I would recommend this novel to any Girl, Boy, Man or Woman because the message it shares and story it tells is truly inspiring and lovely to read. For anyone that lost someone close to them from either cancer or not, this novel would be relatable for them to read, because it really shows the impact of losing someone so close to you.

Book 2:Wonder
Author:R.J Palacio
Text Type:Novel
Date read:June 2019

The book Wonder is based on a homeschooled fifth grader named August Pullman “Auggie”. He has a face deformity similar to Treacher Collins syndrome, which has his face disfigured. Because he had been homeschooled his whole life, his parents decided to enrol him into a private middle school. Auggie also has an older sister Olivia Pullman who cares immensely for her brother. He tried his hardest to fit in on his first day, but a student named Julian that was told to be helpful to Auggie from the principle immediately started bullying him for the way he looked. despite his bullying he made two new friends named Jack and Summer who helped defend him when Julian was bullying him. Auggie and Jack became very good friends, Auggie was very happy because he had never had anyone like that before. When halloween came around Auggie was wearing a mask and heard his friend Jack talking badly about him. Auggie was incredibly sad and ignored Jack until they became friends again over winter break. At the end of the school year the students were invited on a three day trip to a nature reserve. Auggie was hesitant but then decided to go after realising Julian (the bully) was not going. On the last night of the trip him and Jack went exploring in the forest until they started getting beat by a group of seven graders but, they were luckily and surprisingly saved by Julians friends. As summer holidays approached Auggie was told that Julian was not going to his school the next year which was a relief to hear. Auggie then went on to win the ‘Henry Ward Beecher Medal’ for being an exemplary student, His mother then went on to call him a ‘wonder’.

The character that i found interesting was Auggie’s friend Jack. I found this character interesting because of the part in the book where Auggie finds him talking badly about him. The reason i found him interesting is because it shows that his character switched from being nice and welcoming towards to Auggie to being extremely mean by saying things like “If i looked like him i would kill myself.” because of pressure he felt from Julian. This was interesting to me because he is shown as such a good person and friend towards Auggie at the start of the book but switched so quickly. This also shows that his character was also easily manipulated in situation with peer pressure. It showed that maybe Auggie shouldn’t of trusted him and been friends with him again, but during the end his character also showed that he could be a really good friend to Auggie.

The messages i took from this book is that if you don’t have anything nice to say it is best not to say anything at all. The reason i got this message from the book is because, you never know when you make a judgemental or mean comment on someone, what that person has been through or how that comment might affect them. For example Julian calling him “a freak”, and giving him dirty looks, Julian did not know Auggie and did not know how difficult his life had been but still decided to make these comments to only make himself feel superior. The way i got this message is from the way the book showed how much comments like these did effect Auggie. This message is so important because making rude or mean comments is just extremely unessacery. People should think more about wether what they are saying is going to only lift someone up and encourage them rather than put them down.

The hardest challenge, i believe, was for the character Auggie having to go to a public school with a face deformity. This must of been extremely because he can’t control what other kids are going to think of him which must be hard because he just wants to be accepted for who he is and the face he was given. My response to him and his challenges was i felt very sympathetic towards him and what he had to go through. The book did an amazing job of being able to effect the emotions i felt towards him. In this world it can be hard to fit in wether you are different or completely normal, so it is important that we stay confident and continue to be ourselves no matter what. The fact that Auggie was still able to be himself and have a smile on his face showed that he managed his challenges extremely well and was very inspirational.

The reason i think the title ‘Wonder’ is an appropriate title for the novel is because when you have read the book the character August is looked at as a wonder. His bravery and confidence throughout the book is extremely inspirational. If i were to explain his character it would be that he was a wonder of a child. The fact that after everything he went through during the book he was still able to win a very important award and have good friends shows that his character was quite remarkable.

I would recommend this book to all genders and ages. I think the story is extremely touching and could be inspiring to anyone. Would be great for someone who maybe felt as if they didn’t fit in because it has the message that even if you are scared and feel as though you wont be accepted that you should still give everything a go.

Movie 1:Soul Surfer
Director:Sean McNamara
Movie Type:Biographical Drama Film
Date Watched:September 2019

The movie Soul Surfer is based on a teenage girl named Bethany Hamilton. She grew up in Hawaii with her parents Tom and Cheri, and two older brothers Noah and Timmy. Her whole family were surfers and she grew up with a passion for surfing and becoming a pro along with her best friend Alana Blanchard. She spent all her time surfing, it was her life. One day she went out surfing with Alana and Alana’s dad Holt and brother Byron. Whilst awaiting her next wave, Bethany dangles her whole left arm off the side of her board, a shark unexpectedly bit off her arm just under the shoulder. They all panic and try to get her back to shore, when on shore Alana’s dad uses his rash top to tie around her arm to stop blood loss while Alana’s brother Byron called 911 and Bethany’s mum. The ambulance meet them half way to the hospital. Bethany survived, but along with losing her whole left arm she also lost over 60% of her blood. Bethany took her time to recover but as soon as the doctor said she was allowed to surf again she was back in the water everyday learning how to surf with one arm. She tried to use a prosthetic arm but because of the size of her stump on her arm none of the prothetic arms would be able to be weight bearing for her. Bethany decided to enter a competition one armed but did not do very well because she was unable to stay on the board as well, out of anger she decided she didn’t want to surf anymore so she gave up competition surfing. She decided to go with a local youth group to Phuket, Thailand to help after they had been hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. When in Phuket she helped a little boy overcome his fear of the ocean which showed she could inspire or help people, which then motivated her to start surfing again. Once back home, Bethany’s dad creates a type of handle on her board to help her with things like duck diving under waves and paddling out. With her new modified board, she was training hard for the National Championships. In the competition, she did well but was coming third. With a minuet left she decided to keep paddling out in hope of another wave, The biggest wave of the day came in, the wave was enough to make her win, but she took off on it after the heat was over. Once finished Bethany was asked by an interviewer if she could go back to that day, would she of gone surfing. She replied that she would of because she can embrace more people now than she ever could of with both arms.

The character i found interesting in the movie was Bethany Hamilton. I found it interesting but also very inspiring how she got back into the water so easily after being attacked by a shark. The reason i found this interesting was because getting attacked by a shark would usually create too much fear to be able to get back in the water again, but to Bethany it seemed as though she was fearless. Which also showed that her passion for surfing was so strong. The reason i found this so interesting was because it shows that the passion she had for surfing was too strong to let anything stop her, Which says a lot about her characters personality and that she was very determined.

The message that i took from the text was to never give up on something you are passionate about. The reason i got this message was that even with the situation Bethany got put into with only having one arm, she was still able to pursue her dream and live her life to the fullest. If you have enough passion and determination for something you will always be able to do it, you can do as much as you believe you can, and this movie does an amazing job of showing that.

The challenges that a character had to deal with was Bethany having to deal with losing her arm. This must of been such an extreme thing to adjust to especially since she surfed and your arm plays a crucial part in being able to surf. Not only did she have to adjust to everyday things with one arm, but retraining yourself to surf with one arm must of been the most difficult thing she had too deal with, but her determination is what made it possible, This is shown in the scene where her dad says “It’s not going to be easy” , She responded with ” I don’t need easy, I just need possible”. This shows that regardless of her losing her arm she was prepared to deal with the challenge and do what was necessary. I found this incredibly inspiring and motivational to watch. No matter what life throws at you, if you are able to deal with it knowing it will be hard, then you will come out of it stronger and with more resilience.

The reason i believe the title to this movie is appropriate is because she was truly a ‘Soul Surfer’. It was because of her personality, soul and the way she dealt with things that made her such an amazing surfer. She surfed with soul and passion and she surfed to inspire others. It was more than a competition to her, more than just a sport. It was a part of her life, It was a way to inspire. Her soul was what made her who she was.

I would recommend this movie to anyone, and for any age. It is inspiring for both children and adults. If you lack motivation for somethings, I’m sure that watching this movie would defiantly inspire you to get out and do something with your life.

Movie 2:Life as we know it
Director:Greg Berlanti
Movie Type:Romantic Comedy-Drama
Date Watched:August 2019

The movie Life As We Know It is a movie about a woman named Holly Berenson and a man named Eric Messer, The two get set up on a blind date by their best friends Peter and Alison, and it goes horribly wrong, and they end up hating each other. Their best friends Peter and Alison go on to have a baby girl named Sophie, who Holly and Eric became the godparents of. Soon after Sophie was born, The parents Peter and Alison died in a tragic car crash. Holly and Eric came to find out that they had been put down for joint guardianship for Sophie if they both were to die, So although they couldn’t stand each other, for Sophie’s sake they moved into Peter and Alison’s house. There were many fights between them at the start but they started to work better together throughout the movie. Holly found a love interest in Sophie’s doctor during the movie, They went on a date which resulted in them kissing. Holly and Eric realised that they needed more money to raise Sophie so Holly decided to invest in her Bakery she owned. In celebration of this Holly and Eric decided to go on a date which resulted in them having sex and developing strong feelings for each other. Their Child Protection Service recommended that they either stayed committed to each other or broke up, for Sophie’s sake. Eric then got offered his dream job in another state which he said yes to without telling Holly, when she found out she took it as a way for him to get out of raising Sophie. Eric then comes back for a Thanksgiving dinner that Holly and Sam(The doctor) are hosting. The night results in Holly and Eric fighting but Eric confessing that he loved her, then leaving. Sam then realised that Holly still had feelings for Eric so he told her to pursue them, then left. Holly realises that she can’t bring up Sophie alone and that she loves Eric. She rushed to the airport to find him but she was too late, She drove home sadly but when returning home she found Eric already there. They realised that they loved each other and continued to raise Sophie together.

The character i found interesting in this movie was Eric. I found his character interesting because he changed so much throughout the movie, He went from this guy who would get with any girl and didn’t take his life to seriously to a man who had a family and strong feelings towards one girl. It shows that all of the changes that his character went through during the movie really changed him.

The message i took from the movie is to accept and deal with whatever life gives you. The reason i got this message is because even though both Holly and Eric did not want the lifestyle they had been given they both accepted it and they ended up having a good life together. Which shows that everything happens for a reason and with accepting anything comes good things.

Challenges that characters had to go through was Holly and Eric having to adjust to parenting life with absolutely no experience. They went from being polar opposites with their own separate lives to raising a baby together and living in the same house as parents. My response to these challenges were that it made me realise that most situations you think that you can’t deal with, you actually can. In life, everything isn’t always going to go your way but with determination you can get through anything, and this movie made me realise that.

I believe the title of this text is appropriate because the whole point of the movie is that their lifestyle doesn’t go the way they were planning it to so by saying “Life as we know it” it is portraying the idea that life is not as we know it and you can only know whats happening in the moment, you never know what life has in store for you.

I would recommend this movie to anyone really, some things a younger person might not understand, but i think it is a funny but good family movie.

Movie 3:A Star Is Born
Director:Bradley Cooper
Movie Type:Musical Romantic Drama
Date Watched:September 2019

The movie A Star Is Born is a movie based on the love story between Jackson Maine “Jack” and Ally. The two meet when Jack watches her preform a song at a drag bar, He is amazed at her performance and they talk on for the rest of the night and Ally shares some lyrics that she had written herself. Jack then invites Ally to his next show, where they sing the song “Shallow” together. Jack then invites Ally to go on tour with him and they develop a romantic relationship. Ally then meets a record producer named Rez who offered her a contract, Although Jack didn’t want her to take the offer, he supported her decisions. Ally then did a performance one night and when her and Jack got home, He drunkly told her that he didn’t like her new image and music (which was nominated for 3 Grammy’s) which resulted in them fighting. Then at the Grammy’s Jack preformed very obviously drunk