Refusal of the Call

In the book, POP by Gordon Korman, we are introduced to the main character, Marcus. During the summer, Marcus and his mother move to a new state where he is unfamiliar with any of the places or individuals. When he arrives to the new town, his only ambition is to make the football team as the quarterback player. Every day for multiple hours, Marcus trains prior to the tryouts, in order to maximize his ability. Marcus ends up making the team as a back up quarterback and when he isn't needed, he is being trained as a linebacker. The Coach of the team soon realizes that Marcus's real strength should be as the main linebacker.Marcus plays most of his high school football games as a linebacker and at the end of  his senior year he is offered a large scholarship as a linebacker; however, he declined the offer. Everyone thinks he is crazy but Marcus sees himself as a quarterback and isn't willing to accept that others think he should  be a linebacker. This is a significant part in the novel because a football scholarship is considered a novelty to members belonging to any team and there is very few given out. 


 "But here, two thousand miles from home, there was a real shipwreck, a real hope. A choice big enough to change our lives forever." - Marcus This quote is also one of the main parts of the book because Marcus believes deep down he is risking a lot by not taking the scholarship and may regret it down the road because the scholarship is a one in a life time opportunity. However Marcus cant find it inside of himself to accept that.

Limiting Beliefs

Carmen, who is the main character in my book faces a life of pressure and pain. Her life, like many other teen aged girls, involves her stressing out about fitting in and what other people think of her. Unfortunately for Carmen she is really overweight, but her goal is to find a group of friends who will except her for who she really is. Her mother is always pressuring Carmen to go on diets that are healthier but Carmen demands that since she is almost 17, it is time for to her make decisions on her own. In the book, Carmen's greatest limiting belief is her appearance and it is holding her back on many things. When she moves to a knew school she has to lie and pretend to be someone she isn't because she feels that none will like her. Throughout the book, Carmen's feelings and opinions change and her habits of fitting in with her surroundings alternate and peer pressure starts to kick in. Things Carmen use to love like reading and chocolate slowly fade out of her life, but now bullying kids and shopping play a new role in her life, two things that she would never do at her old school. Now when Carmen's mother seems to nag at her for being overweight, she can now block out all the negative comments and just stay positive.

If I had the opportunity to talk to Carmen I would tell her to just be herself and not to change who she is for others. She will be happier if she surrounds herself with individuals who are accepting of her for who she is rather than those who are judgmental.  "Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then who are you? This quote states that we can all try and put on a fake act and try to be something we are not, but that act will only take us so far. Sooner or later we will get caught up in the act and become confused as to what our real identity is. 

Hero

In my opinion, I think that a good hero in my book, Tweaked, would be a boy named Ryan. Qualities that make Ryan a heroic character are that he has become independent, and sees the difference between the right and wrong. Even though all of Ryan's friends adapted the habit of drugs as a part of life, he was strong enough to resist the temptation and go his separate ways. He went out by himself and tried to seek help, while the rest of his friends thought it was too late and gave up;  not only on themselves, but their parents and friends too. Some words to describe Ryan are determined, dedicated, and strong willed.

A quote to relate how Ryan is a hero is, " Ryan is out of rehab. Jack tells me his parents are keeping a pretty tight rein on him since he got out, and he has strict orders not to socialize with any of his old friends. Because his mother knows the manger of the local grocery store well, she was able to get him at job bagging groceries for the summer."

This Quote shows that Ryan is a hero because he is really trying to improve, and is stepping out of the dark side. He is straightening up by getting a job, and is trying to quit talking to his old friends. For someone who has been an addict for so long, it was hard for Ryan to become a better person, but so far he has suceeded.

Character Arcetypes

One character Archetype that is mentioned in my book is Chase. In Tweaked, Chase represents the shadow or the trickster. He is considered the shadow because he was always the negative influence in the book. He would never listen to his family or friends when they tried to help him with his meth addiction,  and that only resulted in him getting into more trouble. Chase was also the shadow because he broke the laws by murdering a man, stealing from his friends and family and getting involved with drugs. This left a horrible influence on his younger brother, Gordie. 

Chase is also considered the trickster because he would convince everyone that he is finally well behaved and that he has quit his meth addiction but once he has everyone believing him, he steals and lies, only to get his next fix of drugs!

A quote from the book that shows that Chase is  the Shadow is,"For a year and a half, Mom has been hiding her purse from every conceivable place in the house, but chase had always found it." - page 5, Tweaked. 

Another quote is," Nobody i know worries about waking up in the middle of the night with a space cadet rummaging through their room, searching for money, credit cards, anything else to get their next hit. Or to pay off drug depts." 

Making Connections

"Her parents had never rented a house at the beach before. The fact that her parents had done so for an entire month filled her with feelings so unfamiliar she had no names for them." - page 12, The Watcher, James Howe

This paragraph reminds me of the time my mom and dad had informed me that I was going on a trip to India for an entire month. I can easily connect to this this paragraph, because I was also filled with the same kind of joy and excitement as the young girl, about getting the chance to visit somewhere unfamiliar. As I sat on the plane to India, I thought about all the exciting culture and festivities I would be experiencing in my visit, and how i would get the chance to meet so many different people and try a variety of different food dishes. The young girl in the story is just as thrilled as I was, because she has never lived in any other house other than her own. Since its the first time her parents have rented a beach house, she's really excited! 

Summary & Review

Tweaked by Katherine Holubitsky

 Summary: The story Tweaked is narrated from a boy named Gordie Jessup's point of view. Unfortunately for Gordie, his house his slowly turning into a living nightmare because of Gordie's addictive brother, Chase, who lies, steals, cheats only to get his next fix of drugs. Chases addiction problem is slowly turning into a major problem which has resulted in him demonstrating violent acts towards others. While being under the influence of drugs, Chase has accidentally got himself in huge trouble. He has killed a young man and is now charged with first degree murder. So Chase decides to flee his house, while the cops are on the run for him. Weeks go by, and the Jessup family has heard nothing from Chase until one day Gordie finds him at home, only for him to ask him for a loan of $2000 so he get his next fix but convinces Gordie otherwise.

" The suspenseful story tweaked is a effective and compelling book about the reality of meth and what it can do to teenage chidren. I think its an excellent read for kids ages 14-20 because its a great way to demonstrate the horrible effects of drugs and how it can ruin someones life both physically and mentally" - Nisha Chail

Books and Me :)

An inspirational quote that I can relate to is , " a book is a gift that you can open again and again "  The reason I choose this quote is because a gift is something that makes a person feel happy or excited when receiving. Whether it is a material gift or a special milestone in life, the joyful experience we get, sometimes we wish the moment would last forever. For me, books also do the same thing. Each time I pick up a book, I feel the same sort of excitement to see what happens next, just like unwrapping a gift.

My relationship with books is that I love reading and try and incorporate it into my daily lifestyle. It is one of my favorite hobbies that I turn to in my free time.  My favorite type of books are drama, mystery and adventure. My favorite book is" Freak the Mighty" and my favorite series is " The Clique" and " Pretty Little Liars".