Authors Note: This is a comparative essay I wrote about the two books I’m reading, City of Bones and Sarah Bishop.
Would you believe that a book about highly equipped teenagers trained for slaughtering demons (City of Bones) and one about a 15 year old living on her own during the revolutionary war (Sarah Bishop) could have any similarities? They actually can, in fact they even share the same main theme of survival, of course in their own ways. So in many ways they are alike, but I’d say they’re more different. For example, City of Bones is so futuristic and takes place in modern day New York. This thrill ride of a book has to do with shadow hunters and downworlders, while the much slower pace Sarah Bishop is all about her living on her own during the revolutionary war. However, these novels are both about teenagers that are fighting for their lives every day. So as you can see, just by this quick summarization these books both share a main theme of survival.
Although these books are very different, a theme for both of them is survival. For Sarah it is living out doors and adapting to her new lifestyle. Living outside can be really tough, especially when there’s a bitter winter coming up. For the teens in City of Bones however, they have to survive in a completely different way. Life can’t be easy when you have possessed demons coming after you for a chalice you don’t even have.
Another thing that these books have in common is both of them have to deal with death, whether it’s killing something themselves, or someone dying around them. Clary’s grandparent’s and her so called “dad” died, but that’s no match for the amount of demons Jace has slaughtered. He is a demon hunter of course. While in Sarah Bishop, Sarah only uses her musket for threats and hunting for food. The only reason she has to kill animals, though, is because her dad has been killed and her brother died a prisoner of war.
On the other hand, Sarah bishop is all about a teenage girl living on her own and trying to find her way through life, while City of bones has a group of kids that will always have each other’s backs. Obviously they’d have to though, because in a world of blood sucking down worlders and man eating “forsaken” if you let your guard down, you better have someone looking out for you. For Sarah it isn’t that important for her to have someone. The worst thing that could happen is an animal attack, and it’s not like having a “cave mate” could really stop the creature’s assault.
In final analysis you can see how these books share the same theme, but yet still have many differences. Of course when you think of surviving in New York you’d probably just think of fitting in and not going bankrupt, and when you visualize surviving during in the revolutionary war, it probably occurs to you that that would mean a soldier trying not to get killed. Either way though it is clear to see that the characters in these books have to survive in their own ways, and life will always be a challenge for all of them.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Chapter 44
Authors Note: This is an extra chapter I wrote to a book I was reading called The Awakening.
After a week of running away and now getting a chance to sleep on bed in a place where I know I’m safe you’d think I’d be able to, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t stop thinking about Aunt Lauren and about my dad wanting me back, but the thought that haunted me the most is that I can never have my old life back, but I guess that’s probably what Tori, Simon, and Derek are thinking too. This means I can’t back out, not now, not ever. Even if I could, where would I go? I can’t just run back home and pretend like everything is fine, that’s not ever going to happen, god Chloe just get that through your head! But I couldn’t. All I could hope for is that things could possibly go back to how they were, and with that, I drifted off.
The next morning at breakfast as a bit into an apple that had never tasted so delicious, Andrew asked us how we slept. “Fine, but-“ Derek started to mumble but was soon cut off by Tori obnoxiously complaining about a pillow being too hard, or something like that. Who knows what Simon said, but everyone burst out laughing, but I just couldn’t concentrate, me being a necromancer is still pretty hard to accept, nevertheless figure out how to be one. I guess I had been zoning out though, because after quickly blinking a few times I realized Simon was frantically waving his hand in front of my face and yelling
“Chloe!”
“W-what?” I stuttered
“I asked you why you were being so quiet.”
“Oh, I was, I was just thinking, that’s all.”
“Whatever” Simon mumbled, obviously not believing me. Nothing very interesting happened throughout breakfast. It was basically just all of us putting fake smiles on our faces (except for Derek of course) and talking like everything was normal. Although after breakfast we did go exploring in the house, which might sound dumb, but in an old house you never know what you might find.
Turns out our hunch was right because after about an hour of searching we found a pull down door for an attic. Trying to act tough, Simon hesitantly went first. He led us all up the stairs when suddenly there was a huge boom and a nauseating laugh.
After a week of running away and now getting a chance to sleep on bed in a place where I know I’m safe you’d think I’d be able to, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t stop thinking about Aunt Lauren and about my dad wanting me back, but the thought that haunted me the most is that I can never have my old life back, but I guess that’s probably what Tori, Simon, and Derek are thinking too. This means I can’t back out, not now, not ever. Even if I could, where would I go? I can’t just run back home and pretend like everything is fine, that’s not ever going to happen, god Chloe just get that through your head! But I couldn’t. All I could hope for is that things could possibly go back to how they were, and with that, I drifted off.
The next morning at breakfast as a bit into an apple that had never tasted so delicious, Andrew asked us how we slept. “Fine, but-“ Derek started to mumble but was soon cut off by Tori obnoxiously complaining about a pillow being too hard, or something like that. Who knows what Simon said, but everyone burst out laughing, but I just couldn’t concentrate, me being a necromancer is still pretty hard to accept, nevertheless figure out how to be one. I guess I had been zoning out though, because after quickly blinking a few times I realized Simon was frantically waving his hand in front of my face and yelling
“Chloe!”
“W-what?” I stuttered
“I asked you why you were being so quiet.”
“Oh, I was, I was just thinking, that’s all.”
“Whatever” Simon mumbled, obviously not believing me. Nothing very interesting happened throughout breakfast. It was basically just all of us putting fake smiles on our faces (except for Derek of course) and talking like everything was normal. Although after breakfast we did go exploring in the house, which might sound dumb, but in an old house you never know what you might find.
Turns out our hunch was right because after about an hour of searching we found a pull down door for an attic. Trying to act tough, Simon hesitantly went first. He led us all up the stairs when suddenly there was a huge boom and a nauseating laugh.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
We All See Things Differently
Authors note: This is point of view piece on historical fiction books we are reading for Social Studies. It is about how different people can have completely different points of view.
Sarah Bishop is about a girl named, you guessed it, Sarah Bishop. Her dad has been a loyalist this whole time, meaning he likes the king. Sadly for him, the rest of the town doesn’t, but the worst part is, her brother, Chad, just went to war to fight against the king. Sense her dad likes the king, the patriots of the village come to Sarah’s house and burn it down; Sarah is safely tied to a tree but they cover her dad in hot tar and feathers which eventually kills him. Of course in the Patriots point of view this was obviously the right thing to do, but since this book was written in Sarah’s, it was the most mortifying thing she has ever seen.
With this piece being written in Sarah’s point of view, she tells the story by making it seem like the Patriots are terrible and horrific people and she begins to persuade you that her father did nothing wrong. It leads you to the assumption that he did nothing except for staying true to himself and his country. It seems as though the Patriots are cruel and inconsiderate bullies, and that’s what you think is true. And of course that’s what you’re going to believe, you don’t see it any other way.
However, in the eyes of the Patriots, they feel that they should not let think king take over their lives, and that the only way to overpower him is to get rid of all his worshipers. To do that, they must kill/hurt and destroy the homes of all “evil” citizens like Sarah’s dad. One by one, the Patriots rid the town of loyalists, after each one, it feels as if they are one step closer to freedom. Rebelling against the king is what they think is their only hope, so they’ll stop at nothing to get what they deserve.
It is clear that different people will see things in distinctively different ways, but that’s what can make a book worth reading. It’s that attitude and emotions that make things interesting, without them books would be dull and boring. Point of view plays a big role in all books, and in this one Sarah takes you through a huge part of her life and what she feels the world is like. Of course the towns people, and the Patriots will, for the most part disagree, but this was written in Sarah’s point of view so she is going to call it like she sees it.
Sarah Bishop is about a girl named, you guessed it, Sarah Bishop. Her dad has been a loyalist this whole time, meaning he likes the king. Sadly for him, the rest of the town doesn’t, but the worst part is, her brother, Chad, just went to war to fight against the king. Sense her dad likes the king, the patriots of the village come to Sarah’s house and burn it down; Sarah is safely tied to a tree but they cover her dad in hot tar and feathers which eventually kills him. Of course in the Patriots point of view this was obviously the right thing to do, but since this book was written in Sarah’s, it was the most mortifying thing she has ever seen.
With this piece being written in Sarah’s point of view, she tells the story by making it seem like the Patriots are terrible and horrific people and she begins to persuade you that her father did nothing wrong. It leads you to the assumption that he did nothing except for staying true to himself and his country. It seems as though the Patriots are cruel and inconsiderate bullies, and that’s what you think is true. And of course that’s what you’re going to believe, you don’t see it any other way.
However, in the eyes of the Patriots, they feel that they should not let think king take over their lives, and that the only way to overpower him is to get rid of all his worshipers. To do that, they must kill/hurt and destroy the homes of all “evil” citizens like Sarah’s dad. One by one, the Patriots rid the town of loyalists, after each one, it feels as if they are one step closer to freedom. Rebelling against the king is what they think is their only hope, so they’ll stop at nothing to get what they deserve.
It is clear that different people will see things in distinctively different ways, but that’s what can make a book worth reading. It’s that attitude and emotions that make things interesting, without them books would be dull and boring. Point of view plays a big role in all books, and in this one Sarah takes you through a huge part of her life and what she feels the world is like. Of course the towns people, and the Patriots will, for the most part disagree, but this was written in Sarah’s point of view so she is going to call it like she sees it.
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