Friday

I took that personality test and I got the result ESFJ. E= extraverted, which I already knew that I was. I love talking to people and hate sitting alone and keeping to myself. My friends are my life and I tell them everything. I'm not really that private of a person. S= sensing. I'm not really sure what that entails. And f = feeling, but im not sure what that means either. J= judging and I think I can definitely be judgmental so i'm surprised that didn't end up being higher.

Currently

Breathless by Jessica Warman

This week: 311 pages

Sentences of the Week:
1. "We called him 'The Ghost'." I liked the simplicity of the sentence and the how matter of factly she announced her nickname for her father.

2. "The only thing I know for sure is how to swim." Throughout the whole novel, Katie always has swimming to fall back on when the other people in her life fail her.

3. "I take a few minutes to stay in bed with my eyes closed, awake, wiggling my fingers and toes." This is one of my favorite things to do when I wake up in the morning. Just to stay in my bed a few minutes longer and relax.

Friends and Frenemies

Finishing Breathless really ended up being a disappointment. Throughout the entire novel, Katie hung around a popular jock named Estella. She knew she was an awful person and so did everyone around her, yet they allowed her to rule the school. Everyone still wanted to be her, or claim to be her friend. I don’t understand why people put up with others who act like they are “it on a stick.” If someone thinks they are better than everyone else, I choose not to surround myself with that person. Why would you let someone treat you like you are dirt 75% of the time, and like you are worth something only 25% of the time? This is such a huge problem in high school. Girls nominate themselves as popular and other people subject themselves to other’s self declared hierarchy. I used to be great friends with someone who thought she could walk all over me and say whatever she wanted. Her filter needed to be turned on. When I cut off that friendship entirely, I ended up having the best year of school I have ever had! I never imagined I could be so happy! If Katie had ever learned to take a stand against the horrible behavior from her supposed friend, she could have found happiness. She finds a connection with a fellow swim captain Drew that she lets sizzle out. Drew really cared about her, and all the other students could see that. I wish the author had let the book end with a huge blow up drama session between the two girls, but sadly she let Estella have the last word. And in the epilogue, she lets Estella still remain on top with the perfect job, man, and body. Katie is still unhappy and searching for what she wants in life. Not the ending I was expecting, and not an ending that I enjoyed.

LIfe with a Messed up Family

As i've gotten pretty far into my novel Breathless by Jessica Warman, I can't stop thinking about her family life. Her brother is in and out of mental facilities and snaps at random moments. He gets upset when his father, who the two refer to as "The Ghost" because he is never at home, catches him smoking on the roof. With this anger, he sneaks over to the neighbor's backyard and almost kills himself in front of them. Now Katie has been sent to a boarding school because her alcoholic mother and workaholic father don't want her living with them. Now my dad is quite the workaholic as well. He always seems to find more and more work that can be done, even though he goes in to work at 530 am and usually doesn't get home till around 8pm or later. Jobs in education really don't require that much work time, but somehow he finds that much to do, or so he says. Katie really struggles with her dad's absence to the point where she tries to give him a nickname that makes it seem like it isn't hurting her inside, but it is. Who willingly chooses not to have her father be an active part in her life? No one. While Katie dreaded this new school, she has found comfort in the fact that the people there stick around and are always there. Duh, its a boarding school. They really don't have anywhere else to go. She awkwardly bonds with her roommate Madeline Moon once she realizes that some peoples' lives are even more screwed up than her own. I just liked identifying with Katie on her views of her father, and I am curious to find out exactly how their relationship ends.

Beginnings

After my blog last year was an epic fail, I have decided to start fresh. I don't really know what this will end up being, but I plan to post once a day about what I read and interesting things that happen in my life. Hopefully it doesn't end up being boring, but if it is, feel free to play with the fish!