Monday, August 27, 2012

Breakdown of Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

ONE Sentence summary:
A sixteen year old girl develops time-travelling abilities and is introduced to her family’s secret world of secrets, deception and lies.

TWO Things I would have done differently:
I would have changed some of the sentence structure in some places.  I also would have more things clearer (but I know most of my questions will be explained in the sequels).  

THREE Titles that if you liked...you will like this:
The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (read it, loved it)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (read it, loved it)
Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter (Not read) (Where I Found It)

FOUR Reasons to care:
1.) It’s a huge hit overseas, which means it hasn’t hit America yet. Read it before the rush! (Where I Found It)
2.) Plenty of interesting facts about history. Never miss a chance to learn something.
3.) It’s light reading. Good to take a break from the heavy Dragon Tattoo style now and then.
4.) It’s being classified as “Chick-lit sci-fi.” Tell me with a straight face you aren’t curious. (Where I Found It)  
*Bonus* It has a book trailer...which means it’s only a matter of time before there’s a movie trailer. Ruby Red Book Trailer

Yup. There will be. Interview with Kerstin Gier

FIVE Facts about the author:
1.) This novel was translated from German (Rubin Rot).
2.) Kerstin Gier lives in Germany.
3.) She’s funny.
4.) She likes her husband, son and cat.
5.) She keeps information about herself limited on the internet. But the interview is very insightful into the kind of cool person she is.

SIX Emotions I felt while reading:
Amused, confused, sympathetic, relieved, intrigued, interested.


SEVEN Thoughts:
1.) How can so many adults have no idea what’s going on?
2.) Why is this organization...so unorganized?
3.) Why all the secrecy, even from family?
4.) Who are the real bad guys?
5.) What does the philosopher stone do (in this novel)?
6.) What are the limitations of time travel?
7.) Who would think to make two chronographs?

EIGHT Buzzwords:
time, romance, mystery, family, secrecy, blood, stones, birth.

NINE Plot device/writing techniques/tools/tricks:
1.) First person omniscient point of view
2.) Information characters
3.) Symbology (dreams and in poetry)
4.) Rhyme/poetry as “clues”
5.) Foreshadowing/flashbacks
6.) Emotions as plot devices
7.) Metaphors/Similes
8.) Excerpts from outside source “the Chronicle” written within novel to release more information
9.) half of a narrative arc (forcing reader to continue reading sequels to finish the story)


TEN Point plot summary:
1.) Gwen helps her cousin Charlotte walk home after feeling dizzy in class. Obvious that they don’t get along.
2.) Information character drop clues about time travelling, including that every time traveller has a partner and the stolen chronograph.
3.) Charlotte does not have the gene for time travel. Gwen travels back in time without the instruction or tutoring that Charlotte has had.
5.) Gwen confesses that she has been time travelling to her mother who brings her to the institute. Rivalry between Gwen’s mother and Charlotte’s mother is evident.
6.) Gwen time travels again at the institute, proving their story. Gwen starts instruction and learns about the chronograph which logs each time traveller’s journey into the past.
7.) Gwen meets her partner, Gideon and they clash.  He is frustrated because he’s in love with Charlotte who is terribly disappointed she doesn’t have the gene.
8.) Gwen and Gideon travel back in time to meet the original creator of the chronograph. He threatens her with his telekinetic power.
9.) Gwen and Gideon travel back in time to meet Gwen’s great-great-grandmother. It ends up being a trap by the people who stole the first chronograph.
10.) Gwen and Gideon are stuck in the past, hiding in a church.

Now I have to read the sequels!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Breakdown of The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson

ONE Sentence summary:  The Adventures of Lisbeth Salander continue, only this time she has unlimited money and she’s wanted for three murders.

TWO Things I would have done differently: I would have made some scenes more clear with how the different officers just “know” things; seemed a little plot convenient. I also would have chosen simpler names because it got a little confusing.

THREE Titles that if you liked...you will like this:
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson (Read it, loved it)
Out by Natsuo Kirino Where I Found It
Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg Where I Found It

FOUR Reasons to care:
1.) This novel tackles some interesting aspects of organized crime.
2.) Focuses on corruption and how people become corrupted.
3.) Still on the bestseller list…still a conversation starter.
4.) Female protagonists are always worth reading.

FIVE Facts about the author:
See previous post Breakdown of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

SIX Emotions I felt while reading:
Disbelief, confusion, relief, amusement, scared, anxious

SEVEN Thoughts:
1.) How do people get into abusive relationships?
2.) Why don’t twins always turn out to be friends?
3.) Why have kids if you know you won’t love them?
4.) What would make the foster care system better?
5.) Who can be trusted when it comes to the authorities?
6.) When is it okay to stop fighting for your life?
7.) Why not communicate feelings?

EIGHT Buzzwords:
Mob, crime, murder, hacking, violence, life, death, strength

NINE Plot device/writing techniques/tools/tricks:
1.) Delayed release of information.
2.) Flashbacks, memories, thought processes
3.) In medius res. Starting the story in the middle of things.
4.) Third person limited point of view
5.) Suspense
6.) Flexibility with time tags
7.) Rotating other points of view
8.) Gradual development as a means to an end
9.) Media headlines as plot device

TEN Point plot summary:
1.) Lisbeth Salander has been out of the country for several months avoiding Mikael Blomkvist and her life back home.
2.) She had been island-hopping but her hotel was about to be hit by a hurricane. Meanwhile, Blomkvist was hard at work about to edit and publish another novel, this one about sex trafficking.
3.) When Salander finally came home, she bought a very expensive classy second apartment that no one knew the address of, not even her most recent lover, Mimmi.  Blomkvist was still hard at work editing the novel and looking up sources for the novel.
4.) Mimmi buys Salander’s old apartment for a dollar, and lives there rent-free. Blomkvist gets deeper into the content of the novel.
5.) Salander learns that her old guardian woke up from his coma and she visits him, plays chess and pays for his intensive care.
6.) Salander gets attacked by a mysterious man, and Blomkvist is a witness to the attack, but is unable to help her.
7.) Salander visits the apartment of the author of the novel and his fiance. Shortly after her visit, they are found dead. Shortly after that, Salander’s current guardian was also found dead. The same weapon was used for all three murders, and is found at the scene of the crime of the writer and the fiance- with Salander’s fingerprints on the weapon.
8.) Salander goes deep into hibernation mode to avoid the police or anyone who would want to turn her in.  Salander does incredible detective work to find out the real killer.
9.) Salander finds the real killer and where he lives (much more complicated than this if you have ever read the books before) and pays him a visit.
10.) Find out if she survives the encounter!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Breakdown of All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

ONE Sentence summary:  A deceased mob bosses’ teenage daughter struggles with coming of age while taking care of her siblings and living up to her family’s expectations regarding “the business.”

TWO Things I would have done differently: I would have explained why society is the way it is in the novel.  I also would have taken out some of the colloquialisms

THREE Titles that if you liked...you will like this:
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
American Girl by Meg Cabot
Novels by Sara Dessen (Just Listen, Lock and Key)

FOUR Reasons to care:
1.) It's a novel about organized crime and the effects on society.
2.) Zevin is a young writer writing about young people.
3.) One of the characters is…different. How we treat people is important.
4.) Nothing is more important than family.

FIVE Facts about the author:
1.) Zevin graduated from Harvard in 2000. (Where I Found It)
2.) She doesn’t have a facebook because she is shy and doesn’t immediately know what she thinks about things. (Where I Found It)
3.) Zevin also writes screenplays. (Where I Found It)
4.) She’s young. She started writing at 25 and is now only 34.

SIX Emotions I felt while reading:
Amused, concerned, curious, interested, worried, sympathetic

SEVEN Thoughts:
1.) Why are people so easily bribed?
2.) How easy is it to corrupt people?
3.) Why are teenage boys so stupid?
4.) How bad are correctional institutes?
5.) What is the effect of sibling relationships?
6.) What is the role of friends in life?
7.) Where do you draw the line with what you will do for family?

EIGHT Buzzwords:
Heartbreak, boys, chocolate, illegal, crime, mob, love, friendship

NINE Plot device/writing techniques/tools/tricks:
1.) Colloquial writing style
2.) Memories, flashbacks, thought processes
3.) Mystery elements
4.) First person point of view
5.) Asides to the reading/breaking fourth wall
6.) Suspense
7.) Returning/repeating advice from father
8.) Foreshadowing
9.) Accessible content for all readers

TEN Point plot summary:
1.) We meet several different characters, including Annie’s boyfriend, Gable, and her best friend, Scarlet.
2.) Gable tries to get Annie to sleep with him; she distracts him with the illegal chocolate her family makes and they break up shortly after this incident.
3.) Scarlet informs Annie about the arrival of the DA’s son, Win, whom she finds incredibly attractive and convinces to hang with her and Annie at a club.
4.) Win falls for Annie, who has no time for boys because she is too busy taking care of her siblings and her ailing grandmother.
5.) Gable makes trouble for Annie, and she gives him contraband chocolate to make him go away.
6.) Annie gradually grows closer to Win and finds out the chocolate she gave to Gable was poisoned.
7.) She is accused of attempted murder and sent to a correctional institute.
8.) Win’s father gets Annie out of the jail and tells her to stay away from his son. She tries and fails.
9.) Annie’s grandmother passes away. Catastrophes occur within in the family and the only solution is a secret mission during prom.
10.) Find out if the mission was successful!