Week 38: Progress Post

[Zaz, Mood Minion]

We are halfway done with Week 38! This week topic was a story set in high school.

This discussion thread is solely for your progress. (Book discussions go in individual threads.)

Which book did you read?

Did you enjoy it?

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic?

Did you like this high school?

[Krysta]

Which book did you read? The Spectacular Now

Did you enjoy it? Yes.

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic? No, he was drunk a lot, but I don't think that's unusual.

Did you like this high school? It was okay.

[Christi]

Which book did you read?Eleanor & Park

Did you enjoy it? It was ok. I didn't love it as much as most people seemed to.

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic? um, I can't remember, I read this book months ago. I think Eleanor had red hair and Park had a walkman.

Did you like this high school? YA fiction high school is full of drama and bullies and angst. That was not how my high school experience was at all. I'd go back to high school in a heartbeat. I have a hard time relating to these types of fictional high school settings.

[Jean]

Which book did you read? Staggerford

Did you enjoy it? I would say that there is a story, but not much of a plot. And it focuses on the staff of the high school, not the students. However, about half-way through the book I realized that the simple style of writing had drawn me in and that I had developed attachments to some of these characters and dislike for others. To any potential future readers, I recommend settling in and letting the writing do its job. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic? No. This is the story of an ordinary man in an ordinary small town.

Did you like this high school? Having grown up near a large city I've often wondered how I would fare in a small town where everybody knows everybody else's business. At least that's how I imagine it. So I didn't dislike this high school but I wouldn't say I wished I could have gone there either.

[Zaz, Mood Minion]

Which book did you read? Eleanor & Park

Did you enjoy it? Yes, it was a smooth and easy read.

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic? She was awkward regarding what you can expect from a "normal" teenager (clothes, hairs, behavior...).

Did you like this high school? Nop, I would like to see a school where being yourself is not a problem and this is not one of these.

[Jimmie]

Which book did you read? Carrie

Did you enjoy it? Yes, I can't believe I waited this long to read Stephen King's first book.

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic? Yes, Telekenetics (TK) scarred me to death. TK is also the abbreviation for Stephen King's wife, Tabitha.

Did you like this high school? No, I'm glad I did not go to this high school. I felt bad the way Carrie was treating in her high school.

[Jody]

Which book did you read?Looking for Alaska

Did you enjoy it?Not particularly - the characters were clichéd and one dimensional, and I couldn't see Alaska as this irresistible siren.

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic?Nope, they swore, had sex, drunk & were pretentious twats. So pretty much your stereotypical book/movie teenagers.

Did you like this high school?It was a boarding school, which was my teenage worst nightmare, but in hindsight I probably would have benefited from leaving home earlier. This one seemed pretty cool, if you discount the students. ;)

[Laarni]

Which book did you read?
Stargirl

Did you enjoy it?
Yes :)

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic?
Oh yeah. She was too unusual to seem plausible, but as I got to know her better I couldn't help liking her.

Did you like this high school? No, but it was interesting to see how the students reacted when nonconformity hit them smack on the face. This is especially true because I'm in Japan where conformity is a norm.

[Sarah]

Which book did you read? Lock and Key

Did you enjoy it? Yes I did!

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic? She couldn't admit when she needed help and had a hard time letting people in.

Did you like this high school? Yep it seemed like a nice school to go to.

[Jessica]

Which book did you read?
Before I Fall

Did you enjoy it?
Yes, I was surprised actually.

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic?
No, not really, except for the fact that she wasn't the main "mean girl" of the group, which made for an interesting dynamic.

Did you like this high school?
It was okay, pretty stereotypical high school. I could relate more with the people who were picked on than the popular kids. That part made some of the reading painful.

[Erica]

Which book did you read?
Ready Player One

Did you enjoy it?
I loved it.

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic?
He was a loner and spent all his time researching the 80's to win the competition in the book.

Did you like this high school?
It was different, since everyone attended virtually. I think the kind of high school in this book would be pretty boring, since everything was kind of controlled by the program.

[Silvia]

Which book did you read?
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Did you enjoy it? Yes, a lot

Did the main character had an unusual characteristic?
Not really, but they feel different. She thinks of herself as "big" it was not clear for me if she was chubby or voluptuous. And he seems like a guy who enjoys to be alone with his music and comics.

Did you like this high school? Not really, looks like appearance is too important there.