Divergent

Veronica Roth

This month I read a book called Divergent, by Veronica Roth. Divergent is about a dystopian city where everything is run down, and to make it work well, everyone is split into factions. The factions are Dauntless, the brave. Amity, the kind. Candor, the honest. Erudite, the intelligent. And abnegation, the selfless. Dauntless are for protection, amity for food, candor for law enforcement, erudite for doctors and teachers, and abnegation as government officials. Beatrice, or Tris, is a mix of erudite, dauntless, and abnegation. She ends up choosing dauntless, for the trill and excitement. But she soon learn that being divergent, having more than one choice, is a very bad thing. She has to fight her way to get to the top of dauntless initiation, fight to keep her feeling away from her parents, and fight to not get found about being divergent. This story is about having a choice and love. And I really like it.

I like this book because it’s adrenalin packed, with lots of plots twists and some romance in it. It’s about how “one choice can transform you,” which is written on the front cover. It shows that everyone has a choice, and everyone has an opinion, like sure, your parents and family are all in abnegation. But being selfless isn’t for me. I’d rather be free roaming and happy, in dauntless. That was Tris’ decision by the way, I’d much rather be amity. I like this book showing how an opinion and then a choice is all the matters, your opinion, your choice. It’s not showing how you should always listen and do what you’re not loving. When I was younger, my parents put me in gymnastics, and I didn’t like it. My opinion, and choice, was to get of it. It made me do soccer, which I love, and okay it all the way up until twelve. Other peoples opinion and choice matters too.

My favorite character is Tris’ mother, Natalie Prior. She is the ultimate mom, she died for her daughter when the erudite started to attack, and died a heroic death. Also, when Tris decided to leave abnegation for dauntless, she wasn’t mad. She was happy for her daughter, because later, we figure out she was dauntless! My favorite quote is page 179. She came to visit Tris for visiting day, Tris’ old habits are back to treat other first, but her mom says this line “‘Todays is a special occasion,’ she says. “I came to see you, so let’s talk mostly about you. It is my gift to you’” this line warms my heart, showing how much her mother wants to hear about her, instead of telling Tris about what’s going on at home with her father.

My favorite quote is still the one above, that Tris’ mother says. I feel like it is so kind caring more about others than herself, sacrificing to talk about her self, and state how the family’s going, to talk more about her daughter. And being kind to listen patiently and not interrupting.

This idea took me a second. At first, I thought I would want to work at a boba place, and as much as I love boba, I can’t have it so that would be difficult to work in a store where I can only have a limited amount of the bobas. It’s because I can’t have it, but that’s not the point. I would want to work at Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A is my favorite restaurant, I just really love chicken, and fries. I would want to work at Chick-Fil-A for three reason, my first one is the free food! At Chick-Fil-A, I’m assuming I get at least one free meal a day. So I could have seven shifts a week and get Chick-Fil-A almost every day! You may be wondering, “Phoebe, won’t you get sick of it?” Maybe I will, maybe I won’t, but right now, I love it. My second reason is because people really love Chick-Fil-A, so I get to talk to a lot more people, I’m pretty shy around new people, so it will be good to boost my people skills from working at a small job, then I can get an even bigger job, and I won’t be afraid to talk to people! My third reason is because of the Christianity, it’s kind of weird, but I’m LDS, and I can’t do anything on Sundays, and they already don’t have stuff going on on Sundays. I guess it will just be nice having a job where people believe in the same things I do. Those are my three reasons for wanting to work at Chick-Fil-A, and no, actually, don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it!

The Baby-Sitters Club; Kristy’s Great Idea

Ann M. Martin

This book is about a group of friends who start a baby sitting club, as told by the title. Kristy and Mary Anne baby sit a lot, and they have fun. Kristy then thinks of something huge, a club. A group of a few girls (or boys) have meeting a couple times a week for a client to call in and get multiple baby sitters at once. So she invited Mary Anne and Claudio Kishi, and Claudia invited her friend Stacey McGill. The get jobs, and fine out the truth about Stacey.

I like this book because it’s relatable, it’s about middle school girls who do something anyone can do, but they make it work. It’s not like they are crazy popular people who have boyfriends and are so amazing, it’s just a few random girls who start a successful club.

My favorite character is Claudio Kishi. Claudia is a really good artist, and dresses for her, not other people, she wears fedoras to school and expressive clothing that shows who she really is. She also loves junk food, just like me, so I can kinda relate! To be one hundred percent honest though, a can’t find a really memorable quote from Claudia. Her words weren’t very interesting, just her attitude.

My favorite quote in the book is on page 71, it reads, “From what Mary Anne told me, Boo-Boo must truly be a boo-boo. What a mess of a cat.” I just think it funny because my personal favorite are funny quotes, and this doesn’t show anything particular, I just think it’s funny how she says, what a mess of a cat.

I can turn invisible now! I’m not sure how, but it just clicked. A voice in my head told me that I’m invisible, for twenty four hours only. In weird, but there’s no way I’m not putting it to good use. First, I’m going to skip school of course. They’re already going to mark me absent for not being able to see me, so what’s the point? I may stop by to cause some chaos. Like I could walk around making ghost noises to scare my classmates, or make things “levitate”, or write stuff down on white boards to scare people. The next thing I would do is maybe steal some things, I know this doesn’t sound good, but I could get some free stuff out of this. If I touch something, then it will turn invisible with me, only if I wish. So I could grab some things that would usually be expensive, and just, well, take it. I would maybe leave some money because my consciousness would never let me do that, but it would just help with skipping a line if it’s too long. The last thing I would do is board a flight somewhere, no one would know, so I could just hop on. I have a phone, and probably a ticket back home so I don’t get stuck in another place, but I could get a partially free flight to Hawaii or something, and that would be nice. I would be able to turn myself uninvisible so I can actually do something’s, but it would be fun. So overall, if I became invisible, I would cause a lot of mischief. It would be fun watching people squirm when I appear just my head, it would be fun to invisible.

I’m clumsy, there’s no getting around that. Knowing me, I’ll get stuck on an island because of how clumsy I am. How imagine I get stuck on an abandoned island, is that I’m on a cruise. I’m walking on the deck on the very top story. I’m doing fine, just wandering around because this is my first time on a cruise. Next thing I know is I slip on water and fly over the railing and ended up landing in the water. I fall, fall, fall, until I slap against the water. Likely from falling that high I have been knocked out cold, but I am very good at floating. I don’t know how, but I just float. I slowly drift off with the soothing current of the Pacific Ocean. The warm weather and blazing sun making me look like a tomato. My shorts and shirt flowing freely against my body making me cool. When I wake up I’m still drifting out in the open sea. I’m tired from doing nothing, which is not a surprise to me. I look around my surrounding trying to find out where my cruise has gone, but all I see is a small speck moving farther and farther away. I wonder how long it will take my parents to find me. I look around trying to find a way to not have to float, and at least a mile away I see a small island, with a singular palm tree. Using my three years of swim team training, I quickly freestyle over to the small cay. I get over there in not to long, but I’m exhausted. I climb onto the day and quickly feel out of place. Most islands out in the open have no inhabitants, but why does this one have a shack? I walk over to the shack with my sore muscles, because I haven’t done competitive swimming in over a year. I knock on the shack and the door quickly falls over. I walk into the shack not expecting what was inside. A skeleton. A skeleton of a human was laying on the bed. I scream, but that is not the weirdest thing I see. There’s a computer, a super old one. Like a box. It’s has a keyboard, which I don’t know how to type with attached to it. I take a look at it from all angles. It has many wires poking out of it. I find the on button. The screen glows brightly and a sound takes place. After a while it loads. And what is this I see? There’s Wi-Fi! I quickly log onto the news, trying to find out if anyone noticed I’m missing and decided to put it on the news. And oh my. Oh. My. I’m the number one page! They have an unruly picture of my 7th grade picture. And apparently I have a search party for me. I log of the computer and decide I need food, but before I venture out I take a quick peek in the mini fridge for food, and I will never, ever, ever, look in there again. I venture out to the cay and look around, there’s not many trees. Only one palm tree, then lots and lots of shrubs. I walk on the soft grass, and adventure the tropical paradise. There’s multiple attractions, like a stage and a dinner table. I fall asleep after shoving the skeleton to the side, obviously. The next day, I’ve already gonna insane. I wake up and start screaming, because why not? I walk around the island. Talking to myself because I was sooo bored. I catch some fish so eat and cook them over a fire. I then sacrifice my flip flops for hopeful happiness in this horrid time. I decide to go to the stage. I staged a dance! I invited the skeleton to go with me. I danced with him for hours, it was fun. I run laps around the island for boredom. Then my realization kicks in. I lay on the sand, questioning my reality and if I was meant to be here for some sort of growth that I needed. I decided thoughts are over rated. By now, the sun if halfway up the sky. I play on the computer for the rest of my day, because I don’t have screen time here. Take that dad! (I love my dad btw, don’t take this is the wrong way.) I set of a “help” sign with rocks, because I’m already hated it here. Helicopters soon circle my island yelling command at me, but I hold up my sword with determination, this is my island. I make the rules. Rescuers come down to the island. I sadly tun myself over and come home. I soon realize I’ve only been on this island for a day. Wow.

This month I read a book called Smile, by Raina Telgemeier. This book is about a girl who knocks her two front teeth out and has do deal with in getting fixed for a couple of months, it may be a graphic novel but it is a good book to read.

I like this book because it’s sort of a comedy with Raina trying to fit in, but everything keeps going wrong. It has multiple layers to it too, like her trying to fix her teeth problem, her getting used to braces, getting her ears pierced, trying to fit in in middle school, and having a crush.

My favorite character is the main characters little sister. She has the role mastered being annoying to her sibling and teasing her, while also loving her sister and holding on to her sister when an earthquake happens during the book. The little sister is very funny and I just love her character.

My favorite quote is page 12, it when Raina stands in front of a mirror, shortly after knocking her teeth out. She’s still in shock from what just happened and says, “Hey mom! I look like I’m six again!” Then she laughs a lot, I laughed at this too because in the same panel it shows her mom thinking, “well she’s in shock.” And I just thought that it was funny.

My inspiration for this is the elephants that decorate this room. I was also having trouble trying to find a good free write.

I walk into my classroom, a normal feel

But I can’t stop wondering what will be my next meal

I’m starving thats true, but what do i see

An elephant taking up my seat!

In all of it gray glory

Sitting there reading its story.

The elephant tells me his names Joe

And that he’s just trying to stay low.

He gets out of my chair for me,

The walked out of the class with some sort of glee.

When I heard about this blog, I got pretty dang excited. I’ve read Harry Potter before, and as much as I don’t really like Albus, he’s kinda hilarious to be honest. But I chose the quote “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” By Albus/Jk Rowling. I chose this one because ever since I first read it, it has stuck in my head. My entire life, my dad has always told me that even the smallest amount of light chases away the darkness. So I remembered with quote, without even realizing it. My parents have told me to always be a light, to always help others, and I feel as though this quote sums it up. Whenever someone is in there darkest of times, a small light can be the only thing to keep them going. So I want to be that light. Whenever someone is sad, or depressed, I want to be that light that keeps them going, that makes them happy. In elementary school, I never had a light. All my friends were mean, and the only friend I did have moved away, and I don’t want anyone to feel that sad. So I share my happiness with them, hoping it will make them feel better. It doesn’t always work, but I hope that it at least helps them a little bit. And people may think, “I don’t want to go out of my way to help someone.” But when I help someone, and share my happiness, all I get is more happy. It makes people trust me more and we get better as friends. It’s worth going out of your way, to make someone happy and yourself happier. I hope you remember, that there is always a light in your life. Someone who loves you and will help you through your hard times. Hope your having an aMaZiNg day. See you in my next blog!

This prompt made me sit for a while, because I have two hero’s. My mom, and my dad. I both love them so much, so I chose someone that is a mix of them both. My older sister Lyla. She is a mix of my mom, and my dad. I chose her because she is athletic and strong like my dad, and can be kind and loving like my mom. She also loves books, and has lots of friends. Her strength is honestly crazy. Before she tore her ACL, she would go to the gym all the time and would work out, she would run, strengthen her arms, and get better stamina. I want to be like her so I’m strong and healthy. She also can be really kind like my mom (but my mom is overall the kinder person). When I went up to Utah with my cousin, she was being mean, but Lyla then called me and just talked to me for the next thirty minutes, until my phone died. It made me feel better now that I had another person I could talk to if my cousin starts being mean again. She also loves books. Even though she’s an athlete, she still loves books. She has read lots of books, like the inheritance games, Keeper of the Lost Cities, Jane Austen, and lots of others. I want to be like Lyla so much. She’s also really pretty, she has blonde hair with pretty highlights, she has really pretty hazel eyes, and so many other features. I love my mom and dad, and it’s nice to have someone that’s a mix of them as a role model. I never realized how much I look up to my sister until I wrote this blog. I hope my parents read this is show it to her, so she knows how much I look up to her and love her.

For 2024 I chose my word to be organize. I am really bad at organizing. It takes me a long time to find out where I want it to be, and how easy it will be if it’s in that one area. Over the past couple months, I’ve been working on organizing, but it’s hard. I bought a pencil case that has built in organizers, but I can never find them, I got a ton of mini baskets for my skin care stuff, but I always find them in different places. The one thing I’ve always had trouble on is my room. I have clothes all over the floor instead of in my hamper or drawer, stuff spread out all over the place on my desk, it’s a huge mess. So that’s why I chose organize. To help me do that this year, I’m going to be more focused when I put things away. I’m going to focus to put my clothes away instead of on the floor, I’m going to focus when I put my skincare away, I’m going to focus when I’m just putting my pencil back in its case.
This year I’m going to try my hardest to work towards my New Year’s resolution. I’ll have reminder on my phone to tell me every morning to out my clothes away, so clean my room, and other things. I’ll put my skin care away carefully, and I’ll put stuff back instead of setting them on my desk.