The Truth About Truman by Dori Hillestad Butler

 One of my favorite things about "The Truth About Truman" is that it allowed you to see bullying from both sides, the bully, the victim, and the bystanders.  Lilly, the victim didn't even see it coming and it all started with a email that said "Dear Lilly... You're going down"  from a person named milkandhoney.  Throughout the story she goes through ups and downs trying to figure out who this mysterious person could be.  Also, a website to girls decided to create, thetruthabouttruman.com don't make it any better for Lilly.  They are constantly being worse to her along with the mysterious bully.  It becomes even worse when an old photo of Lilly is revealed from when she was very overweight.  Time goes on and it get worse and worse.
     
        It is a fascinating story that can teach you a lot about how you actions can affect other people around you.   It taught me many life lessons and made me change the way I act to make me a better person.  I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did and take away the same values to become a better person.

Book rating: 5 out of 5 stars

*This is a 200 page book*

My school had PARCC this month and with the stress from it, I decided to read a more relaxing book, "The Truth About Truman." I have always been interested by books about bullying because it makes me aware of what teenagers in out generation are capable of with a single website.

Best of Me Book and Movie Comparison *SPOILER*

       "The Best of Me" by Nicholas Sparks is a fantastic romance novel that out tears in my eyes. I heard great reviews of the movie but I figured I would read the book first, then watch the movie. After seeing the movie there were many differences and I knew I must do another book-movie comparison.
       Between the novel and movie, there were both similarities and differences. The differences are more noticeable, therefore I have decided a few differences I have noticed.  One of the major differences I have noticed was that in the novel, Dawson and Amanda first go there as teenagers because Tuck hurt his back and needed help to plant Clara's garden, In the movie, they did not know about the cabin until after Tuck had died.  I thought this was a big difference because they don't discover it for years later, in which the garden still lays.  How would have it been planted since tucks back was out? How did they never venture into it at all of their years spent there.  I think the novel is much more realistic then the movie on these terms.

       In the movie, many of the same dramatic moments occur, but the characters are changed. For example, in the novel Dawson is sent to jail for killing a doctor.  However, in the movie he is sent to jail because he killed his cousin Bobby Cole.  What mad it even worse was that Bobby Cole was not even in the book, he was just a new character in the movie.  Another part was also changed the same way.  One big part of the movie was when Dawson was killed, and between the novel and the movie they have two different Murderers! In the novel, it was his cousin. and in the movie it was his own father.  These two changes puzzled me because I wouldn't think that Nicholas Sparks would want to change who did what inside of the book.

Overall, the book and movie were both fantastic. There were some changes that did disappoint me, but they weren't to bad.  "The Best of Me" is an amazingly told story that is fantastic and just all around outstanding.  I hope that you enjoy the movie and book just as much as I did!

Rating for book and movie: 5 out of 5 stars.
*This was a 300 page book.*

Divergent Movie and Book Comparison

During early February I read the fantastic novel, Divergent by Veronica Roth. After reading the pager turning novel, I decided to would watch the movie and compare the two.

I loved the book and I could only hope that the movie would meet my expectations.  I heard that it was fantastic but i wanted to see for myself just how fantastic it was and what the director decided to change.  After seeing the movie, I was impressed at how much the movie was like the book. While reading it, I was curious about how the film would portray the setting described and the director, Neil Burger, did a fantastic job of making the books setting and feel come to life. However, their were some changes that surprised me.  One change the surprised me was Peter's characters attitude.  In the book, I though of him as a violent and horrible monster that no one could even tolerate.   However, in the movie actor Miles Teller brought more of a humor to Peters character that made him partially likable. Another part of the novel that did not make the cut (that I believe should have) were some of the funny and cute romance scenes between Four and Tris.  For example, I though that the scene with Fore when he was drunk was funny and I would have loved to see it on the big screen, but sadly I was not able to. Also, I was surprised that during capture the flag they used neurostim darts instead of paint balls. I though that it was a good change because they do have more advanced technology so why would they be using regular paint ball guns?  Last, the ending in the movie was different from the book, I both liked the different twist, and disliked it.  I liked how they had Tris admit she is divergent instead of her trying to hide it because it lets off a different feel which I think is exciting because you don't know what to expect. What I didn't like was that Tris forced Jeanine to shut down the system without Four's help.  I did not like it because I feel as if she needs someone to help her because its only so easy to take down someone by yourself. 

Overall, I Enjoyed both the novel and the movie and director Neil Burger did a fantastic job  of putting the movie together to portray the stunning novel.  I would give these book 5 out of 5 star and recommend it to any teenagers and adult, however no younger kids because of some of the violence that happens throughout the story.  

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne *SPOILER*

Bruno, a nine-year-old boy living in Berlin, comes home from school to the day that change his life forever.   He is told him and his family are moving because of his dads job to the "Out-with."  He's not sure what the "Out-with" stands for but he is for sure that it can be no better then their magnificent  house in Berlin, and he was right.  The day of the big moves come and when they reach their new home it's very remote and has no other houses within miles of them. Bruno is unsatisfied but he knows he can't make his family move back home, because this is their new home.  He wants to explore around the home, but his mother told him he is not allowed to leave the ground inside of the fence that surrounds the house.  He tries to explore but there is noting interesting just grass, a tree and a shed.  He decides to unpack, and while unpacking he looks through his window.  He sees huts, and people of every age and height,for miles on end all wearing the exact same striped pajamas. However, he is not sure what it is.  So, he asks his sister, Gretel, to come take a look.  Gretel says that they are farmers that live on the countryside as she explains to him, and Bruno is eager to explore this "countryside" his sister speaks of. He knows he is not suppose to explore but he does anyway. He escaped through a window in the shed behind his house. He finds a trail leading through the woods and as he walks along it he comes to a tall fence. He continues to walk along the fence, until he comes close to the end of it and there he finds a young boy sitting in blue and white dirty and old pajamas.  They talk for a little while with no introduction, Bruno thinks he finally found a friend that he can spend time with. The only problems is the fence dividing them, and their lives.  After talking, Bruno introduces himself, and the other boy does also, his name is Shmuel.  For many days they continue to meet at the exact same spot.  They eventually find out that they are both nine, and have the same exact birthday also.  Bruno doesn't tell any of his family about is new friend worried that his parents will stop him from going any longer. One day Bruno wakes up to see Shmuel washing glasses in his home.  Bruno's father's friends, the Nazi's,  are in the room with Shmuel, but eventually  they leave and Bruno and Shmuel begin the talk and Bruno gives him food because he looks starved.  The Nazi's walk in and see Shmuel with food and take it away, angry because they are convinced that he stole it.  When Bruno and Shmuel meet the next day, Shmuel had even more marks then usual. Bruno wanted to make it up to him because he knew he was hurt more because of what Bruno did. Shmuel had been telling Bruno how his grandpa was missing, so Bruno and Shmuel decided that the next day Bruno would sneak under the fence in a spot where it was just enough room for him to fit under.  The next day Bruno found out that it would be his last day in the "Out-with" and he would be leaving that evening.  He knew he had to go help Shumel, so he did.  He sneaked out the window and down the path to where him and Shumel met. Shumel was waiting with the striped pajamas so Bruno matched everyone and did not stand out. Bruno changed and let his shoes and clothes on his side of the fence and crawled under into Shumel's area. They raced back to the houses and began searching in every single one and there was no sight of Shumel's grandfather. They walked into another house right as the soldiers came in and directed everyone out into lines and directed them to a room where they were all told to take off there clothes and enter a room that had all cement walls  and no windows.  Bruno was worried and Shumel told him that they were just going to shower.  But as soon as they got in the gas pellets were released.

 The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is a fantastic, touching story that can make anyone's heart melt.  It teaches us how everyone can be friends no matter the differences.  I would recommend it to anyone from young teenager, to a grandma.  I rated it 5 out of 5 stars.