Swim The Fly by Don Calame

I am currently reading the book Swim The Fly by Don Calame. It is a about 3 boys; Matt, Coop and Sean
that wants to see a real live naked girl. Not some pictures, but a real live one. That was their one time summer goal that must be completed, like the ones in the previous years. However, Matt tries to break the tradition and  ends up with a girlfriend. Soon, the plan doesn't seem to right to him. 

One characteristic about Matt that really sticks out to me is the fact that he wants to do whats right. He tries to take life as a serious way. He always tries to do what's best. I mean his friends wanted to forge the big swim-off that he had, but instead, he went through it. He has a very honest and well-rounded personality. He doesn't try to take the easy or cheating way. Another time, when he destroyed his brothers room, he told the truth, instead of completely lying. Not to mention, He told the direct truth to mom, when she found out that her super protein bars are missing. Unlike his friends, he is a bit more mature. Then, his friends didn't want to compete in the school swim off, but he really did. At first, he started to do it for a girl, but in the end, he did it for himself. Not to mention, he sort of gave up on the fact of seeing a naked girl. Instead, he took his dignity and saved it from getting exposed. Even, if none would know, he did it.

This book had a very big plot twist, considering that the trio had been friends for so long. They are still friends, but their relationship isn't based on one person, it's based on all of them. They use to always rely on Coop, but now it includes Matt and Sean into their friendship. The plot twist helped them in their friendship. 

Tangled-Carolyn Mackler

       This book is about how the lives of 4 people change from ok to worse after. Jena, and Skyle are 2 girls on the trip together. They hate each other, why? well Jena thinks that Skyle is show off because she's a model and Skyle thinks that Jena is loser because she has no boyfriend. Then there's Dakota and Owen, their're brothers. They live in different places since there parents are separated Dakota thinks that being cool and getting drunk is everything and Owen is the nerdy brother that speaks poetry. This book contains many plot twists along with things that should have never happened. Four people, four stories told in four months of tragic and twists.

       One thought that left me while reading the book was why did Owen commit suicide? He had no reasons but Dakota had a lot? I mean he was having a good life. Like, he was doing so good in school. Also, his mom always cared about him and never expected more than him and his mom always encouraged him. Not to mention, he had friends. Suicide is a very harsh things to the victim's family and friends and they know it will hurt them, but why does it happen? If there is no motive, then why does it happen? Another thought that the book left me was that why is Jena so interested for a boyfriend. I mean the book taught me that love isn't everything in the world. Like, when Jena finally had boyfriend ( Dakota, I can't believe she dated that jerk!) and when bad things were starting, she should have just dumped him. Instead she just ignored everything. Like the time when he was saying how her outfits are bad or when she suspected that he was cheating on her, she should have said something. Not to mention, Dakota later on develops feeling for Skyle while dating Jena. Not to mention, he barely cared about his brother's suicide. But later on, everything combines and Dakota ends ends up going to a lot of trouble.

       One thing I noticed about Dakota is that he is very awful. He was dating 3 girls at once, which later on broke 3 people's hearts at the same time. Also, since his dad was a sheriff  he took big advance of that. He thought that he wouldn't get in trouble no matter what bad things he did. But later on, his dad arrested him even if its his own son. One thing this book taught me was that you shouldn't take advantage of the things around you. Because it will fire-back to you badly.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

       I am currently reading the book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This book is a biography on Jeannette Walls and her crazy childhood life. Her family is always on the run, something about them that isn't said is bad. I mean the FBI is after them and Walls and her siblings doesn't have the average kid like anymore. 

      In the beginning, Jeannette doesn't understand what's really happening. Like, every time they run away from the FBI, she thinks it's adventure. "I told Lori how lucky we were to be sleeping out under the sky like indians." Another Inference I could make is that her childhood is getting taken away from her. I mean the only toy she had was a Tinkerbell doll. And that doll had a smudged up face because it melted. She misplaced it and forgot it the last place they "lived." When I heard that she left her doll in the last place, I felt like that was a very important moment of her life. It was kinda like the moment where she leaves her childhood behind. That doll represented the heart of her childhood. But when she left Tinkerbell, she still has her cat Quixote. When Quixote made weird noises and started scraping things her dad threw Quixote though the window. While her heart was taken out, she still tried to enjoy her life. I mean many kids would dream to have lives like this. Later on in the chapter, she says that "After a while, I forgot about Quixote and Tinkerbell and the friends I left in the Trailer Park." This shows that she grew up. She is really grown-up. I mean she once cooked hot dogs and got burned. She was hospitalized. After she is taken from the hospital, she then cooks hot dogs again. How does her gut tell her to that? I mean why touch something that hurt you? Is it to live?

        After reading 1/5 of the book I can infer that Jeannette is enjoying her life but she will have to encounter somethings that will trigger her memory forever. For example, I think she will notice that her mother is not always going to be there. Since she's pregnant with two kids, her mother doesn't really want to live this life anymore. I think there will some problems with her dad going on. She is also being departed from the story a lot. It's like a character that doesn't really matter. But a mom is a lot things. It could become really hard with a temper-dad and a life like this. I wonder how her life is going to become clear again. I wonder how it will all add up and if the FBI ever caught them. 

The Extraordinary Sercets of April, May and June by Robin Benaway

      I am currently reading the book The Extraordinary Sercets of April, May and June by Robin Benaway. Basically, this book consists of 3 sisters named April, May, and June. After a car accident, they received super powers. April got the power of seeing into the future, May got the power of disappearing, and June got the power of reading brains. However, they don't actually use their powers.

     Although, it doesn't seem like they use their powers properly. They read brains, disappear in the middle of nowhere and predict the future, but they don't use the information they have. Instead, they use it for useless stuff. For example, June--the youngest one, reads brains, but only to find out if people like her outfit. Also, when May disappears, she only uses it for getting away from things. Consequently, they use their powers for unnecessary ideas. But when April looked into the future and found out that there was going to be an earthquake, she should have said something. That would have prevented a calamity and a heap of damage.

     On the other hand, even if they aren't that responsible, these powers have made them bond closer. Before they had "super powers", they barely talked. However, now they share everything, and is always there for each other. For example, when April had a vision, she told her sisters. She saw that she would be in a relationship with a boy that she slightly hated, and she told her sisters about that. She barely had a relationship with her sisters ever since the move. Though, when she had her powers, she got closer with her sisters. Furthermore, all 3 of them noticed that when they moved because of their parent's divorce, they had no friends, expect for themselves. Of course, if they did have new friends, there would be a chance that their sisterhood would be ruined, and their bond would decline.

Swim the Fly by Don Calame * Spoiler Alert *

        I am currently reading Swim The Fly by Don Calame. This book is about 3 boys Matt, Coop and Sean that wants to see a naked girl this summer. They have a goal every summer, and have succeed every summer of completing that goal. However, Matt faces other troubles while having a crush on Kelly West and ruins every plan that Matt And Coop creates of seeing a naked girl by thinking of Kelly.

        Their first attempt to see a naked girl was to dress up as girls and hide in the locker room after their swim practice. However, just before that Matt had a milkshake to get his immune system running. Not to mention they were going to wear Sean's sisters clothes and in return they must get a picture of Mandy Reagan naked. However, when Sean's system reacts at the moment when they are in the locker room, the bathroom gets clogged and suddenly couldn't get it. But it gets worse when Matt see's Kelly in the locker room and they both made eye contact   When Sean's sister finds this out, she t threatens trio that if they don't get the picture, she would post the picture of them dressed as girls all over the school blog. Suddenly, Sean and Coop really tries hard in order to see a nude girl. Whereas Matt has no intention whatsoever and wants to gain the guts to ask Kelly out.

       Matt faces problems with gaining access to Kelly. His older brother gives him advice in order to do something big, so Kelly notices. Matt then chooses to the hardest swim to do, the Butterfly Stroke. Which eventfully, gets Kelly to notice. Kelly's perspective is missing. I mean we have the perspective of a guy, so why not a girl? Kelly would be prefect, because that would tell us on how she thinks about Matt. Also how her life is. It would be insightful comparing the ideas and life's of both genders. Sometimes I even wondered if Kelly had a crush on Matt. She would fill in the hole.

        Even if the main goal of the trio was to see a naked girl, the idea is disintegrating. The book is more focusing on Matt. Matt has no interest of a nude girl anymore. Maybe the goal that they have every summer is no one. The goal has been twisted. I predict in the next chapter, Matt will try to impress Kelly, while convincing his friends that a summertime goal isn't worth it.