Last Blog of the Year :D

Over the course of this year I've learned a lot about blogs. Personally, I feel that writing in a notebook is limiting, versus a blog. A notebook has lined paper, a certain amount of space and a tendency to have my hand cramped within minutes. The beauty of typing has lead me to not have any cramped hands and the internet has an infinite amount of space, and doesn't look imbecilic when you don't fill up the entire page. Yes, writing in a notebook is old fashioned and you must do it in order to be able to continue to high school, yet in the future there is a very huge chance that no one will be writing by hand, and we will all draft by computers. These assignments from teachers may be changed to the format of a blog.

In what ways can writing online be limiting or liberating? I think that when you have to write online about something that truly is something you don't have any strong feelings about, are not interested in the topic and you just feel forced to do the assignment, is limiting. That specific blog post will not be as impressive as the ones where I truly let myself go with my feelings and knowledge, to truly prove an argument or tell the story. The result of these two blog posts are what causes online to be limiting or liberating as well. For example, someone who sees my very good blog post can comment on it and truly show me that they enjoyed the post and that my feelings mean a lot to the readers, which is a liberating feeling. But when someone sees my mediocre blog post and points it out by writing in the comment section, it's limiting because you just want to delete the post afterwards and not start again, because you're ashamed.

I benefited from this experience in so many ways. When I was younger I always wanted my friends to see my work but not be around me when they were reading the many stories or essays I wrote. This is the perfect answer to that problem and I'm almost always thrilled with the comment section. I also truly was able to keep up with my reading and probably read more than in the past and wrote more because I was truly analyzing all the books I read and, draining them for more information for a blog post.

13 Reasons Why

"13 Reasons Why" by Jay Asher is about a girl named Hannah who committed suicide. Hannah created 13 tapes to be her suicide note, and each tape is dedicated to 1 person. Hannah then sent the tapes to the first person on the series of tapes, and they must pass the package on, in order. Clay, a boy who had an immense crush on Hannah gets the package full of tapes, and the story follows Clay's reactions to the tapes.

I find this book very strange because of the topic the author chose. Yes, suicide is a very uncomfortable topic, and many people struggle with their suicidal thoughts. Why did the author choose to write this book? To make the reader uncomfortable. For example, one tape is about a classmate who once watched Hannah in her bedroom. Hannah then records herself watching the the person through their bedroom window and discusses all the things in their bedroom. This part is very uncomfortable because  you never know if you're being watched and it proves that suicidal thoughts can lead to a complete desire for revenge.

Another reason why this book is very strange is because Hannah created a map. Each time you listen to a tape, the number of the tape will point to a certain spot in their town. Hannah states in the tape that you, "may" go to all these places so you can "experience" what happened. By creating this map Hannah makes all the classmates on the tapes, absolutely obsessed with her death and, who caused what and why. I think that Hannah wanted these people to regret what they did to her and to be angry at other people whom had caused her harm, and also obsess the victims of the tapes.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2

*Spoiler alert* *Spolier alert* *Spoiler alert*

"The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by Emily Danforth, is about a girl named Cameron whose parents die as she is starting to discover her sexuality. Cameron ends up truly realizing she is homosexual and truly is afraid that people will find out. As the story continues, Cameron has three lovers (so far); Irene, Lindsay and Coley. Cameron is "kind of dating" Coley, but Coley has a boyfriend. Throughout the summer Coley and Cameron meet and go on dates, have a relationship, but then Coley's boyfriend returns. Once her boyfriends returns, Coley tells her parents that Cameron forced her into the relationship, and in the end Cameron's Grandmother and Aunt become ashamed of her. Cameron is then sent to boarding school for Christians who need to be saved from homosexuality.

I think that this book is a little too harsh for a coming-of-age story. When Cameron first starts to be in a relationship with Irene all is ended when her family becomes rich and wants to send her to a private boarding school. Cameron and Irene talk once before she leaves about how Cameron could go to the boarding school with Irene the next year, but Cameron's Aunt cannot afford it. Irene then goes off to her boarding school and brags to Cameron on how she has a boyfriend. I don't truly know if Irene is trying to show Cameron that she isn't homosexual anymore or trying to show off that she is the one in an actual relationship. Then their relationship is done. Over. Cameron is then forever scarred by the fact that her friend abandoned her.

Coley is the evil girlfriend of the three. I would say so, because she completely abandons Cameron by exposing her true secret, creates a gigantic lie, causing her to be sent away, and having complete abandonment from her Aunt and Grandmother. No girl would possibly tell the parents about their relationship if it is in the Christian faith. There are programs that people can take in their own town or discuss with their families and preach, but certain Christian faiths believe in "Gay Camp" as many people call it. Where people go to fix their sexuality. I think that Danforth really went too far to make Cameron miserable.