Coraline

Prior to reading this graphic novel, I actually saw the Coraline movie and I was thoroughly freaked out. When I learned that we would be reading that particular novel in the class, I was actually frightened. Although the overall story did have a very gloomy and creepy mood, there were definitely some lessons that could be taken away from the overall timeline of events. One thing that I definitely learned was that parents play a very important role in what a child develops into. I would have liked to read more of the story and see how Coraline develops as a person so that way I could truly see how much of an impact her parents had on her.

The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

When I was first handed this book to read over the summer, I really believed that it was going to be just another summer assignment that I would dread to read. But a few chapters in I really enjoyed reading and was one of those books I could not put down. The development of the narrator as a character and how he influenced Oscar was one of my favorite themes of the book. It was very similar to a father-son relationship which was interesting because Oscar never really had that father figure in his life. This book also explains the very scary but very real family dynamic in a typical Domincan American household. Some parts of the book it almost seemed like the mother was psychologically torturing Lola and that was very upsetting. Overall, I am really enjoying the book and can not wait to see how it progresses.