Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: *****
Lexile Level: 1200L
Genre:  Non-fiction, Research, based on personal experience
My Opinions: Initially when I received this book from my English teacher my freshman year, I expected this to be an extremely boring, purely stats-filled non fiction book. I mean...after reading Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide on the front cover, I expected it to be full of fluff and to retain a "go feminism" type of vibe throughout the entire book. However, I took the book from her hand simultaneously believing it to be a huge mistake and holding a forced smile - I couldn't deny an offer from my english teacher.

Of course, I was proven wrong because I just reread the book again. I opened the book and it was unlike any other non fiction book I had read. Sure it had its prelude of facts and stats regarding the realm of human trafficking. However, WuDunn and Kristof immediately dive into a series of chapters that are developed based on their own experience. For example, Kristof writes about his experience meeting several human trafficked girls in Asia and Africa. The couple than transitions into personal experiences where they meet families whose wives and daughters suffer from poor hospital conditions and poor medical supervision during child birth in places like Africa. Like this, the two authors go on and on discussing details from their trove of experience in various countries and meeting various women and girls of all ages. Everything they discuss is related to a main issue females face today.

Their accounts provided vivid details. Nothing was sugarcoated. Everything was raw, intense, and had a call for action. That is what I LOVED about this book. The authors were not simply just reporting the problem and waiting for another to write a book about how it could be solved. They take the initiative to complete the circle by providing various solutions for both the victims and the readers. They don't just stop with the facts. They take the next step by analyzing their collected information and providing detailed solutions.

These solutions went hand in hand with the project I was currently working on. I am the Director of our school's UNCHAINED Fashion Show. It is a local non profit that aims to abolish human trafficking. The show seeks to raise awareness and knowledge of the issue so that community members feel empowered to take a stand against traffickers. Suddenly, the reason why my teacher had handed me the book that day became clear.

I am an abolitionist. She was a fellow abolitionist seeking to fuel my mission.

For example, I was truly able to connect with the message in the first ten chapters. These chapters honed in on the physical, mental, and social strain created for girls and women in human trafficking. Instead of just pouring out their personal accounts, the authors dug deeper to make connections between the victims' experiences and physiological and psychological impairments. Towards the end, Kristof and WuDunn provided examples of ways the reader could prevent human trafficking - one being to simply "raise awareness and knowledge for it". Once I read this, my work with UNCHAINED in hosting their fashion show to prevent human trafficking year after year felt validated. I felt complete knowing that this show will definitely impact many lives. 

10/10 Recommend :) Perhaps this is a sign I should start exploring more non fiction options. 

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

Happy New Year!

2016 is going to be a huge year for me as I finish up second semester of junior year, start my college search, and work on those application this fall! Makes me dizzy just thinking about college!

Where has time gone? 

It just seems like yesterday I started this blog as an 8th grader in 2013. With all the crazy school and extracurricular schedules, I am incredibly lucky to call Bookaroma as my safe haven for me to sit down, relax, and let my mind and fingers guide my thoughts about something I love - reading.

To kick off the New Year, I chose to reread one of my all time favorites: Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah.

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: *****
Lexile Level: 960 L
Genre:  Non-fiction, Memoirs
My Opinions: This riveting memoir of Adeline Yen Mah's childhood in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s provokes both the reader's sympathies and intrigue as Mah tells the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Considered bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her, Mah only falls into more misery after her father remarries (get the Cinderella reference now?). While her stepsiblings are spoilt, Mah and her siblings are left to carry the burden of an antagonistic stepmother. Despite her successes in boarding school, successes in literary competitions, and struggle to maintain her relationship with her beloved grandfather (Ye Ye) and Aunt Baba, nothing is enough to compensate for what Yah truly yearns for: the love and understanding of her family.

The story mostly revolves around her stay at boarding school and the ending the story makes her memoir a lot more realistic. I will give you a clue: it is not about marrying Prince Charming. All I can tell you is that her dreams do come true without the help of a fairy godmother, pumpkin, or a couple of mice.

This is an excellent book for school projects (middle and high school) because of its rich concentration of literary devices and positive morals.

This book reminded me of Bittermelon by Cara Chow (reviewed earlier) because of the background both characters come from, the pressure surrounding their academic lives, their passion for writing, and the struggle to find a place where they truly belonged. As I mentioned in the review for Bittermelon, I felt a strange connection with the character Fei Ting. The same can be said about Adeline and me. It is not necessarily our families that are similar but rather our backgrounds and the atmosphere we are living in. The atmosphere that forces us to strive for the best in anything we pursue; that places a working-spirit on us.

My first 2016 request to you: get this book and read it! 

Hoping 2016 will turn out to be all and more than what you wished for!

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

Still in the process of finishing the second book of the Game of Throne series; however, I decided to be a little rebellious and change the material I was reading every night before going to bed. With all the textbook and article reading at school, I definitely needed a change from elevated language that required me to look up a word every five seconds or so to something familiar, plausible, and easier to wrap my head around. I found this break in the mystery section at the library...

Specifically, I found my savior in (drum roll please) Tom Rob Smith's The Farm.

Nowadays, I feel like people are more interested in the long titles and they fail to place equal fascination for books with succinct titles such as this book. This book kept me sane throughout the first semester of junior year; however, its insanely complex plot kept me awake and sleep deprived for most of the first semester of junior year -- and I am not complaining. Let me explain...

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: *****
Lexile Level: N/A but I would say about 1000HL 
Genre:  Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Realistic Fiction
My Opinions: Imagine getting a frantic call from your father, the man you believed to be headed into a peaceful, well-deserved retirement with his wife. The man who had sold his home in London to move into a remote farm in rural Sweden with his wife. However, that one phone call changes everything.

He tells you that your mother is not in a good mental state and has been falling into episodes of hallucination. He informs you that she just had a psychotic breakdown. He promises you that she has been imagining terrible, terrible things and had to be rushed to the hospital. Worst of all, right before you decide to fly to Sweden, your father calls to tell you that she had just escaped and no one knows where she is.

Coincidentally, you hear from your mother telling you to believe no one and to meet her in London.

These two are your loving parents; they've raised you since the second you were out in the world; nurtured you; developed you; loved you; trusted you. Both seem unlikely criminals yet you are caught in the middle of this puzzling situation, a web of lies, secrets, conspiracies -- unsure of who to believe or trust.

This is the situation Daniel is in.

I had to force myself to turn off the lights and go to sleep each night because this book literally pulled me like a magnet the minute I opened it. With the book being mostly from the perspective of the mother, Smith does a really really good job of coaxing the reader into entering the mind and life of the characters. Smith keeps the reader guessing by fostering an atmosphere of tension and unease. Well-developed characters and a masterful plot are just a few reasons for my five star rating. It is a must read if you are looking for a psychological thriller.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: *****
Lexile Level: N/A but I would say about 1100HL (recommend for ages 16 and above)
Genre:  Fantasy, Mystery
My Opinions: So yes. The Game of Thrones craze has begun. However, with the books for now and not the TV show yet. I always stick to reading the book before watching its movie or show. Finished the first book a couple days ago and it was great to get back to some fantasy after a while. 

There are so many details and plot twists in the book that it would take forever to tell you about everything. The book is divided into three different view points: from the Seven Kingdoms, the Wall, and the East. So here is my attempt in trying to give you a nice intro to what you will expect in the book and hopefully, none of the juicy details and suspenseful events will slip out of my fingers while I type this. Okay...so here it goes...

After the rebellion against the Targaryens, Robert Baratheon becomes the king. With the recent and mysterious death of Jon Arryn, Hand of the King and Ned Stark's brother-in-law, the King offers the job to Stark. After some hesitation, Stark accepts and takes his daughters with him to King's Landing while the rest of the family stays at Winterfell. During this separation, Bran is pushed off a roof, Catelynn tries to get revenge over her son's unfortunate experience, Robb becomes lord of Winterfell, Sansa must betray her family, Arya is lost within the city walls, Jon is sent to the Wall, and...okay, I am not going to say anything else. Murder, romance, need for power, and war fills the pages of this novel as the Seven Kingdoms struggles to find the best fit for the Iron Throne.

I know after reading the book, you will probably say "Wow, Anitra missed a lot of details from the book!" But I don't want to ruin it for you all! There are so many details, characters, twists, and perspectives intertwined within the plot which I wish I could blurt out in my review. But why ruin the fun for you all, right? 

As hyped as you may be for the next episode of Game of Thrones, show the same level of enthusiasm as you dive into the novel. I promise you will not feel sorry at the end.

Kind of Cruel by Sophia Hannah

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: *****
Lexile Level: N/A but I would say about 980HL
Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Mystery
My Opinions: Here is my definition of a cliche mystery book: something is stolen or someone is kidnapped, bring in the detective who is the main character, sniff out the clues and red herrings, and detective is victorious and finds the perpetrator. Here is the mystery behind this novel: Amber, who suffers from chronic insomnia, is arrested for the murder of a woman she knows nothing about two hours after visiting a hypnotherapist, the detective is a side character who does not believe she is the criminal, and a surprising discovery at the end puts the reader in awe as Sophie Hannah was able to concoct this elaborate tale. Never have I ever encountered a mystery book which makes memories the most important clues in a case. 

At first, it was extremely confusing. It is crazy how all the loose ends she leaves for the reader end up connecting at the end to provide an extraordinary end to the book.  At the hypnotherapist, Amber was put under hypnosis. During this treatment, she hears herself saying "kind, cruel, kind of cruel." The words awaken a vague memory, but she dismisses the whole episode as nonsense. Two hours later, she is arrested for the murder of a woman she has never heard of and the only way to clear her name was to remember exactly where she had seen those words before.

As a side story, married detectives Charlotte "Charlie" Zailer and Simon Waterhouse tackle both the case and their relationship as the investigation unexpectedly reveals a shocking insight into Simon's psyche. 

The reason I gave this book a four out of five was primarily because I felt like Hannah was ruining the plot by adding too many unnecessary characters and dragging the details on. The book over-analyzed every new detail and Hannah was simply just squeezing the goodness and excitement of the details dry. If I had a suspenseful and amazing book to read, I would be up all night wanting to finish it; however, in this case, I felt like I had to force myself to turn to the next page at a few parts. Nonetheless, if these issues were not existent, it could've gone into "My Hall of Famers" list.

Locked in Time by Lois Duncan

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: *****
Lexile Level: 990L
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Romance
My Opinions: Nore comes down to Shadow Grove to spend time with her new family and father. Since her mother's death, her father had been an unsuccessful writer. However, after meeting Lisette Berge, he fell back into his normal routine and Nore couldn't have been happier. Upon arriving, things are just plain weird. The way her family acts and the way they talk. After discovering her new family's secrets and coming close to death, the question is: Will Nore be able to save herself and her father?

I read the book in about three hours. It has a Nancy Drew feel to it which I was totally excited about. It was suspenseful and definitely a page turner. So it is definitely a great pass time book, especially when you don't have a lot of homework on a rainy weekend. Therefore, anyone can read this but I would not recommend this book for schoolprojects because there isn't much going on beneath the tip of the iceberg in this book. It is a clear plot and easy to understand.

The reason I gave this book a 3/5 in satisfaction is because with the title in mind, I already felt like I knew what the secret behind  her step-mother's family was by about the sixth chapter. The way Josie, an awkward 13 year old, Lisette, the perfect stepmother, and Gabe, a highly attractive stepbrother, acted in the beginning sent red flags into my brain to note that this was no normal family. Personally, it would have been nice to not know the secret ahead of time and instead have Duncan write a plot twist in the middle. Also, if the drama between Gabe and Nore and the romance between Dave and Nore had been extended, it would  have made the book a little more entertaining. It just all seemed too easy for Nore by the end of the book.

Read it for the relaxation, but don't expect the book to be impactful. Like I said before, it has a teen-detective feel to it but it definitely has an interesting plot for sure. 

On a side note, I can't wait to see Age of Adeline coming out next week because it is also about a woman, played by Blake Lively, who is locked in time. Trailer looks amazing!

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: ***** 
Lexile Level: HL460L
Genre:  Historical Fiction
My Opinions: This might be the first book I have ever given full five out of fives for all three categories. I loved every page of it and it was a great source of historical information from the French Revolution. While reading this for English, we were actually studying about the French Revolution in History; therefore, it was a great academic tie because not only was I learning the facts, but Dickens' writing helped me delve into the feelings of the French men and women during this time. 

It was the best of times and worst of times in London and Paris as this family's story takes the reader through duality, resurrection, and the revolution. Several characters such as Dr. Manette, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton are recalled to life in several ways as the turmoil erupts in various fashions.

The story is divided into three books and the first two books spill the details about all the characters and untold secrets by Dickens. By the third book, every detail comes together to explain the crazy and random, i.e., abhorrence of the Manette family by Madame Defarge or the story behind Dr. Manette's imprisonment. Dickens provides us with the puzzles in the first two books and later pieces them together to provide the reader a clear visual of the whole plot line. Just reading the last book gave me chills. 

It is really long but is extremely worth reading. I highly recommend this book for any student looking to read a book for an English project. Great source of vocabulary and literary devices. However, before reading this book, I recommend just brushing up the history behind the French Revolution because there are many terms in the book which would require some outside knowledge to understand. 

Overall, please just READ IT!:) Let me know what you think by commenting!

One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: ***** 
Lexile Level: N/A but I would say around 1000HL, recommended for young adults and above
Genre:  Realistic Fiction
My Opinions: A happy marriage. A beautiful family. A dream home. A lawyer. Emily Coleman. She has a pretty perfect life. The next day, she decides to leave her familiar past for London and loses herself in the city as a woman named Cat. She finds a new home in North London and a fun-loving friend named Angel. Cat has buried her past and lies about her history and who she is. However, she is constantly reminded of her past during the day and night making her feel guilty for what she has become. But the shocking revelation only comes after she takes things one step too far.

This is a tough one. I loved the beginning of the book. Each chapter was from a different character's point of view. This technique allowed me to understand more about each character's history and their reasons for their current state. I could clearly understand all of them. The philandering father of Emily. The hard-working mother of Emily. The drug-addict and alcoholic twin sister, Catherine. The beautiful and lovable Ben. The care-free Angel. The troubled and messed up Emily. 

After reading the beginning, I thought to myself of how perfect of a life Emily had. Why in the world did she have to give it up? She trades her job as a lawyer for a receptionist position at an advertising agency. She trades her healthy habits for secretly consuming cocaine in the restroom periodically. It just did not make any sense. As I kept reading, I came to realize the events and people who just broke Emily. I started tearing up at some parts. Cat was Emily's way of reconstructing herself even though Emily yearned for her old life. Her process takes the wrong turn at one point and leaves her getting bailed out of jail by Ben, her husband.

After this point in the book, everything was really fast and was pretty confusing because of all the details dumped into the pages. If Seskis had not overdone the ending, I feel like I could have given this book a full five stars. Not because I couldn't understand it, but it was just too quick and overwhelming in comparison to the slow-paced beginning where the reader was able to grow accustomed to the plot. Maybe the fast paced ending was Seskis' way of conveying the message of how quickly and easily things can fall apart. Who knows! I would recommend this book for school projects as well as a leisure read.

Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner

Happy New Year! New year. New books.

Excited to kick off the year with Wake Up Missing.

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: ***** 
Lexile Level: 660L
Genre:  Science Fiction
My Opinions: Catherine--Cat--recently got a concussion. Pounding headaches. Lost memories. Everything seems to be going downhill for this bird-lover until her mother finds a clinic called International Center for Advanced Neurology (I-CAN) which can solve Cat's problems. 

Cat arrives at the clinic located in the middle of nowhere. She will stay here for two weeks, alone. Only six patients reside at this huge place. This is when questions start occurring. Dr. Ames sounds like a friendly guy until Cat overhears an argument between him and his fellow physician, Dr. Gunther. Are they even physicians? Why is it only these six patients are admitted to this miracle hospital if other people in the world are suffering from injuries far worse than concussions? These questions lead to a discovery, a big escape, and a thrilling chase. 

It is a suspenseful book. I finished it in two days.

It is definitely an interesting plot line. I would recommend it as a nice pass time book. It could be used for school projects for middle school students and elementary students. 

Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: ***** 
Lexile Level: N/A (I would say it is around 800HL-1000HL)
Genre:  Romance, Psychology
My Opinions: Romantic plot line? Yes. New idea? No. Did I like the book? Yes. This again is another Bollywood type of plot line in which we have the hero falling in love with the beautiful heroine. 

It all starts on the basketball court. Riya is from a rich, upscale lifestyle who loves basketball and disapproves of the luxurious lifestyle. Madhav is from Bihar, a poor and worn down state in India, who was recruited to play basketball in St. Stephen's College. After meeting on the court during tryouts, they start hanging out together. Madhav wants more from Riya, but she sees him as a immature and naive little boy who knows nothing of love. Riya only wants to be friends with him, nothing more.

Things become more tense once Riya gives Madhav an invitation to her wedding, but Madhav refuses to go. Instead, he returns home to help his mother and the school she was running. It was in poor condition and it needed to be fixed. The Bill Gates Foundation reached out to Bihar and told Madhav if he could convince the committee during their tour in India, the school would receive a $25,000 grant. The only catch was he needed to do this in English. Madhav does not know English very well. Also, he is still recovering from the Riya-episode.

The plot picks up its pace when he sees Riya once again in Bihar! (crazy right?) In the midst of preparing for the committee presentation, Madhav once again gets tangled in a relationship with Riya (oh, not again...). It seems like it is fate to have met her again, but will it end differently?

I do have to applaud Bhagat for diverging from the cliched Bollywood romantic plot line because this story is about more than love. It is also about a man growing up and adapting to different cultures and languages as he even travels to America in search for Riya. Best of all, this book shows the importance of never giving up.

This is a great book for those interested in cultural differences and is appropriate for young adults and above.

Who loves poetry? I do!

So the last post was in August? Well, I haven't been reading lately so I don't have a book review to share with you guys. However, I have been writing a lot recently outside of school. For some reason, poetry is my go to and I entered a poem in a contest on Poetry Soup! There were several contests to choose from and the topic for the contest I chose was writing about a religion. I chose to write a poem about Hinduism and how over the years, I have gradually changed mentally to understand the meaning of faith.

All I Know about Hinduism

Squealing,
I adorned myself
with bangles
which followed my suit
as they clinked.
Combing my hair
and placing flowers
they contained the same level of energy
as I did.
Running around
thinking I was a princess
reality: the bride was the real deal.
Tripping on the hard stone floor
a gentle hand lifts me up
puts a sweet
into my tiny hands.

Five years later
I take my seat on the tile floor.
Wearing leggings and a kurta like all others 
who sit in straight rows.
Reading from the slokas on the poster
making sure we say Om
three times before starting.
Clasping both hands
we pray toevery special guide in our lives.
Understanding how each one of them has molded us.

Five years later, I sit in front of my laptop.
Wearing sweat pants and a shirt like my sister.
Worshipping daily after taking a shower does not wash away the sins.
Having a plan for the future does not mean I know what it will turn out to be.
All I do know is I have friends up there
who will listen to me and 
who will help me.
That's all I know.

10/9/2014

I am happy to say I won this contest!:)

I encourage everyone to check this site out. If you love to write poetry, entering contests is completely free and only requires you to create an account to enter. It is a site where poets from all over share their ideas. I can't wait to upload some more of my poem on this site for others to read!

(Don't You) Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: ***** 
Lexile Level: N/A (I would say it is around 700L-900L)
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Psychology
My Opinions: It was pretty confusing at the beginning but I was able to connect the dots towards the end. When the reader first starts reading, she is completely thrown into a unique and fascinating setting. The setting is a society where no one gets sick or dies. However, there is always a price to pay because every four years, the town infects one of the teenagers to commit a horrible crime.

The main character's sister, Piper, becomes a victim to the fourth year disease and is soon sent to the Reformatory for leading many students to their deaths by making them jump over a cliff. Skylar was there to witness everything and ever since then, she has not been able to forget the past. The whispers and voices taunt her into believing the only way to get Piper back was to stop the murderous cycles of Gardnersville.

It is a book where the author will not set the scene and details for you immediately. Quinn makes the reader finish the suspenseful book in order to make his/her connections between characters, their history, and the mystery behind this town. I enjoyed it. Every chapter title is the name of a song from the '80s which I thought was pretty creative. It is a really good pass time read but I would not recommend for any high level school project reading.

The Look of Love by Mary Jane Clark

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: ***** 
Lexile Level: N/A (I would say it is around 700L-800L)
Genre:  Mystery
My Opinions: Easy to follow, creative, gets reader to act like the detective type of book. Mary Jane Clark writes each chapter from the perspective of a different character in the book, even the murderer's point of view! It all starts after Piper Donovan, aspiring actress and part-time baker, accepts an invitation to Elysium, a paradise spa and plastic surgery center, free of charge for making the wedding cake for Jillian Abernathy, daughter of the spa's owner. Piper felt as though this would be a perfect way to take a break and sort out her feelings for Jack, a handsome FBI agent. Upon arriving, Jillian's housekeeper is accidentally mutilated and later killed by a mysterious person whose original target was Jillian. This killer will do anything to stop Jillian. The question is, who is it? 

By the end of the book, I thought I had an idea of who it was because Clark does a good job of dropping hints in each chapter which helped me process all the information and come up with a possible prime suspect. I couldn't keep the book down and it is an easy and fast read. Some content may not be appropriate for all ages. However, it has the right amount excitement and description needed to keep the reader happy and busy on boring, rainy days.

Copyright (C) Bookaroma 2014

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: ***** 
Lexile Level: 910L
Genre:  Fantasy, Adventure Fiction, Novel, Psychology
My Opinions: At first reading the book felt like reading another adventure book where the main character must find his treasure and face challenges. But after reading it again (because it was so good), it was more than a good pass time read. It is about a boy named Santiago who is trying to find his Personal Legend. He started out as a shepherd in order to travel the world. Throughout the journey, he experiences love, learns about alchemy, and meets a merchant who didn't want to reach his Personal Legend. It is a journey where Santiago learns more about himself and the art of alchemy. Great read for deep thinkers! Not boring at all and a great read for school projects.

Copyright (C) Bookaroma 2014

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

My Ratings:
Vocabulary:  *****
Ingredients: *****
Satisfaction: ***** 
Lexile Level: HL730L (HL- appeals to readers at a more mature developmental level)
Genre:  Realistic Fiction
My Opinions: Bitter Melon is about a Chinese girl named Fei Ting, whose name literally means stop flying. She is a daughter of a mother who regards every penny she earns as a piece of gold. Her mother is very picky and strict. No boyfriends because it would cause a distraction for her daughter. No extra curricular activities because it would become a distraction. She wants her daughter to get a high score in SAT so that she can get into UC Berkeley. Her point was that she was doing everything for her daughter. However, Fei Ting has other plans. After a schedule mix-up, she is put into speech instead of calculus where she finds out more about herself and her true feelings through expressing herself. Finding speech as a gift causes her to enroll in several competitions where she gets closer to a boy named Derek. Everything now becomes a secret in her life. The speech competitions, Derek, going to a school dance, working a summer job, not going to her expensive SAT classes, and worst of all, wanting to go to Scripps rather than UC Berkeley. She thought she could hide all this from her mom...at least until the day Theresa's mother found Fei Ting's speech trophy hidden at Theresa's home.

I could definitely relate to a lot of this. My parents are not strict like her mom. They let me go to school dances, hang out with friends, and participate in extra curricular activities. However, the same sternness when it comes to academics and getting into a top college applies to both my parents and Fei Ting's mom. Although they mean for the best for us, the pressure sometimes is too much and Chow does a great job delivering the message of speaking out the truth and being true to yourself throughout the book.

Copyright (C) Bookaroma 2014

Flip the Page Winning Piece

Hey everyone! It has definitely been a while since I have posted anything on my blog. I was out all of June vacationing on the other side of the world and I am really happy to finally be back at home. On my earlier blog post, I explained how I entered a competition called Flip the Page: Central Ohio's Teen Literary Journal. I also told you I would post the piece I wrote. Well, here it is! My piece consists of two diary entries. While one is from the beginning of the year and the other from the end of the year, both describe my feelings about chemistry.

I am a Lucky Victim

8/20/13

The stingy smells of the remaining bits of clear ethanol burned my nose as I stood up to face the woman whose camaraderie really radiated in her emails over the summer. Although petite and fragile, I could already see the wheels turning in her brain, trying to think of ways to torture us. I already could picture the rolling of her eyes and the smirks from her face filling us with fear as my group and I tried to answer her simply abstract questions. We gave short answers trying to stay afloat on her good side. Her owl eyes were fixed on the whiteboard filled with scribbles and scratches from trying to fix our answer. 

She sat longer waiting, analyzing, and pondering of the best way to point out the answer’s other miniscule imperfection. People say that time flies, but at that moment the silence consumed the five minutes of hopeless patience except for the sound of the grinding and squeaky gears underneath the heaping amount of curled, ginger hair. 

Finally, she opened her mouth and the world seemed to end right there for me because she called on me next. Then, there was a question. The beast had been unleashed and had taken its first bite of raw, freshmen meat. Not showing any signs of weakness, I shot back a creative explanation with a bunch of unnecessary chemistry terms and she took the bait as she retreated back into her den awaiting the next lucky victim, table four.

-           -           -           -           -           -           -           -           -     

  

2/28/14    

       

The sweet smells of the remaining bits of flowers which had escaped its doom in the liquid nitrogen soothed the butterflies inside my stomach as I stood up to face the familiar face. She was sitting cross-legged like usual with her tuft of ginger curls sitting comfortably on her head. She was thinking, but this thinking was giving me a very different vibe. 

We gave our short answers confidently because we anticipated trivial questions like usual. As she sat there, analyzing, squinting, and trying to find an imperfection on our board, I did the same. I stared and analyzed her and felt a tingle in my body. This woman. This woman whose sight always made my heart pound as I walked through the congested hallways. This woman who always had hard facial expressions. This woman whose class was the only class that made me feel weak. 

Now that I thought about it, she was not bad at all. I now realize she was only trying to prepare us for the teacher next door who taught AP Chemistry. I now realize she wanted us to think and choose our words carefully when presenting rather than having her spoon feed the facts. I now realize she graded her tests with the eye of a hawk because she wanted to deliver the message that there was always room for improvement. I now realize that these whiteboard sessions were her way of grading our intellectual capabilities. I now realize that I was starting to love her cunning questions, her arrogant smirks, her impossible tests, and her ginger rat's nest of hair. I now realize that I was lucky to be chosen as a victim to her many questions. 

This revelation happened only 190 days after my first taste of this complicated, yet rewarding journey.

This piece was published in the Spring 2014 edition of Flip the Page: Central Ohio's Teen Literary Journal along with many other wonderful and creative pieces from local writers between the ages of 13 and 19. This can be purchased on amazon.com.

Copyright (C) Bookaroma 2014