This puts twisted into perspective.  It shows how cliche the book is.

Review of the book from the New York Times

Twisted review

I finished twisted a few weeks ago but never got around to posting about it.  I liked the book it was good but not as good as speak.  I think it was partly that it was from a males perspective. Tyler is a typical teenager and think that was what made me not like him.  The story itself was very atypical. The nerd goes through a dramatic transformation and the popular girl falls for him.  The book was stereotypical and not as gripping as speak.  That could be because in speak you don't know what happens to melinda until the very end.  Unlike with twisted where it is all layer out in the beginning of the book.
One thing that Anderson is very good at is the craft move of describing a character.  Such as "Mr benson, my probation officer was a big guy, ex-marine plus sixty pounds,gray in his buzz cut, thick glasses, and a smile that reminded me of a hungry possum." She is god at giving you a mental picture of what her character looks like.

Vivid Imagery in Fever 1793

In Fever 1793, Anderson uses descriptive images to describe happenings in the story. The following two quotes are my favorite from the book.

She lay under the faded bedding like a rag doll losing its stuffing, her hair a wild collection of snakes on the pillow (p. 67). This line elicits a strong image in my head, especially with the hair of snakes. The mom's body is wilting while her hair is growing a mind of its own. I know that when people are sick, their hair often times coils in stringy snakes because of not being washed or combed for several days. This reminds me of Medusa's hair.

The entire yard sparked with diamonds of frost that quickly melted into millions of drops of water with gentle kiss of the sun. - Frost. - This was no dream (p. 210). This line is written in dreamlike language. It also provides reader another perspective to looking at morning frost and dew. The next time, I look at morning dew, I'll try to have a greater appreciation for the beauty of it.

I liked how Anderson ended the book. It acknowledges the experience of the protagonist. Even though the city is back to it's healthy self and quickly forgetting that the plague ever existed, the memory of the pain and fever of that summer will always remain with Mattie. Most importantly, she'll remember the presence of deceased loved ones. I like the analogy of the sun with the giant balloon, as in the golden Blanchard hot air balloon that was often mentioned with joy and hope at the beginning of the story. 

Early morning was the only time I felt as if there were ghosts nearby, memories of the weeks of fear. ... I smiled as the mist faded. The yellow sun rose, a giant balloon filled with prayers and hopes and promise. I stood and shook idleness out of my skirts. Day was begun (p. 243). 

Fever Finale

I really enjoyed reading Fever 1793 just as much as I loved Speak. It was full of suspense, foreshadowing, metaphors, similes, and had yet another great structure. There are examples of these craft moves strewn throughout the book. Subtle foreshadowing can be seen on page 148, "A small package thumped to the floor, but I didn't bother to examine it." This package is left alone and not referred to again until page 202, "I kicked something hard and hurt my toe. What could be on the floor? I got on my hands and knees and felt along the dark floor until I found a lump wrapped in a napkin." By doing this she clues in the reader that this item is special and important. It also creates suspense in the readers mind by not attending to the package until later, making the reader question what it could be.

I had no prior knowledge of the yellow fever and found that reading this book was a great way for me to really learn about history by immersing myself in it through the eyes of a young girl. This way of learning history is also great for getting different points of view or ideas of the time that you wouldn't have normally known or thought about. One such example of this in the book is the fact that many people in Philadelphia at the time of the outbreak thought that African Americans were immune. That is until they were sent to take care of the sick and caught it themselves. Instead of out right telling you this, Anderson puts you into it by making their cook a voluntary nurse later on in the book and having her family get sick and explain the whole thing to Mathilda from the African American perspective.

After finishing Fever 1793 I went online to look for interviews about the book and found something quite different but helpful nonetheless. What I found were many short films that were either mock previews for a movie on the book or short films summarizing the book. I also found many digital stories about the yellow fever. The thing that struck me most is that most of the remakes and previews were made by and starred elementary students. To me it is pretty apparent that some teacher used this in a lesson for the book. I think this is a great idea and makes it so students could make movies or digital stories to illustrate understanding for the book and history behind it. Here is a short movie made by children of Fever 1793 that I found is a good example of how it can be done: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wEtfb6_fMA&feature=related. 

And here is a shortened digital story telling about yellow fever that could easily be created just from the information gleaned out of the book by students: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFyu9Arjy-k.

Similarities between Speak and Twisted

1. Both are set in high school
2. There are clear cliques and a strong social hierarchy in place
3. Both of the stories feature violence against women. Although the act against Bethany in Twisted is not the main conflict it does move the final pieces of the climax into place.
4. One of Anderson's craft moves is to use an ongoing metaphor to show the characters growth and inner feelings. In Speak it was the art project with the trees for Melinda, and in Twisted it is the video game Tophet (Tophet is a Hebrew synonym for Hell, thank you wikipedia). The art project and the video game finish the novel to show the sense of new beginnings and choices for the characters.
5. Melinda and Tyler both try to separate themselves from what happened by giving things names like "IT" and "the foul deed." Anderson slowly reveals more information about both of these things as the book progresses to prolong the mystery.
6. Parents just don't get teens and are self-involved in Anderson's world.
7. Another craft move Anderson utilizes is short chapters and quick scene changes. She does this in Twisted the way she did in Speak to keep the story moving. In a way the short segments of story are perfectly tailored to a younger generation without a long attention span (I'll include myself in this group). I think she paces the stories in this way to create a more convincing teenage voice. I'd have to read one of her historical novels to see if she writes the same way there.

I loved Speak, but I have to admit I was not as enthusiastic about Twisted. Perhaps the male protagonist made it harder for me to relate to his story. I also felt Anderson relied too heavily on very stereotypical writing tricks in Twisted. For example the main character of course has a crush on the wealthy perfect queen bee girl in school, but she comes with the biggest bully brother. Not only was this brother a rich bully, but his name was CHIP! It felt too much like a 1980s John Hughes movie, but it was a pleasant surprise that Tyler didn't end up with Bethany and the final conflict was with his father.
Anderson does write beautifully about dealing with depression and issues as a teenager. I think her books are so popular because so many students do see themselves in her main characters.
I'm just being silly, but some of the high school antics in the book can be summed up by a Tribute to 80's bullies!

First Half of Fever

I just finished reading the first half of Fever 1793, up to chapter 17. Unlike the first book we read, Speak, the characters in Fever 1793 have more distinct personalities as manifested by their actions. In the first book, the characters may not be so distinct because their descriptions came through the one-sided perspective of Melinda, who did not bother to reveal the characters' actual names to the readers.

Some thoughts and comments I had while I was reading the first half of the book:

• Matilda's mom, Lucille, defied the rule of her upper social class status by marrying Matilda's dad, who came from a working class family. Despite what Lucille did, she does not want the same for her daughter. She hopes and pushes her daughter to marry into a wealthier family. 
• The family coffeehouse restaurant is so near to the celebrities of their time. Alexander Hamilton and Dr. Benjamin Rush both had yellow fever but recovered from it. 
• Like Leslie had mentioned, many people treated yellow fever victims like zombies. They were feared, exiled, and buried alive. It was a dark time for the city. People that remained heavily locked up their doors to keep yellow fever and looters out. Other cities did not allow people with yellow fever to even pass through. People were unsure of the cause of yellow fever but they all feared that it was contagious. 
• Grandpa does not have yellow fever but he stated that he has a heart condition? Have symptoms of his heart condition revealed themselves in the past? Will Grandpa make it all the way to the end of the story?
• I think Lucille died of yellow fever, but I hope Eliza, the coffeehouse help and cook, survives the epidemic and that she will come up again in the second half of the book. Also, I wonder if she will meet her friend and crush, Nathaniel again. 
• Due to the circumstances, Matilda will no longer act childish and soon mature and take on bigger responsibilities. She already showed this in the first half of the book by taking care of grandpa when he came under the heat. Matilda reminds me of Esperanza in the novel, Esperanza Rising; both young privileged characters mature under hardships and losses. 

Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, Philadelphia

Leslie and I are reading Anderson's book, Fever 1793.
Check out a timeline for Yellow Fever.

Here's a link to information of the historical 1793, Yellow Fever Epidemic in Philadelphia:
http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/contagion/yellowfever.html


Some essential and fascinating facts from the link:

•  Philadelphia was the nation's capital and most cosmopolitan city in U.S. in 1793.
• Out of a population of 45,000 people in Philadelphia during that time, 5,000 people died and 17,000 people fled because of yellow fever. 
• Yellow Fever symptoms: yellowing of eyes and skin, stomach bleeding manifested by black vomit, and organ failures
• Virus vector: infected mosquitoes
• Physician Benjamin Rush treated patients by drawing large quantities of blood from them and administering mercury. 

According the U.S. National Library of Medicine, there is no specific treatment for yellow fever. Prevention from yellow fever is to get vaccinated prior to traveling to endemic areas (South America and Sub-Saharan Africa) and wearing protective clothing, using mosquito repellent, and sleeping with a net.

Lesson Plans and Resources for Fever 1973 and other Anderson Books

I just bought my copy of Fever 1793 today and I am very excited to start reading it. It kind of reminds me of zombies and I do not really know much about the history of yellow fever.

I decided for this book I am going to look at some of the lessons or activities on the web to see how teachers have used this book in the classroom. In this process I found a ton of resources for both Fever 1793 and other books by Laurie Halse Anderson.

One website I found has links to lessons, summaries, tests, group reading guide, and more for a variety of her books called Web English Teacher. http://www.webenglishteacher.com/lhanderson.html

I also found that the scholastic website has lesson plans for a large variety of books and authors including Laurie Halse Anderson. Here are the ones they have for her:

- Chains Discussion Guide

            http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/chains-discussion-guide

- Things Not Seen Lesson Plan

            http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/things-not-seen-lesson-plan

- Juvenile Justice

            http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/juvenile-justice

- Hope Was Here

            http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/hope-was-here

- Fever 1793 Discussion Guide

            http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/fever-1793-discussion-guide

Other links for Fever 1793 that I found was a printable teacher's guide for the book

(http://www.teachervision.fen.com/historical-fiction/printable/56975.html) and a site for students called Shoomp that has a lot of resources.

On Shoomp there are quotes, themes, characters, analysis, questions, quizzes, and essays for lots of books, including Fever 1793. http://www.shmoop.com/fever-1793/. The last thing I found on Shoomp for Fever 1793 is a Best of the Web for it with links and resources for a variety of other websites. Two resources that I think are great for starting this book off is a map of the city of Philadelphia during the time of the fever epedemic. I also found a video in which you can get an idea of the time with a trailer of a movie that is set in 1795. It won't let me link the video for some reason but here is the link for the video: http://www.youtube.com/embed/cGWpEAVXfeU

Themes from Speak

Warning if you haven't finished the book don't read this yet.

I thought I would start a post of the themes of the book so that we can analyze theme.

Isolation-Melinda is outcasted by her friends and the school.  She is also self isolated by her emotions and her ability to deal with what happened.  She withdraws from the world around her but is still in the world and it gives her a unique view of high school.


Violence-  The school turned on her for calling the police the summer before freshman year.  She was pushed down the stairs at the pep rally and shoved in the hall.  Students were also verbally violent to her.  She has the memory of the rape doing irreparable damage to her.  Andy Evan also abuses her through out the year.


Friendship- Melinda lost all her close friends in the summer prior to school.  This would be extremely damaging for a girl her age.  She was broken down again and again every time she saw her friends at school.  She gains a half friend in Heather and then Heather turns her back n her for the Marthas.  She starts to develop a friendship/ relationship with David.  But she states that she won't let David touch her.

Transformation- Melinda went through a drastic change over the summer.  The rape left her scared and silent.  She is untrusting, quiet, distrustful and secretive.  Through out the school year she uses her art class to help her deal with what happened.

I know there are a lot more themes I may add some more later on.

Author's Website

http://madwomanintheforest.com/
Here is the link to the authors website.

If you go to the following link Anderson talks about the challenges to writing some of her books.  She talks about how some people are reluctant or uncomfortable talking about the book.
http://madwomanintheforest.com/teachers/censorship-book-banning/

Next book by Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson's Website

Maybe pick your top 2 in the comments for reading next?

Young Adult
Wintergirls - A brutal and poetic deconstruction of how one girl stealthily vanishes into the depths of anorexia.

Twisted - High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn't believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father?s boss?s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy? and Tyler?s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in school, in his family, and in the world.

Prom - Philadelphia high school who doesn’t care about the prom. It’s pretty much the only good thing that happens there, and everyone plans to make the most of it—especially Ash’s best friend, Natalia, who’s the head of the committee and has prom stars in her eyes. Then the faculty advisor is busted for taking the prom money and Ash finds herself roped into putting together a gala dance. But she has plenty of help—from her large and loving (if exasperating!) family, from Nat’s eccentric grandmother, from the principal, from her fellow classmates. And in making the prom happen, Ash learns some surprising things about making her life happen, too.

Catalyst - Meet Kate Malone-straight-A science and math geek, minister's daughter, ace long-distance runner, new girlfriend (to Mitchell "Early Decision Harvard" Pangborn III), unwilling family caretaker, and emotional avoidance champion. Kate manages her life by organizing it as logically as the periodic table. She can handle it all-or so she thinks. Then, things change as suddenly as a string of chemical reactions; first, the Malones' neighbors get burned out of their own home and move in. Kate has to share her room with her nemesis, Teri Litch, and Teri's little brother. The days are ticking down and she's still waiting to hear from the only college she applied to: MIT. Kate feels that her life is spinning out of her control-and then, something happens that truly blows it all apart. Set in the same community as the remarkable Speak, Catalyst is a novel that will change the way you look at the world.

Historical Thrillers

Forge - In this compelling sequel to Chains, a National Book Award Finalist and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson shifts perspective from Isabel to Curzon and brings to the page the tale of what it takes for runaway slaves to forge their own paths in a world of obstacles—and in the midst of the American Revolution.
The Patriot Army was shaped and strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter. This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. In addition to the hardships of soldiering, he lives with the fear of discovery, for he is an escaped slave passing for free. And then there is Isabel, who is also at Valley Forge—against her will. She and Curzon have to sort out the tangled threads of their friendship while figuring out what stands between the two of them and true freedom.

Chains -As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

Fever 1793 - During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out. Disease sweeps the streets, destroying everything in its path and turning Mattie's world upside down. At her feverish mother's insistence, Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that the sickness is everywhere, and Mattie must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease.

Melinda Vs. Daria

I finished reading the first half of Speak a few nights ago. It's very interesting seeing people through Melinda's lens. I'm starting to like a few characters that she describes. I like her classmate, David Petrakis, for standing up for his convictions and his love of learning.  I like  the art teacher, Mr. Freeman, for stirring creative expression in the students and turning his class into  a self-work in progress safe zone. His classroom reminds me of my high school photography class, where one can steadily focus on the artwork in the darkroom and get lost in time and space. Who knew one could find so much in a darkroom? As Marissa had mentioned, I also like how Melinda turned the old janitor room into her musty haven. It's so lovely to find that corner of respite, no matter how cramped, ill lit, or poorly ventilated it may be. Take the childhood fort for example; I used to spend hours in my blanket and chairs fort. 

I forgot how tiring high school could be with its arbitrary social groups and expectations. The Marthas do wear me out; so does Martha Stewart. No matter how beautiful their work seems to be, they seem to rub pretentiousness all over it. You know who Melinda and her description of high school reminds me of right now?! Remember the TV show, Daria from MTV? "The series focuses on Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her."

Speak Poem

This poem is amazing. The author wrote the first and last stanza, but all of the middle stanzas come directly from people who have read Speak. It is also printed in the 10 year anniversary edition of the book. It made me tear up. In a way I felt like the secret sharing reminded me of the Post Secret project. All these things we keep silent about...

Why I choose this book.

I choose this book because it seemed interesting.  Im curious to know how being silent effects your life in school.  I was never the most talkative of person but, i have also never let people walk over me by being silent.  This book reminds me about those students who will never raise their hand or talk in class.

Speaking Early

So I was trying to get a little ahead and started reading this book. Well, I couldn't put it down, as you can see. I really enjoyed reading the first half of this book. Last semester I read graphic novels for this class and reading this type of book is so much different. Even though Speak doesn't have any pictures it is still very visual. For example, Anderson writes on page 28 paragraph 2, "My throat squeezes shut, as if two hands of black fingernails are clamped on my windpipe." I love the imagery, metaphors, and similes that she uses.

Another great thing that Anderson has is this book is a nice readable structure. She sections it by period in school, then by classes or important moments, into short paragraphs, journal style with flashbacks interlaced. It is very logical and spaces the book in a way that the eye can easily run along. Not only does this style make the book more accessible but it also allows the reader to feel more connected and empathetic to the main character.

There were a lot of moments in the first half of this book that I can really relate to. This story in general is very relatable to me and one of the reasons I was drawn to it. Her relationship with her parents is very similar to my relationship with mine. When you are in that situation you feel so alone. It is hard to realize that there are so many other people with a similar experience as you out there, just no one talks about it.

I love, love, love the suspense that Anderson is creating within the readers mind. This book already seems like a book that would be enlightening to read twice for all the nuances and connections. I cannot wait to find out what happened to her and why she is the way she is. Why are her lips so scabbed? What happened with "IT"/Andy?! I am dying to read on with so many burning questions in my head. It is a great writer who can make such extreme suspense so subtly and elegantly. Do I really have to wait?!?!?

So to speak

I chose this book because when I heard the summary, I felt like I could relate to the main character. I generally don't speak much in group settings. It is more of not knowing how to say what I want to say, instead of not having anything to say. But I think that might be all of us in that we do have a lot in our minds to share but not all of us have the same way or style of expressing the thoughts. I look forward to seeing how everyone in this group express their thoughts on this book. Happy reading!

Speak the movie (2004)

IMDB Page

7.6 out of 10 starring Kristen Stewart (pre-Twilight)

A few things I read said the movie was close to the novel. Maybe we can watch it when we are done.

Let's speak

I am super excited to read this book with you ladies!!! :)
Thanks for setting this up Marissa!

I have always been the one in class with my hand held up high the whole time.
I tend to speak before I think and think I could learn a lot from this book.
I am very intrigued about reading this book to be able to put myself into the shoes of a mute.
I like how the book is organized and think it will be an enjoyable read. :)

Why I chose Speak

I've always been too loud and mouthy, much to my own chagrin. The idea of a girl who is a selective mute is fascinating. Does being silent open up a whole new world? My constant stream of words has sometimes kept me from noticing things.

I also know of a few selective mutes in our school and I thought this novel might give me more insight into their choice to remain silent.

Speak

Read to page 92 for next week.