Mandy’s Comments (group member since May 24, 2014)

Mandy’s comments from the Reading Rams Summer I, 2014 group.

Cynthia wrote: "The Fault in Our Stars was the first John Green novel I ever read, but it definitely was not the last. John Green has a way of hooking me into the story from the first line. He is utterly brillia..."

I also loved the whole support group setting and Patrick's story. I also liked how they were in the literal heart of Jesus. I thought that was funny.

Shanay wrote: "I had heard so many wonderful things about The Fault in our Stars that I briefly stopped reading Miss. Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children just so I can read The Fault in our Stars and watch the ..."

I didn't cry as much as I thought I would either. I found myself laughing through a lot of the book. It was a great read.

This book was really good. I had a few tears but not as many as I thought. I loved all the characters in the story and felt like they made me really feel what it is like to be sick and singled out. I also felt for each individual character and how the cancers had differed between them and their families. The parents were all different and Van H. had a total breakdown in his own life from the cancer his daughter had. My favorite part was in the Anne Frank house and how after the tortured traveling they kissed. It was a great moment. I was glad that Hazel and Gus had their love before it was too late. I might sound awful but I really wish the story would have ended with Hazel dying. I felt like she did with her favorite book when I finished. I was wondering what happened to her and her family and friends. I now have to see the movie.

Jennifer wrote: "When I first picked up the book, I wonder what peculiar children could possibly mean. I had a hard time reading the first part. It moved so slowly. When Jacob's grandfather was killed, I figured..."

I felt the same way about looping. The map-book would have been a good touch to the picture. I have been trying to visualize it.

Jenna wrote: "Ok, this book was right up my alley. I love to read and I do so as an escape from reality so when I read I like to be thrown into fiction that is so fictitious you cannot help but be transported in..."

I feel the same way about reading. I feel like these peculiars could really be out there.

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a while to finish because I read the novel and the graphic novel. I found a few differences but they didn't seem to change the story. I was very happy to see that they used the real pictures throughout the graphic novel as well. Some of the pictures were so well placed that you couldn't even see them within the graphics. The story was very interesting and really made me think of what could be happening all around us. I love how a book can make you want the impossible to happen. I also really liked the ending and want to read the next book to see where the boat ends up.

V. wrote: "Mandy wrote: "This book was wonderful. The family was very awesome and I loved them all. Kenny telling the story and exaggerating everything was hilarious. Dad had to be my favorite of them all. Th..."
I never thought about buster brown shoes. I actually wore those as a kid (the black and white ones). I just remember something about a picture in a shoe earlier in the story. It could have possibly been in another book, who knows by this time.
I just saw the logo, haven't seen that in a looooooong time.

Sdg22 wrote: "Shanay, I did listen to this book on tape, but I remember just where I stopped. Funny. I stopped at the cussing. It's one thing to read it and another thing to listen to it. The last thing I nee..."
I was hoping that Byron would change his ways. When they got to Grandmas you saw a completely different By. I was really happy when he chose to not go to the landing. I am also glad that he decide to go and check on Kenny and end up saving him.

Jennifer wrote: "As I read the first chapter, I was laughing so hard about Byron getting stuck to the mirror. I still was not too sure about what the book would be about. I enjoyed reading as more information was..."
Rufus and Cody really tugged my mom string. Kenny didn't really know why they forgot their lunches everyday but his momma did. I felt very sad when Kenny laughed and when he first thought that he was going to save him by being the one who got bullied. I'm glad they made up and after By talked to Kenny in the end he was off to find Rufus.

This book was wonderful. The family was very awesome and I loved them all. Kenny telling the story and exaggerating everything was hilarious. Dad had to be my favorite of them all. The way he was played off to be very scary just seemed funny to me. His love for the record player in the car I feel like I could see it. Although I loved the book I thought it was strange that they didn't even talk about Birmingham until over halfway through. Grandma Sands was perfect. How everyone talked about her before leaving reminded me of my grandma. Everyone was threatened to go live with grandma if they weren't behaving. The Wool Pooh was hilarious and I thought about stories that my sister would make up. If only he would have listened. The bombing part put me in tears. I still have no idea why Kenny saw his sisters picture in the shoe. I cried through the whole rest of the book and laughed when By was looking at himself and his beard. This was a great read.

V. wrote: "I liked this story from the beginning because it has all the stereotypical things we think of about small town life in Texas. I enjoyed how new characters were introduced. I would ask myself, “No..."
I also thought that it was nice that many in the town were worried about Zachary. I liked how he always had something from someone but you don't know how it got there. Were others talking to him?

Jenna wrote: "I actually really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of Al Capone Does My Shirts in that it is about an adolescent boy going through some life changes. Toby seems torn at times between his sma..."
I didn't even think about the relation between the two books. I also cried about Wayne. I liked how it shows that time period from a small town.

I really enjoyed this book. It took off in a weird way and I wasn't sure but I ended up really liking it. It started with so much going on I was not sure if I could keep up. As I progressed through the book I felt so close to the characters. Zachary always made me feel very emotional and when Toby first didn't like him I wanted to punch him. The whole ending of the book made me happy and sad. Cal losing his brother was very crushing. My favorite part was the ladybug waltz. I was very excited to finally see it.

Marshall wrote: "I thought that this book provided some pretty mature themes and content while still catering to a younger audience. Moose is like many younger adolescents who want to fit in at school, have fun, an..."

I really liked that Moose felt how his mother always had in the end. It really made him see the why and how to her crazy side.

Jennifer wrote: "I was not sure what this book would be about with Al Capone in the title. Would it be about gang wars in the early 1900's? No, it was even better. It described how life was with an autistic chil..."

I also liked how all the kids had a bond with Natalie in the end. Jimmy was the only one who didn't really play a big role.

This book was wonderful. I feel in love with the characters and mystery. Natalie's age was kept from us for so long. At the beginning of the book I thought she was a toddler. I also really liked how the book was written and organized. The chapter titles always made me curious. I also like that they had a map in the front but it was an actual picture of Alcatraz. The ending was great, I really thought that Moose was going to be caught as they approached the island. The note in the shirt pulled it all together, even though we have no idea how he did it. I will have to put the other two books on my list to read.

Jennifer wrote: "I was not sure how I was going to feel about this book. When I started reading, it took a while to get into it. The man in the yellow suit entering the story helped. I thought he might have dran..."

I love that they run across the toad too. It really brought the story full circle.

Jenna wrote: "I think I like the concept of this book more than the story itself. It felt slightly anticlimactic to me. Anyone else?
The discussion topics are endless and that alone makes this book worth readin..."
I think it was the actual writing. There was something about it that really made me feel like a lot of it didn't need to be there. You are right about the discussion topics, they are endless.

I really liked this story. I feel like people are always wanting to know about immortality. The whole discussion that Tuck has on the boat with Winnie makes you see how it would really feel to not be able to die. It is an interesting concept to think that everything is passing you by. Although I liked the book I felt like the writing was almost too descriptive. It sounds strange because that is my favorite style of writing but I caught myself skimming a few times to get into the meat of the story. I loved Mr. Tuck and how Winnie felt about him. I could see how she related to him and understood what he was saying. It means a lot when you can get characters to share emotion without really showing it.

Sdg22 wrote: "The One and Only Ivan is a wonderful book. For the reluctant reader, I appreciate the shorter paragraphs and their spacing. It eases the intimidation and builds confidence in the ability to read ..."

This is a great book for a non-reader. I can see kids really getting into this one with the short sections.