Sophie V.

Sophie Van Riet
Someone Like You
Sarah Dessen
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
66

1.  I just recently started the book, Someone Like You.  I am finding it very enjoyable. It starts off with a teenage girl named Halley in a summer sleep away camp her mom forced her to go to. Her mom is a  well known therapist who is very particular about what she wants her daughter to do. Halley shared everything with her mom, but recently they had been slowly drifting apart from one another.  Her father manages a local radio station and he is always finding the humor in things and is sort of like the peacemaker in the family. While into her first week of camp, Halley gets a call from her outgoing best friend Scarlett. Scarlett and her have been best friends since they were really young. Scarlett lives in the house across the street from Halley's, with her mother Marion. Marion is not a very good parent. Ever since she was little, Scarlett had to take care of things for her mother and be the parent in the house. When Scarlett tells Halley that her boyfriend Michael Sherwood died, Halley knows she needs to come home from camp and be there for Scarlett. Michael was a popular, loved guys who was head over heels for Scarlett. So this news is extremely devastating to the girls.  Soon after Halley gets back, she and Scarlett go to Michael's funeral where she is introduced to Macon. She didn't really know Macon all that well, just that he was Michael's best friend, so he is very mysterious to her. Once summer is over, Scarlett and Halley begin school where Halley gets to know Macon more through P.E. and starts to like  him, although she doesn't admit it to Scarlett, being best friends Scarlett can already tell.

2. Although I am not very far into it, I really like this book. The writing is so vivid and descriptive, it is easy to imagine everything that is going on. Also it gets to the point of things, which I like. Usually beginnings of the story are very boring and hard to figure out, but Dessen does a great job captivating you and puling you in to read more. I really hope the story continues to be this intriguing. The thing that 'm hoping to come is a twist in the story that would be very hard to predict. So far, things have played out like you'd expect, with minor shocking events but nothing really that makes you completely speechless. I really love the characters in this novel. They all have their own personalities but are very relate able. I can feel like these situations are so believable and easy for you to envision. I hope this book doesn't get boring, because unless there is something that is the climax to these events leading up to it, the book could easily go downhill.

3.  The theme for this book is hard to pick out, but I'd have to say it would be staying strong. The characters here are put through a lot, but they have to keep on going through life the best that they can. A lot of events have tested their strength.  This book really depicts how hard things can get when the going gets tough. Scarlett has to stay strong when her boyfriend dies, and Halley has to then stay strong for her. Scarlett also has to be the strong one in her family since her mom isn't exactly fit to be a parent. She also has to take in all the reminders of Michael, without always expressing her pain. The novel also makes you realize whats important and what you have to hold on to or be strong enough to let go. I think this theme isn't used in a lot of books, so it's refreshing to see it here.


4.  My favorite character is Scarlett. She is always there for Halley and helps her to have more confidence. She accepts everyone and doesn't judge. When Macon needs help, she doesn't make it awkward at all and invites him into her house where she takes care of him. I also love how she treats Halley so nicely and is never overly dramatic about fights that they have.She is also very outgoing which I think is a great trait to have. Her character is never dull, and even under harsh conditions she still manages to make everything be okay. I hope she and Halley stay good friends, because if they don't for some reason, that might change my opinion of her depending on what happens. I love how she has experienced so much, yet is still naive and easily amused.

5. My least favorite character is Scarlett's mom, Marion. Marion is just not always there for Scarlett and puts the pressure on her instead of dealing with her problems.  Even when Scarlett was in elementary school, she was responsible for taking care of her mom. I don't get how someone could do that to a child. I also don't think that Marion makes good choices. She has been an alcoholic in the past, leaving Scarlett to clean up her messes. Maybe if Marion was in the story more often, I would grow to like her. Scarlett doesn't seem to mind that her mom does this that much, but it bothers me quite a bit. Marion is not a responsible parent.

6. The book seems like it's headed in a great direction.  There is a lot of little hints that make you able to predict what might happen next. I think that Macon and Halley are going to start dating, because it is always showing how close they are. Macon is always teasing Halley and flirting with her, and you obviously know that she likes him back. There is a lot of foreshadowing of this so it's easy to infer that this is going to happen in the near future. Also, I predict that Scarlett is pregnant with Michael's child. There is a lot of foreshadowing of this as well. She has been complaining about stomach pains and has been getting nauseous, all signs of pregnancy. This would be a great twist to the story.