Respond to the following questions:
What literature circle did you read?
What did you think of it? Rate it on a scale from 1-4 (1- is like the least, 4- being the best) Explain.
What connections did you make to "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare?
If you could make any changes to this book, what changes would you make and why?
Book- If You Come Softly
ReplyDelete3- Liked the book, but ending was very confusing and unsatisfying. Otherwise, very interesting and kept my attention very well.
Love was definitely a common theme, but the prejudgement of love more specifically was common in both. This is because the characters in my book weren't sure about what other people, especially their parents would think about their relationship. They are contemplating keeping it completely secret. In Romeo and Juliet, they are unsure of what their parents' reactions would be, so they decide to get married in secret. Another connection was love at first sight, from the moment Ellie and Miah met in the hallway, they knew that they liked the other one. Same with Romeo and Juliet at the party at the Capulet house.
If I could change something about the book it would be the ending. This is because it is very confusing about what really happens and doesn't end the book with the reader really knowing what happened. I would want the ending to be more specific and let you know what has happened more specifically because it would really enhance the book.
Matt Baker Period 9
I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I would rate it a 3/4. At first, I thought that the book was going to be terrible because the beginning went very slow. However, as I read more towards the middle it became so much better and I really started to enjoy it. I thought it was great because the characters of Henry and Keiko had a very strong, emotional connection between each other that the reader could feel. I thought that it was a great love story and Jamie Ford ended it perfectly. Also, I thought that Henry's father was the perfect antagonist role in the story and his actions actually made me hate him. Overall, I really enjoyed it and was surprised by how much I liked it. I connected Henry and Keiko to Romeo and Juliet many times throughout the story. Even though they don't commit suicide, they go through the tragic story of forbidden love. Henry's father reminded me of Lord Capulet because he was so misunderstanding about everything throughout the book and practically disowned Henry like Capulet almost had done to Juliet. The only changes I would make to this book would be to make the beginning more interesting. As great as it was, I almost wanted to put it down and stop reading because I couldn't get hooked right away.
ReplyDeleteRob Sperduto pd. 3
I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.If I had to rate it on a scale of 1-4 I would probably give it a 3. I would give it this a 3 because I feel that overall it was a very heartwarmer book about two kids trying to find their love even though they are from seperate families. However, I feel that the conflict never really got to a boiling point of which it seemed that the characters were in a real, desprate, "Romeo and Juliet" moment. Even when Kieko really left Henry for most of his life, when they reunited, I felt like it wasn't a really a faithful moment for either characters and I wanted more. The connections that I could make with "Romeo and Juliet" was that there were two main characters within the book who each were from enemy cultures, and could never be permitted to be with each other. But their love for one another was what had stopped this havic. Also, the boy main characters in the story seem to have more passion for the girl at first. If I had to make changes to the book, I would definatly change the ending and make it show more passion than it really did. With this, it would be a more faithful ending and would really show the love of what they used to have.
ReplyDeleteLucas Pettinato (pd.9)
I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I would give this book a rating of a three because although I really enjoyed reading about the struggles of Henry as a young boy and how he overcome them, I do feel that the ending was too predictable. It felt like Jamie Ford ran out of creative ideas. I also wanted to know more about how Keiko and Henry picked up where they left off so many years ago. I would have liked to have known what Keiko had gone through for those many years as well.
ReplyDeleteI made many connections between this book and "Romeo and Juliet." The most basic connection was that Henry and Keiko were star-crossed lovers from the start. Henry knew that his father despised the Japanese, regardless of how 'americanized' they were. However, he chose to be with Keiko anyway. I also found a connection between the Henry and the characters of Romeo and Juliet because they were both very rebellious. Henry would sneak out, lie and even travel across the country to see Keiko no matter what his parents did. The only important thing was that he was with his one true love. Finally, I see a connection between Henry's father and Lord Capulet. Although Lord Capulet seemed to be a loving and caring father at first, both him and Henry's dad eventually became inconsiderate of their children's feelings. No matter what would have made them happy, Henry and Juliet's fathers stuck to their old traditions and refused to be understanding.
Other than changing the conclusion, I felt that it would be interesting if the book was written from both Keiko's and Henry's points of views. This way, we would have a more personal connection with the girl that made Henry so happy. It would also allow us to see what Keiko has been doing for all of these years without cramming it in at the end. It could make the book a lot more interesting.
Erica Dattero
pd.8
Ben Adler
ReplyDeleteBook-Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
HOTCOBAS takes the reader on a journey thorough young love in the most unusual form. At the young age of 13, Henry and Kieko are already experiencing separation anxiety and strong feelings toward each other. Powerful scenes of discrimination and sorrow grab the reader and make them want more and more. It is hard to read this novel without feeling bad for the protagonist. It is terrible that issues as simple as race can make it nearly impossible for love to occur safely. Though this book was very well written and emotional, I would only give it 3 out of 4 stars because it was very predictable. Between this book and Romeo and Juliet, i think i have read my fair share of love novels for a good couple years. The similarities went much further than Kieko being Juliet and Henry being Romeo. Both loves were separated by the family and their views on race and their opposition. In many ways however, the Capulets were more similar to Henry's family than to the Okabes. When Kieko was sent to the internment camp, it was almost as how Romeo was banished to Mantua. In both cases, the separation physically could not end the love of the two children. Another similarity was how both stories involved very young lover, almost oddly young in todays society. One change i would make would be to have Kieko or Henry die at the end of the story as they reunited. The happy ending made it almost grossly predictable. Life isn't always happy, and neither should literature. Good writing is realistic writing.
I read If You come Softly. I would rate it a 3.5 because i thought the beginning was kinda slow and a lot of drama didn’t happen till the end. But this book did keep me wanting to reading to find out what would soon happen with Ellie and Miah’s relationship. Like in Romeo and Juliet this couple could not be together, and in both books they try to keep it a secret from their parents because they are not sure of what they would think of the situation since Miah is African American and Ellie if white. If i can change anything in this book then i would change the ending because i would want to see what Ellie’s parents thought of Miah since they didn’t get to meet him before he died. But i thought it was a good ending because it went along with the whole story.
ReplyDeleteMonica Nole - Period 9
Book- If you Come Softly
ReplyDeleteI would rate this book a 3 only because of the ending. The author made the ending very abruptly kind of like they needed to end the book quickly because it happened so suddenly. Besides the ending, I thought it was a very good book. Even though it's theme of prejudice and love is common to many books this book took a twist on it and made it unique. Like Romeo and Juliet the story started on a love at first sight idea but instead of continuing on with just that idea, the author brought conflicts outside of the teens love that made me interested in reading the book. Besides the main idea being similar to Romeo and Juliet there were many small details that were like the play. One of them was that the main character Jerimiah wasn't a fighter, just like Romeo and also how Ellie sought comfort in her room when she was upset, again like Romeo. Another connection was the seemingly forbidden love that the couples shared. At first neither of the couples wanted to share with their parents because they were afraid of the responses they would get. Something I'd change would be the ending, instead of keeping it confusing and brief, I would explain it a little more but still keep the dramatic effect of it.
I read Hotel on the Corer of Bitter and Sweet. I would rate it a 3 because it was a very enjoyable book to read since i had a bit of background knowledge about the Japanese internment camps from Eighth grade. I thought it was an interesting take about what it felt like to be living and actually have to experience it. I believe Jaime Ford did a wonderful job making it feel as if you were there with Henry and Keiko and everyone else who was in Seattle at the time. I also agree with Erica about the ending seeming to predictable. I felt after reading one half- three fourths of the book i already knew what the outcome was.
ReplyDeleteOH there were so many connections between the two books. When Henry met Keiko you knew they were alike Romeo and Juliet being two lovers separated from each other. Also the beliefs of each family was very different since Henry's father believed in staying loyal to China while Keiko's family wanted to become known as Japanese Americans. Just like in Romeo and Juliet both parents don't want their children to be with each other since they're enemies. Henry's father doesn't want his son to be with a Japanese girl because he doesn't want him to become endangered since the two families look alike. Another connection was when Keiko was sent off to the internment camp. It seemed as if it was almost like when Romeo was banished from Verona for killing Tybalt. Henry's family is more alike the Capulets than the Montague's because theres more conflict between the families and a lot more involvement whereas the Okabes were more "soft" and of a relaxed type of family type.
To be honest there weren't many faults within the book. I thought he wrote it with great detail and had a lot of dialogue between the characters. The one thing i would change is make it feel less as if the ending can't be determined from the climax of the book. I would also make one change in which i would have a more important death. Not saying that Sheldon wasn't an important character, but that it would bring a lot more to write about and than would make it more of a true love story since Romeo and Juliet is considered a love story, i'd make it more like a love story to enhance it's feel of what it's like to be in love with someone and experience their death etc.
Zack Smolev
Period 8
I read the book Romiette and Julio. I would probably give it a 3. This is because although the book was good and intriguing over all, the ending was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be more dramatic than it was. There were a lot of little connections to Romeo and Juliet aside from just their names. This novel was a modernized version of Romeo and Juliet. The lovers Romiette Capelle and Julio Montague meet and flirt in an online chartroom instead of at a party but it was considered "love at first sight" just like in Shakespeare's play. A lot of the characters reminded me of roles in Romeo and Juliet. Ben, Julio's friend, I believe was roughly based on Benvolio. And Captain Escaluki was a similar role to Prince Escalus. If I could change something it would have to be the ending which I personally was disappointed with. I think instead of the two teens laughing about the huge incident, it should have been more dramatic.
ReplyDeleteSarah Greer period 8
I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Out of 4 stars I would rate it with 3 stars. This is due to the fact that the beginning moved very slowly and the plot line wasn't very dynamic. For me if any book is not interesting within the first 75 pages I'll stop reading and find another book. Luckily this book picked up right around that mark. As the story progressed, though, it felt as if the book got slower again when Henry left Keiko again. The use of flashbacks and flash forwards did create some suspense, but it also made the 1942 story a little anticipated. Overall, this novel was a great read and a modern day "Romeo and Juliet."
ReplyDeleteHOTCOBAS connected to "Romeo and Juliet" several times throughout the story. Henry and Keiko's love seemed as true as Romeo and Juliet's because they could never stop thinking about each other once they met. Henry went back for Keiko in Idaho because her voice was ringing in his head ever since he left her from the last visit at Camp Harmony. This is like the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet because it seemed that the two lovers would never leave their sides and longed for each other after Romeo left. Another connection is how the families didn't want the couples to be together. Only Henry's family didn't want him to be with Keiko, but both families in the play didn't want them to be together. Finally, the tragic end to true love can be seen in both works. For "Romeo and Juliet" it may be suicide, but for HOTCOBAS it was war and separation.
I would change very little to this book because I liked it very much. I would change the climax, though, because it looked as if there wasn't much of one. I'd also speed up the beginning because I like books that have me interested as fast as possible.
- Deven Jacobi, Pd. 3
i read If You Come Softly. Out of 4 i would give it a 3 mostly because of the ending. The beginning was a little slow but that didnt really effect the book. The ending was not good and was very anti climactic, it was very confusing and i had no idea what happened. The author did not make a clear representation of the ending and it was very hard to understand. If you dont understand the ending as a reader then the whole book becomes worse and anti climactic. From the beginning i thought that by the end Ellie and Miah were not going to be together, or at least one of them would end up dead. Unfortunately my prediction was left un answered.
ReplyDeleteMany connections could be made to Romeo and Juliet. One for example is that at a very young age both couples meet and fall in love instantly. Within 5 minutes of communication between each other they know that they are perfect for each other. Another similarity could be that the families do not approve of this relationship, although Miahs parents have no problem with him being with Ellie, Ellies mom does not approve of the relationship because she believes that she is too young for one, which is not the case in Romeo and Juliet
If i had to make one change i would make the ending more clear so the reader could understand it. The author should give a clear example of what has happened so the reader can enjoy the book more.
Sam Mandell period 3
I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. I thought that the book was good! I would give it a ¾ because although the novel itself was great and the plot with Henry and the conflicts he had to face was interesting, I didn't think the plot was dramatic enough. The conflicts Henry faces such as ethnicity differences and pressure from his parents made the book much more enjoyable than I thought it would be. However, the story never got to the point where I was actually extremely excited/sad/etc. I think that's what makes a book a real page turner.
ReplyDeleteHotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet connected with "Romeo and Juliet" in a number of ways. For example, the couples in both of the stories knew what they were getting into from the start. Both their loves was forbidden. While Keiko and Henry came from different ethnicities, Romeo and Juliet came from feuding families. The protagonists in both stories were also extremely young. In this day and age, it would be considered almost too young. The Capulets were much like Henry's family in a way. Capulet seemed to force a lot of things onto Juliet, such as the marriage with Paris. He disapproved of Juliet's will to make her own decisions. At first, it seemed like both fathers were protecting their children, but as the stories went on that changed. Lady Capulet was also similar to Henry's mother. As the woman in the house, they couldn't do much to help their children because they didn't have the power.
If I could make any changes to the book, I would make the conclusion longer. I felt that it was too rushed because Henry was separated from Keiko for most of his life. The ending seemed to just barely tie the story together. If the ending was longer, I would be more satisfied with the book. It was too fast. As a reader, I felt that I never got the chance to really see how Keiko felt after all these years. The ending just wasn't enough. It filled my appetite halfway.
Julia Ng
Pd. 3
For literature circles, I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If I were to rate the book, I would most likely give it a three, for it was a very unique and well told story of young love, however, it is not a book I would run out to tell everyone about. It’s more like one of those books that when people ask you about it, you just say, “Oh, I read that book. It was really good,” without overwhelming enthusiasm. I must say I was slightly disappointed at the ending, which I will explain later on, and I wasn’t too thrilled on Ford’s accurate portrayal of young love. I believe Jamie Ford wrote a book about what people think young love should be like, rather than how it actually feels, and the affects it would leave on one’s life.
ReplyDeleteSimply put, this entire book IS “Romeo and Juliet.” Two young adolescents from opposite sides of a feuding family fall in love almost instantly, although their romance is clearly doomed from the start. One connection that really stood out to me, however, was the similarities in the characterization of both Henry’s father, and Lord Capulet. Both fathers are very verbal and expressive of their opinions of their opponents, and openly disapprove and forbid the love that exists between the two main characters. Henry’s father stops speaking to him, and Lord Capulet abuses Juliet into agreeing to marry Paris, both scenes that I found to be very similar.
Going back to the idea that I didn’t like Ford’s ending of the book, I would have to say, that if I were to write a novel so obviously analogous to “Romeo and Juliet,” I would make it have a similar ending as well. I was disappointed at the lack of tragedy in the ending, however I will not elaborate on that idea, in fear of giving away the ending to those who may not have read the book yet.
In all, I though Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was a good book, and there were some obvious connections to Shakespeare’s work within it, however, I did not find it to be the most impressive book I have ever read.
~Liliane Lindsay
Period 8
I read the novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford for my literature circle. Due to the fact that I was unwillingly forced into reading the book I was never fond of the book but after a while it grew on me. I would rate it a 3 because the suspense and risky actions that occurred due to Henry and Keiko’s relationship made the book engaging. However, the author focused upon irrelevant details and unimportant information throughout the course of the novel that took away from the true meaning of the book, which was the limitless power of love and friendship. Despite that, I enjoyed the book because it was an interesting love story of Henry who went to the edges of possibility to be with the one who he loved. I made several connections with this book and the play “Romeo and Juliet” such as the fact that the lovers came from families that did not necessary get along. A feud didn’t exist but Henry’s father despised the Japanese people for the unintentional warfare that raged across China. This problem also created obstacles for the two lovers as it did for Romeo and Juliet. Henry also like Romeo, did everything within his capacity to get closer to the people they cherished. Another connection was the fact that each lover had a third party that brought him or her closer to each other. In “Romeo and Juliet” the nurse and Friar Lawrence allowed the couple to get together and marry/love one another. In Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the lunch lady Ms. Beatty, secretly sympathized Henry for being lovesick and brought him closer to Keiko by bringing him to the internment camps where she was being held. I wouldn’t really change anything in the novel other than the slow moving introduction, which lacked interest and was very boring.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Maldonado Period 8
I read the novel Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper. I would rate this book a two out of four because of the type of writing, unnessecary parts, and style. Whenever I read a book, I do not like when a story jumps around from character to character constantly. It is too confusing and complex for me to understand a simple story. This specific book had many different styles of writting such as, narration, chat rooms, diaries, and many more. This author would add parts of the book and parts of the story that did not need to be included. For example, there would be a completley irrelevant conversation between people and then the topic would never come up again within the story. It seemed like she wanted to add more to the story even though nothing else needed to be added because then it just does not make sense. Although the names of the characters in the original and in Romiette and Julio are similar, it is not the only connection found. One connection that is made, is when Romeo and Juliet are at the Capulet party and they instantly fall in love, to the first Chat Room converstaion Romiette and Julio have together. In both of these situations, these two people start to like eachother without really knowing the person at all. Many characters resemble others in the different works of the story. For example, Julio Montague's friend, Ben, reminds me of Romeo's cousin Benvolio because he is like the peacemaker and tries to solve things. He may make things worse at points but always tries to calm everyone down. Also within the play the families were pulling the couple apart. But in the book Romiette and Julio, the gang the Devildogs are separating them due to their racial differences. Either way, the relationship is frowned upon by someone. If I could change anything about this book, I would change the ending because it was very anti-climactic and in a way predictable. I do not like books like that. I enjoy books with cliffhangers at the end, or a major twist that will make everything clear from the beginning. Overall, this book was enjoyable and did relate to the original play just enough to have the story but also to have a spin on it.
ReplyDeleteIf You Come Softly
ReplyDeleteI rate this book a 3. The ending was pointless and irrelevant. i did not know why Miah was shot.THis connects to Romeo and Juliet because Miah and Ellie were two people that were never meant to be together because he was black and she was white. Romeo was a Montague and Juliet was a Capulet and they are rivals. I would change the ending because i thought it was irrelevant. The book would have been a 4 if it had not been for the ending. Miah and Ellies love seemd effortless as if their love was from a fairytale but MIah randomly getting shot ruined the story for me.
Charlotte Breslin -pd 9
Charlie Florio pd-3
ReplyDeleteI read If you Come Softly and I would rate this book a 3. I rate it a 3 because overall I felt that it was a compelling interesting book that kept your attention for most of the time. The reason I didn't give it a 4 was because of how some of the chapters were formatted. Some chapters had Miah and Ellie talking for a very long period of time that lost my attention because mainly nothing progressive would come out of them being togeather. If I were to change this book I would cut out some of the meetings between Miah and Ellie or find a way to make them more interesting.
I read the book, “Romiette and Julio” by Sharon M. Draper. I rated it as 3. Before I read the book, I heard that almost no one likes that book. However, I felt that whole story made sense and very interesting. The way that the author wrote the book made the story very interesting. I rated as 3 because there was only one thing that I wanted to change. It is the scene where Romiette and Julio got lost in the lake. In the book, it was stormy night so the thunder hit the boat which Romiette was holding. After the thunder hit the boat, it crashed and broke but Romiette couldn’t swim so she was drown. Eventually she was survived by the help from Julio although she sank at the bottom of the lake. I thought the whole scene was too unrealistic although it was very dramatic and interesting. If I could make any change, I would change the scene to more realistic. There are many connections between this novel and the play, “Romeo and Juliet”. Obviously, names are very similar. Also in both the novel and the play, there are some people who are against their relationship. In the novel, the gangs in the school, where Romi and Julio attend, went against their relationship. In the play, Juliet and Romeo’s family are against their fallen-in-love relationship if they know.
ReplyDeleteThe literature circle book that i read was Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and sweet. What i thought of the book is that it was a great book and a great read. On a scale of 1-4 i would give it a 4 because it shows care that lasts through the years and the suspense at homeports at what would happen next. Connections to Romeo and Juliet were very subtle, but they were there. Henry and Keiko, like Romeo and Juliet. Henry's father who was completely opposed to the Japanese was quite like the Capulets, however Keiko's parents did not feel tension and anger towards the Chinese. Ms. Beatty was like the nurse and the Friar . She helped out Henry to see Keiko and had a small bit of care for them. I feel that i wouldn't want to make any differences to this book because this book was such a good read. I would have liked it if Keiko and Henry got together, and Henry waited just a bit before asking Ethel to marry him but then there would have been no Marty. Then also Henry's story might have been different because he may have not had the need to search the basement of the Panama Hotel for Keiko's memories. I think this was a really good book, and i would recommend it.
ReplyDelete~Amna Haider
period 8
Book- Romiette and Julio
ReplyDeleteRate: 3 because it wasn’t bad and it wasn’t the best because there was dialog that wasn’t needed. I liked it because of the conflict and the plot, also I liked the setting.
Connections: The connection to Romeo and Juliet is that it’s about two lovers that can’t be together for different reasons, in Romeo and Juliet it’s because Romeo was banished, and in Romiette and Julio it was because of the Devildogs.
Changes: The only thing I would change was the unnecessary dialog (the group chats).
The literature book I read was Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I thought this book had a lot of good descriptions along with creativness. It sometimes would get a little bit boring because some parts would just go on. I would rate it a 3 because I thought it was interesting mostly all of the time but throughout the book, some parts would be more boring than others. The connections I made to Romeo and Juliet were that in this book, the two main characters, Keiko and Henry are similar to Romeo and Juliet because they are two lovers who are technically not aloud to be together. The difference was that in the literature circle book, the parents of the two lovers were not fond of the love but they accpeted it unlike on Romeo in Juliet where their parents would not even listen to the idea of them being together. If I could change anything about the book, I would make it so that events would not have a long lead in and they would just happen so the reader would be more interested.
ReplyDeleteSarah Curtis
The literature circle book I read was “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” by Jamie Ford. The strong connection that was not only a friendship, but a romantic one as well was felt and moved me deeply. The book I believe deserves 3 out of 4. Though the beginning was slow moving, as the story progressed things began to reach a climax. The fact that Henry, the protagonist, faced so many hardships because of his affections toward Kieko, I couldn’t help but send my heart out to him. When this young couple was separated I couldn’t help, but feel great sorrow for them. However, at the ending when Henry was finally reunited with Keiko, his lost love, after all those years I cheered because of my joy for them although I do wish that the author had gone into depth of what happened after their meeting. I made many connections to “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, but the main one that was clearly seen was the forbidden love between two young lovers torn apart by society and family conflicts. Due to the racial prejudices Henry and Kieko were forced to stay away from each other, torn apart abruptly. If I could make any changes to the book I would change the ending. When Henry had found Keiko they had spoken, but Ford hadn’t gotten into depth about what happened after nor did he give the point of view of Keiko. I really would have liked to see what she thought.
ReplyDeleteI read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I gave the book a two and a half stars because I didn’t think it was the best book but it was ok. I though the book was boring in some parts but the
ReplyDeletetouching ending made up for it. The part of the book where Henry goes to see Kieko in the camp even though it was dangerous was like when Romeo went to Juliet's room at night because although
there were many risks in seeing each other in both stories, true love was worth the risk of getting into trouble or even death. I would add more drama and action to the book because personally I like
more action adventure books.
I read the book If You Come Softly. I would give the book a 3.5. I really liked how it was a love story between two people who during the time wouldnt commonly be found together, it was a mini Romeo and Juliet. I liked how it took place in a high school, and although the time wasnt modern the love and emotions behind the 2 teens relationship was, and it was really cute. The plot line was modern, how they found eachother in the hallway and then cut class together, it was relatable to people. The whole story has something to do with Romeo and Juliet. The book is about 2 teens, Elie and Miah who are in love, and people dont like this because they are different races. In Romeo and Juliet they are also in love and not supposed to be with eachother due to a feud between the families. If I could make one change I would change the ending. I understood that the author wanted something dramatic happen, but I wished it would have said how Miah died. It was a very suspensful moment and you didnt even find out how it happened.
ReplyDeleteRula Samad pd9
Book – Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
ReplyDeleteI would rate it a 2 out of 4. I would give it a 2 because it did not hold my attention at all. It bored me every time I read it, and just was not appealing to me. After reading Romeo and Juliet, I wanted some topic variation. Reading two books that have the same general idea and plot in the same month bores you out of the topic for good.
This book connected to Romeo and Juliet. Firstly, both books told stories of forbidden lovers, and their struggle for love. Secondly, both lovers came from opposing families. In Romeo and Juliet, the families fought each other, while in Hotel, Henry’s dad was prejudiced towards Keiko’s family. Lastly, they both involve the main characters being separated. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo was banished from Verona, while in Hotel, Keiko was taken to a concentration camp.
I would extend the book. I would make it so Henry and Keiko got to know each other again and eventually got married. It would have made the book a bit happier and interesting. I would have liked it much better if it had that added scene.
Brett Saviano – Period 9
I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and I would give it a 2. I'm really not a fan of love stories like this but the setting and ideas were more interesting than usual. The book was written well and Henry was a good main character but I always found stories about finding love pretentious. Throughout the reading there were several concepts that are easily relatable to Romeo and Juliet. The most obvious of course being the separation of the two due to family issues except to a different scale with the racism. If I could improve the book I would make it more about the racism and internment camps than Henry and Keiko's love. That's only because I don't like love stories, it's just not a genre I have any interest in.
ReplyDeleteMatt Bruzzano
book- if you come softly
ReplyDeleteI would give it a 3 because it was a very interesting plot and it made me want to keep reading but they never showed what ellies parents thought about them dating.
This is a lot like romeo and juliet because it is about two lovers who had a hard time being together. romeo and juiet were form different families and jeremiah and ellie where different races and backgrounds.
If i could change the book i would show the perspective of ellies parents on the relationship. I would also go into more detail on how jeremiah dies.
I chose the book If You Come Softly as my literature circle book and I would rate the book as a 3 out of a 4. The ending didn't tie in with the meaning of the book but overall it was a good read with a good message behind it all. If You Come Softly connects to the play Romeo and Juliet very much. Miah and Ellie were two people who would never think in a million years that they would be together. Romeo and Juliet had the same reactions when they fell in live with each other as well. Their families were feuding against each other for a long time and for Romeo and Juliet to get together was unexpected to the characters in the play. Another connection is that Miah dies in the end of the book as well as Romeo getting killed in the end as well. In If You Come Softly, I would first change the ending of the book to make it about an event that happened with Miah and Ellie to create an unexpected twist. I would have also changed the book to make it a little more interesting throughout the chapters because I caught myself getting board throughout the novel in some parts.
ReplyDelete-Kristen Petriello Per 8
I read the book If You Come Softly. I would rate the book about a 3 out of 4. Although it was a very good book there were some very boring parts in it. The book connects to Romeo and Juliet in the theme o forbidden love. In Miah and Ellie's situation it wasn't quite as extreme as Romeo and Juliet's, but the same message was portrayed. In both stories there were two people who had fallen deeply in love with each other, but there was something unchangeable that kept them apart. Wether it was a last name or the color of skin the same problem occured. Also, in both stories, neither character could stay away from the other and this love ended up fatal. If i could change anything in If You Come Softly it would be the ending.I think it would have been better if Miah had met Ellie's parents before anything happened.I feel like in the original ending it builds up all that suspense then he never even gets a chance.
ReplyDeleteI am reading A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. So far the book is a 3. We are informed that Ishmael has gone through a rough time in his life. The book refers to past events, which creates the audience to be more interested in the full story. We are getting the pieces, but not the full puzzle. Both Ishmael and Romeo and Juliet go through tragic events to allow people to open their eyes. The author is not very literate because he did not grow up with a lot of education. This book would be more enjoyable if Ishmael Beah was more educated.
ReplyDeleteI read the book Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper. I would give it a 3.5. I thought the book overall was very good but the ending was unexpected and not the best. Besides the resemblance in their names, there were many other little connections and one big one. Some little connections are when Romiette Capelle and Julio Montague met online, they felt an instnat connection, a little like love at first sight. The big connection is the face that in both the play and the book, there were people who didn't approve of the couples relationships. Weather it was because of a rivalry or because of race, some people didn't approve. I think instead of making the end of the book comical, Sharon could have made it more dramatic.
ReplyDeleteRana Nesheiwat