Book Review: Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

An athlete, a brilliant student, a minister's daughter.

Kate Malone is every one of these, a tall order to execute. The chemistry lover's life ironically falls apart at Merryweather High School in Syracuse, New York, like the fission of Uranium- 235#; her life was perfectly fitting together as nature intended, but MIT denied Kate's acceptance and, boom.

A nuclear explosion of Kate's life landed her arch enemy, Teri Litch, into her house. Her seemingly perfect life twists unexpectedly with taking care of a child and ensuring her brother takes his medication and doing the family's laundry and being the mother the family needs and secretly dealing with the rejection from her dream school: MIT.

Laurie Halse Anderson writes Catalyst to tell the world even in a seemingly bad situation, unforeseen results can turn out better than expected, to tell the world people can change, and you should get to know a person before you make assumptions about them, and to tell the world how preparation is vital to controlled results.

Anderson uses chemistry terminology to name each chapter and sub chapter, but Catalyst is not a nonfiction novel; Catalyst is YA novel that incorporates science to develop Kate's personality and character.

Kate learns that life isn't always what it seems, for herself or the people around her she thought she knew, similarly to how John Green portrays his message in Looking for Alaska.

No matter if you enjoy chemistry or don't know what an atom* is, Catalyst tells a tale relatable to any reader.

Key
* a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons (except in the case of hydrogen-1, which is the only stable nuclide with no neutrons).

# a light isotope of uranium of mass number 235 that constitutes less than one percent of natural uranium, that when bombarded with slow neutrons undergoes rapid fission into smaller atoms with the release of neutrons and energy, and that is used in nuclear reactors and atomic bombs.

Third Quarter Independent Reading Reflection

Lexicon by Max Berry
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
Legend by Marie Lu
The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

Last quarter my goals that I set for third quarter were reading five books and reading at least one non fiction/ memoir this quarter. As you can see from the list above, I met my goal of reading 5 books, but did not get around to reading a non fiction book. I was extremely busy this quarter with two-a-day workouts for softball, and I think I underestimated how little extra time I would have. I also think that I struggled finding a non fiction book that I would be interested in and not feel like a chore to read, which prevented me from meeting that goal.

This upcoming quarter, I want to read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr because many of my friends have read it and have really enjoyed it. I want to at least meet the number of books I read this quarter (5) or exceed it by reading more than five.

Point of View- Rick Reilly

       Rick Reilly is a sports columnist who in the past wrote the final column in Sports Illustrated and Reilly moved to ESPN in 2008, where he was featured as a columnist for ESPN.com and wrote the last column for ESPN the Magazine. In his columns “The Weak Shall Inherit the Gym” and “Sis! Boom! Bah! Humbug!”, Reilly suggests that he writes sports columns because he referencesdodgeball and cheerleading. I chose Reilly because I enjoyed Max Berry’s columns that we read in class, and I like reading about sports.
      In his columns, Reilly implements the figurative language technique of hyperbole. Reilly voices his opinion about dodgeball’s place in schools’ gym classes. He emphasizes his opinions when he references that if they take dodgeball away, the following activities will be next: “Baseball. Involves wrong-headed notions of stealing, errors, and gruesome hit-and-run. Players should always be safe, never out. Hopscotch. Sounds vaguely alcoholic, not to mention demeaning to our friends of Scottish ancestry” (The Weak). Here, Reilly exaggerates the effect of taking dodgeball away from schools. Even though you know that this is an obvious exaggeration, while reading it you picture these hyperboles being put into place and realize that there is more importance of dodgeball than meets the eye. In his other column, he talks about how he believes that cheerleading is not a sport, and the stereotypical cheerleader persona that many embrace during their high school and college years. Reilly is talking about now there are cheer gyms and cheerleading championships on ESPN now, and writes, “This is the event in which 408 girls named Amber attempt to create a human Eiffel Tower” (Sis! Boom!). Reilly critiques the societal development that cheerleading has had on young girls that choose to become cheerleaders. He also pokes fun at cheerleaders, though admitting that his sisters used to cheer at a young age. In both of his columns, Reilly uses hyperboles to relay to the reader his strong feelings about dodgeball and cheerleading. These exaggerations show how strongly Reilly detests the exclusion of dodgeball and how ridiculous he believes cheerleading to be.

Things I Learned Last Year

Spiders, however small they may be,
still scare teenage girls tremendously.

Sometimes you can pick things up
without opposable thumbs.

Gregory House took pain meds
for his extremely real leg pain.
But he got addicted to Vicodin,
and he doesn't even need it anymore.

Oprah Winfrey sponsors Weight Watchers,
yet she still has to work on her own fitness.

Hello. It's me. After all these years,
I guess Adele felt sorry for breaking his heart.

When I face death, because it's inevitable,
I want it to be quick.
Like squishing a creepy, crawly spider.
Quick. Painless.

In Kentucky, men are paid to catch ants for
Uncle Milton's Ant Farm Company.
They breed ants. To sell to children.

In my imitation poem, I did just that. I tried to mimic Stafford's Things I Learned Last Week by trying to keep the similar ideas/themes that he used in each stanza and parallel them in my poem. For example, I used a nature topic of spiders for my first stanza, as Stafford used ants. I even tried to use the same number of lines for each stanza that he used; a 2,2,4,2,2,4,3 pattern of the number of lines per stanza. Since I tried to imitate Stafford fairly directly, I attempted to use similar tone that he used for each stanza. For my third, fourth, and fifth stanzas, I tried to use a more lighthearted tone, whereas in stanza 6, there is a more serious tone because of the morbid topic of death. I think that this poem clearly reflects my 2015, representing my binge watching of House M.D. on Netflix, or hearing Hello for 2,000 times. Or even more recently, seeing Oprah on her new commercials for Weight Watchers. 2015 taught me about some celebrities, but also life lessons that anyone could benefit from.

2nd Quarter Independent Reading Reflection

I finished four books this quarter, including: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Sever by Lauren DeStefano, Maze Runner by  James Dashner, and The Heir by Kiera Cass. last quarter I read 5 books, which means that I read one less book this quarter than last quarter. The most rigorous book that I read this semester was The Glass Castle because I had never read a memoir before (other than The Color of Water) and it was a challenge to read a different genre other than ones I have read before.
The other books I read were obviously a different genre than memoirs, and in my opinion weren't as challenging. My favorite book that I read this semester was Maze Runner, and I enjoyed comparing the book to the movie. I tend to read dystopian novels or science fiction, but I am trying to expand my preferneces. I enjoyed the memoir I read this quarter, so I may try to read more memoirs.


Last quarter, my goal was to read more books in different genres. I read only dystopia besides 1 realistic fiction novel, and this semester I read 2 dystopia, science fiction, and 1 memoir. I achieved this goal that I set for myself, and want to stretch this goal further. Next quarter, I want to read at least one nonfiction/ memoir, and at least one realistic fiction book. Also, I'd like to read at least 5 books to exceed the number I read this quarter.

2nd Quarter Poetry Journal Reflection

My Pup

He ran through the dilapidated streets
Of what was once a New City,
But now just New York City.
He galloped along. not resting fro anything.
Only for one person, one friend, one caregiver.
Me.

He trotted along through Cleveland,
Kept going through Cincinnati.
He ran through Indiana, past Missouri River,
Through the Rockies, and finally to the one and only L.A.
Just to find who?
Me.

He sprinted, paws burning against the asphalt,
The thick substance not known by him, not Mother Nature's way.

He swam across the Pacific, to reach Asia. Through China, Afghanistan,
Through the war, and through anything.
To find me.

I'll be home for Christmas, but my childhood friend longs for me.
He runs, but only in the depth of his own mind.
A man's best friend, they say.
He'll be waiting.
For me.

I liked this poem from my journal the most because I like how it uses real life things, like geography, to relate to any person. (Even if I had to look up where places were.) I feel that it makes a deeper connection with a person who would happen to know geography. Also, I love my dog to death, and I'm his favorite because I am always the first one home to let him out of his crate. For anyone who has a dog, they know what it's like to be away from your dog on vacation, or on a trip, and it sucks. I tried to relay that as the dog would travel to these countries for me, I was actually in these countries and places, and not with my puppy. I also tried to incorporate the literary device of repetition of the word me. I also like this poem because it's different from what I normally write, which lean more toward a descriptive paragraph, rather than a poem.

Project Runway: Elizabethan Fashion Edition

This Week on Project Runway...

Here in London, we have ourselves a competition going. There are two - one for men, and one for women. The men are up first.

Edmund O'Sullivan is up first, rocking his gathered-at-the-sleeves silk shirt, which has fine, detailed needlework, including downward gold stripes. His ruff is to die for, fluffy but tough ruffle perched upon his neck. And to top the whole ensemble off, his shoes are spectacular. He has boots on his feet, and they have a protective shoe cover made of leather covering the toe. So suitable for outdoor strolls!

Next up, we have ourselves a treat. Walking up to model his newly put together outfit, Francis Fitzgerald. He is wearing a doublet, which to those viewers who don't know, is the most expensive part of an outfit, which consists of a breastplate of armor, which is stuffed with horsehair to make muscles appear bigger. On top of that, he has his detachable sleeves that were connected to his hose, which are astonishing. Oh my, his hat is top notch, with its silk makeup and an upturned brim, even with a decorative broach holding it in place! Sadly in this glorifying picture provided, he has placed in on the floor to pose.

The men were great, better than any competition we've held in years, (Probably the last competition that was this fashionable was in 1530.) But can the women impress us even further? Let's find out.

To start this round, Margery Callaghan is up to the plate. She has a decorative bodice, which sleeves are tight at the wrist, but still full volume. Now, it is stuffed to keep its shape. It also had ruffs at the wrists, similar to that of the neck.  And her hair! Such a fashionable shade of yellow, I'm sure she dyed it. Just perfection. I love the brushed-back-from-the-forehead do! I would give this at least a 9.




The last model for today is Prudence MacCarthy. She is styling a lovely light green dress with pink accents. It is is multiple pieces, but is constructed together with lace and tying together. Her kirtle (the skirt) is a slightly different  material than the bodice. As all of you viewers can see, her skirt is far to large to be natural, so there is framework holding it up, called the farthingdale, to those of us who didn't know that already. This is a wire frame, and can be stuffed in a tube shape that gives volume to the hip area, which proportionally makes the waist look smaller. This piece is called a bumroll. As you can see, this new but creative way to have dress while having multiple pieces fastened together is the new trend.
Tune in again tomorrow for the results of our competition today! Thanks for watching and see you tomorrow for a new edition.

--Heidi Klum, one of your Project Runway Hosts

Picture This

Jeannette Walls, who wrote the Glass Castle, struggled continually through the book with her parents insane ways of life, and the fact that she didn't have the typical things needed for survival. She finally gets away from her parents in Welch (and by the way, I was cheering in my head for her will to get out) and goes to the Big Apple - New York City. She is trying to be successful on her own,"I landed a job at a hamburger joint on Fourteenth Street. After taxes and social security, I'd be taking home over eighty dollars a week. I had spent a lot of time imagining what New York would be like, but the one thing that had never occurred to me that opportunities would come so easily" (Walls 384). Jeannette is able to get away from her alcoholic (probably bipolar) dad, and her slacker mother whom's selfish was apparent throughout the entirity of the novel.

In my drawing, I have shown a flower which is prospering. At first glance, you see it has roots, soil, water, and sunlight, which we all learned in fourth grade science class is what a plant needs to survive. Each of these resources are labelled. To start, the sun was 'dad'. But, at later inspection, is actually a job. Jeannette is not able to rely on her father, so she must find alternate ways of survival. She needs money to feed herself and her siblings, as well as pay the bills, so she gets a job. A plant next needs water, and this is 'mom'. Jeannette's mother is only focused on her art, and couldn't care less that her children were starving, so again Jeannette replaced this usual neccessity with self reliance. A plant needs roots to get nutrients from the soil, and these roots represent home. Through the duration of the book, the Walls move constantly, until they finally settle in Welch, Jeannette's dad's hometown. (I would argue that the even in Welch they weren't truly home because it was such a poor environment that she had to learn to survive in.) She must get a home for herself, since her parents can't provide her with one. In order to do this, she must find a way to pay for a house/ apartment, and she does so by succeeding in the career she chooses- Journalism. Finally, Jeannette often went without food as a child, writing that she dug food out of the trash cans at school once lunch had concluded. She had to cope with this lack of food by having faith that someday she would be able to buy her own food, and not dig it out of the trash. Jeannette is no typical girl, and she had to find ways to survive the treacherous conditions she grew up in.

First Quarter Independent Reading Reflection

This year I have finished five books. I have actually surpassed my expectations, because in previous years I have not read this many books in this short of a time. I felt as though these books weren't as high caliber as other books, but were grade appropriate. In each novel, there were at least 10-20 words that I did not know, and now I do. Red Queen, the first book I completed this quarter, wasn't horribly challenging, but I enjoyed it a lot and wanted to start the year with ease. My favorite book this quarter was the Red Queen, because I absolutely adored the ending. It had a shocking plot twist, and I don't want to give anything away, but it shocked me. My favorite genre is by far is fantasy, more specifically dystopian. I like the idea of escaping into a book, and not knowing what to expect, because it doesn't exist in real life.

In the second quarter, I want to try to find more challenging books. Secondly, I want to try to expand to different genres. This quarter I read four fantasy books and one realistic fiction book. Next quarter I want to try to be about half and half. When I read Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, I felt a real connection and sympathy for Katie, the main character. She suffered through the abuse of her husband, and just picked up and moved to a little town in the middle of nowhere. This made me respect her because she had the guts to act on her thoughts. A lot of people complain about things they don't like, but don't do anything about it. This allowed me to "spiritually read" because I took the book's meaning to the next level, rather than just reading for English. I understood the deep themes that Sparks tried to get across through Katie's hardships. This has been my reading this quarter, and I really enjoyed all five books that I read this quarter.

First Quarter Poetry Journal Reflection

Mr. Snail

A snail is climbing up the window. Inch by inch, it reaches the top of where my window ends, leaving the grotesque slime behind in a streak. I'll call him Mr. Snail. Momma will be mad if Mr. Snail leaves a stain on her window. Rain is coming down hard, soaking the ground. Momma will be bad if I track in mud. The snail awkwardly shifts, and I see it, almost in slow motion, lose its hold, and fall some ten feet below my window, to its demise.

The rain. The rain killed it. Momma will be mad if she knows I killed a snail. I'm not sure how, but I did. I always do things that makes Momma mad.Why rain? Why did you kill my new friend, Mr. Snail? I bet God's mad, like Momma, so he's crying. That's what she said the last time it rained, and I had been goofing off,  horseplay she called it, and had knocked over her favorite blue vase. That vase had been there for all of my few years. That vase had held a bouquet of fake flowers. (I asked her why they weren't dead, and she said that God preserved them because he wanted her marriage to last. It didn't, that's what she told me. They feel like plastic). That vase had shown what Momma did before I came, and I guess she liked those days. She told me that God was crying because I broke that blue vase that was there forever, held her wedding flowers, and her favorite thing in the world. What did I do this time to make God cry? Why did Mr. Snail leave me?

Remember? The light?
       
        the mountain                                glistening down on earth
walking up                                  thinking of her

             a room                                         whisper
     light up                                          giggle
she can                                        laugh
 

               at school                                    nor there
she's at the pool                           neither here


            everywhere                                   in the forest
but in fact                                    where bears play

                in the stream                        and in the rain
where fish sway                          in the fountain
           
            to stay
        is here                                               a monstrous fright,
and she.                                       alas, in the night

                    you say?                               because it's finally day.
scared of the dark                        not for long,



I chose this first response because I liked the character that I had started to develop, but the story needed a little work. I tried to further develop the plot and events without changing the character's personality. I tried to portray this character as a young child, wondering about life and why his mother is the way she is. I decided to include the second poem because I loved the structure, in which I based off of the poetry response that was provided. In this poem, you read the line the is furthest the the left first, then the line that is offset to the right, but is above it. This is iconic because of the subject, which is light. It shows that light moves, and in the poem I reference different things that also support light's movement. I enjoyed writing both of these pieces, and enjoy being given the class time to write about whatever I want, whether it be a poem mimicking the structure, o using a line from the poem.