The Lovely Bones

     2.How does this text address the points of view (perspectives) of other groups, especially those who usually don’t get to tell their side? 

     I have recently been reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. The book is about a fourteen year old girl named Susie Salmon and her story of death when she was raped and murdered by her neighbor Mr. Harvey. Right in the beginning of the book Susie gets raped and then killed and you already know who did it. So obviously its not a book about figuring out who the killer was. Its a book from the point of view from Susie as she watches her family from heaven. She watches as her family tries to figure out who could have done this, as they slowly figure out the puzzle. She watches as her family gets older still grieving over her death. She's always watching trying to send signals to her family to say that even though she's gone she's still with them always. As she watches her family get older and slowly slowly start to move on with their lives, Susie go's through her life before she died, the good and the bad, what she wishes she could have done and what she actually did do. As well as watching over her family she watches her boyfriend and Mr. Harvey, watching as he kills one after another.
 

     12. At what points do you notice yourself resisting the book characters or authors? What does this resistance say about the book, what does it say about you?

     While reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold I was resistant to some parts. This book is not meant to be liked. I mean I like it but I don't like what some people do. Its a book about rape and death so it's not normal if you like what the characters do. I like the book because it's a good book with a good plot full of mystery and just full of emotions that always change.

Social Action

     #3 How does this text make you think about justice in the world?


     The book Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver deals with issues such as teen drinking, drugs, bullying, and teen suicide. I think the justice in this story isn't right. A girl named Juliet Skyes committed suicide after years of bullying from Lindsay, Ally, Elody, and Sam. Coincidentally Juliet jumps in front of Lindsay's car probably for pay back or blame. Sam is sitting in the passengers seat and is killed because of it. I feel this is not fair because Sam wasn't even the meanest of her and her friends bullying Juliet. Sure she was mean but she didn't deserve to die because of it. If that was her punishment then I think that its even more unfair because her friends, especially Lindsay, because they didn't get that big of a punishment. Maybe their punishment was dealing with the burden of a dead friend and the thought that they basically murdered Juliet, but I don't think that's enough.
     

Social Awareness Project

“If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament”
- Florynce R. Kennedy

o        In Our world what men  say and do is automatically better then what a women says and thinks                 

o        Men only care about themselves; a mans way or the highway

o         If things were in reverse our positions on politics and things like abortion would be different

 “We don't like to kill our unborn; we need them to grow up and fight our wars.”
― Marilyn Manson

o        Says that our world only cares if women have abortions because they want our kids to fight their wars

o        The un-borns will either die from an abortion or die later fighting in a war

“Against abortion?  Don't have one.”  ~Author Unknown

o        Just because you don’t support abortion doesn’t mean another doesn’t need one

o        If you don’t like the idea don’t have one or just ignore it

o        Every women has the right to decide and take actions that she sees fit to protect her health

1. Nobody's Home by Avril Lavigne

Well I couldn't tell you why she felt that way,
She felt it everyday.
And I couldn't help her,
I just watched her make the same mistakes again.

What's wrong, what's wrong now?
Too many, too many problems.
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.
It's where she lies, broken inside.
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.
Broken inside.

Open your eyes and look outside, find the reasons why.
You've been rejected, and now you can't find what you left behind.
Be strong, be strong now.
Too many, too many problems.
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.
It's where she lies, broken inside.
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.
Broken inside.

Her feelings she hides.
Her dreams she can't find.
She's losing her mind.
She's fallen behind.
She can't find her place.
She's losing her faith.
She's fallen from grace.
She's all over the place.
Yeah,oh

She wants to go home, but nobody's home.
It's where she lies, broken inside.
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.
Broken inside.

She's lost inside, lost inside...oh oh yeah
She's lost inside, lost inside...oh oh yeah

2. Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne

Na na, na na na, na na
I miss you, miss you so bad
I don't forget you, oh it's so sad
I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same
Oh

Na na na na na na na

I didn't get around to kiss you
Goodbye on the hand
I wish that I could see you again
I know that I can't

Oh
I hope you can hear me cause I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same
Oh

I had my wake up
Won't you wake up
I keep asking why
And I can't take it
It wasn't fake
It happened, you passed by

Now you are gone, now you are gone
There you go, there you go
Somewhere I can't bring you back
Now you are gone, now you are gone
There you go, there you go,
Somewhere you're not coming back

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same no..
The day you slipped away
Was the day that I found it won't be the same oh...

Na na, na na na, na na
I miss you 

3. Tomorrow by Avril Lavigne

And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it'll be ok,
Ya I try to believe you,
But I don't

When you say that it's gonna be,
It always turns out to be a different way,
I try to believe you,
Not today, today, today, today, today...

I don't know how I'll feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don't know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day

It's always been up to you,
It's turning around,
It's up to me,
I'm gonna do what I have to do,
just don't

Gimme a little time,
Leave me alone a little while,
Maybe it's not too late,
not today, today, today, today, today...

I don't know how I'll feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don't know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day

Hey yeah yeah, hey yeah yeah, and I know I'm not ready,
Hey yeah yeah, hey yeah yeah, maybe tomorrow

Hey yeah yeah, hey yeah yeah, and I know I'm not ready,
Hey yeah yeah, hey yeah yeah, maybe tomorrow

And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it'll be ok,
Yeah I try to believe you,
Not today, today, today, today, today...

1.         This song relates to the world because it’s about depression and many people all over the world suffer from depression. It’s about a teenage girl suffering from depression and how her depression makes her feel. She fells abandoned by her family and friends like no one can help her. Avril Lavigne

relates the girl’s depression to an old abandoned house. I feel like the house is trapping her because it kept saying “there’s no place to go” and “she’s broken inside”. I think it could have been that or Avril Lavigne was relating the house to her relieve from depression but she can’t get inside because “nobody’s home”. This song makes you feel alone, like no one cares, no one understands, and no one can help. I feel like these songs by Avril Lavigne are images of her and what she thinks of herself. Over all this song relates to the world because it’s about abandonment and depression.

2.         This song relates to the world because it’s about losing someone very close to you and how hard it could be. This song in particular is about Avril Lavigne losing her Grandfather. “The day you slipped away was the day I found it won’t be the same” part of the main idea in the song is that you truly don’t know what you have until it’s gone and you can’t get it back. This song can relate to anyone because everyone has experienced death even if they don’t remember. Both my Grandfathers and one of my Grandmothers died before I was born. Even though I never knew them I still miss them and wish I could have gotten a chance to at least meet them. My family always tells me and my sister stories about them and just can’t seem to forget them or feel any less sad even though they died twenty years ago. I think that’s the other part of the message to the song is that you should never forget people even after they’re gone for good.

3.         This song is relates to the world because it’s about depression. Family and friends keep telling the girl that it will be ok but she can’t get rid of her depression. She tries to convince herself that she will be ok but she can’t, she knows it’s not true. She tells herself that she doesn’t know what will happen tomorrow and maybe she won’t be sad tomorrow because her sadness just won’t go away. I also think this son could be about her losing someone close to her and she’s in the depression phase of grieving and not ready to let go. Let go is also the title of the album so letting go of something could be the story behind all the songs on this album.

                                                                                                   

Malala Yousafzai: Bravery of an ignored struggle

Last month, the world was shocked when the Pakistan based Taliban shot a fourteen year old girl in an assassination attempt because of her education and women's rights activism in the Swat valley. She miraculously survived and the incident stirred a worldwide reaction of solidarity. To the global imagination, Malala Yousafzai became the antithesis to the extremist and apathetic narrative surrounding the nation of Pakistan today. The nation's few inspired citizens raised their voices condemning the attack, as the international media applauded giving a global platform to a largely ignored struggle against extremism. Yet, as time went by, the issue melted away, out of the dynamic news cycle. The rare public outcry was no where to be seen. Yet, the question of the incident's effect on the Pakistani public sphere still hangs in the air. Is Malala's name still chanted on the streets of Pakistan or is it now just a whisper? Has the incident really shaken the people out of their fear and apathy? Has it given them the vigour to reclaim their nation and their faith?

Malala Yousafzai: Bravery of an Ignored Struggle is about a fourteen year old girl who was shot by a Taliban because she was educated and was part of Women’s Rights Activism a month ago. She miraculously survived with a bad bullet wound to the head. This sparked international support for a largely ignored struggle for women’s rights but only a month later and almost all of it is forgotten. If it was a man that got shot in this situation it probably wouldn’t have been forgotten in less then a month. So, why are women considered not as important as men?

Women’s Rights Activism has been going on for a long time, but how are we so different? Women make up approximately one half of the population. Without us the human race would die out and I don’t think the men understand that. The women in these countries have to cover their whole bodies and men won’t even shake hands with them because they consider them to be so low and that they are so much more powerful then them. They’re not allowed to learn or do anything a man can do. About the only thing they are allowed to do is stay home and take care of the children. The U.S. used to be like that but the women had a strong voice. It’s still not even today, women only get paid about seventy cents for every dollar a man makes doing the same job. I think that’s unfair but it’s better then what these women in the Middle east have. If the women in these countries could only speak up they could be more equal to these men.

The Middle East is fighting for the men’s power against the dictators but they’re not fighting for the women’s rights against the men. Men already have too much power that’s how all these wars start up, men trying to be more powerful then other men and trying to rule the world. If we give just a little bit more of that power to the women so they can at least vote and run for office our world would be much happier because it wouldn’t be run only by men.

Bibliography

http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/ayushmanjamwal/3248/64091/malala-yousafzai-bravery-of-an-ignored-struggle.html by Ayushman Jamwal, November 22

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/women-s-rights

http://www.quotegarden.com/abortion.html

Before I Fall

     Recently I have been reading Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. The book is about a seventeen year old girl named Sam who has everything anybody could dream of; she's popular, is dating the most popular boy in the school, and has friends that care about her. Sam has so many expectations in her life and so many dreams about her future and how her life will change as time goes on, but she never expected what happens next. This book is about a girl named Sam and how her perfect and popular life was taken away from her.
     In the beginning of the book Sam really only cares about her self, being popular, and going to parties nothing like how she feels in the end where she cares about things deeper then being popular. Sam doesn't pay attention to or care about anyone lower then she is, her and her friends bully other unpopular students and she doesn't care really about anything else then being number one. "Freshman year Lindsay somehow found out that Juliet hadn't been sent a single Valogram. Not one. So Lindsay put a note on one of her roses and duct-taped it to Juliet's locker. The note said: Maybe next year, but probably not. Every year since then we've sent her a rose and the same note on Cupid day." page 40. This quote kind of sums up how mean Sam and her friends are to other people. It makes me wonder if they ever thought about 'If this were me.... How would I feel?' because if they had thought about that they probably wouldn't have done this, wouldn't have done a lot of the other things they've done. It's bad enough that they're not popular but you don't need to rub it in their faces even if they truly are 'freaks'.
     In the end of the book Sam realizes that there's more to life then being popular. She realizes things about her friends and stuff about her self that she didn't even know after having that day, February 12th, repeat over and over again for seven days. She realizes that there is no way to change her death, she just has to except it. "That's when I realized that certain moments go on forever. Even after they're over they still go on, even after your dead and buried, those moments are lasting still, backward and forward, on into infinity. They are everything and everywhere at once. They are the meaning." last page. In this moment Sam is letting go and excepting her death. This quote is deep and really shows the change in Sam when you compare it to an earlier quote. This quote made me feel sad and really changed my view point about Sam. In the beginning I didn't exactly like Sam's personality, but now at the end this quote shows that she's more then just a popular person, that she's capable of feelings. I also really felt that this was a good ending for the story because it's very deep and can relate with almost everyone even people who haven't experienced death.

Hurricane Sandy response

     I recently finished reading the article "Fractured Recovery Divides the Region" on New York Times.com. The article is mostly about the after math of "Hurricane Sandy". In the Article the authors explain that over one million people in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have been left with out power and are left in the dark waiting for some one to come and explain to them what is happening and what they could do. The authors also explain that fuel for cars has been an extremely difficult issue as well. Only a few gas stations have gas and of those gas stations the lines are hours long and running low on gas. Many residents across Long Island and other places that were hit really hard are really mad because they have been left to basically fend for themselves because most of the people are without power, heat, some without a house and are running low on supplies like food and water.
     I realized that I'm very lucky. I mean some people don't even have a house after this and I have a house, power, heat, food, and water among other things. The authors made me realize that how many people were affected by this storm and how serious it actually was. The authors explained that the people that were hit the hardest by this storm, people without power and with damaged homes, don't even know what's happening or when someone is coming to help. They don't even know what's happening around them, I mean they can't turn on the news because they don't have power and they can't really drive somewhere or walk somewhere because they don't have any gas or the damage is so severe so all they're left with is a damaged house, no power and low supplies of food, and a hope that some one will come and save them.
     The main problem of this storm is the after math. It could take weeks and even months to get back to a somewhat normalcy somewhat because there isn't really a way to get to and from these places to start assessing and repairing the damage of this storm and somewhat because there are just to many different problems and to many people affected to do it all at once. Sooner or later all of this will be behind us and we will be able to move forward with the understanding and experience of a really bad storm.

If I Stay (revised)

     I recently finished reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman. The book is about a girl named Mia who has a pretty nice life. She has a perfect boyfriend named Adam who plays in a band called Shooting Star and she has a pretty neat hobby playing the cello. She doesn't even realize what she has until the moment it is taken away from her on that snowy morning. It started out as a normal snow day with her and her family driving in there car when a truck rams into the side of the car and causes Mia to lose her brother, teddy, and both her parents. Mia is left an orphan, barely clinging on to life in a second world body. She's like a ghost, but not dead. She's separated from her body, but it's still her body. Nothing makes sense and she doesn't know how to get out of this second world. As she tries to figure out what is happening, Mia flashes through different memories, memories that will determine if she will choose to leave the world and die like her family or if she will stay and choose to be an orphan.
     Throughout the book Mia tries to convince her self to leave the world. Mia tries to find ways why living would be unbearable like how her family died, how she only has her relatives and her friend Katie and her boyfriend Adam left. She also looks at her memories thinking about what she will be upset about if she decides to live. ' I think about Willow's face, which looks like it has been scrubbed free of all joy. And I think about what she told Adam, that I need him now. More then ever. And that's how I know. Teddy. He's gone, too.' page 152. In this part of the book Mia finds out that her brother Teddy died as well and that really shifted whether she would stay or go because before she thought Teddy was alive too and thats the reason she was going to hang on if at all, so that she could be with him. But now that she learns Teddy is gone it seem as though her reason for staying alive is gone and there's no point in living anymore, like her anchor to live has magically lost it's weight and floated upward and there's nothing left holding her to earth. This part was sad because it kept talking about how he was only ten and his life was so short and how he didn't get to experience everything that Mia has and most likely will experience in her life. Now Mia has nothing left to stay for, so why would she stay?
     Even though Mia has lost a lot and only in one day Mia still has things to live for. Mia tries to see the side to staying on earth. She sees her grandparents, extended family, family friends, her friends, and especially her cello before she decides to leave. ' ...the low moan that in and instant takes flight and turns into something sweet. It's the cello. Adam has placed headphones over my lifeless ears and is laying an ipod down on my chest. He's apologizing, saying that he knows it's not my favorite but it's the best he could do. He turns up the volume so I can hear the music floating across the morning air. Then he takes my hand.' page 231. This part really changes Mia's mind about her decision. She realizes that choosing to leave means giving up the cello forever and also adding a fourth family member dead to her family's already large sum of grief; this is the part where she finds a new anchor connecting her to the earth: her cello. Mia has different reasons to stay or go but which should she choose? Which would she choose?
     Even though it ends with her finally waking up (sorry I know I'm a spoiler) like any other story, at times you really think she will choose to go, actually most of the time it seems she will choose to go. If I were Mia I would never be able to decide, I mean which would you rather choose die with your family and let your relatives and friends grief or live with the pain of losing people that are so close to you that you can't really live with out them? I think the message of the story is to really let the reader think deeply about if this were them and what would they choose. Choosing is Mia's biggest problem that she will ever have to face.

If I Stay

     I recently finished reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman. The book is about a girl named Mia who has a pretty nice life. She has a perfect boyfriend named Adam who plays in a band called Shooting Star and she has a pretty neat hobby playing the cello. She doesn't even realize what she has until the moment it is taken away from her on that snowy morning day. It started out as a normal snow day with her and her family driving in there car when a truck forces Mia to lose her brother teddy and both her parents. Mia is left an orphan barely clinging on to life in a second world body. She's like a ghost but not dead, she's separated from her body but it's still her body. Nothing makes sense and she doesn't know how to get out to this second world. As she tries to figure out what is happening Mia flashes through different memories, memories that will determine if she will choose to leave the world and die like her family or if she will stay and choose to be an orphan.
     Throughout the book Mia tries to convince her self to leave the world. Mia tries to find ways why living would be unbearable like how her family died, how she only has her relatives and her friend Katie and her boyfriend Adam left. She also looks at her memories thinking about what she will be upset about if she decides to live. ' I think about Willow's face, which looks like it has been scrubbed free of all joy. And I think about what she told Adam, that I need him now. More then ever. And thats how I know. Teddy. He's gone, too.' page 152. In this part of the book Mia finds out that her brother Teddy died as well and that really shifted whether she would stay or go because before she thought Teddy was alive too and thats the reason she was going to hang on if at all, so that she could be with him. But now that she learns Teddy is gone it seem as though her reason for staying alive is gone and there's no point in living anymore, like her anchor to live has magically lost it's weight and floated upward and there's nothing left holding her to earth. This part was sad because it kept talking about how he was only ten and his life was so short and how he didn't get to experience everything that Mia has and most likely will experience in her life. Now Mia has nothing left to stay for, so why would she stay?
     Even though Mia has lost a lot and only in one day Mia still has things to live for. Mia tries to see the side to staying on earth. She sees her grandparents, extended family, family friends, her friends before she decides to leave. ' -the low moan that in and instant takes flight and turns into something sweet. It's the cello. Adam has placed headphones over my lifeless ears and is laying an ipod down on my chest. He's apologizing, saying that he knows it's not my favorite but it's the best he could do. He turns up the volume so I can hear the music floating across the morning air. Then he takes my hand.' page 231. This part really changes Mia's mind about her decision. She realizes that choosing to leave means giving up the cello forever and also adding a fourth family member dead to her family's already large sum of grief; this is the part where she finds a new anchor connecting her to the earth: her cello. Mia has different reasons to stay or go but which should she she choose? Which would she choose?
     If I were Mia I would never be able to decide, I mean which would you rather choose die with your family and let your relatives and friends grief or live with the pain of losing people that are so close to you that you can't really live with out them? I think the message of the story is to really let the reader think deeply about if this were them and what would they choose. Choosing is Mia's biggest problem that she will ever have to face if she chooses to live.

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

     In the beginning of "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury Joby lacked confidence but in the end the General helped him understand how important he is. I remember a four year old girl sitting on the side of the stage in her ballet shoes not wanting to go on and perform. Her parents came over and told her there was nothing to be scared of and she got on the stage and did her ballet routine with the rest of her ballet class. Even the simplest of words could help and change someones confidence.
     In the beginning of the story Joby hid behind his drum so no one would see him. 'There wasn't a man-boy on this ground tonight who didn't have a shield' page 50. When I read this I felt sorry for Joby because he was sort of left out and I also think this is why he doesn't have confidence because everybody has a shield and all he has is a drum, like the confidence is the shield but since Joby doesn't have a shield he doesn't have confidence.
     In the middle of the story Joby started to gain confidence because the General  came over and told him that it's alright to be scared. 'You want to cry some more, go on ahead. I did the same last night' page 52. This line shows Joby that he's not the only one with out confidence and is scared. It also shows him that even people with shields could be scared and lack confidence even the General. Joby starts to open up to the General and accepts his words of confidence.
     By the end of the story Joby gains confidence and isn't scared anymore of the war. 'Do you now know you're the General of the army when the General's left behind?' page 53. This part really boosted Joby's confidence because it talks about how important Joby's job really is,  how he is the heart of the army and not just a drummer boy. All of Joby's confidence was gained by the General just talking to him, so words really do go along way to boost someone' confidence.
     Joby is like every other kid who doesn't have confidence and then somehow realizes that they did have confidence, a shield to protect them from negativity. Even though it may not be in a war situation all of us or at least most of us have felt being scared or unconfident and everyone at some point needs kind words of confidence to help the move forward.

Delirium

     I recently finished reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver. The book is about a girl named Lena who lives in a society that has recognized love as a disease. 'It has been sixty-four years since the president and the consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scientists have perfected a cure.' page 1 first sentence. Along with love being a disease there are resisters, or as they call them Invalids, who refuse to believe what the society believes. They live on the outskirts, blocked out by an electrified fence to protect the society from the disease. What the society doesn't know is that some of the Invalids lead normal lives inside the society's walls communicating and transporting food to the wilds, including a boy named Alex who changes Lena's mind about the society.

     In the beginning of the story, Lena believes the society and is excited about getting her procedure, counting down the days till she will be cured. 'Many people are scared of the procedure. Some People even resist. But I'm not afraid. I can't wait. I would have done it tomorrow, if I could, but you have to be at least eighteen' page 1 paragraph 2. When I read this my impression of Lena was a clone of the society, like she never did anything bad or never got in trouble, just stayed perfectly in line. It also seemed in this part that the society was very opaque, only giving out a little information and everyone blindly agreeing with it, and thats why I think Lena found it so easy to believe, just following the rules and not stopping to think why there is a rule in the first place.

     Towards the end of the book Lena no longer believed in the society after she meets Alex. Alex explains to her all the different lies the society has been telling its people about love, the Invalids, the border line, and even about her mother who she thought killed herself driven mad with deliria. 'I've never gotten within five feet of the fence. We've been warned not to, had it drilled into us. They told us we would fry; told us it would make our hearts go haywire, kill us instantly. Now I reach out and lace my hand through the chain link, run my fingers over it. Dead and cold and harmless, the same kind of fence the city uses for playgrounds and schoolyards. In that second it really hits me how deep and complex the lies are' page 279. When I read this part of the story I could really feel a change in Lena because this is really the very beginning of when she sort of starts to become a rebel and really starts to understand the lies of the society. It also seems like the opaqueness of the society is gone now and Lena could see right through the society instead of the blindness and only being given a little bit of information. 

     I really think that part of the theme in this book is that the person you love could help you change your mind about something because it was really after Lena met Alex that she started to rebel against the society and see all the lies that were drilled into her brain.

Post # 2

   I read Yasmin's response to the future of us and she explained that the book was about these two kids that lived in the mid 90's that had no clue what computers were because they weren't invented yet and then they found themselves fifteen years later with their own Facebook accounts that showed what has been happening in theirs lives including where they lived. They didn't know what was going on and every time the main character clicked the refresh button her life changed completely. Since the main characters were the only ones to know about Facebook they knew the futures of their friends not even their friends knew. The description of the book that Yasmin summarized sounds so good that I think I want to read this book.
   Another response I read was by Romiya on every soul a star and it was about these three people Ally, Jack, and Bree and how different they were because Ally was moving to  the suburbs, Bree was moving to a campground,and Jack was going to science summer school. It also described how similar they are, how they were all searching for their place in the universe and how they met because of an upcoming eclipse. Even though they were all different they still became friends. Not everyone in a group of friends is the same because when they're all different they each have they're own personality which is important and if people are different in certain ways other friends in the group can help someone else in the group out if they're having a problem or they could bring something different to the group.

Make Lemonade

     Over the summer I read Make Lemonade by Virgina Euwer Wolff. The book is about a fourteen year old girl named Verna LaVaughn who has been looking for an after school job, when she finds one with a seventeen year old single mother of two named Jolly. Jolly has a two year old son named Jeremy, a one year old daughter named Jilly and a very dirty house. LaVaughn's job is to take care of the kids while Jolly works all night at the factory, until Jolly gets fired after her boss tried to rape her. Now there's a seventeen year old girl living in a poor town with two kids, no job, no money, and no time to look for a job. LaVaughn helps Jolly by babysitting for free while Jolly looks for a job and even signs her up for a moms program at High School after learning that she dropped out to take care of her kids. LaVaughn watches as Jolly slowly turns her life around.
     The beginning of the book was really depressing because of how they described the town and how it was really dirty, there were a lot of bad people wondering the streets, and how only a handful of students actually went to college to go on to get a job that actually payed decent money.Then in the end things seemed to get a lot better not in the town particularly but in the characters because they were actually doing something about their problems and to make their lives better. I think this book was about discovering your problems, finding a way to solve them and then actually going out and solving them.