Symbolism

In the book the Hobbit many the characters book are represented by symbols and objects. For example Bilbo Baggins` symbol would be a thief because he is small, making him hard to notice and is able to creep anywhere in the woods quietly without being seen. All hobbits can also do this, in fact they are very proud of having the quality trait. Gandalf in the book even goes forth to directly calls Bilbo a thief when he calls upon him for adventure.

In the third chapter of the book dwarves are seen parading around Bilbos house and are eating everything. I believe a symbol that would describe them are drunken party goers who are having to good of a time. They are drinking all the win and ale, and eating of scrap of food from his pantry. Bilbo has had enough of these drunken party goers but then, then they started to sing. He had never heard anything more beautiful and thought of them as honorable choir who's got everything to even to the instruments.

I am starting to pick off in reading more and am looking forward to finishing the Hobbit quickly because I'm going to see part two in the theatres soon and want to finish the book to be able to compare the book from the movie. My question is if you were Bilbo Baggins, what would you do when 13 dwarves and a wizard burst into your house and started eating all your food?

Why I chose the book "Hobbit"

                                   Why I chose this book

 

         "The Hobbit", a best selling novel wrote by an amazing author named J.R.R. Tolkien, is an incredible best seller with amazing reviews. Many famous authors today have used ideas from this book and published many great novels with Tolkien's ideas. The book is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who enjoys the comfort of his house and wants to be left alone peacefully. But soon Gandalf, a wizard, and a group of dwarves come to his house and draw him into a quest where they have to kill the dragon named Smaug, which has taken the dwarves kingdom hostage for many many years.
         Just by the summary this book seems to be a great adventure which will involve many obstacles leading up to the climax. Having seen the movie I do feel kind of bad having not reading the book first but the movie having inspired me made me want to read the book. I have also seen all of the movies in the "Lord of the Rings" series and have been told that this was the best. I personally find that hard to believe so I had to read this. My family members have also all read it and encourage me to read it because they all love reading including me and want me to enjoy it like they did.
        From some of the reviews I have read about 90% recommend it and gave it over3 stars. Now that shows satisfaction if I've ever seem any. I hope I enjoy this book and look forward to watching the movie once again after I finish it. I also can't wart for "The Hobbit" part 2. If you have any knowledge about "Lord of the Rings" or "The Hobbit" then you shall be able to answer the question. Do you believe that bearing The Ring is a burden or do you believe it is a gift which is to be used wisely?  
           

Predictions of the future

              Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury has had many twists and turns and different elements of literacy that make it an intriguing novel that you will enjoy reading. Guy Montag has already changed greatly throughout the pages of part 1 and is already questioning his believes and if what the government is doing is correct. He has taken action into his own hands and has taken a book to see what he's been restricted to not read his whole life. There are many predictions you could make of what is going to happen with only readin part 1.
             A prediction I believe in strongly is that Captain Beatty will be a constant threat to Montag and will not only be chasing Montag but be trying to get him arrested. The clues in the text coming from Clarisse to the old grandma show that Montag may be next in the book hoarding crime and will realize that the government is wrong only to have Captain Beatty trying to burn his books. Another prediction I have is that he will try and share all the information he has gained by reading the book and try to start an uprising against the government to get reading back and the right of the people to decide what they want to do with their lives. But I also believe that his wife is their for another reason other than just being his wife, I believe she is there to keep him intact and make sure he doesn't start hoarding the books. 

Theme and Summary of The 5th Wave

                                       Theme and summary

           In  the book, The Testing I believe the theme is, even though the challenges and going might be tough, it doesn't mean backing down and giving up is the answer. That is what I believe to be the theme because in the book they have many challenges thrown at them made to make them crack to separate the leaders from the followers to correctly lead future generations. They also have to see how they react in tough situations where it looks like the outcome won't be very good.

           The summary of The Testing is: Cia is young for her class, but she acels and does better than most people in her class. She is hoping to be chosen for the testing. An elite group who is chosen who must first pass four tests and prove their intelligence and leadership to lead the future generations. When she is chosen everyone is happy for her, her father included but he warns her that people there will do whatever it takes to win and to only eat what she takes herself.

         She immediately meets up with Thomas and they become partners through out the whole testing, but she realizes that he might be the person she thinks he is. She was told to trust no one but she believes she can trust Thomas. As they say, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."   
 

The four tests in The Testing

                 The candidates that are chosen all have to go through four tests and pass all of them, then have a review from the leaders before they can be chosen. The first test consisted of just an intelligence test on paper on the subjects math, history, English, and languages (yes English and languages were to separate tests.) All of her friends from her colony make it in this one. The next test they have to complete is a test to see what they currently know on the outside world like poisonous plants between edible, and how to fix a solar panel. They learn not to take guesses because before the test the professor said putting something aside and not answering is better than guessing. At first people didn't understand but when the sorted the poisonous and edible flowers, they were then told to eat the edible ones and if they didn't they were disqualified. That's when some kids started dying. Also Cia's friend from her colony gets a nail in the eye when guessing on how to fix the solar panel.

                  The third test is a group test. There are groups of five and five doors. They are each given an hour to look at examples of questions which are behind the doors and decide which candidate is better suited for the questions. But Cia's group only has two so someone has to do two which isn't the real problem. One person can do them all, but if someone tries to re-enter a door with a question already answered they die. And they can't see which questions their members of the group are answering. After the first boy, which seemed to take about an hour, the other girl goes in hoping to do well. But Cia looks at the boys work who went in first and realizes that he is exceedingly smart and that he was lying to them. So she has a theory that he answered all of the questions so when its her turn she doesn't answer her question and finds him outside smirking, but with a surprised look on his face when she comes out. This is when she knew that he was trying to kill them all. Except the last person in the group which question he didn't do. But the first and last boy get all the questions right and move on to the next round.

                  The fourth round is a survival round where they are placed 700 miles away from the ending point and have to make it thee without dying or being slaughtered by the other candidates. Cia and Thomas immediately meet up and to make long story short, through tough times make it while being poisoned, shot at, chased by mutant animal, and almost being blown to pieces. It end with Cia and Thomas graduating and leaving us on a cliff hanger of what's going to happen next. I can't wait for the next book and I recommend it to all people who enjoy a good read.             

The Testing

           I'm on my third book, called The Testing, and so far it has been a great book. It starts out in a setting where after the seven stages of war where most of the Earth is a charred wasteland except for the colonies. The future is in the hands of the future generation to lead the colonies and rebuild America. But only a select few whose intelligence levels are very high and have shown signs of potential leadership are chosen for The Testing. The testing consists  of four different tests to challenge the minds of the candidates.

         But the book starts in a small colony that hasn't had any candidates go to the testing in 10 years. But this year four people make it including Cia, Thomas, Valarie, and Malachi. Of course everyone is happy for her but her father was also a candidate who passed all the tests but he has nightmares of walking down streets with his friends and seeing them explode in front of his eyes. He warns Cia that also some people may do whatever it takes to win including kill. This is as far as I have gotten in this book.  
      

Why you should read The 5th Wave

          Many people don't like reading and some even say that having not even reading a book in a long time. But I  believe that people who say they don't enjoy reading will make an exception for this book. It is set in a post apocalyptic setting where aliens are trying to wipe out the human race so they can use planet Earth as a new home because theirs was used up with no resources left. They appear for seven days before they actually attack or do anything. They send out 4 deadly waves  meant to wipe the humans out and the strong survive. People on Earth are paranoid at every turn and can trust no one. This leaves the reader wondering what is going to happen and which person may actually not be who they say they are. Readers who like an action, thriller, apocalyptic setting, bad odds, survival of the fittest, or just a good read should definitely read this book.  

Wrapping up The 5th Wave (continued)

            But when the group of graduates who have discovered the secret are heading back to rescue the last member, Cassie is told by the silencer, who is in love with her, that they were training the children to become the 5th wave and she remembers that her brother Sammie is in the Air force base and is going to go after him. She pretends to act younger than she is and gets into the base and has to knock out some of the doctors who were going to run the Wonderland test on her. The Wonderland test allows them to see all of your memories and everything that has ever happened to you. She realizes that if they get into her head they will realize why she is there and will immediately kill her.

        While she is breaking in the group of graduates originally from the base are also going for Sammie, remembering him as the youngest in their group. After a chapter of explaining how they broke into the base and how they get to Sammie, they get caught. Caught by the commander of the base,  Colonel Vosch, who knows all about them. While captured they are going to torture Sammie to figure out how they got in and who is helping them because Cassie would've actually been caught but the silencer that is in love with her takes both of them down. Right when he is about to kill Sammie the power goes down and Vosch goes to see what happened. Next the silencer comes and saves them and they get away from the base safely but he loses his life manually setting off the explosive in the air force base. And that's where it ends.

Wrapping up The 5th wave

                In the last chapters of the book it has been wrapped up abrupbtly. In one of the chapters she is shot by a silencer and dieing on the side of the road with no one near her and she is about to bleed out. But like in most books, somebody comes around and saves her. Throughout the rest of the book the come closer together and realize that they love each other, until she realizes that the person she has come to love is actually the silencer who once tried to kill her. But she is finally convinced that he has changed because he loves her and proves it when he sacrifices his life to blow up the main alien head quarters at Wright Patterson Air force base.

               While mean while before he blows up the camp the aliens disguised as commanders and army troops are controlling Wright Patterson Air force base and training the children to kill everyone that is a zombie (someone who has a alien inside of them). But they are really giving them lenses to show the remaining humans as zombies. The children being trained are the 5th wave. And once a group of children graduate and go into action and find what exactly the lenses do they realize they have to mgot back to the camp to rescue a kid who was in their group but was too young because they all have feelings for him.     (To be continued)

Reading Skills

Reading Skills

          In the previous post you learned about the four waves and the hardships the humans had to live through while the aliens wouldn't give her a break. Well I can make a text to text connection because in Ender's Game the alines, or visitors, were way ahead in technology and we seemed to have no hope, while they kept pushing on. But in Ender's Game they had a commander whose tactics lead them to victory and then they stole the aliens technology and studied it, and in this book there seems to be no hope for the humans having not being able to shoot down any of the mother ships or drones and having no technology to help deal with the virus. While all this time it is leading up to the 5th Wave which we don't know what is going to happen. BUT I predict that it will be a full assault of the alien army and the humans will have to somehow out smart them or somehow destroy the mother ship. I also predict that the main character Cassie will have a major role in figuring out how to deal wit the aliens. 

      In the story it mentions how the dad stays strong and makes the best of every moment even when his wife is slowly dieing on the sofa. He doesn't break and tells the little white lies that parents would tell their children to make them feel better. I can make a text to world connection because many people out in the 3rd world are poor or are living pay-check to pay-check, and they need to stay strong and keep a profit to keep the family up. Another prediction I have is that Cassie will find Sammie, her brother which she last saw being taken to Wright-Patterson Air force Base, and she will have to protect him along with the person who recently saved her life in the last chapter that I read. 

       While she still has hope she knows that she can trust next to no one and is inspired to be the battlefield between the aliens. The one who faces them down and represents humanity by never giving up.       

The 4 waves I know about

The 4 Waves; Analysis

        I have read a ton of chapters so far and the book IS called The 5th Wave so I'm going to tell you about the first four waves. The first wave was a giant EMP blast (electromagnetic pulse) which knocks out the entire power gird. As it says in the text, "'When what hit?' 'EMP,' he said. 'Electromagnetic pulse. Generate one large enough and you can knock out the entire power grid. Power. Communication. Transportation. Anything that flies or drives is zapped out.'" But it only killed about a half a  million. "The second wave put that number to shame." The second wave, was an enormous iron poll, four times as tall as the Empire State Building and two times as wide, being slammed into the ocean. They also slammed it into a fault line which caused a huge tsunami. "It hits the surface with a force one billion times greater than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Bye-bye, New York, Bye, Sydney. Good-bye, California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, British Columbia. So long, Eastern Seaboard. Japan, Hong Kong, London, Rome, Rio."  And because 60% of the Human population lives near the coast, they wiped out most of the population of the Human race.

        The third wave, which was considered the worst because it affected most of remaining people. It was called the "Red Plague." It was passed by the birds and their droppings. The aliens were smart enough to realize that there are about 300 billion birds in the world so they were the most efficient way to pass a disease with a 97% killing rate. "The virus takes residence in your lungs. You get a bad cough. Fever. Your head starts to hurt. Hurt bad. You start spitting up little drops of virus laden blood. The bug moves into your lungs, kidneys, your brain. You're packing a billion of them now, You've become a viral bomb. And when you explode, you blast everyone around you with the virus. They call it bleeding out. Like rats fleeing from a sinking ship, the virus erupts out of every opening. Your mouth, your nose, your ears, your ass, even your eyes. You literally cry tears of blood."  The fourth wave is not known when it really was planted but was activated after the third. They contaminated our brains with some type of seed that when activated makes us into sleeper agents and makes all the humans that have it gain a persona of their own with the visitors memories and why they want to wipe out the human race. It is said that they knew we thought to have had strength in numbers so we would gather into large groups. That is why they did this, it made the survivors who thought they were lucky to survive the 3rd wave realize they were actually unlucky living in constant fear. 

         Those are the four waves I know of so far.

New Book: The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave

                    I finished the book Fyre so I am now moving on to a new book called; The 5th Wave. I started to read this book because it was a recent release from the library and my mom has updates to see when new releases relevant to other book I have read show up in the library. She had also heard from other moms and friends that the book is pretty good so she reserved it for me and here I am now.

                   So far I am 30 pages into the book and they are introducing the conflict of aliens having come to planet Earth and doing nothing for ten days. People are anxious to see what they are going to do but also nervous at the same time. And a lot of families are going to famous tourist attractions as quoted from my book, “’How would you rather die?’ she snapped. ‘Hiding under your bed or riding Thunder Mountain?’” Then the first wave hits. It was a huge EMP blast that knocks out the world’s internet, electricity, and power. She then goes on to describe the rest of the waves from the aliens and how they are out to kill ALL of the humans. So far this book is really good and I would recommend to most of my friends. 

Blog 5: Finished , overall summary of book with revealed ending and spoiler.

Finished the book 

                If my explanations haven't been the best this will clear up everything and will reveal the ending so if you may want to read this book you may not want to read this.

                

                 First towards the beginning two of the darkest and powerful wizards were after Hotep-Ra the very first extra ordinary wizard. After  the fight he had with them he weakened them enough to allow the Queen to commit them into a golden ring called, "The Two-Face ring." They vowed as they were being sucked into the ring to get vengeance on the queens blood line.

                 Well as it turns out the two faced ring then escapes and inhabits the two Heap Uncles. Now they all have to protect Jenna from the uncles who are trying to kill her. But she is also searching for them because she believes she knows the real Committal which would suck them back into the ring so they could destroy it once and for all with the Fyre. But when she recites the whole thing nothing happens and the ghost of the last extra ordinary wizard tells them they have to go back to "The House of Foryx" where Hotep-Ra is and learn the real Committal. Only then can they destroy the two faced ring once and for all.

                Hotep-Ra explains that the top of the pyramid where the original Committal was kept was destroyed by the two dark wizards in a big fight only to be replaced but tainted when Dom Daniel took over in the first book. So when they find him he explains that they need to find the original top of the pyramid so they could finish the Commital. When Jenna and the four forest Heap boys set out to find it they go to the palace and find it in a cat doorstop. Septimus is then able to desipher the code and give it to Jenna.
               Then they go to the Fyre, where the two uncles possessed by the Twin-Face Ring are trying to destroy the Fyre because it is the only way to destroy them, Marica Overstrand protects Jenna as she recites it and sucks them back into the ring. Then they place the ring just hovering over the Fyre for 21 days where it eventually is destroyed.
              I loved this book and can't wait for a presequel of a different character who we have never heard of but in the same world as Septimus Heap lives in. Thank you for the great book Angie Sage.
  

                   

                

Blog 4 Update

Update

          So far I am 403 pages into the book and a lot has happened. The conflict has intensified and more characters have become introduced. Marsellus the Alchemist has asked Simon Heap to become his Apprentice which makes Septimus a little jealous because he has to come to admire and enjoy being with the Fyre. Also Jenna Heap, the Princess, has to take "The Journey" with her ghost mom which every princess has to do It is when the princess is taken back to the birthplace of the first queen and she also finds where the Alchemists come from. But while she is gone at the castle two of the Heap's uncles show up for an unknown reason. Most people think they are weird, rude, and strange. And when Marcia Overstrand finds them next to the sealed door and suspects them of freeing the Twin-Face Ring they knock her out with a spell and run away.  So when Silas Heap, the wizard who was suppose to be accompanying them comes back she believes he has a part in it because he is related to the two uncles.                                             But they figure out the ring which is containing two very powerful wizards possess the two uncles they have to keep Jenna save because when they the first queen and Hotep-Ra (first extra ordinary wizard) imprison him he says he will get vengeance on her blood line. The ring is also out to kill anybody who has worn the ring before so they plan to get that person and use him as bait so they can place them back in the ring and kill them with the Magyk Fyre.

Why this book is great

Why this book is great:

            The book Fyre is the seventh book in the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage. She is a wonderful author with intriguing books including another series including Armanita Spookie which I have yet to read. From a young age of about 3rd grade when I first started reading a lot, Magyk was one of my first series I read and I was hooked. At that time there was only 3 books out of 7 in the series so I have been waiting over the years for the books to come out. 

          In the book Fyre the characterization and is so intricate that you feel like you might know these characters as a friend. While getting to know them better and over time you start to have feelings for them, like disliking them very much for their actions or turning bad or pleading them not to make the mistake or walk into a trap you  know about ahead of time because of foreshadowing. And the setting in the book is so vast, convoluted, and the imagery is so great that you can depict the tunnels that they run through as they are being chased by their two uncles, or The Great Alchemie Chamber where you can see the alluring red and green of the Magyk Fyre shimmering off the ground and walls. Also the conflict and the quests and adventures they have to prevail through we keep you hooked as as one problem leads to another and they only have a certain amount of time to complete.

  I believe this book will go far in the reading world and I recommend it to anybody who might've enjoyed Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, and Alex Rider that they would greatly enjoy this book.          

Harry Potter

                                               

Chapter 2-18 Update: Setting

                                       Chapter Update 2-18

In the book Fyre by Angie Sage, there are many settings that are presented in the first 18 chapters. There is the forest which is where in the first book Magyk  you discovered  that Silas Heap's uncle who had the power of transforming, got too old to control his powers and transformed into a tree where he remains forever. Also there is the Maram Marshes where Aunt Zelda and Wolf Boy live and so much of the first book takes place in. There is "The Badlands and the Border Mountains" where all of the horrible unimaginable creatures roam is highly avoided by most people except the Wizards fighting for the Darke. Then there is The castle which is in every single book and so far the main setting of this book. Inside the walls of the castle there is the Wizard Tower where the Extra Ordinary Wizard, Marcia Overstrand, and Apprentice wizard, Septimus Heap, and most of the wizards live. There is a north gate, south gate, and east gate with lookout tower foundations. There is the Hole-In-The-Wall Tavern where Silas likes to dine. There is the palace where Princess Jenna lives with a secret door only a person with royal blood can enter which all of the dead queens ghost's go to stay once they die. They have a traders dock which leads to "The River" which connects to every single place they want to go to in the book. The have a traders market but it is very rarely mentioned in this book. And this most important setting so far is The Great Chamber of Alchemie and the Alchemie Chimney. The GCA (great chamber of alchemie) is where The Magyk of Fyre is, but we haven't learned much about it yet. And the alchemie chimney is under observation cause Beetle and Marcia are suspicious. As for the year or time it takes place in is unknown and not mentioned.         

Chapter 2-5 Update: characterization

Chapter 2-5 Update

                  So far in Fyre by Angie Sage she has introduced many of the characters that I remember for the other books. The first person it introduces in this book is Simon Heap and Lucy Gringe. Simon in the previous books was bad because he was jealous of not being al powerful and was trying to capture Jenna. But he eventually becomes good and comes to marry Lucy Gringe a blonde girl who grew up best friends with Simon. Another character is  Septimus Heap, the main character, who at first was an orphan boy for a boy scout which was run by the Custodians who were the evil people who killed the last remaining royal blood or at least that is what they thought. He learned his discipline from the scouts by doing live or die excersizes and never knew he was magic. Throughout all the books you watch him change in personality and you get to learn so much about him like how he loves cabbage stew. But was about 4 books ago. Now he is the Apprentice to the Extra Ordinary Wizard who is the top wizard who runs a lot of the castle and keeps track of what goes on. The Extra Ordinary Wizard is Marcia Overstrand. She is a usually grumpy character who is annoyed by everyone around her except Septimus who she has come to enjoy having to teach. You get to know her throughout all of the books and see how she changes making her round and dynamic like Septimus Heap. Another main character is Jenna Heap, who is the only remaining royal lineage left. She is now the princess and growing up to get married. Those are most of the main characters in this book.   

Why I chose this book

                                       Why I chose this book

I chose the book Fyre because it is a series I have been reading as a kid waiting for for the new books to come out over long periods of time. The series is the Magyk series by Angie Sage with main character Septimus Heap. As a kid the first time I picked up the first book in the series (Magyk) I thought it was going to be a bad book because it was too big. But as I read more I realized I was wrong.

The book takes place in a big castle surrounded by "The River" (that is its name) which is surrounded by "The Forest." They have walls surrounding the whole castle so worgs, witches, and wolves can't take the children of the castle. In this book Fyre it starts out that Simon Heap and Lucy Gringe are getting married and someone sneaks into the Alchemie Tunnels and is starting something that has been forbiden for many countless years. You don't know who it is or what he really has done so it makes you want to read further.

I look forward to reading more about this book by Angie Sage, and I hope it is a good read as her other books.

The official Septimus Heap Blog:    http://septimusheapblog.com/2012/06/30/fyre-by-angie-sage-septimus-heap-7/