The Brilliance of "I'll Give You the Sun" (Book Review)

     Welcome to another Happy Sunday with me! Today I will be talking about another book, one of my absolute favorites, I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson.

Plot (VERY summarized)

    This novel follows the story of Noah and Jude, who are twins, over the years they fall apart and the book shows them from 13-year-olds to 16-year-olds as they may (or may not) come together again. The book has dual point-of-views but in a different way than normal, as it is told in Noah's POV while they are young, and Jude takes over for their peak teenage years. 

Why I Love this Book

    I originally bought this book when I was in the seventh grade, and I never got around to reading it till last year, as a freshman in high school. In hindsight, I am so glad I never read it with my thirteen-year-old brain, because I could have never appreciated the beautiful complexities of this book.

    One of the major things I love about this book is all the connections between the siblings as they are young compared to when they are older. It pushes a theme of how small the world really is. 

    I also absolutely adored the protagonists in this book. Noah is one of my favorite book characters ever, he is soft-spoken and you want to give him a hug throughout the whole book because that's really all he needed at the time. Jude truly tries to make things right after realizing the severity of what she did. She tries to reconnect with her brother and helps him even if he puts up the front that he doesn't want help. Most, if not, all of the characters are lovable, and their good outweighed any of the bad they may have had.

    The ending is also amazing, it was a perfect closure ending. I felt so happy for everyone in this book when I read that final page because you get so immersed in the lives of these characters that you can't help but know they deserved the good that happened.

    Nelson's writing is absolutely incredible, I loved her writing style. I can't describe the beauty of it in a coherent way, so you'll just have to read to it on your own to be the judge of that.

    This book is the perfect medley of combining a coming-of-age story that is mixed with themes of family, romance, and maturation. 

    I read this book a little under a year ago and I still think about it a lot. I wish I could read it again for the first time again because it was such an amazing journey with each turn of the page. If you're interested in a book that makes you feel good, with the exception of a couple tears shed, then I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson should be your next read.

RATING: 5/5

"We were all heading for each other on a collision course, no matter what. Maybe some                                               people are just meant to be in the same story" 

                                                                - Jandy Nelson (I'll Give You the Sun)

Monkeypox: A Short Summary

     Happy Sunday! So far, I went to the beach, participated in a beach cleanup, did some schoolwork, and now I'm here.

    Ok, so if you've been on the news recently you probably heard about the recent outbreak of Monkeypox throughout Europe and a couple of cases in the US. The first case in America came from someone who recently traveled to Canada, and then tested postive for the disease. So... What is Monkeypox and why should I care?

    Although the disease is not as contagious as Covid-19, and it occassionally spread to humans, considering it is usually dispersed throughout wild animals, it is obvious that Monkeypox has made it to humans. Symptoms of this illness include chills, fever, fatigue, and aching. Those pictures you see of Monkeypox, where there are bumps of pus on hands, those are the severe cases that unfortunately, some people have been exposed to. 

    The primary way that the disease is spread is through contact of fluids, respiratory droplets (such as coughing and sneezing) after long contact. Since this disease is not air-borne, it is much easier to control as compared to Covid-19, and we all know how that turned out...

    We all are feeling some sort of deja vu from this new outbreak, I'm sure. I, for one, am interested to see the new revelations of how this outbreak will be handled and if we will see history repeat itself.

    

How to NOT Take L's

    Happy Sunday! This week's post is just going to be a talk/rant because I need to convince myself that everything will be ok.

    This whole month of May has been a rough one. It should've been great: the last full month of school, I have a concert next week, and I'm finishing up all my course exams... However, it just feels like the world has not been on my side. 

    

    Let's review, in the past couple of weeks, I applied and did not get two leadership opportunities, I got a zero on an assignment that I turned in and now I have to wait till Tuesday to bring it up, I am also not doing too hot in my chemistry class. All these might seem very minuscule and I'm sure that by the time summer rolls around I will look back and think this was so insignificant, but right now, I am upset, and I think the best thing to do about this is to accept that I am upset.

    I am ok with being upset about this. I wanted something and I didn't get it. Although this will be a few of many times that this will happen, it doesn't make the hurt any less. 

    Not only am I upset, but I'm scared. I'm scared that I'm not doing enough to get into the universities that I want to. I'm scared that I'm working this hard for me to just end up at the same state school where half my high school will be going to. 

   

    Through mood-congruent memory, my consecutive losses have created a never-ending spiral of worry. How did I handle it? I went to my parents. I cried to them. I ranted to them. I listened to them. Times like these made me realize how absolutely blessed I am with the people around me. Through the embarrassing experiences I have had, the people I told made me feel infinitely better about the situation.

    This post was all over the place and I apologize for that, but that is how I am currently feeling. I feel like I'm not doing enough and all my thoughts are bouncing off the walls, so unfortunately you guys have to be the victims of my word vomit. I'll stop myself now before this turns into absolute nonsense.

Remember, life moves on. You win some and you lose some. We're all just trying to make it out happy and successful :)

Why 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' is My Favorite Book (BR)

     Happy Sunday! Today, we will be starting my first book review. As you can see from the title, I'm going to talk about The Seven Husbands on Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. AKA, my favorite book ever. I will keep this spoiler-free!! Although, I will say that makes it mega-difficult for me to express how amazing this book is, maybe I will make a book review on this book with spoilers...

Plot

    The book revolves around two main subjects, Evelyn Hugo and Monique Grant. Monique is given the opportunity to interview Evelyn, who is aging and wants to reveal all her Hollywood secrets. The strange thing about this situation is Monique is quite mediocre, neither she nor anyone else in the company can understand how Hollywood's most iconic actress wants this ordinary girl with ordinary credentials to be running Hugo's first and final interview.

Review

    The reason this book is so amazing is how beautifully it is written. Each segment of the book is about Evelyn's life with one of her seven husbands. The book deals with some sensitive topics such as abusive relationships and sexual assault, so please be wary of the triggers in the book. I read this book while I was on vacation in Chicago, and that is saying something. 

    I should mention the thinking that this book brings you, far after the last page. I should know, considering I read this book almost a year ago and I still think about it constantly. The book brings you to a moral dilemma, who's in the right and who's in the wrong? On the surface, the answer seems so obvious, but after further thinking, the black and white line starts to grey. Some people may think that Evelyn's actions are justified and she wanted to protect those she cared about, others may say she was a selfish person with no regard for anyone except her own success. I think a good book is one that is able to leave the reader's thinking and balancing off of different perspectives.

    This book tackles issues such as race and sexism. The main message I got from it is that when we are trying so hard to fit into what society wants from us, we lose sight of what's important, and when the fog clears up, it is already too late. There are also beautiful depictions of genuine friendships and relationships that seem to express how even throughout the worst times in your life, there will be people there for you who are there to listen and offer support. The talent Reid has is incredible.

    Overall, this book was absolutely phenomenal, there are so many emotions the reader goes through and you become so immersed it is impossible to not feel them all wholeheartedly. Not to mention, the cover is gorgeous and I felt proud to be holding it around in public. This was the first novel I've read by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but it will certainly not be the last, as this book was the gateway to me, in 2021, reading even more books.

RATING: 5/5

"I'm under absolutely no obligation to make sense to you."

                            - Taylor Jenkins Reid (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo)

Nearing the End of Sophomore Year

    Happy May 1st! Not only is it the start of Asian Heritage Month, but it is also my last full month of school. Such a bittersweet year. From my love/hate relationship with Pre-Calculus to getting my license and driving myself to school, there are quite a few ways to describe the year I had. 

    First, I want to say that I am insanely grateful for the year I had because, despite it all, I had a lot of fun and I made great memories with great people. I was incredibly lucky to have great teachers that showed me they are people too, especially after a year of virtual school where I was trained otherwise. I learned a lot. Fluid intelligence and even more crystallized intelligence. I can now tell you that covalent bonds are a nonmetal plus a nonmetal, but I can also say that I learned the importance of surrounding yourself with people who don't make you feel inferior. 

    I learned the importance of taking breaks and unwinding. Last year, I was a horse with blinders, I only thought about school and I rarely made any plans with friends, in hindsight it was probably the worst thing I could have done for my mental health, and I saw the results of doing that. Now, I value the weekends and Friday night plans. Whether it is going to Starbucks and talking with my friend, or going to watch a new movie at my local movie theater, it became so important to me to find ways to get out of the house and forget about some AP Psychology assignment I had yet to do.

    This blog posting is setting the base for me, every Sunday I hope to release new content. This content ranges from book reviews to new fun facts I found out to current events, or even just what my life is like being a teenager.

    Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this post. Continue to live life nonstop.

        - Zoey