Journal #8

Bruiser (Shusterman, Neal) (2010)

Neal Shusterman's Bruiser is about the lives of three teens who are brought together by pain and an odd friendship. Sixteen-year-old Tennyson is not happy when his sister Bronte back stabs the angry loner Bruiser. Bronte, Tennyson and Bruiser get closer. Tennyson realizes that Bruiser has a supernatural ability: he can absorb the physical and emotional pain of the people around him, while Bruiser deals with the wounds of his friends, he risks his life doing it.

I chose this book because I like neal shustermans work and it seemed very interesting.

The Memory of Running (2004)

This novel starts out in Rhode Island, where an overweight, fortyish man named Smithson "Smithy" Ide drinks too much in order to forget that his life is a failure. Then, in the space of one week, he loses his entire family: his parents are killed in a car accident, and he learns some unspeakable news about his beloved, mentally-ill sister Bethany. Without thinking about it or having a plan, Smithy takes his old three-speed bicycle out of the garage and begins to ride. The book chronicles the journey he takes on his bike as he rediscovers his life.

I would like to read this book because someone recommended it and I sort of like tragedy stories.

Deceptions (Frayn, Rebecca) (2011)

In Deceptions, Rebecca Frayn tells the story of Julian and Annie, a recently engaged couple eager to reveal news of their betrothal to Annie's children. Annie hopes that the happy news will begin to heal wounds created by the death of their father several years before. Yet on the day they are to make their announcement, Annie's son Dan doesn't come home. Soon a missing person’s investigation is launched and weeks become months as Dan is nowhere to be found. Julian narrates the story as Annie risks her relationship with her daughter, Rachel, as well as with Julian by refusing to give up hope. When a teenager shows up on the family's doorstep claiming to be Dan, Annie is overwhelmed with joy--but Julian is doubtful of the truthfulness of this stranger's claims. Frayn is also the author of One Life.

Investigating stories are intriguing to me and the searching for the son sounds like it would keep me interested.

I honestly like the MEL site, at first I felt like it was pointless but found some interesting books on it. I plan to use it more often rather than just looking at a library or the cover of a book. It describes the books perfectly with enough information to let you know what it’s about it but not too much to give the story away. I liked that because it makes me want to read more if it leaves you without the actually ending. Also it is well organized and if I know what I am looking for I can find it easy.