Amy (Iowa)--Twilight, Stephenie Meyer. When 17-year-old girl leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human. This book is dangerously addicting and i had a hard time putting it down. Even when I did I was ready to pick it right back up again. I finished it quickly and I can't wait to read the sequal, New Moon.

Lena Giron

(Iowa)

Dear John

Dear John, written by Nicholas Sparks, will draw in all readers who love romance novels. It shares the connection between an army boy and a college girl in a summer that will never be forgotten. Something that the reader might get after reading this novel is sometimes people go away, but the love they have for them will always last.

            Dear John centers on an army man, the narrator, named John and the difficulties the army brings him. He spends a lot of his time getting stationed from place to place.

On his leave home he visits with the only man in his family, his dad, but soon it becomes quiet and he starts spending time at the beach surfing. While at the beach John falls in love with Savannah, a college girl who’s got her life planned out for her. They begin to fall in love but they then have to depart and go back to their normal lives. They try to make their relationship work throughout the rest of the novel and begin to realize it’s harder than it seems.

            My purpose for reading this book was for a popular fiction class and I wanted to see how the author wrote. My overall feeling about the book was that it was amazing. It brings the reader into John’s feelings about the war, his dad, and the women he loves. After reading this novel it makes me want to find more of the author’s books because they’re so catchy.

            When reading Dear John the reading will fall into the lives of the characters and won’t be able to put the book down. The characters are realistic and the situations occur like they could happen in real life. Once the book is started its fast paced and very east to get finished. The word choice and overall writing style was effective and powerful.

            During the novel John and Savannah struggle to keep their relationship strong and one might ask can love between two people be strong enough to keep them together even though they’re so far apart? The reader realizes that answer after reading the novel.

            I think Dear John is a novel that should be read by people who enjoy reading about romance between two people and who have hope for everyone to be happy. I would give this novel a five star rating because it was so unpredictable but at the same time everyone knew what was going to happen.

Shanta J.

Richmond, Va

Ms. Pederson's First Block

The "Point Of Retreat" is a second publishing from the book "Slammed". The Point Of Retreat shows feeling and emotion through death and love. It is held together by poetry and the sweet words of fear. Two young adults (Layken and Will) at the age of 18 and 20 brought together by fate from there similar lives. Both of their  parents died from tragic deaths, both left with the responsiblity of raising there younger brothers. Although, they started dating eachother and fell in love a past from his came back. Yes his ex high school lover wanted him back. The pain and struggle of keeping his new love from his old love. Will has been dating her for a year now and they promised Layken's mother when she past away they wouldnt have sex at least for a year also considering she's a virgin. Soon when you figure it can't get any worse something unleashing happens. A car accident put everyone's life at risk. Layken and Will including their friends and family by eachother side they all made it through and recovered. Will knew than that she was the one for him, the love of his life and no one could replace her. God chanlleged there love and the bond was unbreakable. Its a great love story and very dramatic it's great for anyone to read.

Twilight by Tatiyana (Virginia)

In the beginning  Isabella swan was living with her mom in Arizona  and she decided to live with her dad in forks so  her mom dropped her off at the airport and told her to call her all the time and stuff and as she was on the air plane she starts telling about all those times she visited her dad in the summer and  as she gets off the plane her dad was standing there   with a crooked smile and hes like hey Bella and shes like  hey dad but she sometimes calls him Charlie because that’s his name but anyways as they are  catching up in the car all awkwardly he tells her that he got her a gift  it was a truck she was happy that he got her a truck but at the same time not happy because it was an old looking tuck but the truck fit in perfectly with the other cars that  the kids drove at her school  on her first day at lunch she first saw Edward she asked  around who he was   because he was obviously cute and most of the guys liked Bella but  she only liked one guy and that was Edward

Bella  has a class with Edward  she looks at him like  hes a piece of cake that she never ate before and he looks at her like she smelled really bad and then she sat next to him and he scooted  away from her and as shes waiting for the bell to rang it does and  Edward  hurries up and jumps up and walks really fast out the class room and Bella got her slip signed and then she had to return it to the guidance councilor and as she walked into the room she saw Edward and he was tryna switch classes and he turned around saw Bella and was like never mind and hurried up and walked rite out  and Bella handed the woman the slip and walked out

Then  the next day in class when she sat net to him they had to work as partners and Bella sat down and Edward was all hi im Edward Cullen im sorry  I didn’t get to introduce my self yesterday and she was all its ok im  be – and then Edward interrupted her and was like yea Bella swan I know and she turned away and he was  like doing the lab and said some scientific work and Bella was all mind if I check and Edward was all yea sure and Bella was like yea ur rite and then Bella  did the lab and Edward was all mind if I check and Bella was all like sure and Edward was all like yea its rite

Bella and edwad started hanging out and hen he started liking her and  we all know that Bella  has been liked Edward since she first saw him but anyways  and went  on a date and Edward was all I read minds and stuff and she was like really and he was like yeah and then he showed Bella and told her what  the others were thinking  ( money, sex, cats,) and so on and then  Bella was like wow and then  he drove her home but she saw her dad was still at the station and Edward saw his dad there too and  he was talking to is dad and Bella was talking to  hers and the next day  they oh and wait um Bella touched his had and it was really cold so she did some research on  what he is and it was all scary looking and she saw him in the woods and was like I know what you are and  he was like oh really and she was like yeah and he was like say it and he was like say it out loud and Bella said it all dramatically  you’re a vampire and he was like yeah and he started jumping real high and then he walked into the sun light and he was all glittery and stuff and they jut started going out and he took her to school and when she got out his car and everybody was staring at her  and anyways   the next day  he was like  I want you to meet my family and  she was like ok and she met them and they cooked for her and  Edward was like she already ate and  and Rosaline dropped the plate on the floor and she got mad and Bella hurried up and said well I did because I know you guys don’t eat so and their mom was like how considerate of you and   anyways they were together  all awesome and stuff and she really liked   Alice liked her so they were best friends and  she saw Jacob  with his long hair and stuff at the prom  and for some reason Jacob doesn’t like Edward  and  anyways   Edward and Bella went to prom and  danced the night away and that’s the end of  this saga.