Saturday, October 17, 2009

fiers quarter ORB reveiw

First quarter reading book review
Battle for the labyrinth by Rick Riordan genre fantasy
PJ Farnsworth

Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, is in a world where Greek gods exist. They live outside mortal comprehension, and guide the course of human events. The gods frequently have children with mortals, creating demigods, or mortals with some of the god’s powers, and see reality as it actually is. These demigods are some of the most important people in history. Now, Chronos, the titan, is revolting. He has amassed an army, and now searches for the one thing to take shape as a being. Percy, Grover the centaur, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, must journey into the labyrinth of legend to find Chronos ultimate weapon.
An epic adventure, many people love the series, including the School Library Journal, who calls it “ a winner of Olympic proportions”
The writer is aiming at a teenage audience. It works generally well. The author mixes humor and teenage problems into the story. This works wonders, and allows the story to flow very smoothly. The book, with the occasional laugh, will keep you wanting to read it. The heroes are very relatable. You want to be them, or at least be in there position. It is a very fun book.
The one thing that stands out is the author’s ability to weave the story. The author makes it able to seem like the events are actually possible. The author creates something called the “mist”. The mist makes it so mortals can see things differently then non mortals. For example, a monster attack on the golden gate bridge is seen as a freak car crash. The way it is presented is amazing, and begs you to believe it, and it is very easy to. The author has a lot of symbolism in the book. It makes it so the author can portray messages to the reader. There is a fare share of tragedy in the book, and some of the fights can be pretty epic. Quite a few people die.
He howled and made another grab at me he caught a chain attempted to pull himself up. While he was struggling, I lowered my sawed off chain, hook first. It took me two tries, but I finally snagged Antaeus’s loin cloth. (pg 206)
Overall, this is a great book. I encourage others to get it. However, you should get the first 3 before you do though. The story will make a lot of sense. This is a great read and a must have to any reader,

Thursday, October 15, 2009

what matters most

What matters most


Time and time again, the human race has constantly changed values. Our values today are different then those of the past, or what they will be in the future. Will we change your values when our life changes? Will we stay the same? Will events in your life cause you to see differently than we do now? Life throws unexpected things at us, will we take the punch?
will we focus on the futere, or will you wewhat matters today? in a world crying about 21012, global warming, and the wrath of a displeased god, we cry and cower at the shadow of days to come. However, if we value the moment, and we comit to ourselves. we can light a candle to shine in the darkness.

As I drive through the bleak, cold mountains on the lonely road, a brief back story is in order. One day, we had a geography bee contest in our class. I was the won easily, and was told to go to the school finals the next week. I didn’t study once, for I didn’t care for winning. I enter the school and sit next to my friend Jairo, and waited to begin. Jairo got knocked out first on two bad questions, which was disappointing; I breathed a sigh of relief, as he was my only real threat. I won easily. I didn’t even want to win, I just answered what I knew. As a reward, I got to skip Ms Speckies class to take a test to qualify for the states. I finished in the top 10% of all students.

As I slouch in my car, I look down at my Ipod. I scroll down to bat country. “he who makes a beast out of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man” the lines rattle in my ear. The words come to my mind are, “we cant stop here this is bat country”, truer know then ever before. I look down at my ipod again.
I switch it up to some master of puppets. The sound of James Hetfeild blasting in my ear. The black cover over it mutes some of the sound. The screen dirty with finger marks. My most valuable item, I treat it like no other ( I actually treat it well). I whisk through my video game, piloting the space ship “MASTER, MASTER” the only thing I hear. I search the internet and wind up on 4chan . My parents wondering what I’m laughing at. The thing practically is the source of my emotion

I pull up to the college. The rain is pounding at my hair, me not caring one bit. I miss a Friday with mcas at my school, so its all good. I walk in, seeing nothing but seas of children. Some older, some younger. Almost all have suits or dresses on. All they serve was apple juice and gram crackers. It is like a formal party for children. I walk in leather jacket and aviators on, coke in one hand, hair bushed down over my face the sound of “two weeks” ringing in my ear. My parents ask” are you ready”
I look at them, expression never changing “yeah, lets go kick some ass int the next time zone (geography pun)”
I sit down at my seat. 25 of the 100 people who made it are here. I look around me seeing kids pushing through textbooks, franticly studying. I hear parents yelling at there children “this is mommy’s big day” apparently living there lives through their children, forcing them to compete. The host walks in. after an introduction, a go through of the rules, and some formal, unfunny jokes it was time to begin.

I groan. Time goes by slowly. Some kids choke, some kids start crying at their mistakes. I never smile, never make eye contact. I was acting like this was a chore to do, and it really was. I am angered to this day that the kid next to me, who went to the finals, got the question “where is the Panama Canal?”, while I got the “ in what small island in the south china sea, famous for its fruit, taken over by the Burmese?’ I finish with two wrong answers, not putting me in the top 10, but in the top 25%.

Where is my values in that, you may ask. You might thought you have just read a story about me being a asshole at something I should take as a honor. Well you’d be wrong. I value individuality, and I express my self through that. I do things my way, and i do it well. No, I don’t study for the geography bee, I don’t need to. I don’t wear a suit and act like a ritzy person. I don’t cry and complain when I loose. I am who I am and im the best at what i do, even if what i do aint pretty. This story, and my Ipod, represents that, in all of its glory.