"The Pianist" by Władysław Szpilman

“And now I was lonelier, I supposed, than anyone else in the world. Even Defoe's creation, Robinson Crusoe, the prototype of the ideal solitary, could hope to meet another human being. Crusoe cheered himself by thinking that such a thing could happen any day, and it kept him going. But if any of the people now around me came near I would need to run for it and hide in mortal terror. I had to be alone, entirely alone, if I wanted to live.”
-Władysław Szpilman, The Pianist

I've studied The Holocaust every year in history class since middle school. I even studied it a little in my college history courses. I've read and watched The Diary of Anne Frank. I've seen documentaries about it. It's one of those things that just seems like history. It pains me to learn about it because of how brutal and horrible it was and how many people were murdered. But like so many other things, it just seems like an event in history, and that's it. Because I was never truly affected by it, it doesn't sink in.

Now, don't get me wrong: I believe that it happened. The Holocaust, in fact, was a real occurrence. I'm not one of those people that somehow deny that it ever happened. Oh no, I know of its harsh reality. Reading The Pianist gave me an inside view to what happened during that time. Similar to Zeitoun, The Pianist told the journey of a survivor; however, this book was written by the survivor, not an outside source.

Władysław Szpilman told his story of what he personally went through during The Holocaust. When I started the book, I expected to read about a Jew that had been captured and put into a concentration camp. I expected to read about the different torturous things that he suffered. This book is actually about a Jew that was constantly in hiding and on the run. There were many encounters that just mentioning that he played the piano saved his life. Incredible.

At first he was with his family. Eventually his family was taken to a concentration camp, but Szpilman escaped. Over time he hid in numerous places. Some people graciously let him in, but after a while, no one would take him, so he had to hide anywhere he could find. At times he would almost starve to death, but he always found food just in time.

His story is devastating, but I learned so much. The things he witnessed and survived: unfathomable. There is also a movie! More people know about the movie, and here I am, being such a bookworm, I didn't even know about the movie until I started reading the book.

 

The ending is what I really didn't expect. I would have never expected him to have been saved the way he was. Maybe in a fiction book, but not in reality. I would tell you, but I don't want to spoil it for you!

Overall, it was not the best book to just sit down and read. The writing did not just keep pulling me to reading it, but that is simply because I'm a fiction fan, and this was factual. It was still a good read, and very informative. Upon finishing the book, I'm extremely glad that I read it.

Find out how Władysław Szpilman survived the Holocaust in The Pianist.

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"Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

"So many little things could have been done. So many people let it happen. So many looked away. And it only takes one person, one small act of stepping from the dark to the light."
-Dave Eggers, Zeitoun

I am completely and utterly stunned. Either I am just ignorant, or people really don't know about some of the terrible things that go on in our country. Reading this book, in 2013, was the first time I had heard of the horrific events following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Abdulrahman Zeitoun is a carpenter, from New Orleans, La., but he is originally from Syria. Everyone addressed him by his last name, because of the fact that his first name is pretty hard for Americans (especially in the South) to pronounce. His wife, Kathy, helps with the business. When the hurricane was approaching, the Zeitouns didn't think much of it. They heard these kinds of warning all the time, so this was all the same. Over the next few days, Kathy grew more worried, and wanted to evacuate. Zeitoun declined. Eventually, he told his wife that she could take the children out of the city, but he would stay and watch the house. After all, he had numerous properties he wanted to look after.

And so, that's what she did. She left to go stay with her family, while he stayed in the house and watched the water rise. After the flood came and Zeitoun had saved as much furniture and valuables as possible, he set sail! Well, he took his canoe out into the water to view the town. On his ride, he found many dogs that were trapped in the second floor of different houses, so he made the effort to bring them food and water. He did this every day. Also, he took his canoe and found people that were trapped, as well. He saved a few, and did his best to find help for the ones he couldn't save. He checked on his properties, and joined a few friends along the way.

Time passed, and he developed a routine. But the city began to change. The standing water began to gather filth, disease, sewage, and bodies. Crime started to break out, and rumors of murder, rape, and other horrible things filtered through the media. Kathy began to worry, and begged Zeitoun to come home. Still, he declined. He felt he had a purpose and a mission to uphold.

Eventually, the crime caught up with him. While in one of the houses he rents to to others, people that looked like they were from the National Guard came and arrested Zeitoun, along with the men that were there with him. They accused him of looting. Zeitoun said he owned the house they were in, but nothing he said would change their minds. He got in their boat and it drove them to the bus station.

There as a makeshift prison at the Greyhound bus station that was never there before. Zeitoun noticed the structure, and knew what hard work it would take to build these new outdoor cages. The plans to build this were made before the storm even hit. Prisoners from other surrounding prisons were brought in to build this prison two days after Katrina hit the city. They had ready-to-eat meals for the guards and the prisoners while there will people stranded and hungry in their own homes all over the city.

Zeitoun was called "terrorist" multiple times before he was tossed into one of the cages. He never got a phone call, his rights were never read to him, and the America he always knew no longer existed. Neither did he.

Kathy went almost 2 weeks without hearing for her husband, so she thought he was dead. She couldn't accept that, though. She just couldn't. She would call him on the phone at that rental house he checked on, but it just rang and rang with no answer. Everyday she called, but never did she receive a call back. Finally, one day, the phone rang. It was a missionary telling her that he saw her husband in a prison. She asked him where it was, but he said he couldn't tell her anything else because he shouldn't be telling her anything.

Eventually Kathy and Zeitoun were reunited, and they began the process of starting their lives over. When they went back to the prison to retrieve his wallet, they did not want to give it to him. They said they needed it as evidence, although his charges were dropped. After Kathy finally talked them into giving it back, it was missing the cash and credit cards that were in there when he was arrested.

Overtime, the pain of it all began to die down, but they will always be affected by Katrina. They rebuilt their home, and Zeitoun began helping rebuild homes all over the city. Nothing will make them forget, but they can still grow from the experience.

 CLICK HERE to watch a YouTube video of Zeitoun showing important location mentioned throughout the book.

Of course, that is just a brief description of what Zeitoun and his family went through during Hurricane Katrina. Read the entire book to know the whole story! It's well worth the read. It's horrible that more people don't know about this.

Watch this video about what people know about Hurricane Katrina (click here).

I've never been so disappointed about our country.This hurt me to read about what happened to Zeitoun. How can people be treated this way and the rest of the country not know. This was the main news story at that time, but yet I don't remember hearing of anything like this. Granted, I was young, but I was old enough to know what was going on. I never heard of such treatment.

One of the things that hit me the hardest, was when Zeitoun paddled up to men in uniform (soldier, National Guard, Navy, I'm not sure), asked for help, and they told them they couldn't help him or even call someone else to help him. WHY NOT??? Isn't that why they went there?

Eggers did an outstanding job at getting this truth out. Usually I am not drawn to non-fiction work, but this was not written in a informative, drawn out way. It was almost written like a fiction story, but everything was very real.

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What do you remember from Hurricane Katrina? Were you aware of the what was REALLY going on?

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"Walking Disaster" by Jamie McGuire

"Even though we'd put each other through hell, we'd found heaven. Maybe that was more than a couple of sinners deserved, but I wasn't going to complain."
-Jamie McGuire, Walking Disaster

After months of impatiently waiting, Walking Disaster was finally released this week. Naturally, I stayed awake until midnight, just to make sure it downloaded to my Kindle. I read one chapter then fell asleep. I know: only one chapter?? I was tired!!

I didn't really know much about this sequel except for the fact that it was not going to be through Abby's point of view like Beautiful Disaster. It was going to be in Travis's point of view. I didn't know if the story was going to pick up from where Beautiful Disaster left off, or if it was going to just be the same story but told by him. I quickly found out that it was the latter.

Needless to say, I don't need to give you a summary! You can read my review about Beautiful Disaster for that! Also, you can watch this fun video (click here) of a scene from Walking Disaster! The two people in the video have not read the book, so they acted it out as if they were on Whose Line Is It Anyway? making the video pretty fun to watch! Now don't be discouraged from reading this sequel! To be honest, I was hoping for a continuation of the story; however, I was incredibly pleased with what McGuire did with this book. When I read the first book, I remember constantly wondering what Travis was thinking. Well, now I know! It adds so much color to the story!

Even though I knew the basic story line, the book still had me gasping, and I never wanted to put it down! Seeing everything through Travis's perspective put things in a whole new light. I honestly can't decide which version I liked better! Now that I have finished both of them, everything just seems to fit and flow into one big story.

We all fell in love with Travis and his bad-boy image, his tattoos, and his complete devotion to Abby in Beautiful Disaster. Well, brace yourself, ladies, you will fall much farther and harder this time around! Seeing Travis the way Abby sees him is one thing, but getting to know the depths of who Travis is, is another.

Jamie McGuire is one of those author's that creates the guy that all the girls want, making it hard for guys in the real world. Sorry, boys, but you've got to step it up if you even want to compare to Travis Maddox. Honestly, I don't believe that many guys think the way Travis does in the book. Who knows, maybe there are guys out there that go to the flower store and decide that one bouquet is not enough, so they buy enough to fill an entire room. Maybe there are guys out there that see a girl and think, "The fall clouds cast a gray shadow over everything, but [her] smile was like summertime" (Travis, Walking Disaster). Maybe. Maybe not. McGuire did a great job as a female author, though! The mood is so different in Travis's book than in Abby's. No woman will ever REALLY know what is going on in a man's head, but I will definitely give her credit, because this book is phenomenal!

It's always interesting to see love stories through the guy's point of view; however, those stories are often written by female authors. It would be great to know what is ACTUALLY going on in a guy's mind. So, feel free to write that for us, fellas!

Walking Disaster is a refreshing addition to its prequel, and the epilogue provides good closure for the readers. And what a great ending! I did not expect that to be the turn out!

 So, Jamie McGuire fans, what did you think? Leave your comments here!

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"Fragments" by Jeffry W. Johnston

"We're dealing with fragments here. Pieces that, by themselves, are hard to understand. But if we could figure out how they fit together..."
-Jeffry W. Johnston, Fragments

 You know, nothing about this book fit together. I can't piece together any good reason to ever read this book. Sure, I've read worse, but honestly there was nothing exciting about this book.

I knew this time would come. Eventually I knew that I would have to write a bad book review. This book was included in a collection of books loaned to me by a friend. I chose this book for this week because I knew it was not like the others I had been reading. I know I need variety in my reviews, so I thought this would be a good addition to my collection.

I began reading, and I instantly knew it was a book for a younger audience. The writing was simple. I continued reading anyway. I figured it couldn't hurt. But: ouch.

For a quick look at how this book made me feel, watch this video!

Chase is in high school and loves to be in front of an audience. He is the best actor at his school, and everyone knows it. Unfortunately, his acting is not the reason he gets attention. The whispers in the halls spread because of the scars on his wrists. Chase attempted suicide. Twice.

Recently, Chase was in a terrible car accident. He was drunk, but he didn't drive. He called his ex-girlfriend, Angie, to pick him up. Two of his friends were in the back seat, and he was in the passenger seat. A drunk driver met them on a sharp turn, but Angie couldn't swerve quickly enough. Chase was the only survivor.

His older brother, Ben, was troubled and was in jail, but his parents basically disowned him. Chase desperately wanted them to forgive Ben because he felt that all of Ben's troubles were his fault. Ultimately it lead to suicidal thoughts.

Most of the story tells of him having flashbacks that the reader doesn't understand, then he goes to his therapist and doesn't tell her anything. It's extremely repetitive. All of his secrets are revealed and all of the flashbacks are explained in the last chapter or so. They were shocking and unexpected, which was good, but that was the only time I really felt any emotion during this book: a whole 2 seconds.

Overall, it was just rather dull. Nothing kept me reading the book, other than the fact that I knew I needed to have a blog written by the end of the week. There was no pull, nothing at the end of each chapter leaving me wanting more.

Unless you want to be incredibly bored, I wouldn't recommend this book.

I'm not saying that suicide is not a serious issue. Those things should not be read lightly. I understand the importance of the message about suicide, but the overall plot was just a dud.

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Do you agree? Do you disagree? If you've read this book, what did you think? Share your thoughts here!

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"Night Road" by Kristin Hannah

"Maybe time didn't heal wounds exactly, but it gave you a kind of armor or new perspective. A way to remember with a smile instead of a sob."
-Kristin Hannah, Night Road

Everyone has a best friend. I'm not talking about a huge group of friends that you see at school or work, or the people you talk to during the day just to get by. I'm talking about that one best friend that completes you, that knows you better than yourself. No matter what, they are there.

When I say everyone, I mean everyone but Lexi. Lexi grew up with a drug-addict mother, who was in and out of prison, leaving Lexi in foster care most of the time. Dad was out of the picture, so Lexi had no family, or so she thought. Finally, when Lexi was 14, she discovered she had family.

Her great aunt Eva took her in to love and care for her. Because she was 14, it was time for her to start high school. She was used to being the new girl in a school since she had lived with multiple families over the years. She knew the tricks of blending in, and she did the best she could to not be noticed.

She succeeded in being invisible until she got to her first class. A boy approached her and spoke to her. He was so cute, he left her speechless. Of course, another girl came and led him away. It was obvious he was Mr. Popular at this school, so she knew she shouldn't even bother. But she just couldn't figure out why he came to her.

Soon enough it was time for lunch. Lunch on the first day is the worst! Where do you sit? Lexi took her packed lunch and her copy of Jane Eyre outside to sit in the sunlight. She spots a girl sitting under a tree, in a pink skirt and high top Converse shoes. She immediately likes this girl. Lexi tries to speak to her, but she says that talking to her would be considered "social suicide" and that she would never be a cheerleader if she did. Lexi said she cared nothing about that. The two instantly become friends.

Mia invited Lexi over to her house--her huge, rich-person house. Soon after they got there, the door burst open and several kids her age spilled inside. The cute boy from that morning was there! He walked over to Mia and started talking to her, then he noticed Lexi and froze. Mia introduced him: her twin brother, Zach. Oh no. Lexi knew she didn't need to be attracted to this boy if she wanted to have a good friendship with Mia. This wasn't going to be easy.

After a detailed telling of how Lexi met her new best friend, Mia, the book skips to their senior year. Lexi and Mia are still inseparable. Lexi loved Mia's family, and they loved her in return. Little did they know, Lexi would dramatically change their lives.

This story is told in third person; however, it is told from two different perspectives: Lexi's and Jude's, Mia's mother. Through both perspectives, the reader can see what a teenager goes through, but at the same time what a mother goes through during the same situations.

Jude is concerned about senior year. What mother wouldn't be? This is a huge year for her children: they have to decide on their future, fill out college applications, keep their grades up, score high on big tests, and do all of that while make the most fond of memories. Seniors loved to make memories by having parties. Seniors also loved to drink at these parties. How does a mother keep her children safe in these environments? She doesn't want to hold them hostage and never let them go out with their friends, but what if they drink? She can't always be there next to them to protect them.

Mia was shy, while Zach had a lot of friends. Zach was always there to protect her and be with her. Jude knew it was so important for them to go to the same college. They are both applying for the same schools, but there is never a way to know what will happen. Jude can't imagine what would happen if they didn't have each other.

OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH! This was ridiculously hard for me to write. I understand that I summarized a lot more than normal, but I promise I gave nothing away! I struggled with avoiding the major parts of the story. There is just SO much to this story. I feel as if this isn't my best review, which is sad because it's one of the best books I've read so far. I laughed, cried, and felt so many other things during this story. Kristin Hannah will throw you for a loop, for sure.

I can't imagine going through what these people went through in the story. Kristin Hannah sculpted this story to perfection. It's not some happy, mushy, unrealistic love story. There are no over the top romantic gestures, or anything like that. The character's reactions are all so realistic to the situations they face.

Night Road takes you through happiness, love, fear, grief, confusion, hopelessness, and back again. The writing in this book is outstanding.

Earlier I mentioned seniors partying and drinking. There are scenes in this book that demonstrate this behavior. There is sexual content; however it is not descriptive. For the most part, anyone can read this book. I believe that the reader should at least be 13 years old, but if a younger reader is mature, it should be fine. Profanity is not absent, but it is scarce.

As far as the drinking goes, I want to take a second to mention drunk driving. It's simple: just don't do it. If you choose to drink, make sure that you have a driver. If you don't have a driver, then don't drink. If you make the mistake to drink when no ride is available, call someone. Driving is never the right choice. Be safe. It's not worth the risk.

Read this book. No, that's not a suggestion, it is a DEMAND! No regrets accompany this read! After reading, tell me what you think! Or simply tell me what you thought of the review! Good? Bad? Anything! Anyone can leave comments right here!

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"A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard

"Lonely, that's how I feel. Lonely and incomplete. I want to run, but have no idea where to run to. I want to yell, but I don't want to hurt anybody. I want to say something, but I don't know what to say. Love is the easy part; it's the living without the love you need that is hard."
-Jaycee Dugard, A Stolen Life

Jaycee Dugard was 11 years old when she was kidnapped down the street from her very own home in Lake Tahoe. She was walking to meet the bus to go to school that morning when a man pulled up next to her, rolled down the window, and asked for directions. He immediately used a stun gun on her, and she fell to the ground. Jaycee tried to scramble away from him on the ground, but he grabbed her by her legs and threw her into the back of his vehicle. Shoving her in the floorboard, he covered her with a thick blanket and placed something heavy on top of her.

Unfortunately, this story is not fiction like the other books I write about. This week I decided to read a memoir. Everything in this post is true. Some of you may remember seeing about her story in the news. She was found and rescued recently in 2009, just four years ago. That man, Phillip Garrido, kept her captive for 18 years. I'm only 20, so I couldn't imagine being taken away from my family, my friends, and my entire world for 18 years. That is the majority of my lifetime.

I'm not going to go into detail about the physical and mental abuse Phillip Garrido put her through. I feel as though I have no right to try to explain her situation in my own words. I honestly have no words. There is no other way to explain what happened besides the way she does in her memoir. Her life was taken from her; not physically, but she didn't get to live her life. She never got to go to high school, or college. She never got to get her driver's license. She never had a first crush, first kiss, first love, or first anything. In 2009, when she was reunited with her mother, sister, and aunt, she finally got to experience things life had to offer her.

She got to begin a new life with her family, along with her two daughters. She had her first daughter when she was 14, and her second when she was 17. The girls were raised in Phillip Garrido's "backyard."

I've always seen these kinds of stories on the news, but I never really gave them much thought. They always seemed like just "stories." The news doesn't tell you how it affected the person, though. You only find out the facts: who was the victim, who was the criminal, what happened, when, where, how, etc. Reading A Stolen Life really made me realize what actually happens. It makes me sick that people actually treat other people in ways like Phillip Garrido treated Jaycee.

Read Jaycee Dugard's  memoir, A Stolen Life, and see what she went through.

Since her rescue, Jaycee has founded the JAYC foundation, Inc. (Just Ask Yourself to Care). The focus of JAYC is to serve families that have experienced abduction or other traumatic experiences through compassion and educational programs. You can give donations, purchase the book, or purchase apparel on the JAYC Web site (link provided above). Visit the site to see more information.

"Slammed" by Colleen Hoover

"Push your boundaries...that's what they're there for."
- Colleen Hoover, Slammed

Layken, along with her younger brother, Kel, and her mother, Julie, moved from Texas to Michigan after her father died. As soon as they pull the U-haul into the driveway, Kel sees a boy his age and instantly begins fighting him with an imaginary sword. Layken decides to sulk in the driver's seat, not excited about her new house -- not home. Kel approaches her and tries to bring her into the games. She hops out of the truck to chase after her little brother and his new friend when she runs into the little boy's older brother. His very cute older brother! There is an instant attraction between the two, and oh, what do you know? He lives across the street. PERFECT!!

After a few encounters over the next couple of days, Will, the cute boy across the street, asks her on a date. No dinner, no movie, but no disappointments. Layken couldn't have asked for a better date, and she couldn't wait to see him again.

Monday morning rolls around and Layken has to go to her new school. Lost and looking for her third period class, she sees Will! Not sure why he is there, she gets excited anyway and runs to him and hugs him. He pushes her away, wide-eyed. Why is he being so weird? She begins to assume he is there to visit his girlfriend, so she storms off, angry. He tells her to wait, just as a student comes outside of the classroom: "Mr. Cooper?"

OH. MY. GOSH. He's the teacher??

Sure, we've all had a crush on our teacher at some time. You get to class on that first day, and the teacher is young and SO cute. Don't deny it, it's happened to all of us! Especially for the boys. Countless times have I heard of the new "hot" teacher. Normally we just sit in our desk and drool over the teacher; we don't necessarily go on a date with him/her.

To be fair, Layken didn't know. What now? There is no way a teacher can date a student! They somehow have to stay away from each other, but how will that work when they live across the street and her desk is in the front row of his third period class? Find out in Slammed!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM "SLAMMED!!"
http://jschool.troy.edu/~advtech115/required.html
(I recorded this myself!)

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After reading Hoover's Slammed, make sure to read the sequel, Point of Retreat. It's from Will's point of view instead of Layken's but it picks up where the first left off. I didn't think Slammed could be topped, but Hoover proved me wrong! These books are "butterflying" amazing!

Let me know what you think! I hope you love these books just as much as I do!