06.07.07
Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde
(Mature Reader)
Jordy, homeless, gay, and abused, finds a kindred spirit when he rescues Chloe from a rape near the building where they live. When Jordy all but commits murder to protect Chloe, he realizes they must leave New York City for their safety and sanity. They crisscross America looking for evidence of beauty in what so far has been a grim existence.
Kris AHS said,
June 14, 2007 at 11:32 am
Once I got past the depressing first few chapters, I fell in love with this book. It was so moving and inspiring. It made me want to travel across the country myself!
Lauren VHS =] said,
October 23, 2007 at 4:57 pm
This was a very interesting book. I really liked how the main character became so attached to an older girl that he had just met. Becoming similar to an older brother to her by protecting her, watching her, and helping her see that life can really be amazing.
I disagree with the authors quote. I feel that not all stories necessarily need a “happy” ending, because it is simply not realistic. To write a novel on human and always make it happy seems too fantasy like to me. Who can honestly say that they have had a truely happy life? Not to say that they haven’t had hardship, but that they haven’t had to deal with any troublesome times at all. This seems to reflect in her book in a way that at the end they write a letter to their saying how Chole now feels that the world is beautiful and that she finally opened up to Jordan.
Elizabeth VHS said,
November 9, 2007 at 3:10 pm
My scoring for this book is an 8 out of 10. Thouht this book made me think about all the good of the country we live in, it has opened my eyes to the hurt and evil in this world. Jordy and Chloe live in NY, NY and have a “hard-knock life” there. When they set out on their journey to see the better of the world, I thought ‘good luck, you’re going to need it’ but, during and after the journey across America, I too began seeing the better side of life. The story lost me however when it didn’t clearly state wether Chloe is smart. After thinking it over, I came to the conclusion that she is indeed intelligent but, knows that life is easier if you numb yourself to hurt and “play dumb.”
Rachel VHS said,
November 29, 2007 at 2:11 pm
1. Chloe and Jordy go on a journey to find out whether the world is a beautiful place or not. What did they discover? What do you think?
I think that they discovered that this world indeed has alot of beauty within it(as represented by all the natural wonders they saw) but it also has its share of dark, ugly things (as represented by Jordie’s father beating him, Chloe being raped, the drunk men that beat Jordy when he tries to rescue Chloe from them, etc.). When I first started this book, I thought I might not like it, but after the first few pages, I changed my mind completely. Its a simple story with a simple plot that has a few deeper roots to it that lend it much needed epth. Its a good story and one that I enjoyed very much. Chloe had to be my favorite character besides Jordie. At the begining of the story she seemed to be very innocent, despite being literaly not innocent. Her simple minded ways and how she took pleasure out of the little things made her a likeable charcter. When Chloe first voices her opinion that she didn’t believe the world was as beautiful as Jordie saw it, her innocence seemed to fade away. And so Jordie sets out to show Chloe that the world is indeed beautiful.
All in all I enjoyed this story very much. It was a good, calm, clean feeling read. (thats sounds odd, but thats how I view it……)
Melissa 2 VHS said,
November 29, 2007 at 7:52 pm
I believe Chloe is smart but not in the way that you can immedialy see it. I think that the reason she seemed so simple minded was because she wanted to not think about that things that happen to her. Like it said pg. 19, she smart when she needed to get something done not when she doesnt really think about what had happened to her. Seeems to me a way to defend herself against the world
Taylor CBHS said,
December 8, 2007 at 9:44 am
I adore this book, but I understand why they label it “mature.” The book has parts that have sexual content, but it’s somewhat mild compared to the other “mature” books I have read. The reader never really finds out what happened to Chloe all those years of her life. It is like the book is unfinished. Although, I loved the characters of Jordan and Chloe, there is something missing from Chloe’s personality that didn’t click with me. This book opened my eyes to the cruelty that people can place upon another human being. For example, Jordan’s father beat him and Chloe is raped in the beginning of the book. My favorite part was when Jordan came home from work and found the old man, that is their landlord, exhausted. Chloe had told him everything about her life. The old man died the next day. I thought it was a great beginning of Jordan and Chloe’s journey all over America. All in all, I believe it was an interesting book that really made me think about the world we live in.
Taylor EHS said,
February 17, 2008 at 8:41 pm
“Becoming Chloe” was a phenominal book. Not only was it a coming of age story, but very moving. Chloe confused me often by all of a sudden by having alot of common sense but then a second later acting like a young child. I think Chloe plays “dumb” to hide all her pain from being raped and homeless. Jordy was an inspiring character by the way he did everything in his power to notChloe give up on. Jordy proposed the idea to go across the country to find the “beautiful” in the world. As they traveld they met new peolpe and saw new places. As their surroundings were being told I realized there is alot of beauty that is looked past by people and that not everyone is out to get you, they may even being trying to help. Catherine Hyde did an outstanding job with this novella, there could not have been anything more to add to the plot.
TaylorM EJSHS said,
February 18, 2008 at 5:37 pm
“Becoming Chloe” was a phenominal book. Not only was it a coming of age story, but very moving. Throughout the novel, Jordy wondered about Chloe’s intelligence, thinking “Did she seem…smart?…It’s like she doesn’t even understand what a bad thing is. She doesn’t even know that what’s happening to her isn’t okay. Then when she needs to get something done, she seems a lot smarter.” (p. 19) I agree with Melissa from VHS that Chloe is smart, but it’s not immediatly seen. Most of Chloe’s life she has taken care of herself, she figured out by watching her surroundings and caring for herself what she needs to do to keep herself alive and well. Because she grew up with a mom who did drugs and was a prostitute, she never saw an actual functional family. Chloe didn’t know that being raped was a bad thing becuase that was what she saw and had hapened to as she grew up, and nobody ever told her to fight and not let that happen. When Jordy’s head became infected and swollen, Chloe realized that she had to do something to keep Jordy well enough to get him to a clinic. Chloe used what she had learned from taking care of herself to get Jordy water and asprin to relieve some of his pain. Chloe proves she is smart by using what she has learned. Catherine Hyde did an outstanding job with this novel, it made me realize that hurting inside and that everyone is not out to get you, but they may even be trying to help you. The novel could not have been any better.
Zan SHSDoerr6 said,
February 19, 2008 at 4:52 pm
This book is actually pretty well thought out. At first, I didn’t want to read it at ALL. I felt like I was being forced to read something stupid. Then, I realized how adult it was. It made me feel like someone was trusting me to read something more mature, which I really liked.
I think there’s a lot of significance in the part where Jordy cries about Bruno. I guess Bruno’s death just made him remember what death is, and sometimes bad stuff can happen, but there are still tons of people who care about you even after you’re gone.
Zan SHSDoerr6 said,
February 21, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I agree with Rachel VHS. This book really makes you think about what’s ugly and what’s beautiful. I’ll bet what you think is ugly, and what you think is beautiful differs with perspective.
This book related to my life in the way that I’ve always wanted to travel, and it encouraged me to do it. ^__^
***
1. Chloe and Jordy go on a journey to find out whether the world is a beautiful place or not. What did they discover? What do you think?
I think that they discovered that the world is often a beautiful place, and it’s the actions of other people that make it seem ugly. If it weren’t for the people with ugly souls, the world would be purely beautiful.
2. The author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, said in an interview, “I can’t write about humans without arriving at hope.” Explain how you think (or disagree) that this is reflected in the story.
I think that Jordy is constantly hoping that Chloe will stay, or seeing all of those beautiful things would help her. I think he hopes that maybe everything will turn out okay.
4. In several places in the book Jordy wonders about Chloe’s intelligence. Here’s one example. “Did she seem…smart?…It’s like she doesn’t even understand what a bad thing is. She doesn’t even know that what’s happening to her isn’t okay. Then when she needs to get something done, she seems a lot smarter.” (p. 19) Is Chloe smart? What makes you think this?
Chloe is smart, but my theory is that she’s just naive. It’s like she’s been through so much trouble and trama in her life, that her brain returned to a childlike state of mind. She only really uses her brain when she knows that she’s really going to need it.
Brittshsdoerr6 said,
February 22, 2008 at 8:56 am
4. In several places in the book Jordy wonders about Chloe’s intelligence. Here’s one example. “Did she seem…smart?…It’s like she doesn’t even understand what a bad thing is. She doesn’t even know that what’s happening to her isn’t okay. Then when she needs to get something done, she seems a lot smarter.” (p. 19) Is Chloe smart? What makes you think this?
I agree with melissa 2 vhs Cloe is smart but she is going back to a child like state because of what happend to her so she tries to hide it the best she can. Also i think it might me un attentionaly i think her body just makes her act the way she does because of all the pain she has been through. I can realte to her so much in this book so it makes me want to read more and more even though what happend in my life is not even on the sam elevel of harshness as what has happend to her i can still some what relate to how she might me fealing.
taylor shs said,
February 26, 2008 at 8:38 am
I agree with what many of the other students have posted. This book was eye opening to several challeneges and obstacled i wouldnt even imagine. Chloe for all those horrible things to happen to her and still not realize its wrong is awful. I admire the steps of bravery and trustworthyness that Jordan gains with Chloe. At the beginng hes even afraid to yell for help for Chloe and by the end he’s taking on three drunk guys. All in all this book is amazing and i recommend it to anyone looking to read an instersting book.
taylor shs said,
February 26, 2008 at 8:42 am
1.) I believe in their adventure to find out if the world is beautiful is exactly what they found. Not only to i believe they just found the beauty they found themselves. Jordan at the beginning was afarid to be himself never let his emotions out. And Chloe never understood what was right and wrong didnt even know all those beautiful things existed. So when they set out unknowingly there open. They do incountered some hardships and such but together they over come them.
RebeccaEJSHS said,
February 27, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I agree with what some other students have posted. I DO believe that Chloe is smart. Her past experiences have hurt her so much, that it’s caused her to later develop the mind of a confused child. These times in the novel made me want to read more and find out “What’s wrong with Chloe?”, “Will she ever get better?”, and “What was the secret that she couldn’t tell Jordy about?” Chloe was an interesting character. One minute she’d act all confused and childlike, and the next she’d act like her own age. Sometimes, it seemed in the story like she could see into the future or something. Then, there’s Jordan who’s homeless and gay. In the story, Jordan acts brotherly to Chloe during her time of need. He’d protect her and watch out for her like an older brother. Then, when they left New York to discover the beauty in the world, and Chloe was warning Jordy if he failed, this made me wonder. I started wondering if Jordan would succeed in showing Chloe all the beauty in the world. If he didn’t he would have to “let her go”. I didn’t know exactly what this meant for Chloe, but it didn’t sound very good. I really enjoyed this book. If I could rate it, I would give it 8 out of 10. I recommend this book to anyone. This book was very touching (I nearly cried at the end). I hope the people who read this book will enjoy it as much as I did.:-)
Amanda EJSHS said,
February 27, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Becoming Chloe was one of the most amazing books that I’ve ever read in my entire life. It was a very moving story. It was also a real reality check. It made me realize how hard life could really be like.
I even made my mom read it! Catherine Ryan Hyde really did an awesome job writing Becoming Chloe.
In this novel, Jordy lives in…like an alley-type area, between and below some apartment buildings. He attempts to rescue a girl (Chloe) from being raped in the alley. Now, I say “attempts” because Chloe seems to not realize how Jordy is helping her. She says that nothing bad is going to happen to her, responding to Jordy wanting to take her to the hospital. He doesn’t understand how or why she or anybody could actually think that, and it was even hard for me to comprehend that she could say such a thing. Later the novel explains that this is how Chloe was brought up.
Now Jordy has been taking care of Chloe all this time and Chloe has been teaching him about all the little things in life, like how she has to have pictures of houses up to help her sleep and how she offers him a bird for a friend. But when Jordy injures his head, Chloe finds the motherly instinct inside of her proving that she really is somewhat intelligent. Later, the two of them go around the U.S. finding the beautiful things in the world like mountains, and water, and people. But then they realize that the pretty things don’t have to be huge like mountains and oceans like when an old man shows them all the little creatures living in a small tide pool next to the ocean.
This novel was so great. I actually wanted to read the book again, and I do not read books twice.
Bridgett VHS said,
March 17, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I did not agree with this book at the beginning because of Gordy begin gay. But I did like the fact that he stayed by her no matter what and that he protected her through think and thin. Aslo how Chloe was like a small child that need protection but know when Gordy was hurt she had to toke care of him.
ChrisEHS said,
March 18, 2008 at 9:43 pm
In contrast to what many others have posted regarding the question of Chloe’s intelligence I personally believe that her mental abilities are sub-par.
While her mentality may have been further impaired due to conditions that left her desolate, but this must not be treated as an excuse. Although Chloe thinks in a very child-like manner but this is not a result of her experiences it is merely who she is. When on the adventure at Niagra Falls it is required for Jordan to point out things of eloquence and elagance found in simplistic things, these things are those that even a normal child could pick up on, yet Chloe seems not to do so. However she does seem more alert than is expected though alertness and intelligence are not synonomous. Her perceptiveness and comprehension are two things often equated with intelligence, both of which Chloe lacks. The theme of the novel is one of reedeeming hope and innocence which seems to be more of Chloe’s case.
Jordan’s innocence is renewed with Chloe’s presence and Chloe’s hope is revitalized with Jordan’s concern. In order for Chloe to be perceived as innocent they depict her as child-like. Two things that often define childhood are innocence and ignorance which often come hand in hand. Innocence is one thing Chloe is constantly described as having by Jordan and their landlord, ignorance is a trait that is perceived along with this. Therefore limithing intelligence to that of below the norm of what is expected.
ChrisEHS said,
March 18, 2008 at 10:01 pm
In reply to Taylor at SHS I think that they did not find the beauty in the world they simply rediscovered it. It was in the world around them all the time they simply needed a venue and a cause to look for it because they had both been hurt so much in the past. This is an important fact that many people miss: the world does not change people do. When people change their outlook on the world they begin to see what they had missed all along. The key to this is simply finding a way to block the things and people out that attempt to leave them desolate. PEOPLE CONTROL THE BEAUTY AROUND THEM BY CONTRIBUTING TO IT.
Angela EJSHS said,
March 18, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Becoming Chloe was a prodigious novel that I surely will never forget.
It was very moving and made you rethink your perspective of the world today.
3. Jordy is burying Bruno when Chloe’s Good Dog Bruno dog tag flutters down. “As I shovel dirt onto it, I actually notice a lump in my throat. I haven’t cried for so long. I can’t even remember the last time. Maybe I’m regaining my ability to feel things. Which I absolutely refuse to do until someone can guarantee me it won’t be retroactive.” What do you think this is all about?
I believe this to be about how Jordy had gone through many emotionally traumatizing situations in his life and how because of this he had to put up an emotional barrier around him, forget his feelings and not let him really feel anything to help him escape the pain he would have to bare given he let his emotions run free. I believe that because of the rejection from society and his father beating him for revealing his sexuality, he had to leave what ever life he had before and only to be thrown into prostitution to survive. Since he did not really have any opportunity to move in his life he started simply “going through the motions”, as he said of his liaisons, and deny the existence of things that would cause him any more pain. During the burial of Bruno, he realized that his ability to feel had not disappeared but had been pushed aside until he had witnessed the event of a happy ending, when all seems it was supposed to come about the way it happened.
I agree with Zan SHSDoerr6 when he said “…there are still tons of people who care about you even after you’re gone.” i believe that from burring Bruno he did realize that there still is love in the world and that no matter what or who you are, you still will have people that love you, after you die. Also that the world wasn’t just filled with pain and sorrow, but that it is filled with love and things worth feeling. Maybe this is what started him thinking about showing Chloe the good things and people of the earth.
Over all I would give this book a 9 out of 10 and would recommend it to all readers.
Colleen EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 6:29 pm
1. Chloe and Jordy go on a journey to find out whether the world is a beautiful place or not. What did they discover? What do you think?
Chloe and Jordy discover that the world is a beautiful and ugly place. Beauty is shown through all the wonderful places they go to such as the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, and how they even climbed a mountain. There is a whole lot more beauty then just natural beautiful places. The little things they experienced were just as beautiful as the Grand Canyon for example. Seeing everyone wave to them, seeing dogs chase and run around was beautiful too. Being able to experience time with complete strangers who “go out of their way to treat them like family” was a great beauty too. This showed them that there is a lot of kind, caring people out in the world and that there are beautiful things in the world. At the same time, there are some very ugly things in the world such as Jordy getting beat up, and Chloe getting raped. These ugly things contribute to the beautiful world.
I believe that the world cannot be beautiful or ugly without the other because you need something to compare beauty and ugliness to. The world is such a complex place, that there is no single word or thing that can explain it. Everything in the world has an opposite; beauty and ugliness for example, and without it there would not be any of that in the world. There is no way to know and experience beauty with out knowing what ugliness is as well.
In ElizabethVHS’ response she says, “Thought this book made me think about all the good of the country we live in, it has opened my eyes to the hurt and evil in this world.” This is very true and I agree with her. There is so much good and bad in the world but not one person can see both sides entirely. This book made me see two complete opposite sides of the world. It opened my eyes to see how bad and good some people have it. I also realized that many people can take things for granted, because other people can have it worse than others. This book is great and I think it can open anyone’s’ eyes up about the world.
Blair EHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 8:54 pm
3. Jordy is burying Bruno when Chloe’s Good Dog Bruno dog tag flutters down. “As I shovel dirt onto it, I actually notice a lump in my throat. I haven’t cried for so long. I can’t even remember the last time. Maybe I’m regaining my ability to feel things. Which I absolutely refuse to do until someone can guarantee me it won’t be retroactive.” What do you think this is all about?
Answer: I think that due to Jordy’s situations in the past, he had put up an emotional barrier around him to protect him from more hurt and rejection from society. After his father beat him for revealing he was gay, he let all morals and everything go to become a prostitute. Lacking the probability of a fortuitious future he began, “going through the motions”, as he worded it, and went into denial of more bad commings and hurt. When the burial of Bruno happened, he realizes that his ability to feel things is not completely lost but has been put on hold until he believes in a happy ending.
Reply to comment Taylor CBHS
When you say you understand why it is labled mature I disagree. People deal with problems of discrimination and hatred everyday. Some people go to the extent to hate and cause pain to people even though they have no idea what these people go home to everyday. I think it was rated mature merely because it involved a gay person, and because people are still very “gasp” and controversial about situations involving sexuality.
ashley EJSHS said,
March 20, 2008 at 3:31 pm
4. In several places in the book Jordy wonders about Chloe’s intelligence. Here’s one example. “Did she seem…smart?…It’s like she doesn’t even understand what a bad thing is. She doesn’t even know that what’s happening to her isn’t okay. Then when she needs to get something done, she seems a lot smarter.” (p. 19) Is Chloe smart? What makes you think this?
My understanding of Chole is that she had a traumatic childhood so she is used to bad things. Her sense of good and bad has been demolished due to all the events in her life. I think she would be smart if she had a chance to live in the world outside her normal life. Being able to depart from her rough lifestyle would be a chance to break out of her comfort zone. I do think she is smart, but at the same time guarded.
response to Colleen EJSHS,
I definnitly agree with your thoughts. Seeing the beauty in the tangible things was a benefit to Chole as well as seeing the untangebil things such as different emotion along the way. The different personalities she saw on the trip opened her eyes to unique people and their differences.
Erin EHS said,
March 21, 2008 at 4:36 pm
1. Chloe and Jordy go on a journey to find out whether the world is a beautiful place or not. What did they discover? What do you think?
Becoming Chloe is a coming-of-age story about two teens that discover the world through hardship. In the beginning of their lives, they experience the ugliness of the world. Jordy had been beaten and abused while Chloe had been raped, and both are homeless. It seems like they have nothing to lose, they have no where to go in their lives but up. However Chloe is still unconvinced that the world can be good, uplifting, and beautiful, and Jordy takes it upon himself to prove her wrong. I think that this is a story of true compassion. I think that even without seeing any of the natural wonders that she did, Chloe would have still experienced the beauty of complete love that she found with Jordy. They came to find that not only does real beauty lie in the world around you, but also inside the hearts of the people that truly love you.
In Colleen of EHS’s response she says “I believe that the world cannot be beautiful or ugly without the other because you need something to compare beauty and ugliness to. The world is such a complex place, that there is no single word or thing that can explain it.” I completely agree with this statement. Without the notion of pain, suffering, hate, and harsh reality, the feelings of love, accomplishment, happiness, and beauty would not be so amazing. When we feel loved and cared for, we experience the best that the world has to give us.
MoniqueEJSHS said,
March 23, 2008 at 10:45 am
In my opinion, the world is a very beautiful place. There’s beauty all around us. Jordan and Chloe got to see some very beautiful sights. I would love to see the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, The Rocky Mountains, and the Painted Desert. Jordan thought the world is more beautiful than ugly. Chloe thought it’s as beautiful as terrible, and as terrible as beautiful. I’d have to agree with Chloe.
There are both beautiful and terrible things in this world, but I think that they even each other out. All the murders, rapes, stealing, looting, diseases, etc. that goes on in this world are the terrible things. But then there are beautiful things like mother-nature. Also, people being kind, helpful and caring towards one another is a beautiful thing, too. All the people that helped Chloe and Jordan out were beautiful people. They gave them rides, gave them money, bikes, a truck, etc. They were very lucky to have met all those wonderful people. But, they weren’t very lucky when they were thrown off their bikes to the side of the road when the driver wasn’t paying attention to the road, or when the drunken guys beat Jordan up.
As the ninety year-old man Maximilian said, there aren’t only big beautiful things in this world; there are also small beautiful things, which people could miss easily. I believe he’s right. The little critters in the tide pools on the beach were a great example. He’s also right about people not being able to see all the wonderful things in this world during their life. I know I won’t be able to see all the gorgeous sights in this world, which is too bad.
Indyanna said,
April 1, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Wow, i have to say that this book is amazing. Absolutly amazing. It’s a great novel. It’s insprining in the sense that you want to give the world chances, and to look past all the negativness. It shows that even thought there is a lot of negativity. The world itself is beautiful. It also inspires you to be as better person, and not to take your life for granted. It’s a very good book, and yes it is a mature read. Not in the sense that you have to be of a certain age, but you have to be emotionally mature or you won’t get the full experience out of the book. It’s a very good read, and opens you up as a person. It makes you realize not only the bad stuff but the good stuff, in a world where that can be difficult. I’m really glad i read this book, it’s very moving. It showed me to be postive. it changed me as a person. An absoulutle must read.
kaitlinshsdoerr4 said,
April 21, 2008 at 4:34 pm
1. Chloe and Jordy go on a journey to find out whether the world is a beautiful place or not. What did they discover? What do you think?
They discover that the world is beautiful but it is also (in some places) not beautiful. I agree with what they think that it is beautiful and it is not.
2. The author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, said in an interview, “I can’t write about humans without arriving at hope.” Explain how you think (or disagree) that this is reflected in the story.
That they arrive at hope when they were nearing the end of their journey and Chloe was alot better.
3. Jordy is burying Bruno when Chloe’s Good Dog Bruno dog tag flutters down. “As I shovel dirt onto it, I actually notice a lump in my throat. I haven’t cried for so long. I can’t even remember the last time. Maybe I’m regaining my ability to feel things. Which I absolutely refuse to do until someone can guarantee me it won’t be retroactive.” What do you think this is all about?
He feels sorry for Chloe that she has to suffer over this dog. I think that he also is sad that the dog died.
4. In several places in the book Jordy wonders about Chloe’s intelligence. Here’s one example. “Did she seem…smart?…It’s like she doesn’t even understand what a bad thing is. She doesn’t even know that what’s happening to her isn’t okay. Then when she needs to get something done, she seems a lot smarter.” (p. 19) Is Chloe smart? What makes you think this?
I think she is smart when she wants to be, but otherwise no. Because she acts really stupid when she isn’t on a mission to get something done, but turns around and is super smart when getting that something done.
AshleighEJHS said,
April 22, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I think that Chloe is actually really smart. Acting dumb was her way of dealing with things. She probably didn’t want sympathy from people. After a traumatic childhood, I think that anyone in that situation would want to put up a wall. You wouldn’t want anything or anyone to affect you in a negative way. Sometimes, you have to force yourself to ignore the past. If it brings back horrible memories and emotions, you’re going to avoid that. It’s not fun being depressed or scared. Chloe knew just how to take care of that. She also knew when Jordy needed her and was there for him. When Jordy needed medicine, she was there. When Jordy needed a companion, she was there. She also respected anything that Jordy wanted. When he asked her to stay in the bathtub and sing, she did. And she did it well. I have so much respect for Chloe. I wish that I was strong enough to continue life happily after a scary past. I think that she knew she’d be there for Jordy the first time she met him… He saved her from a bunch of drunk guys. Life wasn’t looking good for her… He brightened it. She brightened his life in return. Even though Jordy was really concerned about her ‘smarts’, her psychiatrist reassured him that she was indeed very bright. This confused Jordy as to why she didn’t show him that side. She ended up showing him in subtle ways. I think he appreciated that much more.
Amanda EJSHS said,
April 29, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Seventeen year old Ginny was shy and didn’t believe in herself very often, except for when she was around her Aunt Peg. Her Aunt Peg was an outgoing, creative artist who Ginny felt different around. It came as a big surprise when Ginny found out that her Aunt Peg disappeared without a trace and without even the slightest clue as to where she went. Months later Ginny found out that her aunt died from a disease. She then receives a letter from her aunt telling her to go to a restaurant in Manhattan where she and her Aunt Peg often went to. There she received thirteen mysterious, clue-filled letters in blue envelopes with different illustrations on them. Each letter contains a task that Ginny must complete before she can open the next envelope. The letters took Ginny on a European adventure and provided her with all the money she needed. On her own, Ginny had to figure out the clues to find a restaurant her aunt decorated, help a starving artist, and many other things. Along the way, she found out that she has an uncle (because her Aunt found love when she stayed there and got married) and met many other interesting people, including a zany British performance artist named Keith, who she fell in love with. In the end, the clues led Ginny to where her aunt’s hidden paintings were. They sold them and made a ton of money. The letters that Ginny’s Aunt Peg sent her changed her life. The trip to Europe helped Ginny overcome her natural shyness, believe in her own strength and independence, and meet her uncle and first love, and become rich. It was an adventure she’ll never forget. I thought it was quite an unrealistic story but i still greatly enjoyed the novel.
KianaEJSHS said,
May 13, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Jordy is burying Bruno when Chloe’s Good Dog Bruno dog tag flutters down. “As I shovel dirt onto it, I actually notice a lump in my throat. I haven’t cried for so long. I can’t even remember the last time. Maybe I’m regaining my ability to feel things. Which I absolutely refuse to do until someone can guarantee me it won’t be retroactive.” What do you think this is all about?
I believe that Jordy feels this way because of his past pains. He was abused by his father and practically ignored by his mother. Society will not accept him because of his sexuality and at one point in his life he has to turn to prostitution to make a living. Even though at the point of prostituting Jordy did not seem to mind, it was really bad for Jordy because he actually seemed to push away his emotions more by being with this other man who could be his father. He was looking for acceptance for anyone no matter what it cost him. Jordy at that point in the book he had gone through many hardships and was immune to crying and emotion. Jordy was I think afraid to cry because he knew that it would remind him of the horrid past that he did not want to remember. He had set up a barrier to feeling anything, so when he started crying for Bruno he realized that he was feeling emotions again. He could feel sad without it having to do with his past. Those emotions were never really gone but they had been ignored as much as possible. He noticed that though there are bad things in the world there are good one to help pass the bad ones. The world is not as bad as it seems to him. I also think that the barrier he set up shielded him from really interacting with people he really did not know other than Chloe of course, like when he was working as a waiter, he would never interact with the other waiters, and he instead avoided them as best he could. From the moment Jordy first cried again to every other moment after he was beginning to realize that the hard times he had had were part of the past and the future and the world were a great place to be in.
EJSH BichNguyen said,
May 14, 2008 at 3:23 am
2. The author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, said in an interview, “I can’t write about humans without arriving at hope.” Explain how you think (or disagree) that this is reflected in the story.
This story was compelling. As a reader i was captured into the plot, the action, the changes within the book. The characters were moving. I greatly liked the book. I think that it was a great choice to make, when I decided to read it. The question is if humans can arive at hope in the story, if it is or isnt reflected. In this story human interction was a major, clear cut appearence. As well as the relationship that humans will have with each other, moving the other on among each obstacle.
Hope, its a complex subject. Its meaningful and complex however at the same time it is simple. When there is trust, there mostly will be trust. The author stating that writting is incomplete without writitng and including hope. Hope is an essential part of the human society. Without hope there would be little f anything. There would be lack of self esteen adnd along with that ther would be lack of progress. Without hope, what is the strive to do better to become better by doing that. Without hope, life isnt life. Life is just a day to day month by month thing, of night and light, meaningless and incomplete.
Such as with the story i had hope. Hope is essential to all. I had hope on my friendship, that it would last and that everything would be ok. That hope led to neither of us giving up and now we are happy agian and doing spectacular.
This book is definatly one that catches the readers attention. It was one i would tell my friends to read. The imagry was pricless. The voice and tone was flawless. The storyline and plot was just great.