A Constellation of Vital Phenomena Review

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Author: Anthony Marra

My rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: 

Eight-year-old Havaa's life in rural Chechnya is forever changed when her father is abducted by Russian soldiers. Their neighbor, Akhmed, finds Havaa hiding with her blue suitcase and seeks a way to help her. He reaches Hospital No. 6 where he and Havaa meet Sonja; after that, their lives are never the same. Marra shares a story of love among the inhabitants of this war-ridden place in this powerful and impactful novel.

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My thoughts:

While reading the first chapter of Marra's A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, I was transfixed by his writing and the impending story. The opening sentence itself had me hooked by being thrown into the story so quickly and in such a depressing but delightful manner. Throughout the first chapter, I was also captivated by the sophistication of Marra's writing style and language use, and I immediately recognized how Marra goes out of his way of the story to make descriptions and add richness to his story.

The novel is so full of war-tattered people and places, but Marra manages to slip in humor and happiness in the poor setting for his story, i.e., a character who mistakes the lyrics of a Bee Gees song for words from the Qur'an. Nevertheless, after a minimal paragraph of humor, the novel returns to its bleakness, reminding the reader that this setting may be mere fiction for most of us, but for some, it is very real and very bleak. We find our young character, Havaa, learning how to fire a gun, but that is only the beginning. For a frequenter of war, Chechnya is a real example of what happens to places and lives during war.

Reading this book all the way through gave me the satisfaction of finding out its ending as *spoiler alert* all books do. What I really mean is that Marra's story becomes many different stories throughout the novel, and they end up all connecting and converging as one. The agony of waiting through this long novel pays off in the end by the brilliance that sows it all together; so if you find the book slow going, read on! Marra bares the effects of war on the pages of his novel and it is truly an eye-opening read.

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Would I recommend A Constellation of Vital Phenomena?

Yes, what I've written in this review so far should speak for itself. This book may particularly interest readers of literary fiction, historical fiction, war stories, and readers with interests in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

If you would like to read an excerpt, click here.
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Resources: 

If you would like more information about the novel, click here.

The press release for A Constellation of Vital Phenomena can be found here.

For more about Anthony Marra, click here.

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I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Stargirl Review

Stargirl

Author: Jerry Spinelli

My rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Stargirl is not the average girl. She is, in fact, the least average girl you’ll meet. When she comes to Arizona’s Mica High, after being homeschooled, Stargirl opposes the rest of the student body’s boring, conformist lifestyle. She carries her pet rat with her, plays her ukelele and sings “Happy Birthday” to every single student, and did I mention her name is Stargirl? While the whole school is stunned by this wonder of a girl, the narrator, Leo Borlock, falls for Stargirl and all of her eccentricities….until her eccentricities make him and the students at Mica High uncomfortable. Leo encourages her become normal in order for her and Leo to fit in and be liked by the rest of Mica High. But what happens when Stargirl becomes normal?

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My thoughts:

Stargirl is uplifting and refreshing. It reminds us all to be ourselves. Stargirl expresses her individuality freely and happily. And yes, it does bother or, rather, shock the students at Mica High, but the respect for her individuality leaves a mark on the school as seen in the end of the novel.

When I read Stargirl, I tried to imagine how I would feel if someone like her showed up at my high school. Unfortunately, I feel like I would have been reluctant to like her at first (trust me, I’m not a terrible person). On the outside, I understand how many of the students thought she was weird or had something wrong with her. But I was always taught to accept people for who they are and to also not judge someone until you get to know them. After I thought about that, I understood that she is beautifully different. She is the Luna Lovegood of Mica High, and for any Harry Potter fan, she is a welcoming reminder of how awesome people like her and Luna are, and how little of them we find in the real world.

One aspect of novel the novel I found interesting was the time frame in which it was told. You can tell from the beginning that Leo is looking back on his time with Stargirl. It’s what makes this book interesting because ou’re itching to find out their relationship in present-day Leo’s life. I found that I wanted to keep reading and keep reading because everything in the novel had already happened and I felt as though I had to play catch-up.

Spinelli’s addition of Archie into the story is so wonderful. Archie is a retired, widowed man who teaches any person who wants to learn about anything at his unofficial Saturday school at his house. The group of students is called the “Loyal Order of the Stone Bone,” and they wear homemade necklaces with a pendant fossil bone as a symbol of belonging to the group. Archie is not only a mentor for Leo (and others), but he is someone that Leo looks up to and seeks advice from. Archie is a good complement to Stargirl because he is alittle odd and unconventional like her. Upon reading all of the parts with Archie, I instantly became jealous that I didn’t have such a person to admire and school to learn from.

Spinelli continued to awe me with his writing style. He wrote a short novel, but in that small space, he created memorable characters and used excellent word choice. Spinelli opts out of using the overused “butterflies in my stomach” phrase and comes up with his own: “My stomach had flies.” (Paperback, 77) Spinelli’s vivid imagery of his Arizona landscape caught my eye as well. Sentences like, “She faced the mountains, bathed in sun syrup….” (Paperback, 92) His story became one I could picture in real life and one that I became jealous of (see part about Archie); Stargirl greatly deserves the nominations and awards listed inside the front cover of my paperback edition.

The relationship between Leo and Stargirl was light-hearted and nerve-racking, and everything in between. I was impatiently waiting the romance that I knew was to come in the novel, and Spinelli kept us coming back in delaying their romance. But, as I read through Stargirl, I realized how little he focuses on their relationship. Sure, it’s important for the story, but it’s not THE story. In doing this, Spinelli urges the audience to focus on the importance of his novel - Stargirl's individuality and her willingness to freely express it.

What’s important is to not make people change like Leo made Stargirl do, and to not allow people to change you. Embrace your difference, embrace your individuality, embrace your Stargirl-ness.

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Would I recommend Stargirl?

Yes, I would recommend Stargirl to fans of YA and general fiction. It is for middle schoolers and young adults, but it can be read and appreciated at any age.

DIRECT TV Scholarship

The question of what draws me to various types of technology is silly. I mean, what doesn't draw me to technology. Technology is awesome! It drives my daily life. I eat breakfast and watch the news so I can catch up on current events. I use my laptop, phone, and tablet constantly not only for pleasure, but for school work. So, I guess what draws me to technology is its usefulness and versatility.

And what can't I take away from technology? I take away so much everyday. I learn so many things from technology, so I find that it's a very important part of life. In this age, technology brings people together like never before...and never as quick as before. So much is out there on TV or the web that can be learned or experienced that people didn't have access to before. It's a wonderful world to live in with this instant access to virtually everything.

I am driven by social as well as academic interests in terms of technology. Halfway through high school, I moved from Michigan to Illinois (I had lived in the same place in Michigan all my life). This was a very difficult move for me, especially since I was still in high school. However, through social media, calling, and texting, the move was not as terrible as I had thought because I was still able to keep in touch with all of my amazing friends and family back home in Michigan. Technology is so important for me as a way to stay connected to people that I can't see as often as I wish I could; it's makes life so much better to easily stay in contact with the ones I love. Also, as I briefly mentioned before, technology is important to me as an academic outlet. Oh man, I cannot even imagine what school must have been like back in the day without high-speed internet. I depend on the internet constantly for help with school. There are so many wonderful academic resources online too. YouTube has become a great resource for online learning, whether it be YouTube and Google publishing the content, or the hundreds, maybe thousands, of YouTubers creating educational content. Of course, there's Khan academy, which is a wonderful resource as well. Even a simple Google search can lead one to a google-sized amount of helpful and fun academic resources.

Does technology sound like a wonderland yet, because it does to me! And that's why I believe so strongly in its usefulness and versatility....and its awesomeness. Furthermore, I believe that technology brings people closer together. So all those people who think that it's making society antisocial, I say "no way!" Moving away and staying in contact with my friends and family is a great example. But there are even greater ones out there. Many people have found wonderful partners through dating websites or other technological means. I mean, technology has shaped lives forever in those circumstances! Technology, specifically via the internet, has even created communities of people and friendships that wouldn't have existed without it. For example, I watch YouTube like others watch TV, so constantly! It's a beautiful place for content creators and it's a ton of fun! Some of those content creators have become famous (at least to us fans), and have created positive environments for those fans to interact and become friends with each other. Those communities have even done amazing things to impact the whole world, such as raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for multiple charities in an event called Project for Awesome.

I believe that technology is a great supplement to the physical world because we can learn from it, meet new people, make new connections, and more. Even writing this blog seems silly because living in the digital age, I believe that society should already smitten with technology. I know I am! Technology even affords me the opportunity to write blogs like this one and hopefully earn money toward my education. Oh what a wonderful invention technology is! :)

AT&T Internet and Education Scholarship

Has the On Demand revolution and shift to consuming media online affected me positively as a student? Heck yes! A major thought on a student’s mind today is saving money. I use the internet everyday whether it be keeping up on social media or googling for advice or researching for a project. Living in a college dorm and not having access to  ALL of the television channels at home is a tough transition. But, with the help of the internet, I can always watch the latest episode of any given show at any given time. It’s a lifesaver! I usually rely on a show’s website to watch latest episodes, but I have also used Netflix’s free trial to find entertainment that is Netflix exclusive. Also, with the shift of media consumption online, YouTube has become a hit. YouTube is one website I check out daily. It’s a great place to watch miniseries or funny cat videos or vlogs from your favorite YouTuber. And occasionally, there are even TV shows or movies on YouTube that I can watch, but shhh...don’t tell anyone. However, there is one benefit of online media consumption that has impacted me the most: having the ability to watch hockey on my computer. In college, you cannot buy special packages for your TV. Now, I’m a hockey fanatic who is going to college in a state that is not home to my favorite team. Do you expect me to miss all of my team’s games because I can’t subscribe to this package? Heck no! With the shift to online media consumption, I have the ability to subscribe to NHL Gamecenter Live on my computer and watch out-of-market games whenever I want. Having an opportunity to still watch my favorite team makes me a happy camper. And when I’m a happy camper, I’m not stressed or in a bad mood. And when I’m not stressed or in a bad mood, I am a better student. Having the opportunity to escape from stressful college life is essential. I like to think that having a little relaxation time every day is a good thing, and I like to use that time enjoying watching TV shows or YouTube or hockey online. The shift to online media consumption makes my life as a student easier and also satisfies my entertainment needs. I can’t imagine any student who would condemn this shift to online media consumption unless their argument is that  they are too distracted by it. And to that I say, a healthy balance is the key to success.

Internet Initiative Scholarship

     Being the ordinary human being that I am, I cannot predict the future. However, I have some idea of what I would like to do after college. My plan for my post-college world is to be a YouTuber and make videos for a living. People my age have found entertainment from the internet more so than the television, and this can be said of myself. I love surfing the internet. At first, I was enthralled by social media websites (and I still am), but something else caught my attention. It’s a website called YouTube. I always knew YouTube existed before I was consumed by it. I would watch a music video or a “how to” video here and there, but I wouldn’t just watch YouTube for the sake of watching YouTube. Then I found out that the author, John Green, was a vlogger, or video blogger, on YouTube. That’s where my obsession began. I started watching vlog after vlog. Then he mentioned other YouTubers, so I looked up their channels. One YouTube channel that has stuck out to me is ApprenticeA Productions. Instead of a lone person making YouTube videos, ApprenticeA is a small company of people who make videos together. Can you see where this is going now? I would spend so much time watching all of the YouTubers fascinate me with their videos, and then a thought occurred to me. I want to make YouTube videos for a living. I specifically want to be like ApprenticeA because they are a group of friends who live and work together in the same house and make YouTube videos.....for a living. That sounds like fun. While it is a lot of fun, YouTube videos can be hard work. Their videos specifically require a lot of patience and hard work. They do not only make videos about random topics, but also produce short film-like videos. It’s a happy mix between the movie world and the YouTube world. ApprenticeA is like a movie production company, but on a smaller scale, and being the movie buff that I am, that sounds like my cup of tea. I hope to one day work for ApprenticeA or build up the guts to create my own YouTube channel like theirs. Now the question of how I would use the internet to help me excel in my occupation seems self-explanatory by now, but I’ll happily elaborate. I want to make videos for YouTube. YouTube is on the internet. Therefore, I would need the internet for my job to even exist. But, of course, there are other ways in which the internet would help my occupation thrive. First, the internet would be a great place to gather ideas and topics for a video. The internet is full of creativity and that’s the first place I’d go to determine what an audience would like to see from my videos. The internet is also a great place to determine trending topics, which could ultimately make my videos more popular and more interesting. Second, the internet is a great place for marketing. I mean, it’s a big place. I would utilize every social media website I know in order to promote my YouTube channel and my videos. That is how some of the most successful YouTubers today have gained their success. A simple tweet or post with the appropriate tags could help my videos spread like wildfire. Finally, I would use the internet to help me edit my videos. There are many great applications out there can be found on the internet that would help me polish up my videos in post-production. Editing is an important part in the video-making process, so I need proper tools to do that. Also, the internet is a great place for research. If I ever hit a snag while working on a video or I don’t know everything there is to know about video-making, the internet is a very helpful place. With a wealth of information at my fingertips, I can find the help I need to make sure my videos are the best they can be. Now, while I am not living in the post-college world, I can still start working toward my post-college goals. After I finish writing this blog post, I will definitely be going back to YouTube and watching more videos and learning more about video-making. I only hope that as I watch more and more videos and learn more and more things that I will become more driven to make my own channel and my own videos.