Blog Reflection

Over the course of the trimester, I believe my writing improved because it has become more professional. I also believe that my grammar has improved along with my sentence structure. For example, in my earlier blog, I asked a question that didn’t really make sense. The flow and wording of the blog sounds childish now that I read it. The question I was trying to throw out didn’t come across clearly and so the readers (of my blog post) probably didn’t understand what I was asking. In my newer, more recent blog post, I believe that I made my point more clear and explained my book better. Also, I used quotes from the book I’m reading to support my answer and support my reasoning in my newer blog post. The quotes can help the readers understand and get the general gist of the book I was reading. When I put quotes in my blog post, the reader can understand my thoughts on the book. Although my later blog post is shorter than my first, I believe that my blogging has improved.

One thing I struggled with through this experience was trying to find something to blog about. I worked through this struggle by thinking about what the viewers of my blog would actually want to read. I also thought about what would capture my attention if I was a blog viewer. This helped me post interesting things on my blog like: recommendations, books I want to read, books to avoid, books to read, updates on my book, and thoughts on my book. A strength I had on blogging was giving my blog viewers a lot of good books to read. I gave out books to read almost every week. When I posted the books to read, I gave a short summary to help the viewers of my blog decide whether they want to read it or not. I have not reached my reading goal yet but I believe that I will when the 2013 year ends. I used goodreads.com for updating my reading, finding books to read in the future, seeing what other people think about a book so I can decide whether I want to read it or not, looking at quotes, and finding popular books. I improved as a reader over the course of the trimester by being more interactive with my book. This means analyzing what the book means and actually being able to understand what happens in the book (even the small details). I also feel like I have been reading more often this trimester. Overall, my writing and reading has improved over the course of the first trimester.

Some "Not so Good" Books

     As we all know there are those "best I ever read" books and there are those "not so good" books. 

Below are 2 of the "not so good" books I've read. I'm pretty sure most, if not all, of you have read these books.

     1.) Whirligig by Paul Fleischman

     

     The main problem with this book is the plot. The only exciting thing in this book is that the main character accidentally kills someone and has to go on a trip to the 4 corners of the U.S.. Nothing exciting happens after he accidentally kills the girl. Sure, there's good description/imagery and it's told by different point of views, but the at the end of the story, all you're thinking is "So what?". The character travels around to the corners of the U.S. and places a whirligig at each corner in memory of the girl he killed. The End. I truly believe that this book is not worth reading. 

     2.) The Giver by Lois Lowry

     The worst feeling is when a book leaves you hanging at the very end and you have to wait for the next book. In The Giver, it ends with a cliff hanger. Even worse, there isn't a sequel! This will definitely leave you frustrated. Another problem is all the questions you have when you read this book. The main character, Jonas, can see color but everyone else in his society can't. Why is he the only one who can see color? Genetic mutation? What? As you read this book, you'll have so many questions that will go unanswered. Lois Lowry has some good books, but this is not one of them. 

     

What are some "not so good" books that you've read?

Ever heard of this author?

     If you haven't read any books by Ray Bradbury, then your missing out on some fantastic writing by this American Author.

Here are some of my favorite stories of his:

     One of Bradbury's most well known and masterpiece is the book Fahrenheit 451. The title refers to the temperature when paper starts to burn.This book is about a future society where books are not allowed. The firemen in this society burn books instead of putting out fires. Guy Montag, never questioned the burning of books, until he met the strange girl called Clarrise. Montag then decides to steal books and read them, changing his perspective and causing the consequences of doing so. I really enjoyed this book because of its interesting plot and great description. It's just a great story overall and I think anyone who reads this will enjoy it.

     Another book I thoroughly enjoyed is called Something Wicked This Way Comes. The two 14 year old characters, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, see a carnival train roll into town. But this is not an ordinary carnival. Leading the haunted carnival is a man called, Mr. Dark. The "Illustrated Man" lures people by giving their desire, their wish, but those who get what they want from Mr. Dark are bound to the carnival forever. When the carnival stops in their town, Jim and Will's nightmare truly begins. I enjoyed this book because of the thrills and chills you get when reading this book. The suspense and the plot is great.

     Other books by Ray Bradbury include: Dandelion Wine, Martian Cronicles, Farewell Summer, many poems, and other short stories. 

  

Find Ray Bradbury books on Amazon today!

Book Thief ~ Update

     Before I really start this post, I just have to say that Allegiant by Veronica Roth is finally out!! I can't wait to read the last and final book of the Divergent trilogy. I'm so excited!

     I've been getting farther into The Book Thief by Markus Zusak but I have to say, the book isn't as exciting as I thought it would be. I'm now past the first 100 pages and still nothing exciting has happened. It has just been Liesel's ordinary life where she is learning how to read. I am still grateful for the fact that it's still interesting, but not like it's so amazing I want to keep reading it. This has been preventing me from reading more of the book. I do plan on finishing the book because I heard that the climax was pretty exciting and interesting compared to the beginning of the story.

"The strange thing was that she was vaguely comforted by that thought, rather than distressed by it.
The dark, the light.
What was the difference?"
 Page 100

     In this quote, Liesel just found out that her mother would never answer the letters she wrote and sent for her. From the previous information, you can predict that Liesel's mother was prosecuted by the Nazi. At the beginning of the book, Death told us that Lisesel had brown eyes. Now put all the information you have together and you can come up with this: Liesel's mom knew that her children and herself would be killed by the Nazis because they had brown eyes. So, in order to save her children, she planned to give them to a family who would adopt them and who were for the Nazis. This is why Liesel's mother abandoned her with the Hubermann's, the adopting family.

     Predictions: Liesel and her friend Rudy will steal a book together. The both of them will become very close and fall in love. (Currently in the novel, Rudy likes Liesel already.)
     Liesel will run away with her adopted Papa, Hans Hubbermann, since her Papa doesn't agree with the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis.
     Many people will die at the end, but Liesel will not (she's the main character).

     The Book Thief movie comes out November 8th, 2013. Watch the trailer!

Want to Read Books~ Halloween Edition!

     Halloween is almost here! That means time to bring out the scary books and the sci-fi books I want to read! By each book that I want to read, you'll see the rating of the book from Goodreads, the summary of the book, and why I want to read it. 

1.) The Host by Stephenie Meyer- 3.86, The earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the human brain while leaving the body intact. Melanie Stryder's mind has been invaded by one of the members of the species, called the Wanderer. Although Melanie fills the Wanderer with thoughts of Jared, a human who lives in hiding from the invading species, the Wanderer desires another man Melanie doesn't know. As reluctant allies, the two of them go on a search to find the man they both love. I want to read this book because of the interesting love triangle that happens in the story. How will one body with 2 minds, love 2 different people? The interesting and unexpected synopsis of the story spurs many unanswered questions unless I read the book. 

2.) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - 3.69, Susie Salmon is just a regular 14 year old girl. Still growing up, looking toward high school, and just received her first kiss. On the way home from school, Susie was stopped by one of her neighbors, George Harvey. George changes Susie's life forever, Susie was murdered. In this story, Susie narrates her observations from heaven. She watches her family from above: her father determined to solve the mystery, her mother who runs away from her feelings, her sister who grows up right before her eyes. She also watches her killer and her devastated friends. Susie wants to help with the case of her own murder, but can only wait and hope that the killer will be punished. To me, this book sounds like a great novel. Not only is it narrated from an interesting perspective (Susie in heaven) but the story sounds like a gripping thriller/mystery. This book was made into a movie I was scared to watch, so instead, I plan on reading the novel. 

3.) Coraline by Neil Gaiman- 3.96, Coraline finds a mysterious locked door in her new home. When she finally opens it, there's nothing but a brick wall, when she opens it again later, a passageway strangely appears. Through the door, she finds a more interesting, alternate world. There's her house that exactly looks the same, and her "other" parents that have creepy black button eyes. When the "other" parents want Coraline to stay in their world forever, the terrifying game begins. With a talking cat and a nifty stone with a hole, she must rescue her real parents and 3 children who have been taken by the "other" mom. Coraline's nightmare may just come true. Since this book has been created into a movie that I have already seen, I feel like I need to read the book. This creepy tale has a summary that definitely captures your attention and has a very interesting plot. 

Romeo & Juliet

     Currently in class, we are reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I would like to discuss how Romeo and Juliet are not truly in love.
     First off, Romeo was in love with Rosaline before he met Juliet. When Romeo snuck into the Capulet party to woo Rosaline, he saw Juliet for the first time. He then believed that he is in love with her because she was so beautiful. The problem here is that Romeo changed his mind so quickly on who he loved. He said he was in love with Rosaline but changed his mind, so he could have done the same thing to Juliet: change his mind in a snap his feelings for her.
     Second, Romeo and Juliet just met and it seems like he wanted lust over love. He just saw her and then kissed her a couple of times, how can you be truly in love if you only met a person? It might just be those teenage hormones (since Romeo is 17 and Juliet is about 14).
     Third and lastly, Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet. At the end of Scene I, Act V, you can see that both of them are shocked and disappointed because they come from the two different and rival households. This most likely swayed their mind just a little about their love for each other. At that moment, you could tell that they knew they couldn't be together. (But obviously they made it so that they would be together despite the feud between the two households they were each in.)
     In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet are not truly in love. Let's just say that they were star crossed "lovers".

The Book Thief ~ First Impressions

     What did I notice first? The narrator. The narrator is Death. I have never heard of a book with Death being the narrator, maybe that's what makes this book so popular and great.

"Their mother was asleep.

I entered the train.

My feet stepped through the cluttered aisle and my palm was over his mouth in an instant.

No one noticed.

The train galloped on.

Except the girl." 

page 20

     This excerpt from the story was when Liesel's (the main character) brother died. Note: This book takes place during Nazi Germany. Liesel's brother died on the train toward Munich. They were on the way of getting foster parents. In the passage above, you can see death coming into the train and taking the life out of Liesel's brother, Werner. Werner was coughing violently, (for what reason, we don't know) and suddenly died. No one saw, as Death noticed, except Werner's sister who "saw" Death. What Liesel "saw" was Death taking Werner's soul...

"It was exactly when I knelt down and extracted his soul, holding it limply in my swollen arms. He warmed up soon after, but when I picked him up originally, the boy's spirit was soft and cold, like ice cream."

 page 21

   Something else I noticed? The style of writing. Professional would be one word to describe it. Creative can be another. The way this book is written isn't like any other book I've read before. Maybe it's because Death is speaking, Death isn't human...?

"First the colors.

Then the humans.

That's usually how I see things.

Or at least, how I try."

page 3

New Book ~ The Book Thief

    I'm finally done with my previous book, I'm excited to read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. You might be wondering, what attracted you to this book? Well let's start off with the cover. As the saying goes, "don't judge a book by its cover" isn't always true for me. The book cover is the first impression of the book, it can either attract you or dissuade you from picking up the book. Take a look at the cover below. ~

     Doesn't the cover make you ask yourself, Why are there dominos? How does that relate to a book thief? What is the book thief? Also, the cover is purposely made to be old looking; that brings up more questions about what's going to happen in the book.
     The second thing that made me pick up this book was the talk. People here and there tell me about how good the book is and that I should read it sometime. According to Amazon, this book has been named #1 New York Times best seller, which got me to consider reading it. 

     Lastly, when I read the synopsis, it got me interested. For those who don't know, it's about a girl named Liesel who discovers books. She isn't allowed to keep them because it is during the time of Nazi Germany, the Nazi book-burning, but she keeps stealing and hiding them anyways. I bellieve that this book will be informational but at the same time interesting. Who doesn't like a book that includes danger and risks? 

     I'll be sure to keep updating my progress once I start reading the book so you can decide for yourself whether this is a book worth reading, or not. 

Theme and Summary: Water for Elephants

     I believe that the theme of Water for Elephants is "the benefits of love come from the sacrifices you have to make". This theme first emerges when Jacob Jankowski jumps onto the train after dropping out of college and meets Marlena for the first time. Also at the beginning of the novel, when one of Marlena's performing horses named Silver Star is foundering (AKA laminitis), Jacob then helps Marlena through this situation and comforts her because they both know that Silver Star will not make it. This event brings the both of them closer together.

     “I don’t understand how this could happen so fast.’ Her voice is tiny and hollow, and it occurs to me that she’s probably going to cry. I crouch beside her. ‘Sometimes it just does. It’s not because of anything you did, though.” Page 87

    Another event that helps Marlena and Jacob bond is when the Circus gains a new elephant. Because the new elephant, Rosie, does not understand English commands (as they find out later), August the animal trainer is very brutal with to Rosie. In this situation Jacob is able to be close to Marlena but they have to watch Rosie suffer. 

     "Rosie whimpers and this time doesn't move an inch. Even from this distance, we can see that she's trembling. Marlena chokes back a sob. On impulse I reach for her hand. When I find it, she clutches my fingers so tightly they hurt." page 141

     Finally, when August saw the connection between Marlena and Jacob, he physically hurts both of them which causes Marlena to leave August. Marlena no longer wants to live in August's cart so she moves to a hotel temporarily. Jacob visits her once in a while and on one of the visits, they both confess their love for each other. Marlena and Jacob are physically hurt but are able to love each other without hiding their feelings.

     "'I love you, Marlena. I love you with my heart and soul, and I want to be with you.' ... She lifts her head. There are tears in her eyes. 'I love you, too,' she whispers. 'I think I've loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. But don't you see? I'm married to August.'" page 274

Objective summary: page 308 to 310 ~ SPOILER ALERT
     The animals are let loose creating a disaster stampede. This puts everyone in danger who is watching or in the show. But what Jacob is most concerned about is Marlena. It's a crazy scene of people and animals mixed together; the animals escaping and the people trying to escape and get out the way. While Jacob is trying to get to Marlena, he sees August hitting Rosie with the bull whip and Marlena sitting on Rosie. Before Jacob is able to reach them, Rosie pulls a stake out the ground and hits August on the head. August is knocked out and then trampled by the animal, killing him. Marlena is devastated, but also relieved. Jacob and Marlena can now live their life together.

Ever heard of this book?

     You may be that person who always and only reads the popular and best sellers books, but have you ever heard of this book? ~ Raven Quest by Sharon Stewart

MY OPINION:

     Though this book is not a well known book, I can definitely say that it is well written. Raven Quest isn't a hard book to read, it's meant for ages 10 and up according to Amazon, but in  my opinion, this book will satisfy any reader of any age. A fiction book, 320 pages long of action and adventure makes this one of my favorite books.

SYNOPSIS:

     Tok was the "no-name" Raven in the Raven Mountains country. But Tok has to face a bigger problem, he was falsely accused of murder and banned from the country. In order to redeem himself, Tok has to go on a dangerous journey to find the Grey Lords. The Grey Lords and Ravens once worked together long ago,but the Grey Lords are long gone because all were killed by the Two-Legs (humans). Or so all the Ravens think. No one has ever seen the Grey Lords but Tok is determined to find them. A treacherous and long journey can reveal the truth, or kill him along the way.

Character-August

               One of the characters in Water for Elephants is August. Husband of who Jacob likes, Marlena, and brutal animal trainer for the circus. You really start to see how bad of a man August is when the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth gets an elephant named Rosie. August thinks that Rosie is a dumb elephant because she doesn't follow commands and she only eats all day. But Rosie is actually intelligent, as Jacob finds out, she just doesn't want to listen to August's commands. August is always frustrated with the new elephant and to let out his frustration, he whips her with a bull hook. Marlena, Jacob, and some other circus members see this as harsh and terrible, but the August and audiences who watch the circus thinks it's okay. 

"The audience loves it. Each time Rosie trots ahead of August and stops they roar with laughter. And each time August approaches, red-faced and waving his bull hook, they explode with glee." page 164.

I believe that the audience think that it's all part of the act, being angry at Rosie and all that.

August is a flat character. He has been the same way towards the animals for as long as Jacob has joined the circus and most likely even before that. August also leaves the animals in poor conditions: not feeding them on long trips, giving them spoiled food, and leaving them in hot temperatures. Never has August once considered really taking care of them.

August is also the antagonist. He's obviously keeping Jacob from hooking up with Marlena and prevents him from taking proper care of the circus animals. 

Water for Elephants Update

                  So far I think this book is a fascinating story. The story jumps time to time, from when he's 93 to when he's 23. Jacob was in Cornell University when he received the news that both of his parents died in a car accident. With college too expensive to pay himself and his parents behind on mortgage, Jacob knows he cannot stay in Cornell any longer. Clueless on what to do, he finds himself jumping on a train to somewhere he doesn't know. But the train isn't any ordinary train, it's a circus train for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth!

Since this book received the Alex Award (2007), it means that this book was written for adults but appealed to young adults. I do agree that this was meant for adults. Some content in this book is not meant for those who aren't young adults. Let's just say that you need to be mature when reading this book...

So far, I can tell that Jacob and Marlena, one of the performers, are going to fall in love. I can see through the book cover and the synopsis on the back cover. I do have to say that this story is a bit confusing. You might have to re-read the text in order to understand what is really happening. If you read too fast, you will miss important details that you need to remember or understand. Also there are many characters you have to keep track of near the beginning of the story.

As the story goes on, I hope that it will get more exciting and capture more of my attention.

My Most Anticipated and Want to Read Books

These are the books that I can't wait to come out!

1.) City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
                       
This is the 6th and last book to the series of the Mortal Instruments. The first book of this series is called The City of Bones. (The movie of this book came out not too long ago.) In the last book to this series, Clary, Jace, Simon and their other Shadowhunter friends must might together to defeat their greatest enemy: Sebastian. The reason why I can't wait for this book is because the whole series has been an epic thrill ride. Action, romance, and suspense; it has it all.

2.) Allegiant by Veronica Roth

This is the 3rd and final book to the Divergent trilogy. The movie for Divergent is coming out in 2014. Tris Prior now lives in a new society because of power struggles, violence, and many losses. But in her new reality, she discovers new truths and new problems. I cannot wait for this book to come out because of the gripping suspense in the first two books. All the drama, fighting, surprises, and relationships in the previous books makes this one of my highly anticipated books.

3.) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I recently got this book and heard from many of my friends that it's a great story. The movie of this book is going to be released as a movie in November, 2013. In this story, Liesel Meminger is living in 1939, the time of Nazi Germany. She finds something that she cannot resist, something so great that she has to share it with her neighbors and friends, books. Reviews on Amazon say that it's an outstanding book. Goodreads' users also give it a high rating. The The Book Thief truly sounds like a book worth reading.

Water for Elephants - New book

          
Today, I started reading a new book called Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Although I am not far in the book, I have a general idea on what the book is about. The main character is Jacob, and he is 93 now and telling a story from his memory about his life working in a circus.

More information about this book:



•  331 pages
• The genre of the book is historical and part romance. (Fiction)
• Published on the 26th of May, 2006
• Movie of the book was released April 22, 2011
• 2007 Alex Award recieved for this book
• New York Times best seller for 12 weeks
• Due to the bad words that already appeared in the book, I suggest readers should be 13+

Stay tuned to my blog for more details and my opinion on the book!

 

Interested in the movie? Click here to learn more!

 

 

Book Recommendation

 “Insurgent, he says. Noun. A person who acts in opposition to the established authority, who is not necessarily regarded as a belligerent.”

Today, I finished the book Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Being the second book of Divergent, I'm surprised it is still as good as the first book. Overall, the book is as exciting and suspenseful as the last book, though the information near the ending of the book confused me a little.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone but you should read Divergent first in order to understand what is happening in this book. Both guys and girls will like this book because of all the non stop action that happens throughout the book. This book has a bit of romance but still has a lot of unexpected events that make it appealing to many people who have read this book. Pick up this book if you're looking for drama and a thrilling adventure. I would not recommend this book to people who can't stand blood and violence, because this book has a lot of it. People get hurt often because of the faction that Tris, the main character, is in (Dauntless), and all the fighting against the corrupt government they have right now.

Overall, this young adult book may be good for only those who have read the first book. It is easy to read and very addicting, in my opinion, you will finish the book in a snap because you won't be able to put it down. I would give this book a 5 stars out of 5.

Divergent character - Tris Prior

I recently finished the book Divergent by Veronica Roth and I can truly say that it is one of the best books I have ever read. Because of all the action, suspense, and excitement, I could not put this book down. I can't wait for the 3rd and last book to come out this October.

I would like to talk about how Tris (Beatrice) Prior develops over the course of the story. Because she is the protagonist, main character, and narrator, she is the one advancing the plot. As I wrote in my last post, Tris is Divergent and she is in the Dauntless faction. Being Divergent means being able to be "immune" to simulations. Simulations are like dreams except you're injected with a serum that makes you dream. Tris creates drama by making enemies and being able to place first in one of the Dauntless initiation test. The antagonist in this story, Jeanine Matthews, is able to create a mind controlling serum to control the Dauntless and force them to fight for her. Because Tris is Dauntless, she is able to resist the mind controlling serum and help shut down the system controlling everyone.

Tris interacts with other people depending on her feelings for them. For example, Tris is enemies with, Peter and Eric in the Dauntless faction. She dislikes them because Peter is rude and is a jerk to everyone. Eric is a Dauntless leader and wants to change the Dauntless rules to become more competitive and violent, he also acts like a jerk towards everyone. Tris likes Christina, Al, and Will because of they're friendliness towards her and because they also dislike Peter and Eric. Tris is in love with Four, or also known as Tobias,  because of the way he treats her and his like for her back.

Throughout the story, Tris develops from being unsure about being in the Dauntless faction, to being sure that she belongs in that faction but Tris is Divergent, and has accepts being Divergent and not just belonging just to one faction. "I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless. I am Divergent." (Roth 442) She also acts and thinks differently by the end of the novel: from being scared of the other Dauntless transfers she was competing with who were larger and more muscular to being confident in her abilities and actions. Her change helps her deal with tough simulations to deaths of her fellow friends and family.  By the end of the book, she is both physically and mentally stronger.

Overall, Tris has made visible change, making her a complex character.

"I am no longer Tris, the selfless, or Tris, the brave. I suppose that now, I must become more than either." (Roth 487)

Divergent update

Currently I am on page 260 of Divergent by Veronica Roth, and so far the book has kept me on edge. The story of Tris and her journey is not only exciting, but suspenseful and unexpected. I am not able to put this book down.
Tris is currently in the Dauntless faction which is about being brave and so they have to learn to deal with their fears, fight, use weapons, and lots of training. Four, a Dauntless instructor just found out that Tris is Divergent through a simulation. To be Divergent, is not good. I predict that Four will help keep the secret of Tris being Divergent (because it seems like he likes Tris) but the secret will leak out eventually. When you are a Dauntless, you might be killed if the instructors found out that you were Divergent. I still don't get why it's so bad to be Divergent. Does not being able to be pointed at a specific one faction, make it so that you will be killed? What makes being Divergent so bad in that society? This book also reminds me of the book, The Hunger Games because this is a story about the how society will be like in the future. In the The Hunger Games, the 'Hunger Games' were created to keep the districts from rebelling against government and how people died in the rebellion. In Divergent, the different factions were created for what they believed caused the warring world. Also about how the society is like in the future.
Overall, the book is impossible to stop reading. I can't wait to see what happens next and finish the book.

Click here to see the details of the different factions.

Analyzing characters

The narrating character Jack changes throughout the novel Room by Emma Donoghue. On page 85 it says, "I sit up too. 'Why don't you like it in Room with me?' Ma holds me tight. 'I always like being with you.' 'But you said it was tiny and stinky.' 'Oh, Jack.' She says nothing for a minute. 'Yeah, I'd rather be outside. But with you.' 'I like it here with you.' 'OK.'" As seen by this quote, Jack is reluctant to leave Room because its his whole world since he's never been outside. But Ma wants to escape Room because she was held prisoner there by Old Nick, never once allowed to go outside during her captivity. On page 321 it says, "'Good-bye, Room.' I wave up at Skylight. 'Say good-bye,' I tell Ma. 'Good-bye, Room.' Ma says it but on mute. I look back one more time. It's like a crater, a hole where something happened. Then we go out the door." In this quote, Jack is willing to say good-bye to Room, never to come back, and start his new life. Throughout the story, Jack learns more about the world outside of Room, becomes more mature, and knowledgeable about the world. 

Jack responds to different characters in different ways. Being very comfortable with Ma, since he was with her for his entire life and no one else except Old Nick who only comes once in a while, Jack able to talk to Ma without any difficulty as seen throughout the story. But when Jack meets other characters like Dr. Clay, he's more reluctant to respond; as seen in this quote: "'How're you doing, Jack?' 'OK.' 'Gimme five?' His plastic hand is up and he's waggling his fingers, I pretend I don't see." Jack eventually is more responsive as the story progresses. 

Jack advances the plot because he has to escape from Old Nick, he's the one that has to save Ma, and he's the one that has to survive in a world that he has missed out his entire life so far. When Jack gets out of Room, he has no experience in manners, communication with other people, and the different items that weren't in Room. "He holds out Dylan to the man. I run and grab him back... 'Jack, sweetheart, this one belongs to the store.' Deana's pulling the book out of my hand. I hold even tighter and push him up my shirt." In this quote on page 247, Jack doesn't understand the concept of stores and how you have to buy things. Jack see's a book in the store that's like a book he already has so he takes it without paying for it and just leaves the store. This advances the plot and the survival theme.

Room Article

This article tells you a little about the book Room. It also contains explanations about some details found in this novel. The opinion of the writer of this article can also be found in this article.

 

Emma Donoghue interview