Monday, March 9, 2009
Introduction
Welcome to my ninth grade book report. I have done my book report on the novel 'Wuthering High' by Cara Lockwood. The place of publification of this novel is New York in the year 2006. The type of novel is a mystery.
Plot Summary: Part One
This story takes place mostly on Shipwreck Island, where Bard Academy is located. It takes place during September through to the end of November. The atmosphere is dark, cold and discouraging because this is a reform school where children go whn all others give up on them.
Plot Summary: Part Two
Miranda Tate is a very high-maintenance girl. She can't live without her hair dryer or hair products. And she certainly can't live without her individuality. So how will she survive life at Bard Academy, the behaviorial modification school her parents send her to after she totals her dad's new BMW and charges one thousand dollars to step-mom number three's credit card? At Bard you must wear a uniform at all times. No flammable products are allowed due to the many pyromaniacs at the school. Once at Bard, Miranda meets her soon-to-be inseperable best friends, Hana, Samir and her goth roommate, Blade. She also meets Heathcliff. Heathcliff tells Miranda that he's from Wuthering Heights. 'Like the book?' Miranda asks. Heathcliff gives her a funny look and walks away. Miranda is quick to categorize him as crazy, but when he starts saving Miranda from all types of fatal situations, she is forced to re-evaluate. Another odd thing is the teachers. When Miranda goes into Ms. W's room, she is surprised to see that there is no bed. Only shelves upon shelves of books. Ms. W also appears to be soaking wet one second and completely dry the next. One day, when Miranda and Blade are sleeping the closet light turns on by itself. Miranda gets out of bed to investigate but finds nothing out of the ordinary. She then goes back to bed only to have the light turn on again. This time, when she looks around, she discovers writing on the floor.
Kate Shaw
10/31/90
Kate Shaw was an old Bard campus legend. She disappeared and all that was recovered was her bloody backpack. She had tried to escape. Miranda was forced to think back to her first night at Bard when she had tried to escape. She climbed out her window and shimmied down the drain pipe. She walked into the forest. She stayed walking in a straight line for hours. Only when the thick folliage dispersed, instead of seeing the water and boats to get off the island, she found herself right back where she started. The woods were another strange thing at Bard.
When Miranda checked the floor the next day, the writing had disappeared. Although Miranda was scared, she tried to put it out of her head. The only way to do that was to go on a date with basketball-playing Ryan Kent. Halfway through their date, they both heard laughter. They looked around but saw no one. What they did see, however, was a fire. Ryan and Miranda jumped up and started to gather their things. The fire was thick now, thogh. There was almost no way to get out of it. Or so they thought, before Heathcliff appeared. He gathered Miranda into his arms and ran away from the fire. Once far enough away, he set her gently on the ground, where she passed out. She only remembered Heathcliff running off the get Ryan.
She woke up the next day in the infirmary. In the bed next to her lay Ryan. In front of her stood Ms. W, Coach H, Hana, Samir and Blade. The teachers said that they needed to hear exactly what was going on. Miranda told them all about Kate Shaw and the fire. The teachers whispered back and forth but all Miranda could hear was 'Emily's back'.
The teachers went out of the room and told Miranda, Samir, Hana and Blade to stay where they were. Instead they decided to follow the teachers. The teachers walked to the on-campus greenhouse, oblivious to the fact that Miranda and her friends were following them. When the teachers entered the greenhouse, Miranda and her friends stopped dead in their tracks. Because the teachers didn't use the door to get in. They simply walked through the wall. The kids decided to follow them still. They walked inside in time to see a woman holding a book and Coach H getting sucked into said book. The mysterious woman then, despite Ms W's cries,pulled out a different book and Ms. W was sucked in. The woman approached the children and introduced herself as Emily Bronte. The kids looked at each other. Emily Bronte had been dead for over a century. Hadn't she? Emily then continued to speak. She said that Ms. W was in fact Virginia Woolf, Coach H was Ernest Hemingway and that all the other teachers were also dead authors. They were at Bard because each of them had died before their time and must now pay it back. She then told themhow there was one special copy of every book ever made. If you opened the book and read a passage out of it, you can bring the author into the book. Or, she said smiling, you can take characters out of the book. She then opened the book 'Dracula' and started reading. Soon Dracula comes out of the book. He chases Miranda and her friends around, but not before Miranda grabs Emily Bronte's book, 'Wuthering Heights'. As her friends distract Dracula, she begins to read. Soon Emily Bronte is sucked into the book. Hana reads a passage from 'Dracula' and he, too, is sucked in. Samir finds Ms. W's book and Blade finds Coach H's book and they read from them. The teachers soon are spat out. They explain how they have been at Bard since they died and will never leave. Bringing fictional characters into this world is dangerous and may bring on the apocolypse, which is why Emily Bronte is so dangerous. She brought Heathcliff into this world, along with Dracula. The children left the greenhouse with the promise that they would never say a word...
Kate Shaw
10/31/90
Kate Shaw was an old Bard campus legend. She disappeared and all that was recovered was her bloody backpack. She had tried to escape. Miranda was forced to think back to her first night at Bard when she had tried to escape. She climbed out her window and shimmied down the drain pipe. She walked into the forest. She stayed walking in a straight line for hours. Only when the thick folliage dispersed, instead of seeing the water and boats to get off the island, she found herself right back where she started. The woods were another strange thing at Bard.
When Miranda checked the floor the next day, the writing had disappeared. Although Miranda was scared, she tried to put it out of her head. The only way to do that was to go on a date with basketball-playing Ryan Kent. Halfway through their date, they both heard laughter. They looked around but saw no one. What they did see, however, was a fire. Ryan and Miranda jumped up and started to gather their things. The fire was thick now, thogh. There was almost no way to get out of it. Or so they thought, before Heathcliff appeared. He gathered Miranda into his arms and ran away from the fire. Once far enough away, he set her gently on the ground, where she passed out. She only remembered Heathcliff running off the get Ryan.
She woke up the next day in the infirmary. In the bed next to her lay Ryan. In front of her stood Ms. W, Coach H, Hana, Samir and Blade. The teachers said that they needed to hear exactly what was going on. Miranda told them all about Kate Shaw and the fire. The teachers whispered back and forth but all Miranda could hear was 'Emily's back'.
The teachers went out of the room and told Miranda, Samir, Hana and Blade to stay where they were. Instead they decided to follow the teachers. The teachers walked to the on-campus greenhouse, oblivious to the fact that Miranda and her friends were following them. When the teachers entered the greenhouse, Miranda and her friends stopped dead in their tracks. Because the teachers didn't use the door to get in. They simply walked through the wall. The kids decided to follow them still. They walked inside in time to see a woman holding a book and Coach H getting sucked into said book. The mysterious woman then, despite Ms W's cries,pulled out a different book and Ms. W was sucked in. The woman approached the children and introduced herself as Emily Bronte. The kids looked at each other. Emily Bronte had been dead for over a century. Hadn't she? Emily then continued to speak. She said that Ms. W was in fact Virginia Woolf, Coach H was Ernest Hemingway and that all the other teachers were also dead authors. They were at Bard because each of them had died before their time and must now pay it back. She then told themhow there was one special copy of every book ever made. If you opened the book and read a passage out of it, you can bring the author into the book. Or, she said smiling, you can take characters out of the book. She then opened the book 'Dracula' and started reading. Soon Dracula comes out of the book. He chases Miranda and her friends around, but not before Miranda grabs Emily Bronte's book, 'Wuthering Heights'. As her friends distract Dracula, she begins to read. Soon Emily Bronte is sucked into the book. Hana reads a passage from 'Dracula' and he, too, is sucked in. Samir finds Ms. W's book and Blade finds Coach H's book and they read from them. The teachers soon are spat out. They explain how they have been at Bard since they died and will never leave. Bringing fictional characters into this world is dangerous and may bring on the apocolypse, which is why Emily Bronte is so dangerous. She brought Heathcliff into this world, along with Dracula. The children left the greenhouse with the promise that they would never say a word...
Plot Summary: Part Three
The main conflict in the book is people vs person. Everyone in the book is against Emily Bronte because of her dangerous tendency to bring fictional characters into this world. The conflict is resolved by Miranda sucking Emily Bronte back into her book.
Character Description
Miranda Tate: Miranda is ambitious and courageous. And example of when she showed ambition was when, even though she had just regained consciousness after the fire, she went out to see what was going on with the teachers at the greenhouse. An example of when she was courageous was when, despite having Dracula attack her and her friends, she still managed to get Emily Bronte's book and suck her back in.
Miranda's Father: Miranda's father is selfish and cruel. An example of his selfishness is when he sent Miranda to Bard because she was trying to rescue her sister from a bully and accidently totaled his car. An example of his cruelty is when he isn't home when Miranda comes back at the end of the story for Thanksgiving. Instead, he and his wife go to a Country Club.
Miranda's Father: Miranda's father is selfish and cruel. An example of his selfishness is when he sent Miranda to Bard because she was trying to rescue her sister from a bully and accidently totaled his car. An example of his cruelty is when he isn't home when Miranda comes back at the end of the story for Thanksgiving. Instead, he and his wife go to a Country Club.
Theme
I think that the author wrote this book as a fun way to expand teenagers' knowledge of classic literature and authors. In my opinion the main message in this book was that literature can be fun...and sometimes fatal. I learned alot about religion, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway and the Bronte sisters. This book is important because classic literature is dying and this is a fun way to bring it back. This book also inspired me to read 'Wuthering Heights', and 'The old man and the sea'.
Critique/Conclusion: Part One
-Strength: One strength of this book is suspense. You see alot of suspense throughout the story, which helps you experience the characters' feelings.Example: The scene in the greenhouse at the end of the book.-Weekness: One weakness of this book is that it is very confusing.Example: The scene when Emily Bronte explains to the kids about howthe teachers are really dead authors who died before their time.
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