Author Archives: Ayati M.

Fablehaven: The Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

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In the fictional novel The Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull, Kendra and Seth Sorenson are back at their grandfather’s house, which is actually a sanctuary for mythical creatures. To begin the story, Seth makes friends with some satyrs, and together they steal some treasure from small, fairy-like creatures called nipsies. Seth and the satyrs notice that some of the nipsies have turned dark, as if they had been infected with some type of evil. It turns out that is the case, and the plague that has been spread is the conflict of the book. 

Although the reading level of this book is comparatively lower, the story, literary elements, and character development are surprisingly advanced. Higher-level readers can find strong themes throughout the pages, and since the story itself is fantastical and enjoyable, The Grip of the Shadow Plague is a very fun read! It is part of a much larger series called Fablehaven, and all of the books of this series are centralized around the mystical adventures of Kendra and Seth. I would give this book a 5/5, and I would recommend it to readers of all ages.

-Ayati M.

Fablehaven: The Grip of the Shadow by Brandon Mull can be downloaded for free from Libby.

Downsiders By Neil Shusterman — A Memory Book

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If Talon, one of the main characters from the fictional novel Downsiders, created a scrapbook, what would he include in it? What kinds of items were important throughout his journey?

Warning! This post has spoilers!!

1: Socks

Socks are an integral part of the Downside tradition. Downsiders will leave socks in certain places for people to find as a symbol of gratitude. This is because socks are fairly difficult to find in the Downside, so their value is much higher there. Talon (a Downsider, or someone living in the subway tunnels) gets offended when Lindsay (a Topsider, or someone living on the surface, as we do) does not show gratitude for the sock he left her, but Lindsay recognizes her mistake and says, “‘I’m sorry’…And she put it back into her pocket, finding herself oddly pleased that she wouldn’t be parting with it” (Shusterman 76-77). This exchange of a sock begins the story of Talon and Lindsay’s friendship, as both Talon and Lindsay have proved their liking for one another in their own respective ways. 

2: The “Bot”

Talon has broken the most sacred rule of the Downside by bringing a Topsider (Lindsay) down into the underground world. This event is the first stage of the book’s conflict, and he and Lindsay end up lost in the Bot, which “was one of the many unquestioned realities of Downside life. It was there, had always been there…the Bot was a Big Old Tunnel–a stone-lined cylinder that ran the length of the Downside and beyond” (Shusterman 95). It is said that the many tributaries of the Bot span the entire Downside. The Bot can be seen as a physical representation of the story’s plotline. Talon’s journey throughout Downside ranks is supposed to be straightforward, yet his curiosity leads him to get lost in the tributaries of his journey. By bringing a Topsider into the Downside, Talon has stumbled into an unexplored tributary, as such a grave offense has never been committed. Readers are engaged and curious to see if the tributary will be a dead-end or lead to something amazing.

3: The Sun

At the beginning of the novel, Talon expresses his yearning to see dawn, as Downsiders are not allowed to see the sun. Near the middle, he is executed from the Downside due to bringing a Topsider down, but the pipe that was supposed to bring him to his death had a break, so Talon ended up on Coney Island, where he saw and even enjoyed the sun. Finally, among the very last pages, Talon decides to make an entirely new world for his fellow Downsiders, among the abandoned skyscrapers of New York. Knowing about the Downside rule against the sun, Lindsay asks Talon about his strange decision, upon which “Talon grinned more broadly than Lindsay had ever seen him smile before. ‘Things change’” (Shusterman 242). The sun represents the beginning, middle, and end of Talon’s personal journey, just as dawn, noon, and dusk represent the stages of our day. By dusk (or the end of the story), Talon has brought the Downside population to new heights.

-Ayati M.

Love, Magic, and Dreams: An analysis of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

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An entertaining and humorous read, the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare incorporates a variety of figurative language to demonstrate a number of concepts, ideas, and opinions.

To begin with, Shakespeare skillfully develops the timeless aspect of love. In the very first scene, readers are introduced to Theseus and Hippolyta planning their wedding, as Hippolyta expresses that “Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; / Four nights will quickly dream away the time” (1.1.7-8). The story of Theseus of Hippolyta is quite unique: at first, Theseus kidnapped and beat Hippolyta in battle. By introducing these enemies-turned-lovers at the beginning of the play, Shakespeare foreshadows love issues and complexes, but also suggests a happy ending. Moments later, readers learn about Hermia and Lysander’s love, despite Hermia’s father Egeus’s desire that Hermia marry Demetrius. Hermia’s friend, Helena, is already in love with Demetrius, but as Helena explains, “The more I love, the more [Demetrius] hateth me” (1.1.204). The play is mostly centralized around the loves of Demetrius, Hermia, Helena, and Lysander. Love is universal and timeless–someone from ancient Egypt would feel the same butterflies as someone in 2050. The same applies to sadness, betrayal, and jealousy, all of which are prevalent in the play. In Demetrius, Hermia, Helena, and Lysander, readers understand the timeless complicated and uncontrollable nature of love. Cleverly, Shakespeare further expands on uncontrollability when the fairy king, Oberon, sends Puck to retrieve a flower, whose juice “[w]ill make or man or woman madly dote / Upon the next live creature that it sees” (2.1.177). For the audience, the flower challenges the uncontrollability of love. Demetrius and Lysander are both affected by a simple thing as flower juice, causing them to completely change their views, dispositions, and opinions. Upon analysis, Shakespeare’s incorporation of such a magic flower, which terribly exacerbates the love complex between the characters, represents the irrational, yet consuming aspect of love. 

In addition, magic is a significant element of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and it is not too different from love. Once again, the magical flower is a crucial symbol. Magic is often understood as the ability to do and control virtually arbitrary actions and events. As already discussed, love is a prime example of uncontrollability. With the magic flower, the fairy king and Puck are given greater power over the rest of the characters. They have a greater influence on the events that will ensue in the play. Magic’s influence is further exemplified by Puck, who turns Bottom’s head into a donkey’s head during rehearsal. Unluckily, Titania (who has been spelled with the magic flower) wakes up and instantly falls in love with Puck (3.1.131-164). This situation is especially significant in the theme of magic since it is a magical being herself (Titania, the Fairy Queen) who has fallen under a spell. First of all, the overtaking influence of magic is apparent; moreover, the influence of love is also portrayed. It can be argued that Shakespeare incorporates magic into the play to accentuate its likeness to love. Both magic and love cause troubles, yet they can both completely dominate a person’s actions and way of life.

Finally, the significance of the title  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” must be recognized. Dreams are random, irrational, and absolutely overtake one’s mind, very similarly to love. Moreover, dreams are repeatedly mentioned throughout the play. For example, Hippolyta expresses that “Four nights will quickly dream away the time” (1.1.8). Referring to the day of her wedding, Hippolyta uses “dreams” to describe her wait. The word “dreams” has a very positive connotation. In this manner, “dreams” recur to represent fantastic events, situations, and emotions.

Clearly, Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” well incorporates figurative language to develop a multitude of themes, lessons, and ideas.

-Ayati M.

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Are Jim and Della from “The Gift of the Magi” richer before or after their gift exchange?

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Belonging to the genre of dramatic irony, the short story “The Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry narrates the tale of Della and Jim, who have become richer in affection after their gift exchange. The protagonists choose to give up their most valuable belongings with the intentions to give the perfect gifts to each other, which have been rendered useless. However, Della and Jim gain something more valuable in their relationship than either of their possessions.

When she wants to make more money to buy a nice gift for her husband, Della asks, “‘Will you buy my hair?’” (3). Because Della is willing to give up her most precious possession, the immense love she feels for her husband is depicted. Furthermore, Della’s feelings are mutual as Jim ends up selling his cherished watch to buy combs for Della.

At first glance, the exchange seems to be inconsequential since the gifts are now unusable, but a shift in the conflict is noted when “Of all who give gifts, these two were the most wise. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are the most wise” (4). By sacrificing their most precious belongings, Jim and Della prove to each other that they have deep affection for one another, which is why they are referred to as the magi. There is no materialistic gift that would have such great meaning as the gifts of Della and Jim; therefore, they are much richer than they were before the gift exchange.

-Ayati M.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

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Becoming is an autobiography by Michelle Obama, and it is absolutely amazing. I first chose to pick up this book because Michelle Obama is my celebrity idol — whenever someone asks me a question like “If you could meet any celebrity, who would you meet?”, my answer has been Michelle Obama since I was little. Her accomplishments are absolutely amazing and inspiring.

This book is comparatively long, but the vocabulary that Michelle Obama uses, as well as her sentence structures are easy to comprehend. Yet, every word has an important meaning. In this book, Michelle Obama outlines her personal life, from growing up in the South Side of Chicago, to how she handled the election and the press, to the way she made a point to be present at her daughters’ bedtime despite her many responsibilities as First Lady. 

The book is divided into three sections: Becoming Me, Becoming Us, and Becoming More. As the names suggest, the first section is about Michelle Obama’s childhood and background. She discusses her family values, education, and jobs before meeting Barack Obama. The second section includes Michelle Obama’s family life with Barack Obama, and her support throughout his political journey beginning with public service and ending the night of the 2008 election. She talks about her emotions, and the confusions of how everyone wanted her to act versus how she wanted to be perceived and what message she wanted to convey. The final section discusses her life in the White House as First Lady. This part was especially interesting, since she tells us about her famous initiatives like Let’s Move, but readers get a much deeper understanding into her motivation and her mindset. It’s honestly really fun how personal her book is.

It is interesting to see her viewpoint on the election and White House life — she expresses a clear dislike for politics and even says that “the political world was no place for good people”. The way I understand it, Michelle Obama’s motivation throughout the journey was her belief that Barack Obama would be an amazing president. She had been by his side for some time and had seen his passion for helping people, and she knew that he would continue and extend this passion to all Americans.

I would give this autobiography a 5/5. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. We all know about Michelle Obama’s achievements, but we are not aware of what was going through her head during elections and travels, or about her background and childhood. It was very interesting to read about her personal journey — the one that the news has not covered.

-Ayati M.

How Can Peace Be Ensured In A Diverse Society?

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Around the world, different cultures have struggled with maintaining an equilibrium between their ideas and beliefs. Many have broken apart, but some exceptional countries have managed to maintain a state of tranquility among their people. The United States is known as a country of immigrants, and it is a place where people of all backgrounds and cultures coexist in a way that has never been seen before. So, how can peace be ensured in a diverse society?

With the acceptance of surrounding differences, there can be harmony between distinct people. Patriotism is the pride in one’s country, and American patriotism is largely perceived as taking pride in being able to coexist with people who have different backgrounds. This means that the United States itself is a nation that is built on embracing the differences and unique qualities of others. It also means that accepting others allows Americans to acquire connections with each other, and in turn maintain tranquility in society. 

Trust and communications are essentials for a unified nation; therefore, common goals are an essential factor for ensuring peace. In his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln declares, “It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” Referring to the Union’s fallen soldiers in the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln calls the Americans to action and implores them to continue their fight for the cause. This cause, equality for all, was the common goal which held Americans together during that difficult time. Their unity allowed them to have peace among themselves. 

A more recent example is depicted in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001: one of the most devastating events in America’s history, but there was an abundance of help and support available for those who needed it. In other words, America was united with its common goals, establishing trust in each other and making it easier to communicate with each other despite any differences. A society with common goals, but not necessarily common beliefs and customs is a society which provides its community with a safe and peaceful environment.

From the Civil War to today, history is filled with conflicts between groups of people who have struggled to reconcile their differences. It is important to understand that peace can only be achieved through collective efforts, not by the pleas of a single person. However, the pleas of a single person can certainly spark a collective movement. In fact, it is up to courageous individuals to speak up and speak out for their dream (dream: sound familiar?) and inspire others to take a stand.

-Ayati M.

Book Review: The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta

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The fictional novel The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta tells the tale of a sixth grade girl named Kiranmala who is told that she is an Indian princess from another dimension. Readers are introduced to Kiranmala at the beginning of the story when she is complaining about always having to be an Indian princess for Halloween. However, once the Rakkosh demon shreds her home and her parents go missing, Kiranmala is taken back to her “home dimension” by two princes. There, she meets a girl of her age who is supposedly her cousin, winged horses, moving maps, and an irritating talking bird. To Kiranmala’s surprise, everyone helps her throughout her journey to find and save her parents. On her way, she finds out astonishing things about her heritage that had been hidden from her. 

This novel incorporates elements of many different cultures. I think that such novels, although fictional, can teach readers a lot! The story of the main character includes suspense, mystery, adventure, and humor. This novel is a hilarious and emotional rollercoaster, and a story everyone should read.

-Ayati M.

The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Original Story, Greek Myth Style – Kumar and Ram: The Creation of Sorrow

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Greek mythology is the basis of modern literature, and the brilliant stories to explain natural phenomena are so captivating that I decided to attempt to write my own myth, similar in style to the Greek myths. The following story attempts to explain why there is sorrow in the world:

Kumar and Ram: The Creation of Sorrow

Long ago, the universe was ruled by its king, Raja, and its queen, Rani. Together, Raja and Rani managed the universe and created a scene so beautiful that not even the most talented artist could depict it. 

Raja and Rani had two sons: their eldest was named Kumar, who was a very obedient and smart child. Their younger son was named Ram, and he was much more mischievous and playful than his older brother. The two had spent their entire lives watching their parents create stars, circulate planets, and sometimes send asteroids into projects that would not turn out the way they wanted. 

One day, Raja and Rani thought that it would be a good training exercise for Kumar to try and manage his own planet, and they provided him with a medium sized planet orbiting a small star on the edge of the Milky Way galaxy. Kumar was elated, and instantly began to decorate his planet with stunning seas, mountains, beaches, and forests. He even created a cover of gases around the planet which would protect it from any asteroids gone astray. Proud of his work, he named his planet Earth.

Like any younger sibling, Ram had always competed with his older brother, and was extremely jealous when he saw what his parents had gifted Kumar. This envy quickly escalated as he observed Kumar taking delight in decorating his planet. 

Wanting to show his parents that he too was responsible enough to manage his own planet, Ram went to his older brother and asked if Kumar would share some of the planet with him. Kumar denied his request at first, but then changed his mind and gifted Ram a small block of clay from Earth. Kumar told Ram that he can create anything with this piece of clay, and Kumar would keep it on Earth. If the creation is both beautiful and successful, it would be a clear indicator that Ram is also ready to have his own planet. If the creation failed to impress, Kumar would destroy it. 

Elated, Ram quickly went to work. He used the clay to create a creature that looked similar to him; it walked on two legs, had two arms, and had a smiling face. He named it a human and went to show Kumar his creation.

Kumar was very amused by Ram’s human and placed it on a piece of land on his planet. Quite soon, the human started to multiply, and its clones were all over Earth. They became very smart and started to use the nature around them to their advantage. They cut down trees to use as shelter, and killed other animals. They even started to create their own inventions that would release a horrible black substance into the gas layer that Kumar had created.

Of course, Ram was delighted upon seeing the intelligence and efficiency of his humans, but Kumar was furious at the harm that his planet had suffered at the hands of the humans. He tried to get rid of them, but they were much too populated. So, Kumar used his power to curse as many humans as he could with negative qualities such as greed, evil, arrogance, and laziness. Kumar knew that this would be just as much of a punishment to Ram, and hoped that it would teach Ram a lesson. To this day, Ram is still paying his price as he watches the evil and sorrow of his once-beloved humans.

-Ayati M.

George and Lennie: Curley’s Context (Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck)

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What if George from John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men was charged with the murder of Lennie? What if Curley, the Boss’s stuck-up son was testifying? That too for the prosecution? I wrote my interpretation of Curley’s character and stance below – I hope you enjoy it!

I first met George and that monster-of-a-man Lennie the day they arrived at the bunkhouse. They struck me as strange from the beginnin’–they travelled together, and George wouldn’t let Lennie talk. My old man told me that Lennie barely said five words to him too. I knew they would be trouble, and what happened in the bunkhouse a few days later only made sure of that. 

Some of the guys had started to make fun of me after I asked them if they’d seen my wife, and I saw Lennie smilin’. I got mad! Usually, I can fight a big man and ever’body will hate on the big guy, and I honestly thought that Lennie wouldn’t have the pluck to fight back, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Lennie wouldn’t raise a finger until I made a proper job of his face, but when George yelled at him to get me, that big hulk grabbed my hand and crushed it in his. Slim convinced me to say that I got my hand stuck in a machine, but for some’un like Lennie to insult my dominance is unacceptable.

The day we found my wife’s body, I instantly knew who did it. I knew he was trouble, and I was still real mad about my hand, but I never could’ve imagined that the beast would take my wife’s life. I shoulda been the one to shoot that Lennie, and it woulda been completely fair if I had! However, Lennie’s death by George’s hands is a show of George’s cruelty.  

George and Lennie seemed to have the relationship of a dog and his master, with the dog completely dependent on his master but available at his master’s every wish or disposal. Lennie was a big guy, and he could’ve used that strength to his advantage loads of times, but he wouldn’t defend himself, or even talk without George’s permission. Workers never travel together, and Lennie’s actions make me think that the two were only travellin’ together because they were either runnin’ from something, or because they had foul intentions. Why, they could have been plannin’ murder all along.

As for the question of George’s sanity, I definitely think that he was in his right mind while shooting Lennie–he was not at all insane. Like I said before, if the two were runnin’ from something, George must’ve killed Lennie after the incident to spare himself a whole lotta trouble. It’s obvious that George sees Lennie as a burden, and shootin’ him under the excuse of Lennie being a killer was the perfect opportunity to lighten George’s shoulders.

-Ayati M.

Argument: The Careless Consultant (Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

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Cover of Romeo and Juliet

There is a reason why people often say they have “escaped into their favorite story” or “jumped into the pages” of a book. This is because the literary world is a place where writers express their thoughts, feelings, opinions, and imaginations so readers can discover them. Every piece of literature will exemplify different beliefs or opinions, but there are some things that stay the same–one of these is the respect for a mentor. In one of the most influential American novels, Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is the father to young Scout and Jem Finch, but he is also a teacher, a guide, and role model to his children. A mentor exemplifies leadership, righteousness, and a trustworthy presence, but the character of Friar Laurence is in stark contrast as he let two young children who looked up to him die by their own hands. William Shakespeare, in his tragic play Romeo and Juliet employs the character of Friar Laurence as the person responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s suicides in order to portray the detriments of an irresponsible and wrongly focused mentor.

Friar Laurence’s failed counseling is seen in his infatuation with the bigger picture, the larger impact, the greater significance. In this mindset, he fails to recognize the minute details and comparatively smaller consequences. When the excited Romeo arrives at Friar Laurence’s cell to ask the friar to marry him and Juliet, Friar Laurence disapproves, but later changes his mind. He shows no interest in the happiness of Romeo and Juliet; instead, he expresses his desire to end the feud between the Montague and Capulet families. The friar’s focus on the larger impact causes him to fail to see the impact of this marriage on Romeo and Juliet themselves. 

A sketch entitled "Friar Laurence gathering herbs" from Mary Evans Picture Library
“Friar Laurence gathering herbs” from
Mary Evans Picture Library

The character of Friar Laurence also exemplifies the trait of irresponsibility. As a respected teacher of both Romeo and Juliet, the friar must understand his role as a mentor to both children and be able to teach them to make responsible decisions. However, Friar Laurence exemplifies the contrary when Juliet arrives at his cell, desperate. She is engrossed in her dilemma of avoiding marriage to two men; moreover, she is grieving the banishment of Romeo. Despite Juliet’s hysterical state, Friar Laurence asks Juliet how desperate she really is, and proceeds to give her an outrageous solution, after Juliet’s “approval.” It is absolutely ludicrous to ask Juliet, in her present condition, for such an opinion. The friar demonstrates reckless thinking and proceeds to give Juliet a potion that will send her into a death-like state for hours without even attempting to discuss or reason another solution with her.

Despite the trust Romeo and Juliet placed in him, Friar Laurence is to blame for the suicides of Romeo and Juliet. Through his irresponsible mindset and wrongly placed focus on the larger impact of Romeo and Juliet’s actions, Friar Laurence failed at his role as a mentor. Unlike Prince Escalus, a merciful leader who well carries his responsibilities, Friar Laurence neglected his responsibilities of demonstrating proper decision making and instead offered an outrageous solution to a young girl who was unable to collect herself at the time. Unlike Atticus Finch, who paid proper attention to how his actions would impact his children, Friar Laurence disregarded the consequences of his actions on Romeo and Juliet and was instead consumed by the idea of him being the one to restore peace in Verona. Compiled by the pen of William Shakespeare, Friar Laurence well portrays the horrible consequences of failed mentorship.

-Ayati M.

Romeo and Juliet is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.