Suspense Journal/ Short Story #3

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Okay just for an explanation, my English teacher last year made my class do this game where we wrote a short story in the span of 5 minutes. I liked the game so much I started doing it for fun. I’m starting with the suspense genre. My next suspense tool is phobias:

The Stranger’s sly smile greets me as I exit my room. “Today’s going to be a fun one, Ali.”

My stomach drops as he leads me back to the testing room. The Stranger holds the door for me, but I stop in the middle of the doorway, shocked. A white, pouch-like contraption stands in the middle of the room. It is held by multiple cords and pipes that jut out in various directions.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it.” The Stranger says, “Jervis worked on it all night. It looks just like my designs.”

Jervis is his assistant. He has a high-pitched, stuttering voice as if he wants to say everything all at once. His pale skin is bright in the hospital like lights as he limps up to me.

“S-so this is j-just like any other t-test,” Jervis says to me “We’ll p-put y-you in that rubbery bag th-thingy,” he has such a way with words, “And it will just weigh you and stuff. Then we’ll start the test.” He leads me to the opening of the bag and I step in, using my shaking hands to hold it open. Jervis closes it and a few seconds later, I hear a switch flip.

The first thing that happens is that all the air leaves my lungs. I let out a yell, but my scream dies in my throat as I suffocate.

Oh god, I think to myself, he’s pulling all the air out. I claw at the rubber quickly encasing me. This isn’t like the other tests. The sweat gathering on my body fills it. I slip and fall. Hard. I try to stand. Bam. I crash onto the floor. Again, I try to get up. Slowly but surely I manage to stand. Black dots cloud my vision. My lungs burn. I try to breathe in, but fail and make a choking noise. My whole body has a pulse. I suck in air but fail. I’m drowning. I’m going to die, I realize. Just as I start to feel my life fading, I hear The Stranger’s voice calmly say, “Shut it off, Jervis. Her vitals are getting low”

It opens and I collapse. I pant and lay there for a minute. “Only five seconds? I expected more from you. We’ll try again tomorrow, Ali dear,” The Stranger says. I hate it when he calls me dear.

Unfortunately my ten minutes ended here and so does Ali’s story.

Volunteering at Santa’s Workshop

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Image result for mission viejo library santa's workshop

Each year in December, the Mission Viejo Activities Committee organizes and hosts Santa’s Workshop, an interactive experience for Mission Viejo families to come and enjoy the magic of the holiday season. Several nights a week, the outdoor area outside the Mission Viejo Library and City Hall transforms into a winter wonderland. I remember going there with my family years ago to play, take pictures with Santa Claus, and spend time with friends.

This year, I was able to go again, but this time as a volunteer. It was exciting to see the thrill on the kids’ faces coming in to spend some time with Santa and his friends, to engage in activities, and play in fake snow. For teens looking for volunteer opportunities, spending time at Santa’s Workshop is a fun and festive way to gain those hours.

There are different tasks from which to choose when volunteering. Volunteers can choose to help with the activity table where kids make their own elf hats out of paper or color their own Christmas trees.  Some volunteers sign up to be characters, such as a snowman or reindeer, who walk around taking pictures with attendees of all ages.  Volunteers can also sign up to be a character walker guiding Frosty or Rudolph around and helping them interact with kids.  My job was to be an elf, helping families lined up to take pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus. It was rewarding to be able to introduce kids to Santa and see their smiling, happy faces and also to help take pictures as needed.

Overall, helping with Santa’s Workshop was an enjoyable way to get volunteer hours and spend time celebrating the holiday season. I would strongly recommend it to high school students in the Mission Viejo area.

Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma– A Youthful Slice-of-Life Manga Review

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We all have our daily highs and lows at home, school, or anywhere, really. But for the enthusiastic and energetic five-year-old Yotsuba, every second of the day is a high!

Amazon.com: Yotsuba&!, Vol. 1 (Yotsuba&!, 1): 9780316073875: Azuma, Kiyohiko, Forsyth, Amy: Books
Yotsuba&! Volume One

After moving to a new city with her earnest yet goofy-at-times adoptive father, Yotsuba approaches the mundane and normal every day with her curious cheerfulness and comedic naivete. She embarks on adventures (walks to the grocery store) with her fellow confederates (her new neighbors: three sisters of different ages who each have their own unique differences), and learns of everything from doorbells to rock-collecting to souvenirs to flower shops to fireworks to policemen to fairies to…

This may contain: an image of a man and woman dancing in the living room with their arms outstretched
Yotsuba Koiwai and her father, Yousuke Koiwai

Even though most of us aren’t kids anymore, it’s always important to never let go of your inner child. For me, as I read through each of the current 15 volumes, each interaction and problem Yotsuba encounters give me a familiar yet nostalgic sense of child-like wonder. At times, I would catch myself laughing with her (or at her.. haha), nod to agree with her absurd ways of thinking, or sometimes hold back a tear or two at the end of chapters. I surely don’t consider myself a child anymore, but Yotsuba reminded me that we were all children once– children who don’t know a lot, children who are simple and don’t have a care in the world. We all grew up to be the teenagers we are today, but who knows when the line that goes from child to teen blended together, where it started or… ended?

Reading Yotsuba made me realize that we can’t control when we decide to grow up. Even though Yotsuba&! is a light-hearted comedy, a lingering feeling in the depths of my heart tugs every time I flip a page, because each page gone is one page closer to the budding Yotsuba eventually growing up as well.

Enjoy Everything: The Unbridled Joy of Yotsuba&! - The Gutter Review
Yotsuba Panel

… But, hey, who has time for those worries!? To a child, the world is their oyster, and to Yotsuba, they’ll stay a child forever! Meet friends everywhere in the city and watch as she changes your view on topics you’d consider to be a part of your daily life–and makes them fun and memorable at the same time. This manga taught me that even something as simple as drinking orange juice could be so much more interesting if you take the time to notice the world through the lense of a child. Every chapter in the volume is titled “Yotsuba & __”, reflecting the creative title of the manga. Yotsuba’s name also directly translates to “four leaves”, which is evident from her four-leaf-clover-shaped hairstyle (she brings you luck!).

This may contain: a drawing of a person jumping in the air on a skateboard down a city street

So… what now? Well, to that I’d say: “What are you waiting for?”. Yotsuba and her friends are waiting for you to join them on their voyage of discoveries!

So to everyone out there wondering what to read for their next comfort book that will most definitely cheer them up, Yotsuba&! and I will leave you with Yotsuba’s motto phrase: ‘いつでも今日が、いちばん楽しい日’, or in other words, ‘enjoy everything‘!

Ann G.

Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Movie Review: Lady Bird

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NO SPOILERS

Lady Bird is the perfect movie to cry to with a cup of tea and a candle at night

One of my favorite comfort movies, Lady Bird is about a girl in her senior year of high school. She struggles with the social class difference between her and her classmates, feeling ashamed of the house she lives in, and dreams of living in one of the bigger houses, opposite of the train track that divides the rich from middle class. She identifies with a different name, insisting that everyone refers to her as “Lady Bird”. She constantly argues with her mom, rejecting her religion, and neglecting her mom’s worries about going to college. I think this was one of the more accurate depictions of the high school experience of a (semi) religious girl that focuses on the relationship between mother and daughter. It humanizes both sides and although they were arguing constantly, they took solace in activities like touring open houses together.

Greta Gerwig, director, does such a great job depicting relationships between women and although this is not my favorite film from her collection, Lady Bird is a great introduction to her work. I would recommend if you liked the movies Perks of Being a Wallflower, Little Women, The Florida Project, Aftersun, 8th Grade, Mid 90s, and Little Miss Sunshine.

Lady Bird is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Los Angeles Angels

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Maybe they aren’t the most popular team ever. Maybe they almost never win. So why have they been my favorite baseball team for my entire life? Maybe fans of other teams don’t understand. But today, I am going to tell you some of the reasons why.

1. The first reason why the Angels are my favorite team is that the energy at the stadium is always so positive. This is one benefit of not being a very high caliber team. Despite all the losses, however, they do win sometimes, but none of us fans are expecting it.

2. Another reason for why the Angels are my favorite team is that it brings my family and I closer together. We all like to go to the games and then talk about it afterward. And also, most of my family enjoys watching the Angels games from home. This is a great bonding time for us as well.

3. And the last reason that I will share with you all today is the fact that I like watching the players.

Hm. I haven’t shined the Angels in such a good light. Yes, the team doesn’t win often, but that doesn’t mean that the players aren’t talented. They have a lot of young talent such as Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, and Ben Joyce. They also have other talented player that aren’t rookies such as Mickey Moniak, Mike Trout, and Luis Rengifo. The Angles owner doesn’t like to spend a lot of money on coaches, so the only good coaches these young players have is their manager, and the veterans on the team. Still, however, what the Angels need to make a winning team are good starting pitchers. They have the young arms of Reid Detmers and Chase Silseth, but they lacked in consistency. However much the Angels lose, I still enjoy going to their games and getting excited when they do win.

Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

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“Nos quisieron enterran pero no sabían que éramos semillas” – They tried to bury us but they didn’t know we were seeds

This famous proverb is the principle of the novel Efrén Divided. Efrén Divided is a story that focuses on the importance of family, friends, and a home. Echoing the experiences of thousands of Mexican-American children, Efrén is faced with the tragedy of his mother’s deportation. As the oldest sibling, he must take care of his siblings while his dad works to bring his mom back home. Efrén must learn how to be a leader, both in his middle school and in his family. Throughout his journey, he not only discovers his power to lead but the importance of teamwork.

This book has taught me multiple important lessons:

  • It’s ok to rely on people when you’re struggling
  • You have the power to change your life for the better
  • Family never gets left behind
  • Hard work will always pay off

In the novel, Ernesto Cisneros artfully describes the heartrending experience of having a family member taken from you. Balancing the struggles of school, his siblings, and his community, Efrén transforms from an average 12-year-old to a formidable “Soperboy”. Efrén Divided will make you laugh, cry, and crave home-cooked Sopes.

Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Review of the Nightborn Duet by Carissa Broodbent

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*Be advised this series is for older readers*

  • spoilers!!

The Serpent & the Wings of Night: Book 1 of the Nightborn Duet –

I give this book a 6.5/10 because I felt like it jumped around a lot. I feel like there were a lot of interesting storyline points, such as the Kejari, but for the main character was a bit too self-deprecating for my taste. I found it repetitive of how many times she would put herself down for being human, but I know specific readers enjoy that trope. At times the book was extremely immersive from how detailed Carissa was in the fight scenes and descriptions of others. I also really enjoyed how it was able to depict healthy, supportive relationships.

The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King: Crowns of Nyaxia- Book 2 of the Nightborn Duet

Out of the two books I give this one a 7.5/10 and prefer this one over the other. The journey of the main character finding herself and her strength through the kindness of her partner supporting her was heartwarming. How she explored her relationship with grief was definitely accurate, but I felt it was annoying that she kept forgiving Raihn for literally killing her father. I loved how they expanded on their relationship and how they explored different parts of him. Thinking on the positive side, it does possibly dip into the concept of not holding grudges and forgiveness. The book is a good slowburn and my ratings are a bit low just because I have oversaturated myself in this genre.  

I do recommend this duology for people who are into action, fantasy, and romance. 

The Nightborn Duet by Carissa Broadbent is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes

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As a newly converted Latin nerd making my first odyssey into the perilous (root word: periculum) land of Roman jargon, I’m deeply appreciative of my 3rd grade obsession with Percy Jackson. Not only am I able to seem even nerdier among my peers, I’m also glad for how Percy Jackson has widely popularized Greek and Roman mythology.

Now, re-reading one of the most information-dense books (Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes), I’m surprised at how much information is cleverly packaged in Percy Jackson’s sarcasm and humor. It doesn’t feel like reading a textbook, but I’m still gaining an immense amount of information. And that’s the true power of Rick Riordan’s bestselling books: the ability to take something that’s always been more niche and turn it into something fun.

I like the stories themselves too: Rick Riordan tells the classic myths of Heracles, Medusa, and the Minotaur, but also the stories of Otrera, queen of the Amazons, or Atalanta, the great huntress. It’s a snarky, modern take on classical myth that retains their initial meaning.

Take the story of Arachne: an incredibly talented mortal seamstress with skills that rival those of Athena. Her pride got the better of her after she challenged Athena to a weaving competition, and the end is not pretty. But Riordan also points out the other, less-mentioned moral of the story: that the villagers who once worshipped Arachne were just as willing to betray her. Ultimately, the ugliest characters in the story are not the prideful gods in Arachne’s tapestry, or the spider she becomes, but the hypocrisy of Arachne’s own community.

All in all, I still love Percy Jackson, for all of its minor historical inaccuracies. It brought classical mythology into a modern spotlight, and it’s just a truly fun and enjoyable read. You might even pick up a few facts and morals in the process. Just don’t forget to sacrifice a goat after your read.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Sound of Music Review

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One weekend, my Mom had me sit down with her to watch the classic, The Sound of Music. I had put off watching it for a while and went in not really knowing what to expect. After watching it, I wish I had watched it sooner.

The Sound of Music is set in Austria during the 1930s, just around World War 2. The movie follows Maria from the nunnery who is asked to help take care of the children of an officer, Captain von Trapp. Maria heads to the von Trapp family home and tries her hardest to be accepted and show the family love. Slowly, she becomes a light of hope and happiness for them, bringing them back as a lively, close family. 

I loved The Sound of Music. Both the storyline was so sweet and the music was fantastic. The movie had so many different plots that all tied in smoothly together. One developed plotline was the love story between Maria and Captain von Trapp. Maria and the Captain were super cute to watch as they chose each other despite having other commitments. But while I adored the love story between the Captain and Maria, I can’t help but fall for the family trope. I loved to see the development of relationships between the kids and Maria and the renewed relationship of the Captain and his kids. The love between Maria and the Captain sprouted from their shared love of the children who also loved both of them. Their family dynamic was a beautiful development to watch, seeing them all overcome their own hardships and decisions. Additional points of the movie were Maria’s own insecurities and doubts and the uncertainty of the upcoming war and danger. All these plot points really helped to show how in depth and well thought out the movie was.

The Sound of Music of course had great music. It starred Julie Andrews who really brought a range of talent through her singing and acting. All the songs in the movie were super catchy. The two main songs I hear replaying in my head are ‘So Long, Farewell’ and ‘Do Re Mi’ which is why I find myself singing them randomly as I say good-bye to my friends or when I hear someone sing Do-Re-Mi. But while these are most prominent, all the other songs are also great, especially ‘Climb Every Mountain.’ Plenty of them made it onto my personal playlist.

Overall, The Sound of Music was a fantastic movie. It kept me engaged the entire time with the various storylines–some of which I hadn’t even mentioned–and especially with the awesome music. This classic is definitely a must watch, if not for the characters and music, for the historical significance; being placed during difficult moments of the world and seeing the effect it has (even if it was a smaller part of the movie). I highly recommend this movie to everyone, young and old; this movie has no age limit. It is definitely one I think anyone can enjoy.

-Nicole R.

The Sound of Music is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Silence Between Us Book Review

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The Silence Between Us was one of those books that brought up issues that I would never even think about, even though I took ASL for 2 years. We all know being a teenager is tough enough without extra unforeseen problems. I can relate to some of the issues she experiences in the book. 

Warning! Spoiler alert!

Maya, the protagonist, stands at the point in her life where change will happen whether she likes it or not. Transitioning from a world where silence was usual for her to one with voices. She’s transitioning from deaf school to traditional school. Her challenges of assimilation in these two different schools mirror the changes in her identity. 

Maya discovers many problems and challenges as she navigates the traditional school; along the way, she learns to embrace her true self amidst society and others’ expectations. The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais brings readers into an intimate exploration of self-discovery and resilience. It’s a powerful story of a teen finding herself in a world where people often overlook the silence.

As she confronts heartbreak and other hurdles that are adolescence and Deaf culture problems. The author was skillful in showing the emotional layers and experience through words, inviting readers into Maya’s world as she struggles with questions that transcend typical teenage worries.

I can relate to Maya on so many levels. The Silence Between Us, a touching coming-of-age book, differs from most other stories. The book’s raw honesty and unwavering portrayal of human connection make this a book worth reading. It deserves every accolade, including the esteemed Schneider Family Book Award for Best Teen Honor Book 2020. If you need a summer read, I recommend this one. Of course, this book is available in the Mission Viejo Library and audio on Libby. 


Happy Reading!
Bella H.