reader's background
As a 15 year old girl, my taste in books is not extremely diverse. I can remember the first chapter book series I got into was the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park. I was so obsessed that my first grade teacher bought me one of the books. That obsession soon carried over to The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. After that, I spent the rest of my elementary years reading tons of Roald Dhal. No matter what book I read as a young child, I became preoccupied with it and nothing else. While my taste in genre has only slightly changed, my infatuation with books definitely has. Don't get me wrong, I love reading and how it takes me places, but once you reach high school, you figure out that there is less and less free time you have. You could argue that what personal time I DO have can be devoted to reading, but lets be honest I have other things I would much rather do. Now, the main time I set aside to read is right before bed. I do this because reading stresses my eyes so much that it makes me tired and makes me fall asleep. It sounds pretty bad that books make me tired but it's the truth. With that said, I know the book is good when I find myself wide awake in bed to find out what happens. It's a little troubling finding those special books, but with Water for Elephants it was no trouble at all.
reader's Journal
Water for Elephants was definitely a challenging novel. Not in the sense of it was impossible to comprehend, but challenging in the way that was hard to get through without crying. Sara Gruen has brought me through an emotional journey in which I am thankful for. From animal cruelty to domestic abuse, this writer gets serious about harsh realities we faced in the 1920's as well as in modern times. As an imaginative reader, I like to picture the book like a movie playing in my head. When I reached these dramatic scenes, I found myself wallowing in my own tears. I have come to realize through the years that only brilliant writers can bring people to tears with just words. If you think that a fictional book could not teach you lessons or make you realize things about yourself, you're dead wrong. This amazing novel is proof that running away from your problems does not make it better and never will. Jacob runs away after his parents are found dead, and he ends up going full circle and coming back to town to finish what he had started there. While reading Water for Elephants, I have figured out that not everything not everything about free lance traveling is fun. Life is not full of unicorns and cupcakes, and it is most definitely not filled with perfect loves. Real love is about trusting each other. With no trust, you find yourself losing your best friend. Once secrets come between your relationship, terrible and unforgiving fights will happen. Another thing I have learned is that not everyone is who they seem. The nicest people may hold the darkest secrets. Vice versa, the dark and scary people you meet could very well turn out to be your biggest confider and friend. By seeing this in Water for Elephants, I've learned not to judge people off of first impressions. Never hold a grudge over someone, or you may find yourself doing something you would never have done before. These all may seem like peculiar lessons, but once you read Sara Gruen's #1 selling masterpiece, you will agree one hundred percent with all these life lessons.
To a future reader - I hope you enjoy this book just as much as I did. This novel will open your eyes to the realities of problems in the 1920's. You may not initially be pleased with how honest the details are, but keep reading. In the end, things always get better - and that goes for this book and real life.
To a future reader - I hope you enjoy this book just as much as I did. This novel will open your eyes to the realities of problems in the 1920's. You may not initially be pleased with how honest the details are, but keep reading. In the end, things always get better - and that goes for this book and real life.