Seventeen-year-old Adam is tormented. His parents have just been killed in a car crash in Idaho, and he has survived. In a speechless state of shock, Adam begins walking home, back to Rhode Island. But he can't think in a straight line: The past and present blend and merge in his thoughts; the future's a blank; he's lost his voice and his money. Memories fling themselves at him like stones, some inflicting great pain.In Adam's harrowing journey he faces many challenges. He confronts situations that demand violence or compromise from him, forcing him to question what it means to be a man, even as he tries to find his voice in a world suddenly devoid of meaning. This gripping and haunting novel is the story of one young man's struggle to survive -- literally -- on the road, and to propel himself emotionally from despair to hope and freedom.
38 comments:
Blog Comment #1: I chose this particular book from the Abe list because I thought it would be really interesting to read a story about a guy that is close to my age that loses his parents in a car accident and loses his ability to speak from the shock. I thought it would be a very personal story.
Blog Comment #2: I do not relate to the characters in the book because i've never had to experience anything so awful like what he did in the book (and hope that i'll never have to either). I have never been left to fend for myself without a home or clean clothese or food or no voice to speak with.
Blog Comment #3: I do not really think this book should have been worthy on this year's Abe list. It was very random and the author changed from one memory of the character (past) to the present life of the character to quickly. It made the story not flow smoothly.
I chose this book from the Abe's List because it was said to be a quick read and grabs the reader very quickly. The fact that the boy loses his ability to speak interested me as well. I also chose this book since I will likely finish it quickly and be able to read another one from the list.
Alex Petrus/period 4/5/Ms. Timmons
1. I chose this book because it sounded very suspensful and the book description really caught my attention.
2. I do relate to the main character because I wrestle but other than that I do not relate much.
3. This book was an excellent read and an easy read as well. This was defintely one of the best books I've read.
I chose the book Aftershock because I heard it was short and a fast read. I didn't intend to find myself reading it in different classes, and even at home. I liked how the book pulled me in; I really felt like I was there with him along his journey home. I think the book taught a great moral: never give up, and death doesn't mean the "end". Also, since I'm a girl I tend to be drawn toward love stories and girly topics. I wanted to try something I wouldn't usually pick, and surprisingly it did contain romantic content. I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it!
Suntosh Dervin/period 4-5/Ms. Timmons
I originally chose this novel for the fact that i heard it was a quick but gripping read, and the author had a unique writing style which intrigued me. I dont believe i relate to any of the characters in the book, the whole book had a far too unlikely plot that most people couldn't relate too. In addition this book definetly deserves being on the abes list. I believe the average student would enjoy this book and appreciates the authours unique and original writing style. Overall I really enjoyed this book, although its not among my favorites of all time I'd still recomend it if someone is looking for a emotional roller coaster of a book. My main complaint of this book is that it was too quick of a read, just as I began the book it was over, i was left constantly wanting more.
1. I chose this book because I thought that it was interesting that this guy lost his ability to talk and speak. Also I chose it because from the beginning scene it pulled me in making me want to read more about how Adam would deal with his loss.
2.I don't really relate to anyone in this novel because I've never lost anyone and I don't have that kind of experience like Adam. He seemed pretty affected by it because he was numb and couldn't speak, and I've never been put into that situation. I think if I was in his situation I wouldn't have the urge to get back to my house like he did. I would probably call for help and never leave my parents' side like did. But it's never happened to me so I don't really have an idea of how I would feel.
3. I think this book was worthy of being on the Abe's list because even though it was depressing throughout the whole book I kept on wanting to know more about Adam's life through his flashbacks. In the beginning Adam's personality was pretty vague but after listening to his flashbacks I got to know who he truly was before the accident. This book keeps readers pulled in so that is why it is on the list.
1. After hearing about the tragic accident the happened to the main character I was hooked and wanted to know what happens to him later after he parents die. This dramatic and suspenseful book interested me because I wanted to know how and why he just walked away from the car crash.
2. During the novel I couldn’t relate myself to the main character but I know someone that was in the same situation and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t really see myself from walking away from my parents after they died, I couldn’t just pick up my stuff and leave I would be shocked.
3. I think that After Shock was a very fast read and I believe that it is worthy of being on the list. I don’t always read books o my free time but something about this book maybe me continue reading. I just wanted to find out what happened to him thought out the whole story. I finished this book in a very small amount of time and enjoyed.
4. I didn’t however like the flashbacks that occurred all thought the novel. At one scene the author writes about the main character being rescued by a group of people. Then goes back to the past and writes about his regular life at school. I felt that she could have split the book in half featuring his regular life at the beginning and the accident at the end.
This book was any easy choose for me. When I heard the plot line explained, I instantly knew I had to read it. It was full random events that stemmed from a car crash, which led to the main character being unable to speak.The whole idea of being left in the world not being able to express your thought or feelings reminds me of a nightmare coming to life. The story seemed deeper than was explained when I was introduced to it. My curiosity pushed me to read it so I could find out what happend to this boy.
#1: I chose Aftershock because I thought the idea of it was very original. I wanted to hear of the amazing adventures of a kid still in complete shock from a horrible trauma. I thought he would meet interesting and noteworthy people. Overall, this book caught my attention and I was looking forward to reading it.
#2: I feel like I did not relate to the main character at all. First, I have never experienced anything so horrible and shocking. Also, during the flashbacks, I learned about his past with his parents and friends. I did relate to him on the level that we both have good relationships with our parents, but his personality is really the antitheses of mine. I also do not believe I would have reacted the way he did, where he left the site of the accident and just began to walk without a plan. Though it would have been hard, I would have waited around for other people to arrive and receive any help for the trauma I just witnessed.
#3: I really do not believe this book should have been on the Abe Awards. To me, it severely lacked the adventures I was looking forward too. It ended up being the story of him hitchhiking. Yet, the part I disliked the most was the lack of characters. He only met a handful of people and none were too interesting. No character really stood out to me and made me really admire the book. When a new character was introduced, we would only see him or her for a short time and not learn anything about him or her. To be completely honest, I really did not enjoy this book at all.
1)I chose this book because I thought it would be very interesting to find out what happened to him after the car accident. Also, I wanted to know how he survived all the obstacles along the road on his way home without the ability to talk. In addition I was curious why he left his parents after the car accident, and it is just terrible for me to happen.
2)Yes, I’ve experienced a car accident before when I was in the Philippines. I had a trauma after the accident and I never talked for two days. I do relate to the main character in the book, except I did not lose my ability to talk for a long period of time, and no one died in the car accident. It was hard for me to forget about what happened during that accident. I know it’s really awful to leave your parents after a car accident because it would seem like you don’t care about them. But the guy from the book was traumatized and he was probably hopeless because his parents are gone forever.
3)I would say that this book is worthy of being on this year’s Abe list because, it’s a short book, but you could learn so many lessons through it. The flashbacks helped me understand all my confusions throughout the book. Overall, I really recommend this book to everyone because it is not a boring book.
1. I chose this book because when I heard what the book was about I couldn't stop thinking about what happens so I had to read it and it turned out to be a great book.
2. I do relate to this character somewhat because me and my mom were driving down 31st street and a deer ran out in front of us and we hit and killed it, but other than that we don't relate that much.
3. I think it is definately worthy to be on the Abe list because it is with out a doubt one of the best books I have ever read
I chose to read Aftershock by Kelly Easton because it caught my attention when the librarians showed us all the books on the ABE awards list. This book is unlike any other book I have ever read before and I was particularly interested in the story. I cannot even imagine what the main character, Adam, is going through. I also chose this book because I knew that once I started reading it, I would not be able to put it down since it seems very suspenseful.
Blog Comment #1: What appealed to me right away when I saw this book was the title, Aftershock. Aftershock is the kind of title that snagged my attention instantly and made me want to read more. Not only was I hooked by the title, the synopsis given was appealing to me too. I was anxious to hear the story of the seventeen-year-old by who beings to walk home in a state of shock after his parents are killed in a car accident. I was interested to read about what he was thinking and how the death of his parent effect him. I also was curious to see if he met people along his journey and how they helped him.
While reading Aftershock, I did not find myself to relate to the main character, Adam. We did not really have that much in common, from our life experiences to our personalities. Fortunately, I have never had to experience anything so horrifying like the death of both of my parents. I am still amazed at how Adam dealt with it. On that note, I believe that if I was in Adam’s situation, I would have dealt with my parent’s death differently. I do not think I would have been able to just get up and start walking towards home. If it were me, I would not have been able to leave my parents’ sides and I would need the help of others to help me get through this difficult time.
I do not really relate to the characters all that well in this book. Both main characters have very twisted lives, one lost both his parents in a car crash, and the other's parents do not care about her at all. I am fortunate to say that I do not relate to their lives. Yet, I can relate to certain characteristics Adam displays after the crash. Adam is literally so shocked he cannot speak, and he lives with being a mute to the world. I am not a mute, yet I understand how it is when you feel as if noone can understand you. I think many teens can sympathize with the idea of not being able to get one's point across. Though the characters of this book have unusually dark lives, I think the characters feelings and emotion they express throughout the novel can relate to people on many different levels.
I do not relate very well with the main character. For example, I have never experienced a tragic event as powerful as his. Also, the last action I would of taken is leaving the accident site without any idea what to do next. I would most likely stay and wait for help. I don't feel as if I would have the strength to move on from that event like he was able to. Such an event can leave everlasting affects on an individual. The only relation I can make is how he has a great relationship with his parents as I do with mine.
I think I do relate to the character Mira, who is the main character's love interest. I think we relate because she is different than alot of girls, and she strives to herself apart. I myself like to be unlike the norm. I feel that Mira has a sterotype about her because of her image, and I do as well. This sterotype is quite opposite than the person I truly am, as is the same for Mira. We both look past what others think. Since our personalities and casual outlook on circumstances are similar, I feel as though I could really relate to her. I could understand her pain.
E3 blog #2
Every character in every book has something that anyone can relate to. It can be common activities, goals, morals, or situations that the characters are put into. Without this characteristic in a book, they would not be interesting. The book would not capture the reader's attention and reading it would not be an capturing and thought provoking experience. In the book Aftershock I can only partially relate to the characters. I have a knowledge of what kind of people the characters are, but I don't share many of the same views or thoughts as the characters. However I do relate to some of the problems that they face. Although I have never been in a large accident, nor have been stranded in the middle of nowhere trying to find my way home, some of the every-day situations are something that everyone can relate to in this book. Lastly, in addition to relating to the situations, I can also relate to the types of decisions they have made. In other words, I can see why they chose a certain path instead of another without the author justifying it.
E3 blog #2
Every character in every book has something that anyone can relate to. It can be common activities, goals, morals, or situations that the characters are put into. Without this characteristic in a book, they would not be interesting. The book would not capture the reader's attention and reading it would not be an capturing and thought provoking experience. In the book Aftershock I can only partially relate to the characters. I have a knowledge of what kind of people the characters are, but I don't share many of the same views or thoughts as the characters. However I do relate to some of the problems that they face. Although I have never been in a large accident, nor have been stranded in the middle of nowhere trying to find my way home, some of the every-day situations are something that everyone can relate to in this book. Lastly, in addition to relating to the situations, I can also relate to the types of decisions they have made. In other words, I can see why they chose a certain path instead of another without the author justifying it.
E3 blog #2
Every character in every book has something that anyone can relate to. It can be common activities, goals, morals, or situations that the characters are put into. Without this characteristic in a book, they would not be interesting. The book would not capture the reader's attention and reading it would not be an capturing and thought provoking experience. In the book Aftershock I can only partially relate to the characters. I have a knowledge of what kind of people the characters are, but I don't share many of the same views or thoughts as the characters. However I do relate to some of the problems that they face. Although I have never been in a large accident, nor have been stranded in the middle of nowhere trying to find my way home, some of the every-day situations are something that everyone can relate to in this book. Lastly, in addition to relating to the situations, I can also relate to the types of decisions they have made. In other words, I can see why they chose a certain path instead of another without the author justifying it.
I believe this book had every right to be on the ABE list. This novel was a very detailed and appealing book. It was written so as the reader felt as if they were actually in the story; as kind of a witness to what happens. It is definatley a page turner, and the writer obviusly has talent. It deserves to be recognized as one of the best books written this month.
I believe that Aftershock should be on this year’s Abe list for many reasons. First of all, it is a very fast and easy read, which is very appealing to many students. Throughout the entire book, the author used flashbacks to develop Adam’s character, which is unlike any other book I have read before. In addition, this book is about an interesting topic that many kids can relate to who have gone through similar situations. Lastly, this book is very suspenseful and it always made me want to keep reading.
1. I choose to read this book because the librarians said it was a good book with many twists and turns. This book immediatly caught my attention with the car accedient in the first chapter of the book. I quickly learned the book was going to keep throwing surprises at me, and so I kept on reading it.
2. I can not relate to the main character because I do not know what it feels like to lose a parent, let alone both. I have never had to live on my own and find my way home fourtunatly. So I have no grounds in which i can relate to the character.
3. I think that this book is worthy of the Abe list because its very suspensful and it shows us how we take something as simple as water for granted. the main character went days without water. We assume that it will always be there for us. This book has a good message and is very worthy to be apart of this list.
Blog Comment #3: I don't feel as if this book should win the Abe awards. Although it was a different and interesting read, some parts I felt were a little boring and random. Some of the character's decisions I would not agree with and do not seem realistic to me. Also, it seemed as if this book was more of a love story, and I am not very fond of love stories. They all seems pretty basic and repetitious to me. It is a great short read but no award-winning book.
2. I do not think I could relate to the main character. I do not know and cannot even imagine what it is like to lose both parents. The main character possessed an ample amount of strength and courage, and I do not know if I could survive while traveling across the country to get home as he did. I believe the grief alone would make me want to just give up. He took so many risks in order to return home. Although I have never been in a situation like this, I doubt I could fend for myself the way he did.
3. This book is definitely worthy of being on the Abe's List. Each chapter left me wanting to find out what happened next. At first, I only picked this book because of its size, but after finishing it, I was glad to have chosen it.
I chose to read "Aftershock" because I felt that any book that has to deal with a kid my age who has lost his parents and is left to fend for himself must be interesting and luckily for me it was. I also wanted to see how he would survive without the luxury of being able to talk .
Luckily for me I do not relate to any of the characters in the story because I have not experienced any tragic events in my life thus far. I also feel that cannot relate to the main character because I think that if I went through a horrifying event such as losing my parents in a car crash, I would definately not walk away from it. Instead I would stay there and wait for someone to come by.
Even though I was not able to relate to any of the characters in the story, I think that this book does deserve its spot on the ABE list because of its ability to keep you wanting more. The book is able to do this to a reader through its use of flashbacks, which helps us know how Adam's life and personality was before the accident.
This book first caught my attention when the librarians introduced it to me at the beginning of the year. The story of a boy who loses his parents in a car crash sounded interesting, and the loss of his speech only made me want to read the book even more.
I really do not relate to any of the characters in the book, because there are so few character descriptions for me to relate to. The horrible accident is something that I can’t relate to and hope that I never will. Since the book revolves mostly around Adam, and we don’t know much about his life before the accident I can’t relate to him at all.
I think this book deserves to be on the Abe award list because it brings a perspective and a writing style that isn’t seen in most books. This book leaves the readers thinking what it would be like to be stranded alone without parents. This novel also shows people about how everything you have, including your family and your comforts can be taken away from you in one moment. Also the flashbacks that Adam has and how they help him through his struggles further show how his life has changed.
I liked this book mostly because I have never read a book similar to it in my life. I also liked how the main character couldn’t talk so it added another dimension to the book for me. It was interesting in all the different ways Adam received help in his journey across America, and I liked how the author made Adam push on through mirages and his dreams of the past.
1. I chose to read this book because the main character is in a unique situation and I was curious about how he would find help for himself and his family.
2. I can relate to Adam in a way as he is in a tough situation and has to find a way out of it, though I have never been put in a situation as terrible as what Adam went through. Just like Adam, I learned that you have to keep pushing through the hard times in life and get over them.
3. I think this book deserves to be on the Abe List because it keeps the reader engaged throughout and is a very unique story.
Blog#3: I struggled with deciding whether Aftershock was worthy enough to recieve an Abe award. I have come to the conclusion that is does derserve the award. I believe Kelly Easton intended for a larger moral lesson for the readers to learn from after reading the novel. The lesson was about how to cope with a tragic circumstance and learning what defines oneself. Also, I really enjoyed how the first page of the book was interesting. It did not loose my attention; very few books are that intriguing at the start. It is an ejoyable book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Aftershock makes reading fun. (which is a shock)
I chose Aftershock because both based off its cover and description it really sounds like it is filled with action and adventure. I really enjoy these kinds of books because it makes you see situations that you may never come into contact with but are still very exciting and realistic being that I am seventeen just like the main character Adam.
I think that I do not really relate to a character in the book because it mainly focuses on Adam. He has lost his parents and the whole story revolves around how he takes it all in and reacts to it. I have lost several people in my life but never anyone as close as my parents. I hope I do not as a teen, but if I did, I know I would be completely devastated. The only similarity between Adam and me is in the beginning Adam is completely broken on the inside. But what makes us different is that his whole journey revolves around him going home. And if I was in his position, I would never have the courage in me to face my home again with all that has happened.
Aftershock completely deserves its spot on the Abe Award List. Easton has done such a superb job in making the story personal and heartbreaking. It keeps your attention from chapter 1 to 34. I think I only put the book down twice to sleep. There is definitely nothing like it! And the scenes are so vivid and realist it makes you fell like you are in his situation (which is devastating).
Jake Bronson
Timmons 4/5
blog #3
I liked this book. It was an easy and quick read, and it kept me interested. I liked reading about how Adam interacted with people and how they reacted to him. however I am not sure if this book deserves an ABE award because I have not read any other books that were nominated. I liked this book but I have read books that are way better than this one.
1. i chose this pick because it seemed interesting to see how some people would deal with the shock of losing their loved ones.
2. i do not relate to the main character because i have never really been speechless, (especially not for a long time) and i have never had an incedente that has even been close to what he went through.
3. i feel this book should be on the abe list because it was not only extremely entertaining, but it also showed me how the effects a tragedy can have on someones life.
1.I chose this book because after hearing what it was about it really interested me. i had lost of questions about the book, and that made me want to read it.
2. I dont really think that i relate to Adam that much, other than the fact that we are both 17. He was put through such a terrible experience, and can even come anywhere close to having somethign like this happen to me, and i dont think that i could have handled it the way he did. I believe i would have just stayed there and not made it anywhere.
3. Over all this book was a good book. A fast read with a good story. It really brought me in as the reader. Therefore i do believe that it is a great book to have on the abe list. It always had me asking question, and i think that it is completely deserving to be on this list.
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