The Beggining of the End

So.. I finished the book. It was Christmas eve and the best thing happened, there were people caroling outside of the house and Miranda and her family were so excited to see other people that they put on several layers of clothes and they joined them, plus the four of them had a really big dinner. The next day they all exchanged presents they had gotten for each other. Miranda gave them all things that she had found when she was taking things from Mrs. Nesbitt's house and Jonny and Matt did the same thing. Their mom had asked Peter to buy them stuff from the hospital gift store before it closed. They were all so happy to be together, alive and healthy! A few days later, it was New Year, and Matt made a resolution to learn how to ski and teach Miranda and Jonny in case of an emergency  so that they had a way to go to the hospital or to escape.

One evening, a strange thing happened. One of their neighbors knocked on their door, almost crying while he begged for some medicine for his sick wife. He said that she had fever and that she was almost unconscious. Their mom was only able to give him a couple of aspirins because of course, they had to save some for themselves in case they might need them. Miranda couldn't stop thinking about him for the rest of the day. Five days after this event, Miranda's mom and Jonny got sick too. It all started in the morning, when mom wasn't able to get up from the mattress and Jonny was delirious. Matt was going to go to the hospital to find Peter but before he could go through the front door he fainted and fell in his mattress. It was all on Miranda now. She took the skis and she went as fast as she could to the hospital. It surprised her when she saw that the lights were off and there was

no one guarding the entrance, but she heard some voices and she followed them to find help. When she tracked the source of the voices, she found two nurses chatting and asked for Dr. Elliot (Peter). "He died on Saturday, didn't he, Maggie?"said one of the nurses (Pfeffer, 296). It was hard for Miranda to digest what she had just heard. The nurses explained that more than a half of the city had the flu and they all went to the hospital so most of the staff and the patients died during the first days. They recommended that Miranda just comforted and fed her family, but with no much hope of them surviving, because not so many had. She just went back to her house still in shock, trying not to be scared of finding her family dead when she arrived. Fortunately, that didn't happen but they were all pretty weak. She gave them aspirin, coughing medicine and everything that she though that could save them. t was like Miranda had some sort of immunity against the flu.

After around one week, mom and Jonny started to regain strength and consciousness, but Matt was really weak. As her mom began to get better, she began questioning why Peter hadn't come to help Miranda when they were sick and eventually the poor girl had to tell her mom the sad truth about Dr. Elliott's death. It hit her worse than it had Miranda back in the hospital. After some time, things began to look and feel better for Mom, Jonny and Matt. They started to get electricity again, although only for limited amounts of time. Miranda checked the pantry and she realized that food was running out. She was becoming extremely weak for taking care of all the others. So she decided to go to town to see if there were any letters from dad. She knew she wasn't going to make it back to her house from town but at least she wanted to die in peace knowing if her dad was okay. She said goodbye while she fought back tears and she left. It was extremely hard to get to town, but when she arrived, the post office was closed and all hope seemed lost, but she found a yellow paper in the ground. It had an address and it said from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. What could she lose? When she got to the address, there where actual people, including the town's mayor. They offered her food that the state was giving away to citizens and they returned her back home. I seemed like a miracle had happened. They were all so happy to see her and so much food. Hope had returned. They were weak, but they could now regain strength. The book ended with Miranda's birthday. She turned 17 in March and they were all strong and healthy. Life as they knew it was gone, but at least they had hope, and a future to look forward to.

"We are a family. We love each other. We've been scared together and brave together. If this is how it ends, so be it . Only, please, don't let me be be the last one to die." (Pfeffer, 299)
I found it incredible how much strength and courage Miranda had. She wasn't afraid of dying at all. She just knew that if the time came, she had to be ready.  I don't know if I would be this calm about something so serious as dying.  She felt fear, but not of death itself, but of loneliness instead. I think that in my case I would be scared of both things. I would definitely prefer to die before any of my family members do. I guess it is way more painful for those who stay alive than those who die.

"The worst is over. You made it this far, you'll make it all the way." (Pfeffer, 335)
I found these words relieving. If you think about it, no matter how big your problems are, or how hopeless things may be, there is always a way out, sometimes hard and sometimes easy. Even if an asteroid hits the moon. I kept thinking of all those people who didn't even get a chance to survive the first day like the ones in New York or Florida that died with the first Tsunamis. I kept thinking how grateful Miranda and her family might be for being so lucky. But it wasn't just luck, it was also the sacrifices that they made like not eating so much to save food that made them last. Because of all their suffering, they became stronger and more able to survive for a long time.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. Of course, the ending was just as I feared it was going to be, but it was still okay because Miranda got to survive with her mom, Jonny and Matt. What I didn't like about the ending is that it happened too abruptly. Miranda was literally dying and in less than half a page she was already receiving four bags of food for her family and she was taken home in a snow mobile. More than anything, I enjoyed the little messages that the author transmitted through the thoughts of Miranda. I have to admit that at some points I had to look a word in the dictionary to understand the meaning,  but I still read it very quickly, probably because I couldn't put it down. I totally recommend this to anyone who wants a good book. It is simple, interesting, amazing and you can read it in less than three days. I am including the link to buy the book at the end of this post in case you would like to read it. I hope you enjoyed my posts in Scriptum Interpretations!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152061541?keywords=life%20as%20we%20knew%20it&qid=1445836593&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Finally a Loss...

As I predicted in my last post, school was a complete mess. Once Miranda got there, there were really few people and they were told that there wouldn't be food or buses or too many subjects. They were also told that if they didn't want to attend school they could go to the principal's office and get textbooks and materials like notebooks and pencils to be home schooled. Of course, Miranda went to the principal's office and she chose textbooks for Jonny and her. Plus she was really happy because she stole a lot of notebooks to keep her diary. That day when she arrived home, Matt announced that there was a letter from dad and Lisa in the post office. It said that they were okay but that they weren't able to get to Colorado, since Kansas city wasn't letting anyone go through to get to other places. They would try other ways of getting to Lisa's parents and they would try to survive too. That let all of them worried. A few days later, her mother tripped and she sprained her ankle, which meant that Miranda was going to have to be responsible of cooking and cleaning all by herself. Plus, she had to visit Mrs. Nesbitt daily, now that her mom wouldn't be able to.

Homeschooling was easier.

One of those days, Miranda and her mom, cut their hair really short because they couldn't wash it anymore and the sad thing is that they didn't even mind about how they looked anymore. Also, as it was to be expected, things got worse everyday. There was no word from dad and by the beginning of October, the natural gas stopped flowing, so everyone had to move their mattresses downstairs so that they could all sleep together by the wood stove and keep warm. To make life a little more miserable, Miranda found out that Megan and her mother died. She understood why Megan wasn't alive anymore but she decided to go to their church to find out what had

happened to her mom. Once she asked the reverend, he said that she had committed suicide after her daughter's death. Miranda couldn't believe it. Days went by and she continued visiting Mrs. Nesbitt, the family neighbor that had taken good care of her when her mother was away in her childhood. In one of those visits, the old woman told her that she was expecting to die soon, that she was weak and that she had some instructions for when Miranda found her dead body. First, she indicated what she wanted each of Miranda's family members to inherit from her. Sure, she had  a son of her own, but he had died with the first waves in New York. Second, she wanted for them to get all of the supplies and food that she would leave in her house so that they had a better chance of survival and finally she wanted for them to give her body to the hospital. Two days after this conversation, Mrs. Nesbitt died. Miranda went to get help from Matt to help her fulfill the good neighbor's wishes. It was their first true loss. They were cheered up a little when Peter showed up with an actual, real chicken for thanksgiving. This really made them look forward to surviving. For a while, life just carried on just the four of them in the house, trying to learn something from those textbooks and trying to carry on.

"We  may not have a future, but you can't deny we have a past" (Pfeffer, 252)
I have sometimes believed that it is useless to study history; after all, they are all dead. I understand however that history repeats itself, and therein lies the importance of learning it. In this chapter of the book, I realized that our identity, our family, or society and everything that we know is made up of our past. Because of all those stories, discoveries, battles and even friendships, our lives and realities are the way they are. It was just interesting realizing how important somethings are even when we don't even realize it.

"Why feel sorry for myself today when tomorrow's bound to be worse" (Pfeffer, 275)
I now see that the author hides some really thoughtful ideas throughout the novel, such as the fact that we never know what will happen next. The uncertainty of whether life will change forever or things will be perfectly fine. This means that we should cherish everyday and have in mind that everything is unique and special in every moment.We should appreciate all the small things life offers because they could be gone any moment. I have learned to appreciate all these little messages that Susan Pfeffer shares with us in every other chapter. It just makes me feel like I am actually learning something from reading this book.

Like I predicted, Miranda's life just got harder. She lost Megan and Mrs. Nesbitt and her supplies are scarcer every time. I can't wait to finish the book! I hope it has an unexpected, non-typical closure. What I mean is that I hope that the book doesn't have a "they lived happily ever after" ending. On the other hand I do wish that at least Miranda survives since I feel so attached to her. I do not understand how she is coping with the loss of two loved ones. Was she mentally prepared for this after all she has gone through? I guess I'll have to answer that by myself.  I have many, many questions, but I don't want to consider them unanswered until I complete reading the book. I will  try to finish as fast as I possibly can to tell everyone who reads this blog my final comments and thoughts on it. I am looking forward to my next post!

Missing the Old Life

SO... these last chapters didn't let me put the book down. The novel is just so intense and full of suspense. School had ended and summer started, although it wasn't that fun either to Miranda, or anyone. They just stayed home for protection. But one night, Peter, her mom's boyfriend, came to dinner, although he had a worried look in his face. It was Malaria and West Nile Virus what he had been trying to cure back in the hospital (he was a doctor). It seemed like the mosquitoes were enjoying themselves even if no one else did. This meant, that they had to be extremely careful with whatever they did outside the house. Anyway, Miranda was starting to miss swimming so much that she ignored all the mosquitoes issue and decided to go to a place called Millers Pond.  After playing in the water and having a great time, Dan, a guy from her swim team, told her to go to the prom with him. It was a magical moment, they kissed and spent the rest of the morning together. Of course when she got home her mom was extremely angry at her for making her worry so much. Luckily for Miranda, her mom still let her continue to go to the pond, because she at least deserved some fun. After that day, Miranda and Dan continued to see each other in the pond daily and they didn't stop what could be called their "relationship".

So once again, life continued between Millers Pond, her house and town, which Miranda visited around twice a week to go to the public library or the mail office. Also, taking advantage that winter was far away, she started collecting kindling and Matt started chopping wood.
Jonny had been dropped off at baseball camp, which luckily, offered milk, eggs, and stuff from the old life that the others couldn't get anymore. Miranda decided to visit her friend Megan. Once she was there, she became really worried. Her friend was extremely skinny, and she even mentioned how eager she was to die and see the Lord. It was all just traumatic for our protagonist. To make things even worse, volcanic eruptions started since the moon was pulling the magma up from the Earth, so the temperatures dropped and the sky got cloudy, plus, all the ash from so many volcanoes would cover the sunlight, and end with crops. Because of this, Miranda was not going to meet Dan at Millers Pond or to go Springfield for a month to spend time with her dad, who, along with his wife Lisa decided to visit them instead. It was a wonderful time, and they brought a lot of food and useful supplies with them. The day before her dad left, Miranda ran across Dan, and she found out that he was leaving to  search for his sister who had appeared in the dead/disappeared list in the news. It was hard for Miranda to believe it, but her life had to go on, even if everyone who she cared about was getting out of her life, and it was almost September, which meant that school was about to start (if there even was a school).

"I wonder if I'll ever decide which is worse, life as we're living or no life at all." (Pfeffer, 119)
I thought that this was a really interesting thought of Miranda (the author, really). It got me thinking for a long time and I couldn't reach an answer to that question. I tried to put myself in Miranda's situation, a world where we would be constantly losing our loved ones,  having to stay inside our homes most of the time, and losing everything that we are used to. Maybe that decision would be easier to make once I was actually going through something like that, because humans usually choose options and paths that their normal self wouldn't when they are in extreme situations. Hopefully I will never know unless I live situations like the one described in this novel, which I hope doesn't happen.

"I wish that the astronauts had just blown up the damn moon when they had the chance." (Pfeffer, 132)
I felt connected to Miranda when she said this. Of course, not in the sense that I would want for astronauts to blow the moon up, but that feeling of wanting to change things from the beginning to prevent a lot of problems and suffering. For example I once had a big fight with a friend and it all started because I forgot to say hi to her one morning. She thought I did it on purpose and so she started ignoring me and we had a big fight. I remember imagining what things would have been like if I had payed more attention. I wondered if nothing of that would have happened. After thinking about it, I realized that the same happened to Miranda, she was imagining alternate scenarios where things couldn't have turned out that bad. This means that she was thoughtful and that she analyzed things in her mind very frequently and I tend to do the same thing. That probably is why I feel so connected to the protagonist.

These last chapters, the novel just got better and I can't wait to see how everything turns out. I am really enjoying this story and like I said earlier, I am identifying myself a lot with the main character. I don't know why, but I have the feeling that school isn't going to work out so well and that Miranda and Jonny are going to have to stay at home. I also think that it is very likely that finally something bad happens to Miranda, like the loss of a loved one or something devastating. It's just that until now, everything has worked out for them, so at least something has got to happen for the plot of the novel to continue. I hope that Miranda, Matt, Jonny and their Mom survive until the end, but I guess I'll just find out as I continue reading. Hope you enjoyed this post! See you next time on Scriptum Interpretations!

They just didn't realize how serious it was...

SO.... I started reading this book called "Life As We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
This is what happened in the first chapters. The author introduces a fifteen year old girl called Miranda who lives with her mother and little brother Jonny. His older brother, Matt is in college and his father is just somewhere else living with his new pregnant wife. Miranda also has her school friends, Sammi and Megan. Originally they where four, but one of them, Becky, got sick and she died. After that traumatic event, Sammi became way more careless of what she did and how she acted and Megan turned to religion but in a really extreme way. So there she was, little Miranda with her unusual friends and her separated family.
One day, it was announced that an asteroid would hit the moon and that it would be visible from Earth. Everyone was really excited and people all over the social media, the news and even school couldn't stop talking about it. When the day came, Miranda and her family went to the streets where other neighbors were waiting too, except for Mrs. Nesbitt who was too old to be outside waiting for so long. The moment was approaching, but when the moon got hit, the excitement vanished. Fear started to invade people as the moon started to grow bigger and bigger as it came closer to the Earth. People were panicking and went inside their houses, turning the TV on to see the news. They saw that New York and all the other coastlines had been completely flooded with gigantic tidal waves and tsunamis. As you may know, the distance that the Earth has with the moon is the reason waves are the way they are. The light went out. Next morning everything seemed like a dream although, the fact that there was still no light, reminded them it was all real. The first thing that Miranda and her family tried to do was to reach their Dad to ask if he and Lisa (his wife) were okay, and thankfully, after many tries, they could talk to each other and make sure that everyone was alive. Miranda and Jonny still went to school that day, trying to convince themselves that everything was at least a little bit normal. Obviously it didn't work. When they got there, half of the students and even teachers were absent and a huge thunderstorm started. Everyone started screaming and crying as they were led to the dark hallways until the storm ended, but then,  Miranda's mom showed up and told her to go with her. When she got in the car, she found out that Jonny and Mrs. Nesbitt where there too, and her mom handed an envelope with a lot of money to each one. They headed to the supermarket and her instruction were clear. They had to take anything that they thought could be useful, canned food, water, drinks, supplies, clothes and cat food for their pet, Horton because the supermarket was charging a hundred dollars for every cart no matter what was inside it. That day, they spent the whole evening unloading the car from everything that they had bought. As days passed, they started cherishing small things like eggs, nuts and spinach, stuff that they couldn't get anymore in the supermarkets that were now empty because of people like Miranda's family.

It was announced that school would end soon because they didn't have enough food for all the students, so exams were cancelled. But, during those last days, they received a peanut butter sandwich each. What worried Miranda the most was that her friend Megan was giving away all her sandwiches to different students, because she said that God was all she needed to survive, but she was starting to become skinny. Miranda is trying to act normal, but it becomes harder and harder as her surroundings change because of the moon. What will happen next?

"And then it hit. Even though we knew it was going to, we were still shocked when the asteroid actually made contact with the moon. With our moon. At that second, I think we all realized that is was Our Moon and if it was attacked, then we were attacked." (Pfeffer, 18)
This really got me thinking and what it said was completely right. Even if it is not inside the Earth, the moon is still ours and people should be more aware of what happens to it. I kept wondering how the people in the book didn't realize this before, so that a least some people could be saved  and more precautions could have been taken before the impact. That is when I realized that this book has some things that are completely unrealistic. With all the technology that we have today and all the smart people who carry out studies, we would have been able to predict the consequences of an asteroid hitting the moon. At least to some people it would have occurred that it would cause problems, but this didn't happen in the book.


"I know it's dumb for me, but I keep thinking that once Matt gets home, everything will be okay. Like he'll push the moon back into place." - Miranda (Pfeffer 48)
I keep wondering why her older brother is so important for Miranda. Was he the one that payed the most attention to her before he left? Anyway what I liked the most was the trust that she has in him, how she feels safe when she is around Matt. If the moon situation were to happen in real life, everyone should have someone that means what Matt means to Miranda. I even feel somewhat jealous because she has an older brother that protects her, and I do not. This quote even makes me predict that once Matt comes home, as Miranda said, everything will come back to normal in their house, even if the problems from outside will keep going.

I am really looking forward to reading the rest of this book. I am really enjoying the concept that it carries and I find it interesting that the topic isn't the usual love story or a recycled plot. It is something different, original and unique.  I also like the fact that the main character is around my age because I am able to relate to her feelings and thoughts, and that helps me have a better understanding of the novel.  I predict that the most probable thing to happen next is that there will be more natural disasters, and that Miranda's family is going to suffer a crisis. It is just a prediction, I really don't know but it is very likely, since the book should have a problem for it to continue the plot. I can't wait to see what happens next. See you soon in my next post

The Riddle of the Sphinx

SO... I finished the book and it was just what I was expecting. Here's what happened. The schedule gave the teenagers two free days in Aswan, were they could go shopping or do whatever they wanted, plus, the boat would stay overnight in that same place! It was clear that Octavia was madly in love with Sam by now, so she suggested to stay the night in one of those luxurious Egyptian hotels with him, having Salah to cover for them. Sam agreed and so they went to the Old Cataract Hotel, where Octavia got the main suite using some flirting and some French. Back in the boat, late in the evening all the crew was called to the deck to watch a video that the staff had made with pictures from the whole trip in the cruise. As the video played, Salah started to feel stupid for wasting all the opportunities that he had to be with Rosie, but as soon as a picture of both of them in the pool appeared, he took his chances and kissed Rosie, for this may have been his last chance. She kissed  him back, and they had to be called out by the teachers to stop. Salah had finally made it, and for his own luck, no one even asked about Sam and Octavia. Salah decided to carry the piano from the club to the deck and gathered the whole crew as a surprise to Rosie so that she could preform under the stars that she loved so much. Meanwhile, in the hotel, Sam and Octavia were talking and having the most romantic time on your lives all night long. And Rosie, loved the surprise so much that she spent the night with Salah on deck looking at he stars.


The following morning, the four friends gathered at the entrance of the boat to spend their second day together in Aswan. They decided that they would do something memorable to remember the trip forever, and what better way to do that than racing each other with carriages. After bargaining for a while with the carriage owners, they finally started, and even though it was a close race, Sam and Octavia won. It indeed was a memorable moment. Mohammed, the guide came to them and said "Now you are true Egyptians!" (O,Connell 198) For them, it was the best day of their lives. It also became a sad day though, because it was the last one, and soon they would be separated. The time came and they flew back to their countries. And when Octavia finally arrived to her house a package that Sam had sent her was waiting for her. It  was an Egyptian poem and the gifts that he had wanted to give her from the Valley of the Kings and Queens. On the base of a scarab he had written his version of The Riddle of the Sphinx with his own answer too:

(O'Connell 223)

   And for Rosie, there was a post card that Salah sent every week from New York ever since that magical experience.




"What creature has two hearts? Octavia for she has stolen mine away." -SAM  (O'Connell, 223)
I really admire the author's capacity to make such a perfect choice of words. It's one of the best love quotes I have ever read or heard. I wonder how long it would have taken Tyne O'Connell to make and decipher the riddle so that it would fit so perfectly with the story. Plus, I always tend to choose a favorite quote from every book I read and this is definitely the one I am choosing from True Love, The Sphinx and Other Unsolvable Riddles!


"I knew then that Sam totally got Egypt, which meant in a nutshell, he got me." -SALAH   (O'Connell, 220)
 When I first read this I couldn't understand why it was so important to Salah that his friends  had a better understanding of Egypt, but as I finished the book I realized that he felt so related to that country that it was actually himself who wanted to be understood. In other words, we can clearly see since the beginning, that Salah felt a little different, so he saw that school trip as an opportunity for his friends to know his true identity better.


 
I really enjoyed the whole book. I didn't feel like I had to read it but instead like I wanted to read it.
The story was finally something different from the usual love stories and, in my opinion, it was twice as interesting. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys romantic and comedy books as much as I do because this novel is truly something you should try. Or even if you don't enjoy those genres so much but you are a teenager, you should still read it, since you'll be able to relate with the characters and even find some answers to some of your doubts about love life. I am so happy that I chose this book over so many  options at the beginning of summer, since I enjoyed it so much. Thank you for supporting my blog and see you next time in Scriptum Interpretations!

A Huge Flip in the Story

Everything changed now! It's like the story just flipped in these last four chapters. Let me start from the beginning. Our protagonists went to the Edfu Temple which is where the changes started.  So, once they were inside the temple, listening to Mohammed's usual blah blah blah, Salah separated from the group and went to discover the chambers on his own. Of course, Octavia followed behind him and, following Rosie's advice, so did Sam. While looking for Octavia, Sam saw Salah alone by some statues, so he took advantage of that to find Octavia before she could find Salah. He founds her leaning on a column in one of the chambers, with a sad look on her face. "I was hoping that Salah would meet me here you know? So that we could have a moment. So that he could find me," she said (O'Connell, 147). Trying to sound romantic and to stop her crush on Salah, Sam said "I found you!"(O'Connell, 147). This apparently worked and let Octavia forget about Salah. In other words, they spent the rest of the visit together. Since Octavia thought that Rosie fancied Sam, she refused to believe that she was starting to like him more than Salah but the love for him was growing inside her. Once they were in the boat, she even commented everything that had happened with him to Rosie so that she wouldn't be jealous.

Realizing that Octavia was actually starting to like Sam, Rosie decided to stay in the boat with Salah during the afternoon visit to some ruins to give them some time by themselves. It all went smoothly, and before they knew it, Sam and Octavia were kissing in the darkness of the Egyptian ruins. I know, right? It happened so quickly!!! everything was falling into place for everybody. This is what I've been waiting for! Salah can finally be with Rosie and Sam can finally get Octavia's attention.

Meanwhile, in the Nefertiti cruise, Salah was trying to have a conversation with Rosie while she was working on her music, but she got so nervous that she made him look like a fool when he tried to talk about music.

That night, Rosie finally confessed to Octavia that she liked Salah while regretting her attitude towards him that afternoon. To her surprise, Octavia seemed extremely happy about it as she got the relief that she hadn't kissed the boy she thought her best friend was into. Finally, just to put the cherry on top, Salah knocked the girl's door and left a present for Rosie. It was a bunch of Bach's music sheets that he had bought for her. How romantic!

"She snatched the page back from me , shuffled the sheets into a pile, and put them in a folder." 
-SALAH (O'Connel, 161)
This part just confused me. Why is Rosie acting all weird with poor Salah. He hadn't done anything new for her to treat him that way. I suppose that maybe that is her way of treating people when she gets nervous or maybe too caught up in her activities. Anyway, I am hoping that with this gift that Salah gave her, she will go and apologize so that they can be happy just like Sam and Octavia are starting to be.


"...and that's when it occurred to me that perhaps Salah was inside waiting for me the way I'd waited for him at Edfu. That was exactly what I'd wanted that morning but not anymore... I was enjoying being snug under Sam's arm." -OCTAVIA (O'Connell, 157)
I have read, seen and even experienced many situations like this before, where you get so obsessed with what you think is right for you that you don't realize that the better options may be nearer than you think. Like Octavia for example, she idolized Salah so much, that it took her the whole trip to finally realize that the guy who truly loved her was Sam, who was there the whole time. When I read this in the book, I even felt some type of Deja Vu since the same happens in the book "Paper Towns" by John Green, and also in many real life experiences.

I am definitely finishing the book next week, so if you want to avoid spoilers about the end of this romantic novel, I will leave the link below if any of you would like to purchase the book and experience the end of this Egyptian adventure on your own. I can't wait to know how the story of these four teenagers will end after so much drama. Probably, Salah and Rosie will get together just like Octavia and Sam. Maybe true love will be able to win after all. I have enjoyed every piece of this novel and I wish it didn't end because of all the fun that it brought me. I'll share my final thoughts and comments on the last chapters on my next post. See you soon in Scriptum Interpretations!

http://www.amazon.com/True-Sphinx-Other-Unsolvable-Riddles/dp/1599900505

Mixed Signals

This is what has happened in the previous chapters. Right after the kiss fiasco, Sam and Salah went to their room both quiet and in shock abou what had happened. Salah tried to explain to Sam that it wasn't his fault. Luckily for Salah, his friend understood, even if he still wasn't very happy about the whole situation. The next morning they would go to the Valley of the Kings and Queens. As they headed to their destination, Mohammed, the guide, warned everyone about the hustlers that they would find in the valley. "They will offer you gifts, but will later catch you and charge you a lot of money for it! So don't accept anything from them," he said (O'Connell, 100). Of course, once they got there, Octavia accepted a lot of gifts, and Sam did the same just to impress her. As they continued their tour, Octavia's shoe broke, so Sam offered to carry her and her bag full of makeup and water. They had a really good time together and Octavia even dared to share her poverty secret with Sam. He was really impressed but he promised he wouldn't tell anyone as he saw the regret on her face for telling him. This made Octavia feel better, so she kissed Sam on the cheek.

(Sam with Octavia)

On their way back, Sam changed his shirt so that the hustlers wouldn't recognize him. Once they were all in the boat, Sam was so excited about what had happened with Octavia back at the valley that he planned a surprise for her with his friends. He would set up a whole scene with candles and cushions back in his room and he would give her the things that he got from the hustlers as a gift. To distract her while Sam was preparing everything, Salah took Octavia and Rosie to watch a movie in their friend's room. Unfortunately, Octavia hadn't taken the valley experience with Sam so seriously, so she started flirting with Salah once again while they were watching the movie. This is why, when Sam walked into the room to tell Octavia that he had a surprise, she refused to go. This let Sam, extremely frustrated with Salah, so he just left the room without saying anything else. The next day, Rosie followed Sam after breakfast and saw how beautiful his room looked with so many decorations. Rosie realized how madly in love he was with her best friend so she decided to help him get what he desired the most!

"I knew that I could win that kiss. All I needed was more time." -SAM (O'Connell, 114)
At this point I became mad with the character of Octavia. Why would she give Sam that kiss and let his hopes up?. If I were Octavia I would have told Sam since the beginning that I wasn't interested in him to  prevent him from so many disappointments. What she is doing is not fair. And the worst part is that Sam is SO in love with her that he still doesn't understand that Octavia is not in love with him.Wake up Sam!

"I swear to God I was in some sort of Shakespearean farce. Only not a funny one. Maybe a tragedy? I wanted to ask Octavia to move away but I just didn't see how I could without drawing Rosie's attention." -SALAH (O'Connell, 130)
I thought it was pretty interesting the way that the author compares Salah's situation with some sort of dramatic tragedy. That example truly reflects how Salah isn't able to love the one he really likes because of all the obstacles that Octavia sets.  Why Octavia?!? Why do you have to get everything you want? Why can't you just understand that Salah and Rosie are meant to be and that you are just standing in their way? Will true love win?

In conclusion, I have realized that the only person causing all the problems is Octavia. If she would just like Sam, everything would be perfect and everyone would be happy. On the other hand, if it wasn't for Octavia, there wouldn't be any plot in the story. I am really attached to this book and I am really enjoying every part of it. All that I can think of is what will happen next. The ideas are original and since the characters are near my age, it makes their situations way more relatable to me. I wonder if any of the problems in the novel will end before the school trip ends? I predict that, while helping Sam get Octavia, Rosie will probably change her mind and fall in love with Sam. We'll find out in my next post in Scriptum Interpretations!

Flirting Like Crazy

A lot of things have been going on throughout the last chapters. Our four protagonists went to the Karnak Temple as the first stop of their educational trip.  It was super hot and Mohammed, the tourist guide was trying to make himself heard by all the students who weren't paying any attention at all. Even worse, the teachers interrupted poor Mohammed trying to show off their knowledge every five seconds. Meanwhile, the New Yorkers where filling up the infamous Hottie Chart made by Yo (Salah and Sam's best friend) where everyone gives a score on a scale from one to ten to all of the girls so that they know who the interest of each boy lays. Of course, everyone gave Octavia the "Off the Scale" score except for Salah who had never filled one of those charts since he thought that they were lame. Later that afternoon back in the cruise were they were all staying, Octavia starts telling Rosie that she can't figure out why Salah wasn't noticing all her flirting through the whole day! Rosie just listened without expressing her true feelings for the same guy.  They opened up a bottle of vodka just to take a few sips to relax a bit, but while Rosie was in the bathroom, Octavia took a few mouthfuls.

It was pretty clear that Octavia was wasted once they arrived to the dining room, so the two girls hurried outside to get some air. Sam saw this as a chance to win Octavia over so he rushed to take care of her, leaving Salah and Rosie alone. They went back into the dining room and had a great time taking about all the things that they had in common. Salah even confessed how much he liked Rosie rather than Octavia. It was all perfect until Sam came running with the bad news! Octavia had jumped to another cruise that was sailing next to theirs and she didn't want to come back. Salah decided to go to her rescue. He jumped to the other boat and saw Octavia dancing in the middle of an old group of people who were cheering for her as she danced for them. He carried the drunk girl in his arms and jumped right back to their cruise. Then, the worst thing happened. Before Salah could even let Octavia down, She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him right in front of Rosie and Sam! Poor Salah! Both his best friend and the girl she liked were furious at him, and Salah was even more furious at Octavia! Maybe flirting like crazy was not the answer to win Salah after all.

"Usually I'm the very quiet one. Th girl no one notices." -ROSIE (O'Connell, 78)
I felt pretty related to Rosie when she said this. It made me realize how similar this character is to myself. She is really quiet and doesn't like to be in the spotlight of attention but that doesn't mean that she isn't special or talented. Now, I am not as shy as she is but I am still the one who usually doesn't talk too much when holding a group conversation. Once again, this doesn't mean that I don't have anything interesting to say or that I am insecure, but rather that I am just a little different.

Since Rosie feels like Octavia's shadow, I thought that the choir of the song "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift, would give you a better understanding of how she feels towards Salah when Octavia interferes. This is the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw

"I pulled away but the damage was done. I looked across the railing at Sam and watched his face go cold." -SALAH (O'Connell, 84)
All I can say is poor Salah! He had confessed his love for Rosie over Octavia earlier in the night and now Rosie just thinks it was a lie. He didn't even want to kiss Octavia in the first place  but it was too late once he pulled away. Not only did he lose the trust of the girl he was in love with but his best friend felt betrayed by him for kissing the girl that he liked. Of course they would understand, but if only they weren't so mad to listen to Salah!

 I really enjoyed this last chapters in True Love, The Sphinx and Other Unsolvable Riddles! Not only was there a lot of drama that made everything way more interesting, but I also had the chance to relate to some of the characters in a deeper way. I m really looking forward to reading what will happen with the "Kiss between Octavia and Salah" situation. Will Rosie and Sam understand the true intentions of poor Salah? Will Octavia finally back off and let Rosie and Salah be happy together? we'll see next time in Scriptum Interpretations!

Destination: Egypt and Drama

I started reading this book called True Love, The Sphinx, and Other Unsolvable Riddles by Tyne O’Connel, author of various romantic comedies and writer for magazines like Vogue and Elle. This is what has happened through the first chapters. I am getting an introduction to the different personalities of four teenagers, around the age of 16, who are about to go on a school trip to Egypt. Two of them come from a school called Browers in New York. Their names are Sam and Salah. Sam loves photography but he devotes most of his time to getting any girl he likes. There is also his best friend Salah, who is originally from Egypt, where he lived when he was little until his grandparents died. He is way more thoughtful and calm and has other interests in life besides girls.

On the other hand, there is Octavia and Rosie, two English girls who attend Queens Ladies College in London. Octavia practically has the world at her feet. She is astonishingly beautiful, although there is a secret that she keeps from everyone…She is extremely poor. Octavia has to make her own clothes, and live under a house with a roof that can't even shelter her family from the rain. That is why she makes everyone believe that she is wealthy and doesn’t have any worries even if deep inside she does. She is also super flirty and gets any boy she wants just like her best friend Rosie, a complete introvert that loves music. Rosie is also beautiful and very stylish but she always seems to get the second plate, since Octavia always gets the cuter boys. She spends a lot of time in her computer mixing melodies and creating music of her own.  

 These four characters happen to meet on their respective school trips in Egypt, and here is where all the plot starts. Rosie and Octavia falls for the handsome and well dressed Salah. Sam falls for gorgeous Octavia. And Rosie caught Salah’s eye. Let the trouble begin!

"I like to give the impression that there is nothing more to my life than the persuit and conquest of girls. I know there's a lot more to life than girls, but it amuses me to think that everybody else figures I haven't worked that out yet." -SAM (O'Connell, 7)

 When Sam said this, I kind of felt sorry for him. He has created a reputation for himself that doesn't let him express new thoughts or ideas. Why can't he just tell the society that he has changed? Why would Sam like to be seen as someone who isn't the way he truly is? I guess that he, as a teenager is pretty insecure of what  society might think of him if he was different. Maybe he just wants other people to think that he is cool or amazing by acting all careless about anything besides girls and photography. Will he change after this school trip? Will he decide to change that impression he gives of himself?

"I invented a whole Outer London Zone Phobia so that people would imagine my refusal to visit their places in the country or go abroad was a delightful madness rather than asking my broker-than-broke Papa for travel money." -OCTAVIA (O'Connell, 14)

I realized that if I were in Octavia's place I probably would have done something really similar. Who wants to be pitied? Although, if her friends were real they would still be with her even if she is poor. Why doesn't Octavia trust her friends and tell the truth? It was really interesting of her to make this Outer London Zone Phobia up, but will this protect her image or destroy her friendship with all of those who believe that it is actually true? Will Octavia be able to pull this "I am not poor" act without hurting the ones she cares for?

I am really looking forward to read the next chapters and find out what will happen next. Will Octavia and Rosie fight  for Salah or will Rosie just back off as usual to let Octavia get the first prize? Will Sam use his flirting skills to steal Octavia's attention away from Salah? Will someone find out about Octavia's little secret? I just hope that the four of them will be able to work things out without fighting among each other even if it sounds almost impossible.  See you next time in Scriptum Interpretations for whatever comes next in this novel.  :)