Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Darlings Are Forever
The book The Darlings Are Forever by Melissa Kantor is about three best friends who end up going to different high schools all around New York City. The story is mainly about how these three girls try and stay friends despite their growing apart. I think that their going to different schools isn't the only reason they are growing apart, I think they are also growing apart because they are nothing like one another and they no longer have Nana there to help them through life.
They all have very different interests. Natalya is a genius and she goes to a very very good academic high school on a full scholarship. Her school has a lot of very wealthy kids and she is getting sucked into that crowd of stuck up and popularity obsessed which is really bother Jane, the drama fanatic. Jane is going to a performing arts high school and is always at rehearsal for a school play. And then there is Victoria who is shy and trying to find her voice without her two best friends getting in the way. They are all spending time with new people and they don't really appreciate each other anymore like friends should.
Another reason I think they are growing apart is because they are nothing alike in the first place. Jane is a drama queen, really outgoing who likes everything to be about her. Natalya is very book smart but does not know how to talk to real people and Victoria is really shy. Their personalities clash in every way and when you are trying to figure out who you are throughout high school I think it is important to figure it out with people like you, who are trying to figure it out too. Not people like Jane who think they have everything figured out or people like Natalya who is going to fake her way through it. You need to find friends that will support you with the decisions you make and not criticize you for every little thing. Life is different for them now that they are in high school and I have a feeling that if they don't realize and embrace their differences soon then their friendship will be ruined.
Nana was Jane's grandmother who all the girls were really close to. She died of a heart attack before the book started but all of the girls have really fond memories of her. They always feel closer when they think about Nana and all she did for them. Nana is the one thing that always connected them fully and now that she is gone they don't really know what they are doing anymore. They are slowly growing apart now that she is no longer here and even though they don't want to it is the sad reality.
I know what it feels like to grow apart from someone very close to you. The feeling is as if your just drifting away and there is nothing you can do about it. It is a helpless, melancholy feeling and you just feel trapped and confused and you don't know what to do. It is as if someone tilted the earth while you were standing on it. I hope these girls can save their friendship before it is too late and I will keep reading to find out what ends up happening in the end. Friendship is most definitely worth fighting for.
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Isabel- wow, that blog post was actually amazing. I loved the way you described all 3 girls in a very descriptive way. All those 3 girls make me think about all the girls around me and how they interact towards one another. It also makes me think about my relationships with my friends. I agree with you, even though they might have nothing in common, friendship is definitely worth fighting for. I couldnt stand to lose a friend. But maybe when the time is right, and you cant fight much longer, you should just let go. I think this because maybe if you are just so far from one another, the best thing to do it move on and make more friends. I also liked the summary, because the more we (the readers) know about the characters, the more we will have emotions towards them. Good job!
ReplyDeleteIsabel, This book sounds really good, and i hope to read it! What kept me intrigued by your post was how you mixed the summary and your thoughts. You also drafted your paragraphs about the girls very well, which helped me not get confused by the different character emotions and personalities. I admire you sharing your personal life connections about slowly drifting away from a friend, with your thoughts on this book. As i read your post i was thinking, maybe these girls where never meant to be friends. Maybe they were only bound together by their Nana. Your thoughts on that?
ReplyDeleteIsabel, I thought you did a really good job explaining why you thought these girls were growing apart, and then relating it to yourself. I definitely agree that friendship is worth fighting for, but do you think that for these girls maybe it isn't? I know in my past experiences that I know people who are just so different it's important for them to let go and part. I agree with what sofia said, maybe they were never really meant to be friends in the first place. Do you choose your friends, or are they chosen for you? Maybe Nana kind of held them together but they were never really meant to be friends? If they were actually really close friends and it wasn't all Nana then I totally agree and I hope they stay friends, because like you said before I also know what it's like to part from friends and it's really sad. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteThis blog post was really amazing Isabel! I thought you did a really great job on having one central main idea, and then backing it up with supporting evidence. You also made your paragraphs connect in a way that made it easier to follow along with the whole thing. You did a really great summary of the book, not too much, not too little. It made me really want to read this book and find out what happens. It makes me wonder how they will survive without Nana? Was she the one that brought them together? I loved how in the end, you put a text to self connection. And even a simile. You also had a great theme of the book. Overall, this blog post was fantastic! Nice job.
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