Young Adult Fiction

Miles Mukamal

     Sometimes when we have to do something we don't want to, or think to do, it can be beneficial. Such is the case with Finley and Russ's relationship in the book Boy 21.  Finley lives in a town called Bellmont that is ridden with gangs, drugs and violence. Finley's mom was murdered by an Irish gang and after that, he has had problems talking and making friends. Russ moved there from California after his parents. When Finley's coach nearly makes Finley befriend Russ so he will become a little saner, Finley and Russ develop a strong relationship. This includes Finley and Russ hanging out on Finley's roof, at school and how at the end, Russ invites Finley to go star gazing. This shows how Russ and Finley's relationship helps both of them, not just Russ.

     To begin, Russ and Finley often hang out on Finley's roof. "Can we go sit on your roof?" [Asked Russ]... I nod." This is just the start of their relationship and it is just by sitting on the roof. They also share Russ's birthday on the roof. "Once we are seated he opens the box and, surprisingly, a small package of birthday candles [and cupcakes]." This shows how they can be friends when neither of them have too many.

     Secondly, Russ and Finley spend a lot of time at school together. This is good for their relationship because they can protect each other from mean classmates. When someone tries to dump carrots and Russ and Finley's plate and call them rabbits, Russ gets up and says "WE ARE NOT RABBITS!". This is something Finley would have never done, but because Russ was there, they both avoided embarrassment. Also Finley and Russ are "in every class... lockets next to each other... next to each other in every class." This, even though done on purpose, will still help Russ and Finley's relationship grow.

     Finally, Russ invites Finley to come star gazing with him and his grandparents. This is their final phase in their relationship before Finley leaves. "This place is truly awesome, thanks for bringing me." This shows how Finley is thankful for Russ's kindness. Also when they talk about how their parents died it is very interesting because Finley has never told anyone in before and Russ responds with, "Is that when you stopped talking?" This shows how close they became and how they can share their deepest secrets.

     

Essay on “Ashes”

Essay on “Ashes”

Miles Mukamal

In the world, there are many teens who have parents or a parent that don’t show their children real love or compassion.  Such is the case in Susan Beth Pfeffer’s short story “Ashes”. Ashes, a teen whose parents are divorced, is forced to make a tough decision when her father tries to manipulate her. After asking her to take money from her mom’s house with only vaguely explaining why he needs it, he drops her off and tells her to comeback with the $200 he wants. Without saying it, he has made it clear he will not treat Ashes the same if she doesn’t return with the money.  He also is less reliable than her mom and there is a lack of trust between Ashes and her father. This really shows how negative relationships can affect the choices we make, and the things we do.

           

      For starters, Ashes’ father manipulates her to try and get something out of her. For instance, “’you’re a one-in-a-million girl’. ’Am I really?’ I asked not needing the reassurance. I knew I wasn’t a one-in-a-million girl, no matter how often Dad told me I was.” This quote shows how Ashes’ father tries to get her to love him more by giving untruthful compliments so she will be more fond of him and be more likely to do what he says. Furthermore, Ashes dad says “’Some of those supermodels make a fortune.’” In this quote, he is giving her another false compliment, but also he is hinting at the fact that he may be short on money by suggesting a job that pays a lot. In all, Ashes’ dad gives her what might seem like untrue praises to give her the dishonest feeling of love so she might do something he wants.

           

       Moreover, there is a lack of trust between Ashes’ and her Father. For example, while they were eating dinner at the diner her dad sat facing the door, and kept looking at it. Ashes’ reply to this was: “’waiting for someone?’ I asked him” She gets on high alert when her dad does something suspicious. Ashes doesn’t trust her dad is sitting facing the door by accident, so she asks him about it, which leads to a confession by her dad about how he owes someone money and he needs her to take it from her mom. Similarly, when Ashe’s dad asks her to borrow money from her mom by making Ashes’ sneak into her house and take the money, Ashes says “Dad, I don’t know,’ I said. ‘That’s a lot of money. What if Mom finds out?”’ This is after her dad says that he promises she won’t get caught. Ashes doesn’t trust her dad that her Mom won’t find out.

           

      Finally, her dad is less reliable and predictable than her mother. This affects the choices she might make because even though her dad is less reliable then her mom, she still loves her dad because of his occasional affection, which she only gets once a week from him, if at all. Because she doesn’t see her dad too often, she feels more love from him than her mom because her mom has to stay with her all the time, making Ashes feel less special to when with her mom. An example of her dad’s unreliable love is “He’s always there when you need him. Well, not always.” This quote shows how he’s not always around to support and love Ashes. This is the opposite of her mother. She is very reliable and prepared. For instance, (Talking about her mom) “She’s the most practical person I know…” or “[she has] Flashlights with working batteries for a blackout” This shows how prepared and reliable Ashes’ Mom is compared to her father. Her mother provides love while still being reliable at all times, while on the other hand, Ashes’ dad is not always there to support and love Ashes. 

           

     To conclude, relationships really affect what we do. Trust, lack of reliability and manipulation are key aspects of Ashley’s relationship with her Father that may affect what she might do, such as taking the money from her mother, or remaining loyal to the parent that is always there and is reliable and affectionate at all times. This short story by Susan Beth Pfeffer really shows how relationships affect the choices we make.