Purple hibiscuses post #2

Kambili idolizes her father and will do anything he asks in a heart beat. The father is even more of a control freak then I thought, even controlling when the kids wash their clothes and how they have to present themselves. At the moment the narrator is going in the past and describing how life was before Palm Sunday and before her brother began to see the corruption in his family. Kambili gets upset how her mother doesn't care about much even when violence takes a part in their lives but I have a sense of peace and clarity as I read on. The day before Palm Sunday the achikes come to visit, a wealthy family, and mama does her best to make it seem life at their house is grand and special. They came over the house to have their prayer group which practices and sings in a way that papa would flinch if he heard them. Later on after Palm Sunday and the religious traditions that came about Kambili goes on to tell that papa and Jaja were playing chess while listening to the radio and this is when we hear about the government and how there was a coup and a new government will be introduced in Nigeria. Since the narrator of the story is a little girl we never get a full explaination of what corruption is going on outside the family but we hear bits and pieces. The main focus is the tragedies that take place in front of Kambili in her everyday life.

Purple hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

So far purple hibiscus is grabbing my attention. It starts off telling the story of a 15 year old girl going to church and her brother seems to be no where in sight. She looks around and sees how her father looks blank, as he usually does when he is in the presence of others. When they get home the father expresses how upset he is with her brother not through his words but through his actions. The father, papa as he is called by Kambili, throws a missal which is a book for church at jaja. He misses him and hits the ceramic figurines that the mother cherishes and doesn't seem to care that he destroyed them. As I read further into the book I see that the father is violent and is sneaky about it, not letting the people outside of the house find out how he really is. He wins awards for being so good and involved in the church but to me, he doesn't deserve them. He is one of those people that think all you have to do to get into heaven is be involved in church and your actions don't reflect you. I see a theme of religion and belief reoccurring throughout the chapters and this is causing problems within the community and the family as well. Many disagreements take place along with other problems outside of religion. There is corruption in the world going on around this family that they can't do anything to stop. Kambili talks about the flowers and how they give off the scent of freedom, symbolizing that the family is learning and going in opposite ways. She asks her mother one night if she plans on replacing the figurines that papa has destroyed and she says no, almost showing me that she has given up with trying to stop papa from being violent. Jaja on the other hand speaks up about it and won't allow himself to obey a man that doesn't respect him.

Alice in Zombieland

I finally came to the conclusion of the book and I can honestly say that I am shocked. This is by far my favorite book, with all the plot twists and the dramatic love story between Alice and Cole I couldn't stop reading. In the end Alice and Cole realized they are meant for each other and that the visions they have are glimps of the future for them. The rabbit cloud in the sky that seemed to follow Alice wherever she went was actually a sign from her deceased little sister. Everything tied together nicely at the end and left a good opening for the next book in the trilogy. I can't wait to see the next stop on the train for Alice and the adventures waiting ahead for the gang. Each character has such a strong background story that it makes you as the reader have a personal connection with all of them. From just the first book it left me speechless and I know the other two will too. Now, the only problem that I am going to face is when I get to the last book, what am I going to do with my life? All in all, it was a very good book and I recommend to anyone who loves a good dramatic book in their life!

Alice in Zombieland

While I continue to read the first book of the trilogy, I am getting more and more hooked. The kind of books that most interest me are the ones that involve many different situations and a powerful love between two of the characters. Alice and the leader of the crew she just joined have a connection like no other. Every morning when they look in each others eyes they both have a vision about the future. Many of them just involve their relationship but then others show a massive distruction of the world around them. No one quite understands this bond that is forming between Alice and Cole but no one can deny that are destined for each other. This part is starting to have the theme of  confusion. No one seems to know what's going on anymore no matter how hard they try to figure out the missing pieces. Everyone in the group has a situation and no one can fix them. Alice has been training very hard in order to show she is ready to fight but she can't seem to figure out how to cast her soul out of her body. The only way to fight the zombies is in spirit form not in body form. This process involves a lot of concentration and an ability that is hidden within all humans but it just isn't understandable. The author is leaving her readers in suspense as they read because she knows it will just keep them coming. Also, I came to relive that a symbol of a bunny seems to be very important to Alice. Everytime there is going to be a heard of zombies a bunny cloud appears that Alice only seems to notice. She doesn't know why this cloud is following her nor where it comes from but all she knows is that it helps her. So far, the detailing has sky rocketed through the roof and grabbing my attention even more. I can't put the book down once I start reading and can't wait to be done so I can find out what's happens to Alice and her friends in the next book.

Alice in Zombieland

This is a book about a girl named Alice and her family is a bit unusual. Her father claims that he sees "monsters" and does not allow her sister, mother, or herself out of the house once the sun goes down. One day Alice and her family went to her sisters dance recital for the first time and on the way home they got in an accident which caused her whole family to die and left her in critical condition. After this incident she can see the monsters her father feared the most, and as it turns out they are zombies. She finds a group of people at school that are just like her and they all stick together to find a way to stop them. I love this book, so far it is really interesting and has a great plot story. It's the kind of book that makes you not want to put it down and keeps you hooked. The theme of the book is trust. Throughout the whole book Alice has to try and trust the group at her school, which she has a hard time doing because her family never let anyone get close. It teaches us that there are reasons you should be cautious of some people but there are those few that can put a smile on your face. The author does a good job with making the book interesting and adding a lot of detail that makes you get a vivid picture in your head. There is only one thing that I would change about the book and that is the author should have made Alice not be so lost. Throughout the book she was very oblivious to everything that was going on around her and she was aggravated with her father because she didn't believe him with the monsters. Now, she regrets what she has done and is very lost. I get where the author is coming from I just feel that it is being dragged out too much and hope that it stops soon. All in all, it's a very good book and I would read it again. The theme was very obvious and it's and easy read that makes you feel all the emotions with the characters. The love, hate, friendships all feel to real and like you are in their little group.