Young Adult Book Reading Challenges discussion

How important do you think this statement is in relation to this book?

I read Jaycee Dugard’s book "A Stolen Life" and she talked about how important it is for people to say something, if they notice something that just doesn't look right.

Too many times people don't get involved. It's like their afraid of what will happen to themselves as opposed to what is happening to the victim. Everyone's words have power... I found this interesting picture on the internet. It kind of relates:

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I think this question really relates to Jake.. here is more to think about...


When Alice first meets Jake and accompanies him to his car, he recognizes Alice’s detachment and is horrified. What does her lack of emotion suggest about who she has become? Why is she void of emotion? In what ways has she become like Ray?

Jake tries to help Alice in the end. Why do you think he did so? Why did he take a gun to the park instead of reporting his suspicions to the police?

Call me super cynical, but I'd answer the questions about Jake simply: he was a teenager on drugs. There's a whole host of weird teenagers you can meet as one, and sometimes its difficult to figure out why that is exactly. Quite possibly, because Jake was under the assumption that Alice had better drugs than himself, she was using them. As for when she scared him, I think that he probably didn't think anything more than it being a weird trip/she was tweaking out. At the very least, if he got sober and thought about telling someone, there would be a lot of doubt as to what actually happened, what would he report? A girl giving him sexual favors in the parking lot of a playground, with pills in his car and system? That's a lot of reason at that age (any age) for someone to decide not to tell anyone. There's always the question of who to tell too...

As for the last question, I think he got the gun out of a need to be a hero...

But this brings up a good question to me: how reliable as a narrator is Alice?

I sat down and read this book in a couple hours (only like 30 pages to go) it certainly make me think of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZt7J0...

OK sooo... I think anymore people are afraid to say anything. Did anyone hear about the man who told that woman to stop hitting her kid on the bus. She called her brother and when the bus stopped her brother and some other men had AK 47s and shot the bus up???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz4RbR...

People start to think this is what happens when you help out. It's terrible.

It is true about Alice being the narrator. I am glad that sometimes the things she said were confusing and I had to re-read them. As for Jake... he was a totally weird guy. Letting some girl have sex/give him oral sex in the parking lot. And where was the cop at this time? (I do think the cop was doing the right things though).

I guess it's easy to get a gun so I am not surprised Jake showed up with one. I do think he thought the whole situation was going to be cool. Like something that would blow his mind while he was high. I don't think he really thought it was as serious as it was. Though the fact that she told him to come back and meet her with his sister and not by himself should've been a sign to him to NOT come back. Or to come back without his sister. This shows me just how bad his character is too.

I think that maybe Jake got the gun from his home (Most kids get them from their homes). Guns are not easy to get a hold of unless your in a gang.

Jake isn't thinking right because of all the drugs and hormones. I think he thought if he could solve all of her problems he could do something right in his life where every thing is wrong, maybe he wouldn't feel like such a screw up.