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Born in Omaha,
Nebraska in Dec 31,
1965
Ran track in high
school and college
(Notre Dame) and set
many records
The Passing was his
first novel, but wasn’t
ever published
He married in 1989
He has written 16
novels and is still
writing
7 have become
movies
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The author writes chapters from different
characters’ points of view . My favorite
chapters to read were from Will’s point of
view. He is a sweetheart to Ronnie and
everyone he comes in contact with.
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Antagonist and Least Favorite
Character: Marcus
I hated reading the chapters that were
in Marcus’s point of view. He is very
creepy and stalks Ronnie. He is the
“bad guy” in the story. Every time he
comes around, you know something
bad is going to happen. He causes so
many problems for everyone, especially
for Ronnie and Will.
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Exposition
The book starts out in New York City, Ronnie’s
mom is taking her and her little brother Jonah to
their dad’s house for the summer. Ronnie is upset
about leaving her friends and being stuck at her
dad’s house. They haven’t seen or talked to him for
three years, since the divorce. Ronnie is very
negative and ornery. Jonah is always upbeat and
happy. They are the two main characters at the
beginning of the book.
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Rising Action
After Ronnie arrives at her dad’s house, things start to get a little better. She
meets a girl named Blaze and becomes good friends with her. Then she
meets a boy named Will. Will is really interested in Ronnie and soon she
starts liking him back. They fall in love, but have some hardships. Ronnie
starts to lose her friend Blaze. Although she and her dad fought at the
beginning of the summer, they are now getting along much better. Will,
Ronnie and her family become very close as they care for a turtle nest and
enjoy the summer together.
Climax
Ronnie finds out that her dad has stomach cancer. She feels totally lost in life. She is
so mad and wondering why this has to happen to her. She gets in a fight with Will
and doesn’t see him for a while. Everything in her life is falling apart. She has to
take care of her dad. He is getting sicker and sicker, and life is getting sadder and
sadder. Her dad dies after much suffering. Though it is very hard with him gone,
she realizes other ways to be happy. Music is the thing that helps her get her
emotions out. Piano was something her and her dad used to do when she was
young and has just recently started playing again.
Falling Action
Ronnie goes back to New York to live with her mom
while attending Juliard. She is very down, always
thinking about her dad and Will. She hates the idea that
she might not see Will ever again.
Resolution
Will decides to transfer colleges to the same city
that Ronnie is going to college. They will be able
to see each other everyday.
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Setting
Time Period: present time
Place: North Carolina
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Themes
Love
Death
Family
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Rating
I give this book a 10. I loved reading it because it is about
a teenage girl who I can relate to in many ways. I was
always hooked to the book and couldn’t put it down. It is
written well and easy to understand. The Last Song is one
of my favorite books.
Family Relations
Parent-Teen
relationships are
critical for teens to
have success.
Parents are a huge
factor that
contributes to a
teenager’s selfesteem.
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“Teens with a high Sense of Self feel more positive about their own
identity, growing independence and relationships with peers
than do teens with a low Sense of Self. Specifically, high Sense of
Self teens reported feeling smart, successful, responsible and
confident and cite positive relationships with parents. Also,
significantly, the study revealed that:
High Sense of Self teens are more likely to avoid alcohol and
drug use;
Low Sense of Self teens are more likely to use alcohol and
“harder” drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine; and,
Parental involvement strongly correlates with teens’ Sense of Self
and the decisions they make regarding alcohol and drug use.”
(SADD)
“Some typical traits of teenagers are:
Concern with being popular. The teen is trying to find out how
worthwhile he or she is in the eyes of peers. Having friends means
that he has been accepted. Teens spend more time with peers
because they have similar tastes in music, dress, activities, dreams,
and goals.
Challenging the way things are. Teens will challenge the rules and
reason of parents, teacher, and the world. This is part of their
intellectual growth and trying out new ideas and possibilities.
Express concern about how they look. They feel that everyone is
looking at them. They are concerned with their physical and
hormonal changes. Are they fitting in with their classmates? They
now can imagine what other people may be thinking so teens feel
as if they are living in display store window and everyone is
watching them.
Having friends you may not approve of. They are exploring
new relationships and ideas these friends may have.
Influenced by peers. Teens will look to their peers for norms in
dress, drugs, alcohol, and sexual behaviors. However, research
shows that teens are strongly influenced by their parents in
moral issues.
Belonging is very important. Having friends during early
adolescent years in valuable as children are trying to develop
acceptable social skills. They are relating to other teens in
different ways than when they were younger.
Need privacy. Teens need time to think as their intellectual
capacities increase and they are faced with new ideas and
challenges. The changes they are undergoing physical often
lead them to a need for privacy.” (Parents)
Understanding Teens
If parents don’t understand things going through their
teenager’s head, a good relationship will be hard to
have.
Both the parents and the teens need to be willing to try
to have a good relationship.
Selfishness gets in the way a lot.
YouTube - TEENS VS. PARENTS
Time, Communication, and
Trust
These three things are the most important in having a
good relationship.
Some parents don’t spend enough time with their kids.
They let their career or hobbies get in the way. After
spending time with each other and communicating,
trust can be gained.
Family should be the number one priority. It is more
important than anything else in life. Unfortunately,
this is not the case for many families. This results in
problems in the home, including low self-esteem.
Statistics
62% of teens with a high Sense of Self report that their
relationship with their parents helps make them feel
good about themselves, while only about 1/3 of low
Sense of Self teens report the same.
Only 30% of high school teens whose parents provide
a strong level of guidance have used drugs (47% have
used alcohol), compared to 48% of high school teens
whose parents do not provide strong guidance (80%
have used alcohol)
Statistics
Teens with high Sense of Self report that they fell
respected by their parents (93 %) and close to their
parents (85%), while teens with a low Sense of Self
report lower levels of respect from their parents (8%)
and closeness to their parents (12%).