Runner - Post 3

"'I'm dying. I've got to start my life over. Away from your father. You understand why, don't you?' I shook my head no, but I did understand." p.22

This is what Chance's mother says to him the first time he found out his mom and dad are getting divorced. When she says "I'm dying" she doesn't mean it literally, but in the sense that if she doesn't get away from there, she won't be happy and she won't enjoy her life. The fact that Chance says he "shook his head no" but actually understood what she was saying, could mean that he just couldn't accept the fact his parents weren't going to be together anymore. Many kids go through this experience in their lifetime, and they do not want to accept it so they just ignore it. I think this quote really shows that fact.
Another thing the author could be saying is that parents don't think their kids will understand why when they tell them, which is why Chance's mom asks "You understand why, don't you?"

This quote just got my attention for all those reasons and I thought it was something to think about.

Runner - Post 2

I saw this quote on the very first page of the book and it got me thinking about the idea of it.

"I've read about kids who hate their parents for being alcoholics. I've never understood that. It'd be like hating a wounded animal for being wounded, which makes no sense at all." (pg. 3)

I thought about how much sense that statement actually makes. One way to look at it is that once they become an alcoholic, it is just as hard to change your life as it is to quit smoking, because it is a whole life style change. So why would you, or how could you, hate somebody for something that they can't stop doing that is part of their life?
On the other hand, the only reason they are an alcoholic is because they chose to start drinking, and drinking more. There was a way that they could have stopped before it got too bad, but it didn't, and that isn't really anyone's fault but there own.

I think that this is a very good statement and that it makes you realize the truth of it. A wounded animal can't help but be wounded, just like an alcoholic can't hep be an alcoholic.

Runner

I have just started reading Runner by Carl Deuker and am not very far into it, but so far this is what I know.


Characters

Chance - Main character, runner, used to run track, shy kid, coasts through school with passing grades, has a single father, needs a job, lives on a boat, goes to school at Lincoln High.
Chance's dad - He is an alcoholic, lives on his boat, single parent, got kicked out of the army.
Brent Miller - Former school bully, joined the army, used to hang out with Chance by force.
Melissa - Newspaper editor, has strong opinions, goes to school at Lincoln High, wants Chance on the newspaper staff.


I have read some other books by Carl Deuker and I have really enjoyed them. I hope that this book will turn out to be just as good.

Greed - Final Post

I have finished reading the book Greed. This book had me thinking the whole time I was reading it. Thinking about the fact that so many kids have gone through the types of things in this book has put things into perspective. There are many times when I thought my life couldn't get any worse and no one could be feeling worse than I was. Looking back on that, I realize my life really was great, and I could have been in a much worse place. This book can show people, who may just live in their own little world, what is going on in the real world. So many people don't want to think about the fact that there are horrible things happening to people around them. I believe the only reason people usually think this is because nothing this serious has happened to them.


Overall I would give this book to any one of my friends to read. Not just because of the messages in the book, but because it is just a great book anyway.