Appreciation

     Never Have I ever, is the second book of the Lying Game series by Sara Shepard.  In it, Emma has been secretly used to replace her murdered sister Sutton.  Emma, coming from being an orphan who was jostled from one foster family to another to Sutton's rich, loving family, was shocked when she learned how little Sutton liked her life.  In Emma eyes, Sutton had everything, including an adoring sister and friends.  However, Sutton hated her family and was always ill-mannered towards people.  In the text Emma had said that she couldn't believe Sutton hadn't appreciated everything that she'd had.  However, Sutton who watches Emma like a guardian angel, brought up the point that she couldn't appreciate it until she died and lost everything.  This makes me think about why people are able to appreciate things.

     This book makes me consider that in order to appreciate things, you must first learn that not everyone has them.  For example, in the book, Sutton had money and a loving family.  However she didn't appreciate it at all until after she died and lost all of it and after she learned her long lost twin sister was suffering foster homes and moving away all the time.  Suttons friends are the same, always complaining about their lives or other people even though they have money, friends, caring family, etc.  They even prank people in horrible ways if they annoy them, instead of appreciating what they have.  Another example of learning to appreciate is when people learn to appreciate what they have because of things on the news such as the less fortunate in Africa or how many people's homes and lives were destroyed because of things like Hurricane Sandy.  Overall, I believe that appreciation often forms out of realizing what you life would be without something or suddenly gaining something.  For example, how Emma gained a family after having had only foster families who cared very little about her.  In the end, I agreed with Sutton when she said that she couldn't have appreciated everything when she was alive because she never knew what she had.

Both Lesions Are Bad

     As I read "Specials," the third book of the "Uglies" series by Scott Westerfeld, there are two types of lesions that doctors put into people's brains when they are operated on.  One lesion is for the Pretties.  When people in this series turn sixteen, they are turned beautiful.  However, the doctors put lesions in their brains to make them feel muddled, and not have a clear mind.  This way, they would never cause wars, violence, or anger.  The other lesion is for the Specials.  Specials are dangerously fast and alert.  They put down anyone who tries to rebel, such as the Smokies, who are people who run away from the operation of turing Pretty so their minds don't become messed up.  And although the Specials have very clear minds, the lesions make them feel as though they are better than everyone.  I agree with the main character Tally, that both lesions are wrong.
     Tally escaped being Pretty- minded, but later was turned into a Special.  Although her friend thinks that the lesions to make Specials think they are better is good because "it's true," Tally knows that they are bad.  For example, after the boy she loved wasn't turned into a Special, she went to see him.  But she felt sick after she realized she thought she was so superior compared to him.  I agree with Tally's feelings, because in this series, they are trying to create a type of Utopia by turning almost everyone Pretty and making them calm.  However, if they are trying to do this, why would they make those who think they are better?  This does not make the perfect world, because in the perfect world, everyone is equal.  I also think that in general, putting these lesions into people without their consent is inhumane.  Also feeling that you are better than someone is harmful.  It can put others down and cause you to become a mean, stuck up person.  Overall, I respect Tally's opinion that both lesions are bad, even though some think they are good because they help keep order.  I also admire the fact that Tally followed her heart, which led her to realize that all of the operations have horrible side effects.  I wonder how Tally will express her feelings towards the lesions throughout the rest of the book.