Explain why you think this novel is considered a good/bad novel. Make sure to state and explain specific reasons for this conclusion. Please include your alias at the top of your entry.
Inventing Elliot is a great novel because the characters, setting, and conflicts are all easy to relate to, and form a compelling psychological thriller. Elliot's choices and struggles are very emotional and often come into a moral battle with the reader. There are many things the reader will disagree with when it comes to the decisions Elliot makes, though through this moral conflict the reader learns and is intrigued by Elliot's mind. The emotional struggles and Elliot's reluctant and immoral decisions get the reader to think about the novel and that is why Inventing Elliot is a great story.
Inventing Elliot was an excellent novel, three reasons why it was found to be were; the character development, writing style, and the plot development of the novel. The character development was well done because it showed the main character and how they had developed throughout the novel from the beginning to the very end. For instance, Elliot the main character of the novel had shown character development because it was remembered that he had started off as the victim, fear hanging over him and then once he had moved to his new school he had turned into a bully without realizing it. Once Elliot had realized this, he eventually turned things around becoming his true self again. Another reason why the novel was found to be good was because of the author’s writing style. The novel was so well written that you could clearly understand everything that was going on, without getting confused. It also wasn’t an easy read either, so it would not bore the reader and it gave them a bit of a challenge, which was good. For instance, when it stated that Elliot was moving, it was inferred that he moved twice meanwhile when read over again and clearly thought about it had said that he only moved once. That certain part of the novel was found to be a little challenging but was easily solved because it was such an easy read. The novel was also found to be great because of the plot development. The plot development makes a novel the way it is by the atmosphere/mood, characters, theme, and the setting. The atmosphere developed can depend on what the character was going through at the moment. For instance, when Elliot had feared that the Guardians would do something to him if they were to find out he was hanging out with Ben, the boy on their punishment list. Clearly the novel is found to be so very excellent.
Expository Paragraph #1 Daniel Velocci Ms. Morris ENG 1D1 7 May 2009 I think this novel was an excellent novel because of a few reasons. Firstly, the author introduces each character in a different part of the story when necessary. For example, the author introduces the main character, Elliot in the beginning of the book and he introduces The Guardians when the part about the Guardians is stated I also like this book because of the plot development. The author starts the book by describing Elliot’s early life of being bullied at his former school. He then brings the book into the rising action when Elliot is sent to his new school and he starts his life over again. The climax of the book is when Elliot is chosen to be a member of the feared group of bullies called the Guardians. The falling action is when he meets his soon to be girlfriend. The conclusion was when Elliot has had enough of the Guardians and goes to tell the headmaster about all the things the Guardians have been doing to the kids at his school. I personally did not like the ending because it was a bit short and summarized in one chapter. All in all I enjoyed this book very much mostly due to those two things I have chosen to write about. I hoped you all enjoyed it to.
Santhia Sivasuntharam Ms. Morris ENG 1D1 6 May 2009
ISU Part Two - Mandatory Question Inventing Elliot was a very interesting novel, most teenagers can relate to. The author describes Elliot’s feelings well, which allows you to put yourself in Elliot’s shoes and realize how he feels. The book lets the reader realize that, this situation happened and still happening out there. This book is about a boy named Elliot who gets bullied, and when his father gets hurt, he has a chance to have a new start. The character Elliot develops a new character when he goes to a new school. He wants to fit in with the others in a good way. A quote from the book that tells you, about this character development, “His new school had been told nothing about what has happened before. He was coming to it with a clean record, a blank identity. It would be a fresh start-as it was supposed to be for all of them.”(Graham 3) The writing style is very motivating. The author wrote it from her perspective on how she saw the things happening. Graham made it easier for the readers to understand. There were a few parts in the book, that may confuse the readers, but the author is very descriptive, which makes it easier to understand. Example of a descriptive passage is, “Then something inside him shifted. Suddenly, terrifying, like nothing he’d experienced before, white-hot rage erupted. It consumed him, uncontrollable, and exploding fire-storm, lunatic fury.” (Graham 2) In general the plot development was not bad, but the central conflict took a long time to be introduced and be resolved. Although the story was interesting, the plot development towards the end was poor. The author finished the book of with, “He brought his hand up again, and this time he didn’t hesitate.” The readers don’t find out what happens to the Guardians and there tradition at Holminster High. The author should have build up on the ending and have extended the book a little further. Best part of this book is that many high school students can relate to it , either because they have been through what Elliot has or because they seen it happen to someone else. Overall, this book is a very interesting book, and should be recommended for more teenagers to read.
Inventing Elliot is a good book because its character and their development are fairly easy to follow and easy to understand. This is easy to follow and understand because the author tried not to jump too drastically from activity to activity (event to event), she tried to slowly ease into an oncoming event. (e.g.: I went to lunch with Donnie to “Subway”. After lunch I had gone to my house; After school, Donnie and I walked to the Subway across the street to get lunch. After Donnie and I had finished eating, we paid the cashier, and walked back to my house to do homework.)
Inventing Elliot, has its pros and cons. It is about a boy who wants to fit in. He has been a past victim of bullying. It teaches kids what it takes to avoid bullying in school. For instance, Elliot had tried out for the schools swimming team, and had good grades. Back in his old school he didn’t have any of these. So I’d say this story had a pretty good message. The character development is straight forward. Elliot changes from being a target of school bullying to the bully himself. The book doesn’t show much of the bullying though. Like when he had to attend meetings with the bullies. Elliot knew the whole time that this was wrong. He was to scared to do anything about it until the end of the book. That means that Elliot had matured and did the right thing. The writing style is quite funny sometimes. Especially when Elliot is thinking to himself. But most of the time it was pretty serious, because Inventing Elliot is a serious novel. Overall this would be more of a good book than bad if you’re looking for a serious novel to read.
Inventing Elliot was a very intriguing novel because the characters, setting, and plot are all interesting and keep you guessing. Elliot is a fascinating character because he is at a constant battle with himself. Readers will most likely find themselves disagreeing with the majority of Elliot's decisions because we know that they aren't always the best/right choices. The building of the characters was very well done as it was easy to follow along with relationships. The plot development was also very interesting because i never wanted to put the book down. Each event was well laid-out in order to create a suspenseful and emotional novel.
Shawn Hanlon Mrs. Russell ENG1D1-05 Wednesday May 13, 2009
I thought that “Inventing Elliot” was a very good book. The reasons why I thought that this book was good because there was very good character development, and an awesome atmosphere surrounding the story. Firstly the character development. The main character Elliot is a kid who is an outcast and is bullied because of his looks. He has no friends and is very self conscious about what other people think of him. When he goes to his new school he rises to the top of the food chain and he finds out that it very cool on the other side. Secondly and lastly the atmosphere surrounding the story. The whole atmosphere of the story is that there is a feeling of dread and it slowly turns into a feeling of superiority.
Santhia Sivasuntharam Ms. Morris ENG 1D1 May 7 2009
ISU Part B - Mandatory Question -Reply
Maria your opinion the book is great. The three reasons you gave are also amazing. The writing style was great, except for the fact it was confusing n some places, but gets cleared up at the end. Also the character development is excellent too, because it showed how Elliot changed from being the victim to be the bully in certain amount of time. The plot development was very interesting, and the plot built on and on through out the whole book. Then only part the is a disagreement is at the end, where the plot development was not very pleasing as readers may of hoped. “He brought his hand up again, and this time he didn’t hesitate.” (Graham 183)Overall, your opinion is agreeable.
Francesco Marini Part A #1 Mrs.Russel ENG 1D1- 06 May 14, 2009
This was a good book because I really liked the way the author developed and the main character Elliot. Elliot (protagonist) is immediately in the begging of the book a victim of bullying. He gets abused physically, verbally, emotionally everyway possible by Kevin (antagonist). Elliot is just a boy who is trying everything possible to become unnoticed in life and just wants to get by, but because of the kid he is; that can never happen. The thing I liked most about the book was that the author ( Graham Gardner) developed Elliot from this scared boy to a man who’s willing to risk him self to stand up for what he believes in. This is really the only aspect of the book I really enjoyed. Other than that it was well written but nothing else stood out to me. This book is good because of the way the author portrayed the main character maturing through out the novel.
I think this novel is a great novel to anyone who enjoys reading about life, and not fantasy. It is a great novel because of these many reasons. Firstly, the plot is well developed. In the beginning you can understand who the character is and what he is going through. By the middle, after you finish reading, you want to pick up the book and read more. Elliot has all these disguises he has to wear in each plot, to make sure he isn’t noticed in the wrong way. The character development is well followed through. Elliot, who has been bullied at his previous school, is at a new school with the mindset of him being bullied again. So he changes his personalities, at home he is normal, and at school he is different. He is forced to be different; he does not want to repeat the events of the past. He meets Louise, a girl who he loves, but messed up with. With her he acts normal, he wants to tell her about the past, but he can’t. With Ben, a kid he saw get punished, he acts freely, but stays on his highest alert for any possible Watchers. The book is from Elliot’s point of view, everything he sees and felt is told.
Francesco, I also thought the author developed the characters in the book very well. I agree about the way the author of the book makes Elliot look like a scared little boy in the beginning and how he is slowly transforming into someone who is not afraid to stand up to someone and tell them what is right. But I also think that the author could have gone into more detail about the characters family and personal story. For example he could have described to us more about when he was at his old school and when he was getting bullied. All together I think your opinion was excellent and I agreed with it as well.
I agree with your reasons why "Inventing Elliot" is an interesting novel. I also noticed that the characters were introduced only when the event that they had to occur in appeared in the novel, not just out of nowhere randomly. I also agree that the plot in the book flows from one idea/event to another, and that it doesn't just jamp from idea/event to idea/event!
In addition to the characters being introduced to the story at appropriate times, I also feel they were very well developed. for example, Elliot was very well developed from the end of the book to about the middle of the book. At the beginning of the book, Elliot is said to be a very frightened boy who is afraid to speak his mind to anyone in fear of being beat up. He developed himself in the novel, I feel, by thinking positive, which turns back to the theme of the book. “Think positive, he kept telling himself. It was supposed to be a new beginning here. His new school had been told nothing about what had happened before. He was coming to it with a clean record, a blank identity. It would be a fresh start – as it was supposed to be for all of them.” (Gardner 3). By the end of the book, Elliot develops into a person who is not afraid to speak his mind!!
Holly Lecours Mrs. Russell ENG1D1 – 05 May, 15th, 2009
I think the novel Inventing Elliot was a very good novel in most areas because of a number of reasons. The character development in the story was very strong; especially the character Elliot. It passionately expressed and described his true self, as a courageous and sophisticated teenager. A number of events in the novel, for example, Elliot choosing to make the right decision and not become one of the Guardians at Holminster High really characterized these traits. I think this is a very important part of the whole story and contributed to the author’s message because it helped engage me into the book. Also, it really allows the reader to visualize every scene in the story and give a better understanding of what was truly happening. As the book progressed, the characters of Elliot’s mom, Richard and Ben also developed with great understanding. Elliot’s father, a minor character of the book was not fully explained, which personally left me confused on certain situations. For instance, he went into depression because of a certain event that happened before the move to a new city, but the author never actually states what happened. Even though this enables an opportunity for the reader to use their imagination; I think the author should have explained the situation of their family more detailed. I also enjoyed the plot outline of the story. The different elements of plot; exposition, trigger incident, rising action, climax, denouement and resolution were all clearly stated and understood because of the author’s choice of writing style and the way he wrote his words. The author’s meaning of the novel was also a heartfelt and comprehendible message to the reader. From my perspective, I think it is telling people to always follow your heart and never just go with the crowd or what others are telling you to do. This is a very insightful and meaningful message, which added an excellent ending to the book. Some other reasons I strongly enjoyed this book were the way the tense and exciting atmosphere were very easy to visualize, and you could relate to the high school situations or characters. The conflicts between the diverse characters in the book were very thrilling and made me not want to put the book down. The author did a fabulous job at writing out and describing the different scenes between the bullies and made it all seem very real. Even though it was not a pleasant situation occurring, it was so exciting and great to read. Overall, this book was very well written, exciting and quite enjoyable. Anyone who reads it will hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.
To respond to Maria's opinion on the novel, "Inventing Elliot," I think you did an excellent job on describing your outlook of the book and the different reasoning behind your conclusion. I agree that the character developement of the protagonist Elliot was very well done and how he developed or changed as the book continued. I also liked how you gave very specific examples of how Elliot developed in the story which made it much easier to understand. Another area of your answer about the writing style of the author I disagree and did not really understand. I think the author did a good job at making the main events clear and easy for the reader to interpret as you said. But the example you listed about "Elliot moving," I found a little confusing and did not understand. Now the last part of your answer discussed the plot development of the novel. I also agree with your statements that it contained all the proper elements; atmosphere, characters, theme and setting and were wll described and developed as the story unfolded. Overall, your answer was very detailed and you did a great job! :)
Katie Konstantopoulos Mrs. Russell ENG 1D1 05 May 17/09
Inventing Elliot was a good novel because of three main reasons that had to do with the way that the author wrote the story. First, it was an easy read. Being a generally short book, it was easy to get through. For someone who does not read much, it is a good size. The writing style was easy to read, yet it was creative and compelling. It was also interesting and definitely powerful; not many authors tend to write about issues such as bullying or being the victim and bully at the same time, so it gave a fresh, new perspective on the topic. The plot flowed well; it was developed and brought everything together nicely, though at the end it could have been elaborated on. The characters were developed fully; they experienced problems and conflicts that real teens in high school might have. Secondly, the conflicts in the story were typical to many teens, yet some of his other conflicts were a slightly different, as if to get the reader to think about other points of view. They were mostly character vs. self. The protagonist, Elliot, had to overcome his fears about bullying and being a victim. Some things that Elliot did might have made the reader disagree with his opinions and thoughts, but it all led up to Elliot’s development as a character at the end of the story. The last point to be made is the theme; it was overcoming one’s fears even when one does not feel strong enough to. The choice of theme was typical since there have been many stories with the same one since it gives a good message to people, yet the author had a different way of expressing it since he had chosen a different topic. The story was very enlightening in terms of the way the author portrayed it, the conflicts between the characters, and the overall message of the story.
Katie Konstantopoulos Mrs. Russell ENG 1D1 05 May 17/09 Response
In response to Holly’s answer, I thought that she did a good job of summing most of my thoughts up exactly, yet there was one thing that I did not agree with. I agree with the fact that Elliot and most of the major characters in the book were described and developed; however, I do not agree with her statement that Elliot’s father was not elaborated upon. It is true that he was not a major character in the book; he was just there to explain why previous events happened and to show why Elliot feels so much resentment towards his family life in addition to his school life. What happened to Elliot’s father is explained, in the beginning of the book; “[Elliot’s] dad had been attacked walking back to his car. Whoever it was—his dad didn’t remember anything and there had been no witnesses—had taken his wallet and car keys and mobile. And fractured his skull, broken his ribs, ruptured his spleen. Left him lying on the pavement bleeding to death. Dying.” (Gardner 12-3) This is not explained anymore because the author leaves you to infer that his father had gotten mugged, and then beat up since he probably put up a fight. Overall, the book was great. Great job on your answer, Holly!!! :-P
Overall I do agree with Inventing Elliot being a good book however I disagree with how you explained Elliot's character development. Elliot did not necessarily find power cool. He found himself in very tight situations and Elliot seemed to resent his position of power more than enjoy it. His prevalent fear of being noticed incorrectly still presides in him while he is at the "top of the food chain" as you so describe it. He only overcomes this fear during the resolution and the power he gains from that point in the plot is not exclusive to any status or rank. Therefore the character development was well done though you explained it improperly.
Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner is a very good book. Though it is not a happy and cheerful book this is a strong story that follows a teenage boy dealing with family depression, bullying, and the choice of power, all while trying to reinvent himself. The character development of Elliot (the main character) is appealing and insightful. The reader really gets inside Elliot’s head and learns of all his thoughts; though confusing at times it shows how much thought he puts into how to handle every situation, when trying to reinvent himself and avoid standing out in the wrong way. Even when faced with the smallest decision such as whether or not to return a found film canister to a peer or faced larger problems such as the powerful control behind the social society of ‘Holminister High’, Elliot is constantly thinking and analysing every possible outcome which keeps the reader interested and constantly wondering what path he will take. Strong characters, mixed with a subtle fear and gloomy atmosphere, Inventing Elliot is a very good book.
Inventing Elliot was an insightful novel. Overall, it was a good book. The moral of the story was that all of our actions have consequences, no matter how good they may appear. The author, Graham Gardner, had used characters and plot developement very well to achieve the right atmosphere and setting. Gardner had set up the characters so that they would play the right parts. For example, Elliot Sutton was the main character who was extremely shy and had a very rough past. Elliot's character had gone along excellently with the plot of the story as well as most of the characters. The main character that Elliot's character had gone along with best was his father. Elliot's father was a played a very important role and once the tradegic tradgedy occured, the shining role model in Elliot's life was gone and altered the plot completely. The plot developement also played a major role to make the novel a good book. The plot developement had created s trigger incident, many points of rising action which had lead the anxious and suspenful reader to the climax, slow falling action and the denoument.
21 comments:
Inventing Elliot is a great novel because the characters, setting, and conflicts are all easy to relate to, and form a compelling psychological thriller. Elliot's choices and struggles are very emotional and often come into a moral battle with the reader. There are many things the reader will disagree with when it comes to the decisions Elliot makes, though through this moral conflict the reader learns and is intrigued by Elliot's mind. The emotional struggles and Elliot's reluctant and immoral decisions get the reader to think about the novel and that is why Inventing Elliot is a great story.
Maria Kostakis
Ms. Morris
ENG 1D1
4 May 2009
ISU Part 2-Mandatory Question
Inventing Elliot was an excellent novel, three reasons why it was found to be were; the character development, writing style, and the plot development of the novel. The character development was well done because it showed the main character and how they had developed throughout the novel from the beginning to the very end. For instance, Elliot the main character of the novel had shown character development because it was remembered that he had started off as the victim, fear hanging over him and then once he had moved to his new school he had turned into a bully without realizing it. Once Elliot had realized this, he eventually turned things around becoming his true self again. Another reason why the novel was found to be good was because of the author’s writing style. The novel was so well written that you could clearly understand everything that was going on, without getting confused. It also wasn’t an easy read either, so it would not bore the reader and it gave them a bit of a challenge, which was good. For instance, when it stated that Elliot was moving, it was inferred that he moved twice meanwhile when read over again and clearly thought about it had said that he only moved once. That certain part of the novel was found to be a little challenging but was easily solved because it was such an easy read. The novel was also found to be great because of the plot development. The plot development makes a novel the way it is by the atmosphere/mood, characters, theme, and the setting. The atmosphere developed can depend on what the character was going through at the moment. For instance, when Elliot had feared that the Guardians would do something to him if they were to find out he was hanging out with Ben, the boy on their punishment list. Clearly the novel is found to be so very excellent.
Expository Paragraph #1
Daniel Velocci
Ms. Morris
ENG 1D1
7 May 2009
I think this novel was an excellent novel because of a few reasons. Firstly, the author introduces each character in a different part of the story when necessary. For example, the author introduces the main character, Elliot in the beginning of the book and he introduces The Guardians when the part about the Guardians is stated I also like this book because of the plot development. The author starts the book by describing Elliot’s early life of being bullied at his former school. He then brings the book into the rising action when Elliot is sent to his new school and he starts his life over again. The climax of the book is when Elliot is chosen to be a member of the feared group of bullies called the Guardians. The falling action is when he meets his soon to be girlfriend. The conclusion was when Elliot has had enough of the Guardians and goes to tell the headmaster about all the things the Guardians have been doing to the kids at his school. I personally did not like the ending because it was a bit short and summarized in one chapter. All in all I enjoyed this book very much mostly due to those two things I have chosen to write about. I hoped you all enjoyed it to.
Santhia Sivasuntharam
Ms. Morris
ENG 1D1
6 May 2009
ISU Part Two - Mandatory Question
Inventing Elliot was a very interesting novel, most teenagers can relate to. The author describes Elliot’s feelings well, which allows you to put yourself in Elliot’s shoes and realize how he feels. The book lets the reader realize that, this situation happened and still happening out there. This book is about a boy named Elliot who gets bullied, and when his father gets hurt, he has a chance to have a new start. The character Elliot develops a new character when he goes to a new school. He wants to fit in with the others in a good way. A quote from the book that tells you, about this character development, “His new school had been told nothing about what has happened before. He was coming to it with a clean record, a blank identity. It would be a fresh start-as it was supposed to be for all of them.”(Graham 3) The writing style is very motivating. The author wrote it from her perspective on how she saw the things happening. Graham made it easier for the readers to understand. There were a few parts in the book, that may confuse the readers, but the author is very descriptive, which makes it easier to understand. Example of a descriptive passage is, “Then something inside him shifted. Suddenly, terrifying, like nothing he’d experienced before, white-hot rage erupted. It consumed him, uncontrollable, and exploding fire-storm, lunatic fury.” (Graham 2) In general the plot development was not bad, but the central conflict took a long time to be introduced and be resolved. Although the story was interesting, the plot development towards the end was poor. The author finished the book of with, “He brought his hand up again, and this time he didn’t hesitate.” The readers don’t find out what happens to the Guardians and there tradition at Holminster High. The author should have build up on the ending and have extended the book a little further. Best part of this book is that many high school students can relate to it , either because they have been through what Elliot has or because they seen it happen to someone else. Overall, this book is a very interesting book, and should be recommended for more teenagers to read.
Inventing Elliot is a good book because its character and their development are fairly easy to follow and easy to understand. This is easy to follow and understand because the author tried not to jump too drastically from activity to activity (event to event), she tried to slowly ease into an oncoming event. (e.g.: I went to lunch with Donnie to “Subway”. After lunch I had gone to my house; After school, Donnie and I walked to the Subway across the street to get lunch. After Donnie and I had finished eating, we paid the cashier, and walked back to my house to do homework.)
Inventing Elliot, has its pros and cons. It is about a boy who wants to fit in. He has been a past victim of bullying. It teaches kids what it takes to avoid bullying in school. For instance, Elliot had tried out for the schools swimming team, and had good grades. Back in his old school he didn’t have any of these. So I’d say this story had a pretty good message. The character development is straight forward. Elliot changes from being a target of school bullying to the bully himself. The book doesn’t show much of the bullying though. Like when he had to attend meetings with the bullies. Elliot knew the whole time that this was wrong. He was to scared to do anything about it until the end of the book. That means that Elliot had matured and did the right thing. The writing style is quite funny sometimes. Especially when Elliot is thinking to himself. But most of the time it was pretty serious, because Inventing Elliot is a serious novel. Overall this would be more of a good book than bad if you’re looking for a serious novel to read.
Inventing Elliot was a very intriguing novel because the characters, setting, and plot are all interesting and keep you guessing. Elliot is a fascinating character because he is at a constant battle with himself. Readers will most likely find themselves disagreeing with the majority of Elliot's decisions because we know that they aren't always the best/right choices. The building of the characters was very well done as it was easy to follow along with relationships. The plot development was also very interesting because i never wanted to put the book down. Each event was well laid-out in order to create a suspenseful and emotional novel.
Shawn Hanlon
Mrs. Russell
ENG1D1-05
Wednesday May 13, 2009
I thought that “Inventing Elliot” was a very good book. The reasons why I thought that this book was good because there was very good character development, and an awesome atmosphere surrounding the story. Firstly the character development. The main character Elliot is a kid who is an outcast and is bullied because of his looks. He has no friends and is very self conscious about what other people think of him. When he goes to his new school he rises to the top of the food chain and he finds out that it very cool on the other side. Secondly and lastly the atmosphere surrounding the story. The whole atmosphere of the story is that there is a feeling of dread and it slowly turns into a feeling of superiority.
Santhia Sivasuntharam Ms. Morris
ENG 1D1
May 7 2009
ISU Part B - Mandatory Question -Reply
Maria your opinion the book is great. The three reasons you gave are also amazing. The writing style was great, except for the fact it was confusing n some places, but gets cleared up at the end. Also the character development is excellent too, because it showed how Elliot changed from being the victim to be the bully in certain amount of time. The plot development was very interesting, and the plot built on and on through out the whole book. Then only part the is a disagreement is at the end, where the plot development was not very pleasing as readers may of hoped. “He brought his hand up again, and this time he didn’t hesitate.” (Graham 183)Overall, your opinion is agreeable.
Francesco Marini Part A #1
Mrs.Russel
ENG 1D1- 06
May 14, 2009
This was a good book because I really liked the way the author developed and the main character Elliot. Elliot (protagonist) is immediately in the begging of the book a victim of bullying. He gets abused physically, verbally, emotionally everyway possible by Kevin (antagonist). Elliot is just a boy who is trying everything possible to become unnoticed in life and just wants to get by, but because of the kid he is; that can never happen. The thing I liked most about the book was that the author ( Graham Gardner) developed Elliot from this scared boy to a man who’s willing to risk him self to stand up for what he believes in. This is really the only aspect of the book I really enjoyed. Other than that it was well written but nothing else stood out to me. This book is good because of the way the author portrayed the main character maturing through out the novel.
I think this novel is a great novel to anyone who enjoys reading about life, and not fantasy. It is a great novel because of these many reasons. Firstly, the plot is well developed. In the beginning you can understand who the character is and what he is going through. By the middle, after you finish reading, you want to pick up the book and read more. Elliot has all these disguises he has to wear in each plot, to make sure he isn’t noticed in the wrong way. The character development is well followed through. Elliot, who has been bullied at his previous school, is at a new school with the mindset of him being bullied again. So he changes his personalities, at home he is normal, and at school he is different. He is forced to be different; he does not want to repeat the events of the past. He meets Louise, a girl who he loves, but messed up with. With her he acts normal, he wants to tell her about the past, but he can’t. With Ben, a kid he saw get punished, he acts freely, but stays on his highest alert for any possible Watchers. The book is from Elliot’s point of view, everything he sees and felt is told.
Daniel Velocci
Ms. Morris
ENG 1D1
May 15, 2009
ISU Part B Reply
Francesco, I also thought the author developed the characters in the book very well. I agree about the way the author of the book makes Elliot look like a scared little boy in the beginning and how he is slowly transforming into someone who is not afraid to stand up to someone and tell them what is right. But I also think that the author could have gone into more detail about the characters family and personal story. For example he could have described to us more about when he was at his old school and when he was getting bullied. All together I think your opinion was excellent and I agreed with it as well.
Daniel,
I agree with your reasons why "Inventing Elliot" is an interesting novel. I also noticed that the characters were introduced only when the event that they had to occur in appeared in the novel, not just out of nowhere randomly. I also agree that the plot in the book flows from one idea/event to another, and that it doesn't just jamp from idea/event to idea/event!
In addition to the characters being introduced to the story at appropriate times, I also feel they were very well developed. for example, Elliot was very well developed from the end of the book to about the middle of the book. At the beginning of the book, Elliot is said to be a very frightened boy who is afraid to speak his mind to anyone in fear of being beat up. He developed himself in the novel, I feel, by thinking positive, which turns back to the theme of the book. “Think positive, he kept telling himself. It was supposed to be a new beginning here. His new school had been told nothing about what had happened before. He was coming to it with a clean record, a blank identity. It would be a fresh start – as it was supposed to be for all of them.” (Gardner 3). By the end of the book, Elliot develops into a person who is not afraid to speak his mind!!
Overall, Amazing Response Daniel!!!
Holly Lecours
Mrs. Russell
ENG1D1 – 05
May, 15th, 2009
I think the novel Inventing Elliot was a very good novel in most areas because of a number of reasons. The character development in the story was very strong; especially the character Elliot. It passionately expressed and described his true self, as a courageous and sophisticated teenager. A number of events in the novel, for example, Elliot choosing to make the right decision and not become one of the Guardians at Holminster High really characterized these traits. I think this is a very important part of the whole story and contributed to the author’s message because it helped engage me into the book. Also, it really allows the reader to visualize every scene in the story and give a better understanding of what was truly happening. As the book progressed, the characters of Elliot’s mom, Richard and Ben also developed with great understanding. Elliot’s father, a minor character of the book was not fully explained, which personally left me confused on certain situations. For instance, he went into depression because of a certain event that happened before the move to a new city, but the author never actually states what happened. Even though this enables an opportunity for the reader to use their imagination; I think the author should have explained the situation of their family more detailed. I also enjoyed the plot outline of the story. The different elements of plot; exposition, trigger incident, rising action, climax, denouement and resolution were all clearly stated and understood because of the author’s choice of writing style and the way he wrote his words. The author’s meaning of the novel was also a heartfelt and comprehendible message to the reader. From my perspective, I think it is telling people to always follow your heart and never just go with the crowd or what others are telling you to do. This is a very insightful and meaningful message, which added an excellent ending to the book. Some other reasons I strongly enjoyed this book were the way the tense and exciting atmosphere were very easy to visualize, and you could relate to the high school situations or characters. The conflicts between the diverse characters in the book were very thrilling and made me not want to put the book down. The author did a fabulous job at writing out and describing the different scenes between the bullies and made it all seem very real. Even though it was not a pleasant situation occurring, it was so exciting and great to read. Overall, this book was very well written, exciting and quite enjoyable. Anyone who reads it will hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.
Part B: Literary Blog Discussion
To respond to Maria's opinion on the novel, "Inventing Elliot," I think you did an excellent job on describing your outlook of the book and the different reasoning behind your conclusion. I agree that the character developement of the protagonist Elliot was very well done and how he developed or changed as the book continued. I also liked how you gave very specific examples of how Elliot developed in the story which made it much easier to understand. Another area of your answer about the writing style of the author I disagree and did not really understand. I think the author did a good job at making the main events clear and easy for the reader to interpret as you said. But the example you listed about "Elliot moving," I found a little confusing and did not understand. Now the last part of your answer discussed the plot development of the novel. I also agree with your statements that it contained all the proper elements; atmosphere, characters, theme and setting and were wll described and developed as the story unfolded. Overall, your answer was very detailed and you did a great job! :)
Katie Konstantopoulos
Mrs. Russell
ENG 1D1 05
May 17/09
Inventing Elliot was a good novel because of three main reasons that had to do with the way that the author wrote the story. First, it was an easy read. Being a generally short book, it was easy to get through. For someone who does not read much, it is a good size. The writing style was easy to read, yet it was creative and compelling. It was also interesting and definitely powerful; not many authors tend to write about issues such as bullying or being the victim and bully at the same time, so it gave a fresh, new perspective on the topic. The plot flowed well; it was developed and brought everything together nicely, though at the end it could have been elaborated on. The characters were developed fully; they experienced problems and conflicts that real teens in high school might have. Secondly, the conflicts in the story were typical to many teens, yet some of his other conflicts were a slightly different, as if to get the reader to think about other points of view. They were mostly character vs. self. The protagonist, Elliot, had to overcome his fears about bullying and being a victim. Some things that Elliot did might have made the reader disagree with his opinions and thoughts, but it all led up to Elliot’s development as a character at the end of the story. The last point to be made is the theme; it was overcoming one’s fears even when one does not feel strong enough to. The choice of theme was typical since there have been many stories with the same one since it gives a good message to people, yet the author had a different way of expressing it since he had chosen a different topic. The story was very enlightening in terms of the way the author portrayed it, the conflicts between the characters, and the overall message of the story.
Katie Konstantopoulos
Mrs. Russell
ENG 1D1 05
May 17/09
Response
In response to Holly’s answer, I thought that she did a good job of summing most of my thoughts up exactly, yet there was one thing that I did not agree with.
I agree with the fact that Elliot and most of the major characters in the book were described and developed; however, I do not agree with her statement that Elliot’s father was not elaborated upon. It is true that he was not a major character in the book; he was just there to explain why previous events happened and to show why Elliot feels so much resentment towards his family life in addition to his school life. What happened to Elliot’s father is explained, in the beginning of the book; “[Elliot’s] dad had been attacked walking back to his car. Whoever it was—his dad didn’t remember anything and there had been no witnesses—had taken his wallet and car keys and mobile. And fractured his skull, broken his ribs, ruptured his spleen. Left him lying on the pavement bleeding to death. Dying.” (Gardner 12-3) This is not explained anymore because the author leaves you to infer that his father had gotten mugged, and then beat up since he probably put up a fight.
Overall, the book was great. Great job on your answer, Holly!!! :-P
Terry Troy
Mrs. Russell
ENG1D1-06
18 May 2009
ISU Part B reply to Shawn Hanlon
Overall I do agree with Inventing Elliot being a good book however I disagree with how you explained Elliot's character development. Elliot did not necessarily find power cool. He found himself in very tight situations and Elliot seemed to resent his position of power more than enjoy it. His prevalent fear of being noticed incorrectly still presides in him while he is at the "top of the food chain" as you so describe it. He only overcomes this fear during the resolution and the power he gains from that point in the plot is not exclusive to any status or rank. Therefore the character development was well done though you explained it improperly.
Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner is a very good book. Though it is not a happy and cheerful book this is a strong story that follows a teenage boy dealing with family depression, bullying, and the choice of power, all while trying to reinvent himself. The character development of Elliot (the main character) is appealing and insightful. The reader really gets inside Elliot’s head and learns of all his thoughts; though confusing at times it shows how much thought he puts into how to handle every situation, when trying to reinvent himself and avoid standing out in the wrong way. Even when faced with the smallest decision such as whether or not to return a found film canister to a peer or faced larger problems such as the powerful control behind the social society of ‘Holminister High’, Elliot is constantly thinking and analysing every possible outcome which keeps the reader interested and constantly wondering what path he will take. Strong characters, mixed with a subtle fear and gloomy atmosphere, Inventing Elliot is a very good book.
Mandatory Question:
Inventing Elliot was an insightful novel. Overall, it was a good book. The moral of the story was that all of our actions have consequences, no matter how good they may appear. The author, Graham Gardner, had used characters and plot developement very well to achieve the right atmosphere and setting. Gardner had set up the characters so that they would play the right parts. For example, Elliot Sutton was the main character who was extremely shy and had a very rough past. Elliot's character had gone along excellently with the plot of the story as well as most of the characters. The main character that Elliot's character had gone along with best was his father. Elliot's father was a played a very important role and once the tradegic tradgedy occured, the shining role model in Elliot's life was gone and altered the plot completely. The plot developement also played a major role to make the novel a good book. The plot developement had created s trigger incident, many points of rising action which had lead the anxious and suspenful reader to the climax, slow falling action and the denoument.
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