In eighth grade we had to read and take 'tests' over the books and get 'AR points' (I forget what it meant, academics reading?) well, We could only read the books that actually have 'tests' available (they were tests pretty much to see if you read the book or not) and by that time I was into adult novels, so I had to barely push my way with that, and had a C in English for the longest time. How stupid is that! I read above everyone else, and get screwed for it!
“It's necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.” ― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
But before you kill me, I hated it. I could deal with the chatspeak- could be creative, if portrayed right- but the storyline was trivial and barely there. One of those things where you paid six bucks at Barnes and Noble and then immediately donate it to the school library, or Goodwill, or something such.
Graffiti is the most passionate form of literature there is.
I don't understand how those books got published. I mean...really. I wouldn't mind if the books had some conversations using chatspeak in between chapters or whatnot, but a whole book...
I don't know how many of you have actually read them...I read the first one when I was in sixth grade (I'm ashamed of it now...) If the characters themselves were cliche and shallow, I don't even know how to describe the plots. It's sad that people who can't even form proper sentences get published while so many authors struggle to get their deserving works published.
I own the book TTYL. It is a pretty good book in my opinion. I do hate it when people use chatspeak in books. I can't stand it. This book is basically another teenage drama in my opinion. It was also a very perverted book.
I do also hate the fact they mentioned the Snow Patrol. UGH.
Are you kidding me?? This is just horrifying!! Simply and utterly horrifying. I can't believe that!
I mean, sure, we all have used chatspeak at least once in our lives but really... an entire book?? I think the reason that I find this so scary is that I don't use chatspeak anymore when I chat to my friends on Mxit and all those other instant messaging programs... I don't know if I could call it a bad habit but I've spent the last five years editing a story I wrote when I was ten. My command over the English language has improved somewhat so now, when I see something like this...
(cringe) I'm going to put my foot in my mouth though, because it is a pretty cute idea ... I hate to admit it but I sort of enjoyed it
"He pressed the small piece oh so tight to His chest Yet the tiny Red Jewel would not stay For Death could not keep such warmth in His breast And this, to the boy, he did say" ~ 'Death: The First Call', by Alexandra Odendaal
Well, I'd have to say that it sounds creative, you know, different, but its also the plot that counts. Reading it on Wikipedia, I'd have to say that there is no plot. Consider this:
-A book, wholely chatting, but about something serious, with serious characters like a young single-mother, or the boy who's been setting light to things, or a boy who's struggling with his sexuality and can only admit that he's gay over the Internet. That would be a book worth reading, even if there was just chatting, as it could deal with big issues about things.
-A book, wholely chatting, but about three girls who have nothing better to do, who are all cliches, and discuss nothing of actual importance to psychological or deep matters.
Which would you rather read?
Also, people do take care to use some form of actual words rather than chatspeak over the internet. Just because people do it doesn't mean it's all chatspeak. And I suddenly want to write the first idea. Gosh, I remember writing Romeo and Juliet in chat format. There were actual words rather than chatspeak in that! I also remember having a thing with chatting bits, where the three characters had different modes of typing (one of them used chatspeak like crazy, one used proper English with punctuation, the third used a kind of mix). I think it worked. That's the thing; chatting in lit is OK, just not to convey little plot, and entirely chatting.
This guy is so evil you could put him in between two slices of bread and call him an evil sandwich.
... I hate to admit it but I sort of enjoyed it 
