Setting

Jordan Cheney: I'm reading __The House of the Scorpion__, which, as surprised me, is actually an incredible book! (well... pretty incredible). The story takes place in the future Opium fields of a wealthy drug lord (although there isn't a whole lot of futuristic technology).The first part takes place in a hut somewhere in the opium fields. The second part takes place in the mansion, which is absolutely huge, but soon after move to a kind of cell with sawdust up to your chest. All of this is in a fictitious country of what used to be south America, but is now an almost free territory run by all these wealthy drug lords. (Jordan- You've done some plot discussion rather than just setting. You can take out the parts that discuss more of the plot points (the cell w/the sawdust, taken back to the mansion) and explain the atmosphere/mood, the society/people and what they think of this world, etc.~ Mrs. P) Aye C

=Cami Garner:= I am reading The giver, it is a pretty good book even though i dont like to read.. but other than that its really interesting. In the book The giver, the story takes place in the future in a "Idealistic" utopian society where they try to make everything perfect, But than the goverment just ends up controlling everyone without them knowing they are being controlled.

=Abbi Bean:= The book I am reading is Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This book takes place in North America in a country called Panem with the Capitol on the Rockies, and the 13 other districts spread throughout the continent. Each district has their own resources and occupations that they all do. Seventy four years before the story of Katniss Everdeen, there was a rebellion. The districts tried to rebel against the Capitol, but the Capital destroyed most of the rebels and completely obliterated District 13 so it no longer exists. To prove to the Districts that they have no power to the government, every year in each district, they have to send two tributes to enter the Hunger Games. Life is different in each district depending on what the occupation is. In District 12, they mine coal which doesn't bring alot of money so most of the people are starving, while in District 1 they are very well off because they mine diamonds and make jewels. Every district has a different view of the Capitol as well, while some don't agree with it, but live with it because they have to, and others are completely loyal to it.

I am reading "//gathering blue"// which is a sort of alternative to the giver, set in the future, where disabilties can cause u to be left behind/thrown out. Anyone that could hinder progress of the comunity is "realesed" and left to die. The people are sort of mindless followers completely controled by a, in my opinion a corrupt government. It has sort of a darker feeling, produced from the view point of the main character Kira, where as someone who wasnt in her situation might be able to handle and be ok with the goverments power over them, Kira being an out cast because she is lame precieves the communtiy as corrupt, and doesnt agree with how it works. In general I dont think the most people in the community are happy they just slip through life preforming their duties to their "comunity".
 * //Casey Coppieters://**

=Group: = -The one thing that all our books have in common ( __Gathering Blue__, __The House of the Scorpion__, and __Hunger Games__) is that the "Authorities," are all really oppressive. Whether it's the governments, Districts, or Wealthy drug lords, they all manipulate those lower than them into submission. The difference is in how much fear the people have. In __HG__, it tends to vary from district to district, while in The other two it's more constant. __GB__ is on the darker side, while __Scorpion__ is more like today. -Obviously these things influence the Plot incredibly, because the main characters are fighting against them. Even though it isn't completely obvious, there is some evident questioning and from that rebellion. For instance, in __Scorpion__, Matt can either find a way escape or destroy the "authorities," or end up having his entire body and all it's organs donated. -From this struggle comes the victory of one side or the other, and in order for the hero to succeed, he/she is forced to become smarter and stronger than his/her fellows. This change is evident at first by how much they learn, and then later by how they act on their knowledge. In these stories we see the truth about how unfair and greedy the society is, and then it's challenged and (hopefully) beaten by the main character.