Retreat 2013

For the past couple of days, I've been trying to get my sleep back on track. I missed a lot of sleep earlier this week. Why, you might ask? Well, I've been in high school for three weeks so far. Most school in Richmond have a trip that takes three days and two nights for all the grade eight students in that school so that they get to know each other and make friends. My school called it the Retreat. The Retreat was on the third week of September. For me, I already had a group of friends before that, but it was fun to get away from school once in a while.

Our usual school time was 8:30 in the morning, but that Monday, be had to arrive at the school by seven sharp. Some people were late, and we started to get moving around 7:45. I didn't know how long it took us to get to our destination, camp Stillwood in Chilliwack, but the ride seemed to take forever. Out of five buses, we were the third one to arrive. 

When we got there, lots of grade eight students were already there. We walked in, and were divided into teams. Our team name was Love, and we had the worst banner there. That's a fact. Each team have at least two grade eleven or twelve students to lead the team. They were called "leaders". One of ours was horrible. In my opinion, we were the worst out of fourteen teams or so. At least there were some of my friends who suffered along with me. After that, we were sent to our cabins to dump our stuff and get used to our roommates. We had about half and hour to do whatever we wanted before lunch. Lunch was the best. The camp had all the food in the world. They had onion rings, fries, burgers, salad, you name it. I devoured my portion of food like a famished gorilla. I returned for second, and later, for third. My stomach was crammed with three plates of food. Lunch was undoubtedly fantastic!

When lunch was over, we started a scavenger hunt. It was 2% fun, 98% tiring. Basically, you wander around the camp, looking for teachers and staffs who will give you a clue of where to go next. They also give you a letter, where in the end, you put it together and form a word. The first team to finish win. For the first couple of clues, our team was hustling, running around the camp, actually trying to win. After that though, we were all strolling. By the time we finished (and of course we didn't win), everyone was exhausted. The hunt took us all the way from lunch to dinner, which was good because I was starving once again. We had spaghetti as the main course and some salad. But I'm pretty sure I only ate the spaghetti. In my opinion, I prefer the lunch just because we got a variety which we could pick from (plus I love onion rings).

We did got some free time. I think it was two hours or so. I enjoyed my time playing volleyball with my friends though I'm lousy and terrible. I don't think I'll make the team this year. The hours flew by real quick, and before I know it, we were in an area called the dome, doing our next activity. We had to make a cheer that links with our team name. Ours was Love. I'm not a pessimistic guy, but to be honest, our cheer was horrible, yet we made the top three. One team was beatboxing. That was really sick. They ended up winning the Cheer Off competition. We got sent to our cabin at eleven but my roommates kept my awake until twelve thirty. I was dead tired the next day, but it was well worth it.

The bathroom was congested the next morning since we had about fifty people sharing one. After taking turns like nice gentle human beings, us boys went to the dining  hall to get the breakfast. We had scrambled egg and hash browns.The hash browns tasted like those that you could get at McDonald's. After breakfast, we were put in to groups made out of the teams. Each big group was made of three or four teams. There were four groups. Each group did a different activity and then rotates after and hour and a half.

Our first activity was pretty awesome. We didn't do anything and that's why it's awesome. We watched the first episode of Glee. I gotta say I was interested. It was about high school students so that was probably the teacher showed us the video. We then rotated, and we ended up at drama. It was fun. We played games after games for one and a half hours. I really enjoyed it!

It was twelve o'clock which means lunch. I couldn't remember what we had but I know for sure that it was really tasty. We had another activity after lunch, and it was art. We created and decorated our picture frame where we would put tomorrow's group photo in it. After that, we had a chance of either going on a hike or free time. Which one did you think I picked? Free time, duh. It was like three hour. I started with basketball, then moved to football then soccer and then back to football. Just let me tell you something: when you're having fun, three hours seem like three minutes. Before I know it, it was dinner. Dinner was mash potato and chicken and lots of other stuff, but I didn't notice anything else beside the potato and the chicken. That was my dinner right there.Two plates of those and I was basically set for the night.

After dinner, we had one more activity and then the main activity of the three days come. Charades!!!!!! The teachers claimed to be unbeaten for the last who-knows-how-many years. Each team was paired was paired up with another and after that round is complete, one team rotates while the other stays. Our team was the mobile one. For every answer that we got correct, we get a point. In the end, we total up the points and see who won the Annual Retreat Charades 2013. And of course the teacher won. The second was basically like the first one. My roommates were like gorillas on the loose. They were maniacs. I couldn't get a good night sleep at all.

The next day was also the last. After breakfast, we cleaned up which was a rough job for us boys. Then, it was basically free time up until we leave. On the bus, I was trying my hardest to fall asleep, but people around me were like blowing an air horn in one of my ear and play a tuba in the other. That's why I'm still making up for all the sleep I've lost, or at least trying to.   

Richmond Public Library's 2013 Teen Summer Reading Club

Torn by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Goodreads Summary:
Still reeling from their experiences in Roanoke in 1600, Jonah and Katherine arrive in 1611 only moments before a mutiny on Henry Hudson’s ship in the icy waters of James Bay. But things are messed up: they have lost the real John Hudson, and they find what seems to be the fabled Northwest Passage—even though they are pretty sure that that route does not actually exist. Will this new version of history replace the real past? Is this the end of time as we know it? With more at stake than ever before, Jonah and Katherine struggle to unravel the mysteries of 1611 and the Hudson Passage...before everything they know is lost.

Review:I have always loved the books from "The Missing" series. The series was never boring. Torn wasn't an exception. I found this book suspenseful. At the end of every chapter, Haddix ended it with a catchy line that completely hooks me in, forcing me to read more. I was unable to stop reading. 
Every page was interesting. The author, Haddix, really described the main character Jonah and his thoughts. It was really easy to make connections as I read along. This book is fascinating. It's about time travel, so people that like science fiction would really enjoy this book, or the series in general. But truly, I think anyone can read and still enjoy this book. 

Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Goodreads Summary:

Jonah and Katherine are accustomed to traveling through time, but when learn they next have to return Albert Einstein’s daughter to history, they think it’s a joke—they’ve only heard of his sons. But it turns out that Albert Einstein really did have a daughter, Lieserl, whose 1902 birth and subsequent disappearance was shrouded in mystery. Lieserl was presumed to have died of scarlet fever as an infant. But when Jonah and Katherine return to the early 1900s to fix history, one of Lieserl’s parents seems to understand entirely too much about time travel and what Jonah and Katherine are doing. It’s not Lieserl’s father, either—it’s her mother, Mileva. And Mileva has no intention of letting her daughter disappear.

Review:This author is amazing! I have to say that this book, Caught, was the best book that I've read from her. She has an outstanding imagination. This book takes you to the future, where secrets of time travel unravel. We might all have thought of time as a straight line, with the left side as the past and the right side as the future. That's what everyone thought about time travel, before it was invented. But Haddix has thought differently. In this book, through the characters, I found out that Haddix had illustrated a picture of time. Time is circular, in which the past can change the future, and the future can affect the past. For example, a man might go back in time and somehow stopped his mother's marriage. If he stopped his mother's marriage, then how could he have been born in the first place, not to mention growing up and going back in time to stop the marriage? Time is perplexing, expecially with time travel involved.Overall, I love this book. It's imaginary. That's true. But somehow, Haddix thought of all these factors of time travel, and they all seem very logical. This is a book that will totally get you hooked. It's amazing how Jonah and Katherine was living so normally, and when time travel gets involved, it messed up everything. This entire series, The Missing, is all based on future technology. Science fiction has always been my favorite genre to read. It's amazing how Jonah and Katherine was living so normally, and when time travel gets involved, it messed up everything. Time professionals rely on the two 21st kids to fix all the mess. They have been brought back to Albert Einstein and his family to fix the 1903. Can Jonah and Katherine somehow fix all the problems that Second, their once-friend-now-enemy has made, purposely, to ruin time? Can they fix time before it's too late?  

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Ashfall is an amazingly written novel by Mike Mullin, about two lovers, both struggling to survive the apocalypse. No, not the one with zombies, but more realistic than that. The violent volcanic eruption from Yellowstone had left the state of Iowa buried in the ash. Every single human being was striving toward the one goal: survive.Humans were no longer humans. We lost our root, the root that had separated us from other species. Humanity. Sure the eruption took away everything, destroyed the old world, the world of food and electronics, but our root was given up by us. We were no longer considerate, caring human beings that we used to be. We are no different from scavengers, from animals. We are all struggling to survive. Yes, but wouldn’t it be easier to put our brains together, consider the predicament, and work it out? But no. We lost our brains. We’d given up our humanity. What do we have to be fond of now?“For the first time ever, I felt ashamed of my species. The volcano had taken our homes, our food, our automobiles, and our airplanes, but it hadn’t taken our humanity. No, we’d given that up on our own.”

Mike Mullin has an interesting way of writing. He really doesn’t describe the settings or characters that much, but as you read on, you can really sense that you know the characters or the settings and could relate. This book was full of non-stop action, with conflicts and problems around every corner. You can never guess the next situation, because the story is full of twists and action, enough for two books even. Not a single page bored me, and I was totally addicted before the first two chapters even ended. He was also able to add humor once in awhile to lighten up the gloomy mood. A great book needs great characters to go along with it. Mike Mullin had done just that. He had created two very intelligent characters, both in different ways. Both are mentally strong, though both of their families are missing. One died, and the other was in a different city. Overall, both characters are relatable, easy to understand, and very carefully described. Ashfall is way too real, especially under the great writing and description of the author. It will be a long time before we smell the reeking odor of sulfur, but Mike Mullin made the story feels as if it could happen any minute, any second. The scariest part ? It could occur some day.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Rickriordan.com Summary:

Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Review:I never thought I would like Egyptian mythology, but this book just broke the rules. I have always enjoyed the book written by Rick Riordan. In fact, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series is my favorite series of all time. In this book, Rick Riordan found a way to combine humor, nonstop action and suspense in a tale of heroism and breath-taking adventure. I like the way he had chosen the point of view for this book, or points of view. He had taken both characters, Carter and Sadie Kane, and told his story through both of them, really allowing the reader to relate and understand the characters . I thought  that is really creative, and make this book stand out from other Rick Riordan's book I've read. When I first pick up this book, I didn't really like the way it starts.  But as I read on, the start didn't seem so bad. It linked with the ending, which I really liked, because it works as an introduction to the next book in the "Kane Chronicles".I found the plot very interesting, with two siblings, separated at the age of six, for the good of humanity. I like the twists of the story, because I can't guess what will happen next. The whole plot circles around the two main characters, with their main goal to stop Set, the god of chaos. Rick Riordan had repeated the goal through many characters, made it obvious that Set must be killed. But it the end, the two Kanes freed Set, trusting him to not mess up again, as there is a bigger problem to be dealt with: Apophis is escaping. 

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

Rickriordan.com Summary:

Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished. First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride.Review:The book itself is exactly like the summary. If you think the summary is good, then the book is good, at least from your point of view. From my point of view, the summary isn't very interesting and didn't really grab my attention. But since I've already read the first book, I kept my finger crossed that Rick Riordan had written this book in a way that it would be as great or better than the first one. I was expecting just that, but unfortunately, Rick Riordan did not deliver. Just like the first book, I do enjoy how the author wrote his story from two characters. It helps the reader relate and understand both characters instead of just the one story teller. I like how the story circles around one major conflict, really describing the danger and the reason why it must be solved. Rick Riordan also added humor to his writing, like ever other book that he had written. The humor lightens up the gloomy mood surrounding the main conflict, so that's good.That's enough of the "good" of this book. Now let's get to the "bad", shall we? I have a feeling the characters are mainly lucky, rather than actually skillful. For every of the problem along the way, they seems to have a simple solution that doesn't seem really realistic. Right off the start, the two characters receive gifts that would end up helping them later. They also got help often along the way, so it wasn't actually the characters solving it. And when they finally have a problem that they have to solve themselves, their solutions aren't very convincing or realistic, but Rick Riordan, through his magical writing, made it seem reasonable. At the end, there was a twist. Usually twists are good, but not this one. Instead of Sadie or Carter defeating the main antagonist, it was another character who did this. And that character was barely spoken about, not to mention well-described. If you read the book, you will know what I'm talking about.Usually, I like books written by Rick Riordan, because they're usually quite interesting and full of electrifying moments. This was somehow not good enough. It felt as if Rick Riordan didn't spend an adequate amount of time on this book. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the third book of this series  different from this one. Different in a good in and different as in different in the conflicts and the plot, because those are the two main things that put this book below my expectation. Don't get me wrong here. I love Rick Riordan books, as well as the style of writing and various climatic events that would keep the reader doing their constant motion of flipping, but for reason, this book isn't one one of those ones.  I was somewhat disappointed by this book and it did not fully meet my expectation. 3/5, and that's me being slightly generous.

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

Goodreads' Summary:

He's b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sadie Kane can't seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of chaos. The Kanes' only hope is an ancient spell that might turn the serpent's own shadow into a weapon, but the magic has been lost for a millennia. To find the answer they need, the Kanes must rely on the murderous ghost of a powerful magician who might be able to lead them to the serpent's shadow . . . or might lead them to their deaths in the depths of the underworld. Nothing less than the mortal world is at stake when the Kane family fulfills its destiny in this thrilling conclusion to the Kane Chronicles.

Review: After reading the second book of the "Kane Chronicles" series, it was so bad that I wasn't really interested in picking up another book of the same series. But after a while, I had my second thoughts, and decided to give this book a shot. I was hoping Rick Riordan would change up the unconvincing resolutions while keeping the same level of intensity and humor. And thankfully, this last book in the series did live up to my expectation.The Serpent's Shadow might not be equally as good as the first book of the series, but it was undeniably better than the second. Number one: this book is humorous, definitely more than both the first and the second book combined. It made the plot and conflict off this book not as challenging as it should be, while making the book entertaining. 

Number two: the plot is interesting, with intense events, electrifying moments, one after another, and relatable as well as exciting characters, both new and old. And number three: a thoroughly entertaining and satisfying ending concludes the series (which I think is about time).The humor in this book is what made it so different from the other two. The two characters, Sadie and Carter Kane, had told the story in a very brother-and-sister way, making every chapter amusing to read. I laugh my head off every so often (every two minutes). With all the humorous sentences, phrases and dialogues, the two main characters in this book seem to say something like "We just survived doomsday, you know. We saved the world. No big deal, really. Now we can have a nice laugh over it." I was never bored, because I was too busy laughing over the humorous details and events every page or so.Though with the humor, it couldn't hide the true conflict and the plot. Humor did make it less troublesome, but it was still obvious that the conflict is dangerous and challenging. And in order to solve the problem, there must be action and intensity, and you can never get enough of those. This book is full of electrifying moments chasing one another like heartbeats, pages after pages, chapters after chapters. Endless battles between the gods and non-stop action from the characters are never enough in this book. The high level of intensity is kind of like when there is just too much air in a balloon, it exploded. The events are just too intense and breath-taking that they leave me standing on the tip of my toes, frantically flipping pages to find out what will happen next.

Rick Riordan is great at combining non-stop action and laughable events in just simple paragraphs and sentences, sometimes even small phrases. He had put them together so well, like mixing ice cream and coke together (not very appealing, I know), but he mix them so well that you can have a taste of both, in a perfect combination. Action and humor literally alternate, one after another, making laugh my head off and suddenly holding my breath and quickly flip the pages. I had kept my fingers crossed, hoping this book would be more Rick-Riordan-like, and thankfully, this book is just that.5/5, no doubt what so ever.