Shelby Phelan

Shelby Phelan
One Whole and Perfect Day
Judith Clarke
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Page: 66

1. In my book right now, Lily and her mother Marigold are sitting on their living room couch watching TV. But neither of them are really watching it, as they are both very absorbed in their thoughts at the moment. Lily, a very sensible girl of around fifteen is thiking about a boy, Daniel Steadman. Lily paid no thought to this boy untill about a week before, but after being disgusted with herself for acting more like a grandma than a teenager, Lily decided the appropriate thing to do would be to fall in love. Almost as soon as she decides this, she gets strange feelings shen they pass eachother in the halls, and when the phone rings, she is hoping desperately for it to be him even though she says herself that he probably doesn't evn know she exists. Marigold is thinking about her dreamy/spacey son Lonnie. Lonnie is a very poetic looking child who can't seem to stay on one course for more than a month. He is twenty-two years old, has dropped out of about five college courses, and still has no idea what to do with his life. His grandfather Stan has recently disowned him and even threatened him with an axe. Although Stan would never actually attempt to hurt his grandson, he told him he better get his life rollong and get out of his mother's house.

2. I am not really sure how I feel about this book yet. First, I am only on page 66, so I don't really know what the plot will be like yet, and if it will be a good or bad book. I have found it very confusing and have had to re-read a few paragraphs when reading late...

3. A theme I have noticed in this book so far is love. Almost every character is in some sort of conflict because of love. Lennie meets a girl, but his family probably won't approve of her, Stan states he doesn't love his grandson, Lily wants to fall in love so she won't act so sensible all the time, Marigold's husband left her, and Nan, Lily's grandmother, wants to plan a party to get their slowly crumbling apart family back together again.

4. My favorite character so far is Nan. She is trying so hard to bring her family back together but all the other members seem to be trying to tear it apart. I like how she talks to an imaginary friend from her childhood named Sef about her problems, and how unique she is. After Stan found his mom's beautiful old wedding dress in a trunk, she has weddings and celebrations of the mind. She decieds to plan a celebration for Stan's eightieth birthday. I think she is very kind, and persistent, and always thinks of others before herself.

5. My least favorite character is Stan because he seems very rude and mean. First, disowning your only grandson isn't the nicest thing to do, and he is always making snide comments about everything that doesn;t go his way or that he doesnt;t agree with. For example, Lil and her mother do not own the nicest house. It is old and brick, and ivy deeply covers almost all the outside surfaces including along the windows. Every time Stan visits, he says that he can burn it down for them so they could get loads of money for the land, and buy a house that is suitable for human life. I find this very unthoughtful, and he could offer to help clean up around the house, or trim the ivy or plants. All everyone hears from him is complaints or insults, and he doesn't do a thing to fix what is wrong. Lily and her mother can't possibly keep up on the housework without Lonnie or their father there so the least he could do is offer to help.

6. I predict that the party that nan is trying so hard to make perfect will just split the family farther apart. Maybe Stan will actually fight more with Lonnie, and because of this, all the others will be more upset. Maybe Stan will be so angry or frusterated that he will burn down their house in the intent of helping, but instead make the family's loosely knit bonds loosen.