East

Julia Pearson
East
Edith Pattou
retold classic tale/fantasy
Holiday
pg. 38

1. Right now, all the characters are giving background information. The point of view keeps switching from the main character to her siblings and parents. They are telling the story of the protagonist's, Rose's, early life. Rose's mother, Eugenia, is very superstitious and believes in all sorts of crazy things. She went to a skjebne-soke (a sort of fortune teller) and found out that she would have a girl who would die a terrible death by ice an snow. The child would be a north born child, which means that she would be born facing north. Eugenia has been paranoid of this, and then Rose was born. Rose was facing North, unlike the other seven children. Eugenia would not accept the fact and named her as a East baby, called Ebba Rose (all the children were named after their compass points). Rose grows older and is always exploring and can never sit still. Her family is worried that she will become an explorer and leave, or get into trouble. The novel takes place in an Icelandic country, like Norway or Finland, along time ago, possibly medieval.

2. I enjoy this book so far, though it is not amazing. There is a lot of mystery to it, like what journey Rose will face and if the prediction of her death will really come true. The setting of the story is also intriguing, because I have not read a lot of books about Norway or Finland in ancient times. It is a fantasy book, so it also has that fairytale-ish feeling to it. I enjoy having the story told in the different characters as well, even though it all centers around Rose. So far, the plot is just getting started, so it is not gripping.

3. The theme I have noticed is superstition. This is because Rose's mother is very superstitious about everything, and Rose's fate is pinpointed by the prophet the skjebne-soke made. Also, Rose is so very different from her family, "wild" as her brother Ned calls her, and she is treated by her mother like a dog that will run away from home the first chance she gets. Her mother is worried about the prophet and is trying hard to keep it from happening.

4. My favorite character is Rose. This is because she is so spirited and lively, and is constantly curious. She follows what she wants to do, and does not try to be someone she is not. She is wild, and reminds me of an animal. A reader can't help but like her and wonder what will happen to her in the future, and if her fate will come true. I also wonder what she will do when she finds out that she is not an East baby, but was born North.

5. My least favorite character is the mother, Eugenia. This is because she is too superstitious and to stubborn in her annoying ways to realize that it is not all true. It is definitely annoying to have her worrying all the time about a prophecy that might not happen. She is also rather stuck in the past and is always talking about her other daughter, Elise, who died. Elise was the perfect child, and Eugenia will not stop thinking about her.

6. I predict that Rose will start her journey, and go with the polar bear that is supposed to bring her to her fate. I also think that she will come close to dieing in snow and ice, but will not and will be saved by the bear (I read about the bear in the front flap, but it did not happen yet).