So far, those two sentences, (including the title) make it look like I completely hated the book, which isn't true. It was an interesting read. Also, my first non-fiction book, which turned out to be pretty good!
photos by me <3 and ofc filters. |
The things I did not enjoy about this book;
1. There are 535 pages and every page is as thin as a page from a bible
2. I noticed that the book was very repetitive and this made it slightly boring at times. Though, I do understand that Valentino Achak Deng was trying is best to deliver the purest of truths without leaving anything out.
But the things that I thought were amazing;
1. The story of Valentino and Dave Eggers itself.
Before I read this book, I knew absolutely nothing about the Sudanese Civil War and quite frankly, hadn't even heard of it. But now, I know so much, and definitely motivated to know more. The amount of information and the stories he told in this book was just mind-blowing. Some may say it was too much for the reader but I think I enjoyed it and I believe this was because of the fantastic collaboration between the two authors and their fantastic blending and story-telling techniques.
2. I didn't feel like I was being lied to.
Many said that they felt like this book was just a method of gaining money and publicity and therefore they noticed a lot of exaggeration. I completely disagree. The whole time I was reading this book, it felt as if Valentino was sitting in front of me, telling me a story from his past, simply as my grandmother tells me her own stories. It felt intimate, truthful and it came to the point where I was experiencing his story with him, wishing for a better life in America, being disappointed every hour he was delayed in the hospital.. But I can imagine what a pain it would have been for a reader who thought he was lying the whole time.
I've got to admit, What is the What wasn't one of my favorite books. But that doesn't mean it didn't touch me or I did not enjoy it at all. It is simply that I favor bright and girly books such as Delirium or Twilight or whatever. I am very glad that I came to read it and I thought it was a fantastic choice - not really a choice but - for my FIRST EVER non-fiction book. It taught me lots; what's going on in another part of the world, the kind of life the lost boys go through, different perspectives, unbelievable experiences and more.
And out of all these that the book taught me about, the part that interested the most was the process of these Lost Boys' resettlement in America. As I mentioned before, I came to like Achak Deng so much, when he was let down in America, after all the suffering he experience in Africa, I was so disappointed. In both America and Powder and Tonya and Julian and just, everything. I think the hospital scene was my main motivation for researching about the Resettlement in America. I started wondering, would normal American citizens have to wait for 14 hours in the Emergency Center in America? I wanted to prove to the readers that not everyone succeeded like Moses, some were still helpless and simply lost.
Therefore, for my feature article, I am writing about the Lost Boys in America but my goal is to expose the readers to another perspective, another side of the die - that not all the boys have found their way in America. Some of them still don't have education, are striving for another day and that they are still empty and lost.
Would I recommend this to the next batch of grade 8s?
hmm... I'm not sure.
I'd definitely recommend this project itself. I think writing a feature article is an amazing way of writing to explore. Gosh, what's with all the boring grammar textbooks and workbooks, OFS? I love of UWC always goes deeper into everything - and in this case, we're bringing 'writing' into a whole new level, striving to deliver the truth.
But I'm not sure if I would recommend What is the What, the main reason being that it is too long. After about half way through the novel, after I set my topic, it felt useless to read through so much of the book that had nothing to do with what interested me (especially if it was repeated omg) and at points, very frustrating. But I love this unit itself, exploring the truth and the responsibilities we have for the stories we tell.
Good luck grade 7's :) (next year's 8s)
if there is one. |
Yay for long reflections :P