Someone Like You (pages 245-281)

Summary:
So this was the end. Halley and Scarlett getting ready for prom. Scarlett wore a dress Cameron's mom hand sewn for her. He was her date. Halley was going to prom with Noah Vaughn, her ex boyfriend from 2 years ago, whose family was close with hers. Halley didn;t have a choice, she was forced to go with him by her parents. Noah was completely drunk before they even arrived at the prom, and he accidentallly ripped Halley's dress in the back. Halley ran into the bathroom and a girl helped her put it together using bobby pins. Elizabeth Gunderson and Macon were back to dating. She came into the bathroom to check up on herself when she told Halley that Macon still loves her. He doesnt admitt to it, but she knows he does. She asked Halley if she still loved Macon, and Halley said no.

While they were in the bathroom, Ginny Taylor ran in the bathroom and told them Scarlett went into labor. Halley rushed out the bathroom and guided her outside, Scarlett refused to be in an ambulance. Macon ended up giving them a ride to the hospital. While they were in the delivery room, halley had never seen scarlett in so much pain before. She couldn't take it. She had to get out. Scarlett shouted "dont leave me!" but halley ran out. She was so ashamed. And just when she felt like giving up, she saw her mom walking down the hallway. She told her she couldn't do it, it was all too much. But her mom told her scarlett needed her and she had to be there for her. Her mother gave her strength. She went in there with her mother and scarlett gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Grace Halley Thomas.

Quote:
"I watched my mother do what she did best, and realized there would never be a way to cut myself from her entirely. No matter how strong or weak I was, she was a part of me, as crucial as my own heart. I would never be strong enough, in all my life, to do without her" (Dessen 275)

Reaction:
This quote really touched me. I can relate to Halley so much, and that quote was one of the reason's why. Sure teens and their parents argue, and they dont always get along, but at the end of the day, they need to realize that their parents are their backbones. No one in this world is going to love them like their parents do, and even if they think they'll be better off without them, in the end they're going to need them. I loved the ending of this book because it showed how Halleys mother gave her strength when she was weak, how no matter what, her mom was going to be there for her. It was a very inspirational and touching ending.

Someone Like You (Pages 170-245)

Summary: Halley's mother decided to take her out for lunch at a little restaurant. Her mother started talking to her about Macon, which led to an argument. Her mother tried to explained to her that she only wanted what was best for her but Halley refused to listen. Her mother always thought she knew everything. They left the restaurant in shame and began their long car ride in silence. When they walked into the house, their father was on the phone and had a worried look on his face. Something was wrong. Her mother later told her that her grandmother fell and she was badly hurt. This put all the arguments between her and her mother on hold. Her mother left to visit and take care of her grandmother and her father was busy with his radio show, so Halley was able to basically do whatever she wanted.

Halley and Macon were becoming more distant. Every time they did see each other, they ended up kissing and Macon would try to put his hand lower towards her waistband, but Halley always stopped him. Macon was getting frustrated and wondered why it was such a big deal to Halley. She felt pressured to do something with Macon in order to keep him. She wanted to show him that she was capable of hanging around with his crowd. So on new years, Macon invited Halley to a party. She began drinking A LOT and even used a bong to take a couple hits of weed. She was turning into someone completely different. Someone her own grandmother didn't even recognize. At the partying, she had already planned to lose her virginity to Macon, but when he tried to unbutton her pants, she stopped him. She told him she felt really sick from drinking but Macon didn't wanna hear it. He was still trying to convince her to do it but Halley couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the house and into the woods. Apparently she passed out and Macon carried her to the car. He was furious, and while they started arguing, he began to drive faster and faster, avoiding the red light he was approaching. The car crashed, Halley was injured. She had a sprained wrist, lacerations on her back, stitches to bind the cut by her eye and two bruised ribs. She finally realized what was happening to her and the results of her actions. 

Quote: " 'Halley, you don't always know what's at stake, and I do'
'I will never learn,' I said to her slowly, 'until you let me' " (Dessen, 245).

Reaction: I really love this quote because I can relate to how Halley felt. Parents, including my own, always try to tell their kids whats best for them and they try to prevent them from making mistakes. Although their intentions are good, they need to realize that their kids are not going to learn if they dont let them. If they never give them the chance to make mistakes, they'll never have the chance to learn from them, and when the parents are gone, they wont know how to handle things because they won't have experiences to look back on.

Someone Like You (pages 120-170)

Summary:
Halley got grounded for sneaking around with Macon, but she was allowed to have a little fun on her birthday. She, her family, Scarlett, and the Vaughns (the family of Halley's ex boyfriend, who are close with her mom and dad). Afterwards, Macon stopped by and picked Halley up, she snuck out for her birthday. After all, she was entitled to have a little fun right? He drove her all the way to Topper Lake and they sat on the edge of  a sort of dock. Halley couldn't really see anything because of how dark the night was. Then, out of nowhere, there was a big BOOM! A burst of light came out of nowhere and Halley saw the "DANGER DO NOT ENTER" signs. She realized she was sitting on a thin strip of concrete, looking over at the massive dam with roaring waters beneath her. She felt like she was falling in midair, it was beautiful.

At school, in art class, Halley went to the supply closet and the head cheerleader Elizabeth Gunderson approached her. She told Halley to watch out for Macon because he has a past of mistreating girls. She said he called used to talk to her friend Rachel and then never called her back. Halley just tried to brush it off. Then in the middle of class, Scarlett ran out of the room because she had to throw up. She and Halley THOUGHT they were alone in the bathroom, but sneaky Ginny Tabor was hiding in one of the stalls and overheard the whole conversation. She promised not to tell anyone but as soon as 3rd period ended, the whole school knew Scarlett was pregnant. Scarlett didn't really care and she made a new friend named Cameron who was from france.

Halley missed curfew again. She went over Macon's house, which he really doesnt spend much time at. He lived in a pent house and he never really talked about his mom or his family at all. Halley's mother and father were really upset about the fact that ever since Macon came around, Halley has been acting differently and misbehaving. They came to the conclusion that Halley can no longer see Macon anymore.

Quote:
"So i went, up to my room, my heart thumping. As I passed the mirror in the hallway I glanced at myself, at a girl with her hair tumbling over her shoulders, in a faded jeans jacket, lips red from kissing. I faced my reflection and committed this girl to memory: the girl who had risen out of that night at Topper Lake, the girl who belonged with Macon Faulkner, the girl who broke her mother's heart, never looking back. The girl I was" (Dessen 161)

Reaction:
This quote stuck out to me because I think that it shows Halley maturing, maybe not in the best way but she is maturing and growing up from the girl she used to be. That can be proof that this book is a bildungsroman. Also, this represents the life of a typical teenage girl growing up and giving to the temptations of what girls are doing around her and what is "cool".

Someone Like You (pages 60-120)

Summary:
Halley seems to have more feelings for Macon as the days go on. Everyday she looks forward to homeroom and P.E class just to see him. But whenever Halley talks to Scarlett about Macon, Scarlett always has a sad look on her face, maybe because it brings back memories of Michael. Halleys talk is the host of radio show that was now very popular in their town. One day he decided to tell an embarrassing story about a time when Halley was younger and she fell into a big mud puddle. Halley was so embarrassed and her mother told her father to leave Halley's life out of his show, even though she had written two books on she and Halley's relationship.

Macon had finally asked Halley out. He asked her to go to a party with him, and although Halley wasn't the type to party, she definately wasn't going to say no. She made Scarlett go with her. When they got to the party. there were tons of drunk kids smoking and hooking up and all kinds of things. She didn't see Macon there and eventually they left. When they got back, Macon was at her window and he told her how she stood him up, and she told him that he stood her up. Apparently Macon was upstairs (in the house party) with all the smokers, somewhere Halley didn't want to go.

Halley's dad made her mow the lawn, which was a difficult task because their lawn was very tricky. It has all kinds of obstacles that made it hard to mow. Macon stopped by and helped her mow the lawn, because he was a part of a group that mowed lawns in the neighborhood. That's when Halley's parents met Macon and Halley's dad already liked him because he mowed the lawn perfectly. Halley's mother, on the other hand, was a bit skeptical.

Scarlett and Halley were at the Zip Mart, a local market they both worked at. Scarlett called Halley to the bathroom and she revealed a pregnancy stick with the positive sign on it. All Halley could say was "no way!". Halley was in denial, and she told her those pregnancy tests were always wrong. But Scarlett told her uit was the 3rd one she's taken, a test cant be wrong three different times. Scarlett told Halley she and Michael had sex for the first time the day before he died. Scarlett told her mother about her being pregnant and her mother, Marion scheduled her an appoitment for the doctors the next day to get an abortion.

Scarlett went to her doctors appointment the next day and around 3rd period, Halley got called to the office. Her "mother" was on the phone, which was actually scarlett. she asked halley to pick her up from the clinic because she couldnt go through with it, she couldnt get an abortion. So hally and macon skipped 3rd period to pick up  scarlett and after that they cruised around and hung out. When halley got home, she found out her mom had seen her near the mall during school hours and she was grounded for a month. her mom also called scarletts mom, who then found out that scarlett never went through with the abortion. She was keeping the baby.

Quote:
"I mean, of course its nice to have someone thats all yours, that uncondtional love, but with being a mother there are responsibilities: financial, emotional, physical. It will affect her education, her future, everything. Its not a smart decision to take all that on now." (Dessen 120)

Reaction: Halleys mother was telling this to halley and i couldn't agree more with what she was saying. I feel that by the author including that quote, she was speaking out to all the teenage girls who are reading the book and might be considering having a baby or who are pregnant and don't know whether to keep the baby or not. I think that this is something that really needs to be told to young girls because there are too many girls who are pregnant now and  maybe if they had that kind of guidance, they wouldnt be making those decisions. Those girls dont think about the responsibilities of having a baby, they only think about how fun it will be to have a baby of their own and how cute they are, but all of that isn't as important as actually taking care of a child, having someone's life depend on you.

Someone Like You (Pgs 1-60)

Summary:

It all began with the main character Halley at "Sisterhood Camp", when she got a phone call from her best friend Scarlett at two in the morning. Michael Sherwood, Scarlett's boyfriend, had died in a motorcycle accident. Scarlett was always the strong one, the one who Halley depended on, but now it was the other way arouund. She asked Hally to come home, she needed her. Hally called her mother who was a therapist and asked her to pick her up. Halley says that she and her mother have always had a close relationship, like bestfriends. And most of her mom's books (her mother writes novel about coping witha teenage daughter) are about  how good of a relationship they have. But ever since summer started, their relationship was going downhill.

Hally's mother picked her up from the camp the next day. When she got home, she went straight to scarlett's house. Scarlett had streaks of tears coming down her face, she looked like she had been crying all day. Halley then flashed back to a time, earlier in the summer, when she, scarlett, and a girl named Ginny (who was famous for "getting around" with the players on the football team) would hang out everyday. That summer is when Halley started growing up. She had smoked her first cigarette (apparently all the kids where they live do it) and she hung around the pool with boys a lot and drank alcohol.

One of Michael's friends, Macon, was over scarlett's house, passed out on the bed. Apparently he wasn't taking michael's death very well. At the funeral, it was pooring down raining and when they asked him if he wanted a ride, he declined, and it was clear by his face that he had been crying. School started and on the first day of school, Halley had a real conversation with Macon. They have gym together, which she looks forward to everyday, and she's starting to like him.

Quote: "but this was the New Me, someone I was evolving into with every hot and humid long summer day. I learned to smoke cigarettes, drank my first beer, got a deep tan, and double-pierced my ears as I began to drift, almost imperceptibly at first, from my mother" (Dessen 18).

Reaction: This quote really stuck out to me because I can relate to what Halley was saying. I haven't done the things she talks about, but i see it happening around me A LOT with teen girls. When they're "growing up" they start to do things (usually bad) that they think everyone else is doing, like smoking and drinking. And alot of the times, when girls are in their teenage years, they start to become less close with their mothers. Also I thought it was interesting how, within the 1st chapter, the character already reveals that she is evolving and maturing and growing up.

Miles To Go (Pages 243-279)

Summary:

Miley talks about how, for her sweet sixteen party, she rented out Disney World and anyone who wanted to come, could come. They just had to pay. She only charged them to get in because all the money they made was donated to a good cause, which I think was the most selfless thing she could do for her birthday. Then she talked about promoting her book, and how each one of her fans could take away something special from the book. Whether it was Miley being bullied, the break-ups she went through, or losing a loved one, there's something in the book for everyone to relate to. She ended the novel by saying how grateful she was for everything that happened to her and that she's still taking things a step at a time and learning and growing each day. Also that, even though she already has, she was afraid of growing up and taking responsibilites but just like any other normal kid, growing up is inevitable. It's all part of coming of age.

Quote:
"In the original afterword, I wrote that I was scared to grow up. But I think I might have already done it- without even knowing. I mean, not totally. Like I said, I do still have miles to go. But the experiences of the past year have pushed me forward in ways I'd never have imagined. I sat on a beach and came to grips with letting go. I opened my heart and fell in love again. I lost love but gained friendship. I traveled to new countries and went back home to familiar places. And, you'd be proud to know, I learned to do my laundry!" (Cyrus, 279)

Reaction: When reading this quote, I realized how connected I felt with Miley after reading the whole book. I knew about her from watching her movies and tv shows, but I never knew the real her. I noticed that we have a lot in common and that with every page, I felt more and more connected to her. All the things she went through, it's what everyone has to go through. And to know that this girl, a superstar, its going through the same problems as me and everyone else, it's very comforting. Plus I still don't know how to do my own laundry! :)

Miles To Go (Pages 185-243)

Summary:
Miley begins with talking about her experiences going on the Best of Both Worlds tour. It was her very first tour where she would be performing as Hannah Montana (the character she plays on tv) and herself, Miley Cyrus. She was super excited or that, it would be the first time she performed songs that actually meant something to her, other than the songs that were about her character's double-life on tv. There was a part during the performance where 4 big strong guys had to lift her up, and kind-of throw her in the air. Well, one time they threw her a little too hard, so she came down really hard and she fell right through their hands. YES, she fell! Can you believe that?! Can you imagaine how embarrassing that must've been? Falling in front of between 10,000 and 20,000 people? I would've just ran off the stage, but she went on with the show.

Then she moved on to a more relatable subject: breaking up. She broke up with her "Prince Charming" and she was really depressed and hurt. He was like her first boyfriend and she was in love with him. She says that because of the break up, that seemed to be the only thing she could write about for her songs. So, a lot of the songs on her album were about that, like the song "7 things I hate about you".

Then she switched back to a serious topic that I brought up earlier, the little girl named Vanessa that was in the hospital with cancer. Miley had gone to visit her a while ago and after that, she was so busy with going on tour and promoting her album and book that she didn't get to go back and visit. Vanessa died and that really made Miley sad. That was the first time she had ever lost a friend, and I think it was very special for her to include that, because unfortunately a lot of people can relate to losing a loved one.

Then, Miley talks about her bond with her best friend Mandy and she goes into a little more detail about their friendship. Miley then talks about filming The Hannah Montana Movie, which was the first movie she starred in and the setting was back in her hometown Tennessee, which was very comforting for her.  She also talked about filming the other movie she starred in, The Last Song, which was the movie to a book written by Nicolas Sparks.

She briefly touched on: promoting her show, movie, and book, a bonding moment with Emily Osment, she and her father's relationship, and questions she gets asked a lot.

Quote:
"As I start doing more grown-up, dramatic projects, I want to stick with that I believe and what makes sense for a girl my age. I want to be a good role model. That's why I signed on to work with the writer Nicholas Sparks. His books and movies show strong morals, and loving, hard relationships. I can do meaningful work- without compromising my values"

Reaction:
I really liked what she said in that quote. It stuck out to me because she sounded very mature. Despite what people think about her, she's just a teenager and shes learning from her mistakes. But people need to take into account that she does think about her actions and how they will represent her and the fact that she IS, whether she likes it or not, a role model to kids, so she doesnt want to compromise her values when she's doing certain projects.

Miles To Go (pages 120-185)

Summary

Miley, well Hannah, went on tour with The Cheetah Girls. There had a performance in St. Louis and while Miley was on stage, she began to feel sick so she ran off stage in the middle of a song. After that, she came back 5 minutes later to continue with her performance, only to run off the stage again to throw up. Later that night, at another performance, it happened again! Something was clearly wrong, so her parents took her to the doctors, and they found a hole in her heart and she was diagnosed with Tarchycardia. It basically means that her heart rate speeds up and the rest of her body can't keep up. After that scare, she began eating healthy and making sure she was taking care of her body.

So far, I can see that Miley and her family are very close. Her parents try very hard to make it possible for her to live a normal teenage life. She talked about her relationships with her siblings: Noah, Braison (Brazz), Brandi, and Trace. Noah is her little sister, who's the baby of the family. She talked about how one time she was baby sitting her and they gave each other makeovers and fun things like that, just like normal girls do. She says that shes most like Trace and that they get along the best. At home, she's not a celebrity, she's just Miley.

She then talked about growing up in the south and going to Mule Day (big auctioning of mules/donkeys) with her Pappy. Then, she moved onto a more related topic; her first "prince charming". She didnt want to use his real name, so she called him that. It was the first time she fell in love and she says that a lot of her older songs were written about him. Then, she tells the touching story of a little girl named Vanessa, a girl who she visited in the hospital. She was dying and she said she was "the luckiest girl in the world". This made Miley forget about all the little stuff she had been complaining about and focus on more important things in life, and not to take them for granted.

Quote:
"When I visit, I don't like to leave until I've gotten them all laughing. When I can't visit in person, I make phone calls to kids in hospitals. When I can't call, I send videos. I'm not vain. I'm not, like, oh, I'm Miley Cyrus and I'm so special that I change kids' lives. But if this career gives me any power, I want to use it right. So if I can make a day a little brighter, you better bet I'm going to do it" (Cyrus, 178).

Reaction:

This quote really stuck out me because, I am realizing that she's not the bad person everyone makes her out to be. She's not vain, in fact, she's very insecure. And most of the celebrities that you see helping kids in need or giving back to a communitee, are older people. But Miley is a teenager, and the fact that visiting, or even just calling the kids in hospitals, means something to her is very touching. Regular kids her age don't even do that. She never acts like she's too good to help out other people, or even bring a smile to a dying child's face. I think that is so important because although some people may not think she's a good role model, some of the things she does is very inspiring. She's not perfect, she has her up's and down's and of course she makes mistakes, but shes learning and growing each day just like everyone else.

Miles To Go (pages 69-120)

Summary

Where I left off last time, was when Miley was talking about losing her grandfather and how she strugdled with that, but it eventually helped her to move forward. She then moved on to talking about when Hannah Montana first started. Her mother didn't want to uproot the whole family from Nashville and move to L.A. because she didn't want them to be in a place that didn't feel like home, which is completely understandable. Most importantly, she didn't want the move to feel like a sacrifice to Miley's brothers and sisters. When the first arrived in L.A., they went to the Disney offices to thank them. Before they could even finish, they were shocked by Miley's appearance. They made her dye her hair back to brown, and gave her a retainer so she wouldn't have to wear braces. Then she experienced her first "big star" moment when she was at an amusement park with a family member and girls came up to her and asked her for her autograph. It was pretty surreal to her, she didn't think people would recognize her or even care.

She then talks about her many experiences with famous singers that have been significant to her life. Whether it was a funny moment, words of inspiration, or something she just wants to remember forever, those moments made her who she is. Next, she speaks upon a very controversial topic, Hannah and Lily. Miley plays Hannah on her show Hannah Montana, and Emily Osment plays Lily, Hannah's best friend. And although they're best friends on TV, they didn't get along at all in real life. She says they argued constantly and it was hard to pretend you liked someone when you didn't, because fans would be crushed if they knew Miley and Emily weren't friends in real life.I can relate to this because teenagers, especially girls, don't always get along. And when you're kind of forced to be friends with someone, it makes it more difficult. While reading this book, I feel like I can relate to Miley more and more with every page.

Quote

"No single of those encounters made me who I am. Not one of them convinced me to be an actor or a musician. But our honors and days add up. Little moments attach themselves to other little moments and collect into big dreams. A sunset, a walk, a few small words of wisdom. We become what we experience" (Cyrus, 88-89).

Reaction

After reading that quote, I felt like Miley was being very humble. She had just finished talking about all of her encounters with famous singers and celebrities (friends of her dad's) and I felt like she wasn't bragging, she was trying to show that those moments impacted her life. That everything she has gone through, has made her who she is. I think that quote was a good way to end the chapter because it left the reader thinking, thinking about their own past and experiences in life and how they kind of made them into who they are now.

Miles to Go (pages 1-69)

Summary

The novel, Miles To Go by Miley Cyrus is a story about the pop star's life and essentially her side of the story so-to-speak. She begins with talking about how at school, she didn't fit in. You'd think that Miley Cyrus would've been the "popular girl" but in actuality, she was the outcast. She didn't have any friends and she was bullied by her "friends". On one occasion, the girls locked her in the janitor's closet and threatened her if she dared to tell anyone. She was scared to tell her parents or the principal, as many kids can relate to if they were ever bullied. She then talks about how she began cheer leading, something her mother convinced her into doing. She loved it as soon as she tried it, it was her escape from the troubles at school. Meanwhile, she was going back and forth from Nashville to L.A. to audition for "Chloe Montana". She missed a lot of cheer leading practices because of the auditions and she had to make a choice between cheering, and following her dreams. She chose her dreams and she ended up getting the part of Chloe Montana, despite the producers saying she was too young and too small to be a 12 year old, playing a 15 year old. They then had to find someone to play her TV father, and her real father Billy Ray Cyrus was chosen, although Miley didn't want people to think she only got the part because of her father, when actually he got the part because of her. At the end of the chapter "Losing Pappy", she talked about how her grandfather's death and affected her greatly and helped her to believe in herself.

Quote
"The cool people find each other. The smart people find each other. Me and all the other in-between artsy people realize we'd better join forces and make the best of it" (Cyrus, 17).

Reaction
My reaction to this quote is that, I feel more respect for Miley. Personally, before reading this book, I didn't think she had any problems. She didn't have to face the difficulties in the world because she was famous. But after reading that quote, I felt like I had something in common with her. Growing up, she didn't fit in either. She wasn't popular and she didn't have any friends, she was actually bullied a lot. That significant piece of information makes her human. Many people feel that famous people are perfect and never have to go through any struggles in life, but that's not always the case. Miley went through the same things that many teen girls go through, and it makes her easy to relate to.