Second Half of Misfits

I was a little unsure about this book during the first half, however, I am wholeheartedly a fan after finishing the second half. Although I still don’t quite see the controversy, I think it has such a good message and was so well told, and it kept my interest through the end. I enjoyed getting to know more about each of the characters. I was so surprised at how comfortable Joe seemed in his skin. Of course it is difficult growing up feeling different, but he comes to terms with it and still maintains a relatively positive self-image. This part struck me the most because I have a lot of personal experience with friends who are gay and I have seen that struggle first hand, and to see how calm, collected, and matter of fact Joe was about it surprised me. However, it was still realistic and it made me almost proud of him and I really appreciated how strong he was. Everyone takes things differently. I was also very impressed with how well his friends took it and how they supported him and accepted him. I think that a kid going through these struggles could connect with Joe and he could almost be a role model. Although I don’t personally find this controversial, I now see why others would. However this still saddens me because saying that his book is not appropriate for the classroom is saying that there is no place for homosexuality within the classroom. This statement could be devastating to a child who is questioning, or to a child who knows that they are gay. Not only are they missing out on reading a book that they could really connect to and relate to, but they are also learning that they will not be accepted and will be demonized within their communities. I am not saying that every student must read this book, but a ban could be doing a serious disservice to students on many different levels.

I loved the end of the book, especially the very last chapter. I think it sums up the essence of the story very well.  What I took away from the book as a whole is that junior high is rough, as well as other times in life, however, life goes on and you get through it. I definitely agree with this point, thinking back on junior high for me. I don’t think that I had it harder than the average kid, but there were definitely times where I felt like what was going on at the time was life, however, looking back that is obviously not the case. I liked that the book related to students of this age on a very real level, and relates to the world of junior high, but really does get the message across that life goes on.  Sometimes this is very necessary to hear, especially when you are going through it. Sometimes we all need reminders to look at the big picture. I could see students really making a connection with this book as a whole.