asecretkept

 Suicidal
==== 2.) Do you think Antonio gave Melaine a good birthday present? Why or why not? If not, do you think he was thinking logical when he thought of this idea? ====

 I think the car accident happened but his descriptions/details are wrong.
==== 4.) This book seems to touch upon many problems with relationships. Why do you think Astrid cheated on Antonio? Was there a reason or was it just because she fell in love? ====

 lose interest; money; jobs; fell in love
==== 5.) Do you think Clarisse's mother-in-law and father-in-law were displeased with her back round ? Please use quotes from book to support your answer. ====

 Megan- Person B
====1. "Melanie Rey, born August 15, 1967, at Boulogne-Billancounter,single, 49 rue de la Roquette, Paris 75011. Antoine was filling this out when he was in the hospital. ==== ====2. "Antoine, theres something I need to say. I've kept it back all day. Last night, at the hotel, I remembered something. Something about........". This is when his sister Mel was about to tell him what she remembered, but then she drove off the road. ====


==== 4." After Clarisse died, I don't think anyone came back to the island". Clarisse is there mom and she died when Mel was 6 and Antoine was 9 they stop going on vacation here after that. ==== ====5. " I can't believe we do not have more photos of our mother". When there father remarried there stepmother threw out all the pictures of the there mother. ====

 Person A- Christina
==== 1. On your group's wiki page, describe the main characters in your text. What makes them interesting? What is their story or background? Why are you drawn to them? Conversely, are there any characters that you just cannot stand? Why not? (A) ==== ==== Antoine and Melanie are the main characters. Antoine is interesting because his name is cool he is a caring person. Melanie is interesting because she has an interesting story. Her boyfriend dumped her for someone who's 20 years younger than her and she could still stand the heartbreak. We are drawn to them because they have interesting lives and it is interesting to read about them and what's happened to them. They are both french and they were both of french background, but their mother was spanish. All the characters are interesting and there are none that disinterest us. ====

 Person D- Rachel
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> In the book, A Secret Kept, my book club group talked about some of the main scenes in the book and how they are important to the story. One of the main characters, Antoine Rey thought he had the perfect surprise for his sister, Melanie, for her fortieth birthday. It would be at an island where they would relive their childhood memories. They have not been to that island for thirty years, since their mother died. Being back on the island, Melanie remembers a bad memory from her last summer at the island. On the way home to Paris, she said what was on her mind to Antoine, and she loses control of the car. While recovering in the hospital, Melanie tries to think back on the car crash and thinks about what might have caused it. The past overcomes both Antoine and Melanie and reminds them of their mother, Clarisse. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Our group discussed how we thought Clarisse might have died form suicide. Going to the island for Melanie’s birthday, my group thought it was a wonderful idea of Antoine, even though it brought back sad memories. It brought back both Antoine and Melanie’s past, which we thought they both needed. On the way home to Paris, when Melanie and Antoine got in a car crash, we think that the accident did take place, but the author’s descriptions and details are wrong and unrealistic. My group and I think that his descriptions are unrealistic because the author said Melanie turned her head for a second and then crashed. Realistically, it takes much more than that to crash a car. But, we could be wrong on our interpretations. When Antoine was in the waiting room waiting for the news of Melanie, the group and I said they would be scared, nervous, and in a panic if we were in Antoine’s place. We also discussed why Astrid cheated on Antoine. Astrid might have lost interest, Antoine did not have a good job, so their income was low, or maybe she fell in love with someone else. Our group discussed how at the beginning of the book we were a little confused on who was telling the story. Now, we know that Antoine was narrating it. A Secret Kept is the story of a contemporary family, and the secrets that tie them all together. ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person A- Rachel
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">On your group's wiki page, discuss the type of language that your book contains. Is it easy to read? Conversational? "Classic"? Does it use a lot of words you don't understand? What grade level do you think the book is written at, and why? ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The language in the book is not easy to read. We do not understand some of the language in the book. The language is conversational, we understand what is going on in the book, the language is a little hard to read. The book is written at adult level because of the language and scenes used in the book. The words in the book are hard to understand and it is hard to follow the scenes in the book. ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 5. Towards the end of this week's reading, Dr. Besson says "Keep an eye out for your father" to Antoine right before he leaves for Paris. What do you think she meant by "Keep an eye out for your father"? ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> She needs the money because she stole the money and needs to repay a person back, took money from her mother and wants to repay, lossed her job, loans, etc. ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 2.) According to the book, Antoine has many problems with his life because he mentions the fact that he smokes to compensate with the fact that he has a terrible life. Accordingly, smoking brings him pleasure. Do you think that there is a way to solve his problems without him having to resource back to smoking. ( by problems i mean, love/relationship problems, job problems, family issues, etc.) ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 3.) This story touched upon the fact that people can be affected due to a death in their family whether it be your wife, children, aunt/uncle, grandparent etc. This section of the reading shows how a person can be affected by the lost of a loved one. In the book, Antoine's father shows a significant change in his personality due to his wife's dead. Why do think his personality changed? Was it because she died or was there another reason? ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 4.) When he first met Angele Rouvatier, he say there was something vaguely familiar about her. What do you think it? Was it that she works at the hospital or is there something else he is thinking of? ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 5.) During this whole section of the book, Antoine can not stop talking about his ex-wife, Astrid. Do you think that he obsessed with her not just because he loves her? Is there more to his obsession? ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> "Hey cheer up, don't ruin it."
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> "Last night at the hotel, I remembered something. Something about.....". Antoine keeps getting flashbacks the day of the accident. He wants to know what his sister was about to say ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> "You can tell me, don't worry". Mel finally remembers what she was going to tell Antoine, but is scared to tell him the truth.
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> "How can you just drive off the road". Antoine speaking to Mel asking her how she could do something like this. He does not understand what was so important. ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> D (Ryan)
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> This week my group talked about the major events that happened throughout the sixty pages we read over the course of the week. We got into deep discussions about the answers to the questions Christina and Jenna asked the group. We also got caught up talking about the content in the book and how I am not picking the book next time book club comes around. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> We also, again, discussed ways that Clarisse could have died. Suicide is what we strongly believe happened to her. We also believe that Antoine and his ex - wife still have a spark of feelings for each other and Antoine got with the nurse out of pity and what not. That is mostly the recap of this weeks book club discussion. ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. What is the overriding emotion of this book? What examples back up your claim?
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Fear- When Mel. was about to die. Happiness- Everytime Antoine thinks about his ex wife. Desperate- To find out answers on the mothers death. Depressed - They have alot of depression in their lives. ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">“Melanie drove off the highway because something about our mother came back to her.”
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">We think that this quote means that Melanie was day dreaming, so she lost control of the car. She had remembered something about her mother. Antoine said this because he was talking about how Melanie got in the accident. ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">“Thirty- three years ago my mother died in the very apartment I am sitting in now. I don’t remember the last time I kissed her. And it hurts me, not remembering.” ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> As the book, The Secret Kept continues, we discover new traits that these characters hold that we thought we not possible. We talked about how the fourteen year girl named Maragaux started smoking. We all agreed that since the father smoked, that gave Maragaux the right to start herself. We also agreed that since the mother and father of Maragaux are divorced, there really is no parenting involved in their life. They don't really talk, so the kids feel that they have a right to do whatever they want. We mentioned how the father saw her and her friend smoking and didn't even tell them not to. There are no parenting involved what so ever. We started discussing how smoking is horrible for you and how it is a very bad habit,but when you have parents that don't talk and no parenting is ever done, I guess the kids find that whatever they do is fine. Well, not in this case. We talked about Antoine and how he he reminds of a ugly person. All of his traits and actions lead us to believe that he is a ugly person. We mentioned how his co-worker, Raquel is very unhappy with Antoine. He is uphappy due to the fact that Antoine is always late to work and that now he took off from work to he with his sister during her time in the hospital. Raquel feels he hardly show up to work on a daily bases. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> We continued to discuss some of the main events that took place in this book. A lot of things happened in this section that make this book unique in its own way. We mentioned how Melanie is fine and has recovered from this horrible accident. We also talked about how Antoine visited his father and step-mother's house. There house is located on Kebler Street. We mentioned how he said that his mother died in this house in the kitchen because of a brain aneurysm. We also talked about how Antoine's mistress Angele keeps calling him about his sister and about seeing each other again. We also say how Angele is a mortician. A mortician is someone who works with the dead. We also mentioned how this book is very lengthy. This book is about 300 pages when it only really needs to be about 100 to 150 pages long. But as we thought about, if this book was cut down, a lot of the detail and traits of some of the characters would have never been said which could impact our view or any reader's opinion of the book. But overall, we all think that this book could be shortened just a tiny bit. We also compared this book to many T.V shows out there including Lost, Castaway, and Survivor. But overall, we found that this book wasn't what we thought it would be. Hopefully, the next sections of this book will make reading this book worth-whiled. ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 2. "The very air swells and vibrates with tears."
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 3. "Pails of blood riddled with organs, hides, skins, fatty tissue, guts, and remains of dead stock litter the road for another five kilometers." ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 4. "Standing at the head of the room, screens flashing behind him, Parimbert was droning on about the website's success and how he was Expanding through the Entire World." ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Who does Antoine call for comfort? Who does he really want to call though?
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Hr calls his girl friend Angela and really wants to call there mother because he does not know what to do in this situation. (he is divorced from is wife and he has to watch his kids for a week because she had to go to a business trip) ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Where did there mother die and who told them this information?
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">There mother actually died in there grandmothers apartment and there uncle told them this information. (in the begging of of the book it was said that she died in her own home). ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. What do you think was going through Arno’s head when he saw his father holding Angele in their house?
====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> We think he might have been happy for his father or that something was going on between them. We do not think Arno was mad at his father, but we believe if Lucas saw him and his father, he would have been upset. ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">On your group's wiki page, discuss the themes and images that your book contains. What are some of the images that are used? What do they seem to represent? Why do you think the author uses these images to convey his or her meaning? ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The Clarisse's letter to her secret lover. ( woman) They represent her love to a secret admirer. To show to that she has a secret admirer and that she was cheating on her husband. ====

====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Themes: ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">People have affairs to be happy- Astrid and Antoine/ Angele and Antoine

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">One bad habit can lead to another- Antoine smoking, having affairs with people online,........ what will he do next?
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person D (Christina) ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> In this week's book club, we discussed the themes and symbolism in the book A Secret Kept. One theme we talked about was that secrets are kept for a reason because in the book, Melanie and Antoine find out that their mother was having an affair with another woman, and Antoine and Melanie felt like they did not know who their mother was anymore and now they are determined to find out more about their mother's secret lover. One symbol we discussed in the book was Clarisse's letters to her secret lover. These symbolized Clarisse's feelings for her secret lover and that she was cheating on her husband. Besides this, we also talked about Margaux's friend, Pauline. She died in her gym class from heart failure and Margaux isn't taking it too well. Another thing we discussed was why Antoine slept with his ex-wife again after the funeral when he spent a lot of time crying over her, then gets a new girlfriend, and then sleeps with her again. We believe that he shouldn't have taken her back in case the same thing happens again and she falls in love with someone else. ====

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Week 5: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person A- Christina <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person B- Jenna <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person C- Ryan and Rachel <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person D- Megan

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person B (Jenna)-

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Quotes:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> " Your mother was having an affair with this lady" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> We now learned that the mother was having an affair with a lady named June.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> "He is home from boarding school to attend his great-grandmother's funeral" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Talks about Arno and said by Antoine.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> "He hasn't got much time, Antoine. He has stomach cancer.I spoke to his doctor. The news isn't good." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Melanie told Antoine that their father has stomach cancer.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> " Then she says quickly, so quickly I have to strain my ears to make out her words, Your mother was the love of June's life." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Donna Rogers said this quote about Antoine's mother and June.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> "Because I do think your mother may have died of a ruptured brain aneurysm." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Angele said that Antoine's mother may have died from a ruptured brain aneurysm

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person A (Christina)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. On your group's wiki page, discuss your final reflections on this book. Would you recommend it to peers? Why or why not? Has this topic been discussed more/less effectively in another book or books? Should this book be considered for the school's curriculum? (A)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The book was very difficult to understand and it was very long and not enjoyable. we would not recommend it to our peers because it was boring and had some expicit language and scenes. We have read better books like this one such asThe Notebook, Dear John, and The Last Song. It should not be considered for the school's curriculum.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person C- Rachel <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. Who is Laurence Dardel and why does Antoine go to her house? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Laurence Dardel was Clarisse’s doctor and Antoine goes to her house to get the medical papers of his mother.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 2. Who is June Ashby and why is she important to the story? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> She was Calrisse’s lover and Melanie was the one who saw Clarisse and June in bed.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 3. Why do you think Angele asked Antoine to tell her about Clarisse and June? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Angele asked because she was curious about them.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 4. Do you think Antoine and Angele will get married? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> We think they may because they have such a good relationship and a lot of people in Antoine’s family have died, and she works with dead people, so Antoine and Angele are connected.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 5. What did you think about the ending of the book? Would you recommend this book to others, why or why not? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The ending of the book was okay; we expected it to be a little better and interesting. We would not recommend this book to others because there were inappropriate scenes and the language is hard to read.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Person C (Ryan)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 1. How did you feel about Antoine's relationship with women? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> He wasn't good with women and it was hard for him when him and his wife divorced.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 2. Did this book exceed your expectations? Why or why not? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> No because it was a boring book and not very apropriate.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 3. Who was your favorite character in this book? Why? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Melanie was our favorite character because she was the one who kept everyone happy and alive during sad times

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 4. If you could suggest this book to a friend would you? Why? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> No because it was boring and hard to understand and read.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> 5. Explain your favorite scene in the book. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> finding out what really happened who the letters were to, what really happened to the mother and who she really was.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Megan D:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">We finished the book //The Secret Kept// this week ending with the last book club. We discussed the ending and how there mother died. We also found out about the truth of there mother, Clarisse. Mel remembered what she saw when she was six at the vacation spot, the truth surprised and shocked everyone who was reading. Turns out the secret lover that she always wrote to and always was with, when she was alive, was actually a women. Clarisse there mother was having an affair with a women who's name was June. She was an artist and Antoine found this out by talking to his grandmother. She never told any one and his father never new. This novel spoke about relationships and the love life between different people and age groups. Antoine and his girlfriend, but he still has feeling for his ex-wife. Antoine and his relationship between his father and his kids. Antoine and Mel, they are brother and sister and love each other very much. And last but not least June and Clarisse. This book was saying that true love is out there, but you really have to look for it. Not always is the first relationship going to work and be happy at the end. True happiness comes when you are truth-full to yourself and the people around you. We also discussed that the book had too much extra information and was dragging on. Overall the book was terrible, but it was great either. Some scenes were better then others.