Black Coffee: Awkward Childhood Pictures

Black Coffee: Awkward Childhood Pictures

A painting by Adam Gayer

Adam Gayer's vibrantly abstract painting expresses a sense of peculiarity and darkness despite his flamboyant use of color. Gayer's use of wispy brush strokes, and isometric format add chaos to an already eccentric color scheme. The intangibleness is what makes this painting interesting;so unrecognizable, yet familiar in the its shapes. The viewer almost makes out images, a person possibly, in the middle of the painting. Gayer portrays an imaginative scene in this painting, projecting a sense of wonder and curiosity. The elements of, flamboyance, abstractness and wonder all add to the captivating effect this painting has.

Fallout- Ellen Hopkins pg. 435-663

Although Summer knows about autumn, Autumn just recently found out more info about her mom and her sister and brothers that she never even knew exsisted. Autumn's dad is out of jail and offers to take her there for xmas to see them. She reluctantly goes. Hunter finds his real dad, who supposedly raped his mother. He confronts his father but actually ends up liking him. Summer runs away from her foster home and ends up in a rally bad car accident with her boyfriend. The whole climax of the story, where all their tales intertwine, is at Christmas at "Marie Haskin's" house. In the book, the kids mom is a writer, who wrote a book about her daughter and her meth problem (crank).

I think its really interesting that she kind of put herself into the story. Since it is loosely based on her daughter and her troubles, I kind of think its a lot more based on her life than some may think. In the very back of the book their is a page where Ellen Hopkins talks about how her son in real life )hunter in the book) is only thirteen right now, and in the book he is nineteen. She says she kinda wrote the future based on what these kids lives were like right now. The ending was perfect, with all the kids confronting their mom, and her apoligizing about everything that has happened. I really liked the end to this trilogy!

Fallout- Ellen Hopkins pg 300-435

Fallout is just now taking a huge turn by exploring more into Kristina's life. Since the book is told from her kids' perspective, she has only been mentioned abstractly. But now, Summer, asks her dad how he and Kristina met. He is dumbfounded that he hasn't told her before, and explains that her mother and he were married, and she even had a daughter when he met her. Summer had no clue she had a long lost sister, someone she has never met, or even heard of. Autumn finds out her aunt is getting married, and she feels lost and alone. She turns to drinking. Hunter, cheats on his girlfriend and turns to drinking. All around the kids are going through a hard time. And you start to see more of their hardships as a result of Kristina's mothering, or lack there of.

I think it's really sad these kids have begun turning to drinking, besides summer. But summer, although not drinking or doing drugs, has been put into another foster home because her dad got a dui. Nothing goes right for these kids. the book is really good, and I really want to know if they ever meet their long lost sister.

Fall Out- Ellen Hopkins pages 1-300

Fall out is the third of three books chronically a girl named Kristina who is addicted to among many things, crystal meth. I have read the first two books already, and they were really good. All of Ellen Hopkins books are honest and raw, but Kristina's story especially because it is loosely based (although I believe it to be slightly more that loosely) on Ellen Hopkins youngest daughter. In the past books Kristina makes a lot of mistakes, and ends up having a couple kids along the way of her messy life. "Fallout" is told from the three prospectives of three of her children, none of which are living with her, and one of whom who has never even met her. Kristina still struggles to keep jobs, and stay out jail, and this book is about the mess she left behind when she decided to give her life away to drugs. The lives she affected most were those of the children she left behind along the way. Hunter was her first kid she had when she was a teenager, he is nineteen in the newest book. Kristinas parents adopted him and he lived a good life, although he still has troubles considering the stress his biological mother puts on their family. Next is summer, who has been passed between Kristina, and her dad, and numerous foster homes. She visits her mother every once and while but her life is pretty messed up. She knows Hunter, and her grandparents, but seldom sees them. She recently found out she has a sister, another life Kristina has broken. Autumn is her long lost sister, who has only known her dad, who has been in and out of jail her whole life. She lives with her Grandfather and Aunt Cora who took her in when Kristina went to jail. Autumn has wondered her whole life about her mom.

This book is great so far. Kristina's character has stuck with me ever since I read "Crank", the first novel Ellen Hopkins wrote. All her books are written in poetry form which is really interesting. If any one ever had any doubts about doing hard drugs, these books would solidify their hesitation. I can't wait to see how Kristina's story ends because i'm pretty sure this is the last book she is writting on Krisitna.