Countdown Review

The third book I have read this year for ELA is a fiction book taking place during the 1960's named Countdown. A book written by Deborah Wiles, it follows the story of a little girl named Franny Chapman who has many things going on her life when everyone is waiting any second for a bomb to drop on their heads because of the USA being right in the middle of the Cold War with Russia. When JFK comes on the television, telling everyone that Cuba has been given missiles from Russia, Franny can't figure out what's going to happen in the world or her world for that matter. It's a good plot, it has like able characters, and is able to paint a picture of what was happening during the 1960's. It's been the best book I have read this school year so far.

If and The Outsiders Connections

 If has a section in it about the struggles of life, loss, death, sadness and all negative things in life. It reflects the story of The Outsiders by showing the struggles of life. In The Outsiders, Ponyboy goes through many struggles in his life like his parents death, abuse of people around him, friends dying, and the struggles of growing up. The section that connects to that point in the paragraph is: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster… and stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools.’ The other section I want to talk about is: ‘If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,’ This section of If directly points to Ponyboy thinking about Johnny’s death and believing it is his fault and him denying his death. In conclusion, this poem relates many things to The Outsiders and The Outsiders may have taken concepts from this poem.

The Outsiders Book/Movie Comparisson

 The Outsiders book and movie have many similarities. One similarity between them is that both take place in the same time period. (aka 50s-60s era) Another similarity between the two is that when the group first met Cherry, Dally was still bothering her. Also when they first met Cherry, Cherry says in both versions that ‘Ponyboy is a unique name.’ Also at the end of their meeting of Cherry, the Socs still pick up Cherry in the car. The final similarity I shall talk about is that Ponyboy still falls asleep in the lot.
 The Outsiders book and movie also have differences too such as in the book Darry slaps Ponyboy rather than pushing him in the movie. Another difference is during the beginning of the book, the intro is Ponyboy talking about his friends and their characteristics and in the movie during the intro, it's a fight scene. During the whole book, Ponyboy has the same hair but in the movie at the church scene, Ponyboy turns into a blonde because they are on the lamb. Speaking of the church, in the book it burns down because of a cigarette, but in the movie, it burns down to an unknown reason and children are there when it starts to burn, making the Greasers save the children in the burning church. Speaking of them saving the children, in the movie Johnny dies of being fatally wounded during saving the children, and in the book, he dies by being paralyzed after a fight. The final difference I shall talk about is during Johnny being in the hospital, in the book his mom tries to visit him, but in the movie she doesn't even bother.
 The actors I felt could've been better. They weren't that good at acting. They had the same tone the whole movie and had the same expression on their faces. The director could've probably done a better job too. The camera angles were okay but they could've been better. Otherwise good job.