every+last+one

__Every Last One__ By: Anna Quindlen



__Week 1__: May 7 (P.3-61) A- Tori B- Shellie C- Alisha D- Jess //C- Meeting Summary: Alisha// This week was our first book club; we enjoyed Tori's delicious juice and warm bagels. The first part of the book set up the scene for the rest of the story. The story is from the point of view of the main character, Mary Beth, who is a stay at home mom with her own landscaping company. The book starts of with the mother describing her life and her family. This week we discussed the relationship between Ruby and Kiernan, we debated whether the relationship would last or if Ruby would end it soon, due to her own independence. There is a strong difference between the twins, Alex and Max. We came to a conclusion that Max was so quite because he might feel that he is not as important as Alex. Max is constantly being bullied by his brother and his friends and is also very shy and not as outgoing as Alex. At first some of us felt that the story was slow and was not very eventful, but as the story continues the plot is thickening with the pregnancy test in Ruby's bathroom and the stolen plants and trees. These two events seem to be acquainted with Rachel, who struggles with her life at home and seek mothering from Mary Beth. Rachel does not have a strong role-model and has bad judgment. We are very excited for the next part to see what happens next.

//D- Questions: Jess// 1. Why do you think Ruby wants to break up with Kiernan? Ruby finds Kiernan very annoying and clingy. They have both changed a lot from when they were younger, so its not the same anymore. He is also around her too often. They seem to now see each other as family because they grew up together. They are more like friends than lovers. Kiernan is weird in many minds and Ruby likes to stick to herself and her friends instead of getting out there and meeting others and telling outsiders how she feels. 2. Why does Alex think Kiernan is weird? Kiernan is in a way like a nerd, and he is very much like Alex's brother, Max. Alex makes fun of Max and picks on him, so it makes sense that he does the same to Kiernan. 3. What is wrong with Max? Max might have a social dysfunction that makes him really shy. Max's brother, Alex, is very outgoing, and Max feels as though he is not as important as Alex. Max also gets made fun of by his own brother in school, and he is bullied by brother. Usually brothers and sisters make fun of each other but do not like when anyone else makes fun of their siblings, but Alex eggs his friends on to make fun of Max. Max is also shadowed by his brother and sister, because his brother is the popular athlete and his sister is very original. Also, his sister gets a lot of attention because of her eating disorder and his brother gets a lot of attention because of his skills in the sports that he plays. 4. What happened to the plants that the Latham company planted? It seems to have been Rachel that vandalized and destroyed the garden that was planted, because she had dirt and twigs all over herself. Also, she was drunk at the time. She obviously wants more attention, and she is out of control because of her mom neglecting her. She wants Ruby's mom to love and care for her, but she knows that she will never truly be treated as one of her kids, so she takes her anger out on her garden. 5. Who has the tougher life, Max or Alex? Max, because Alex has a lot of friends and many things are working out for him, while Max is depressed and feels lonely. 6. Do you think Kiernan and Ruby will stay together? No, because she is too fed up with him. He is too annoying and clingy, and he is more like a brother than a boyfriend to her. 7. Who was the pregnancy test for? We were split on this question. It could be Ruby, because she wants to break up with her boyfriend, and that could be the reason why. It could also be Rachel, because she doesn’t make the best decisions, and she also drinks a lot.

//B- Topic Question: Shellie// The characters in Anna Quindlen's "Every Last One" are very realistic and are easy to relate to. Ruby is very similar to a typical high school teenager surrounded by immaturity, becoming confident in her own style, and preparing for college. The parents (Mary Beth and Glen) have a very monotonous routine, but seem content with their lives. They seem to struggle with their marriage because Max, Alex, and Ruby are almost grown up and are learning to function as a couple without their children.The twins Max and Alex are fraternal twins and could not be any more different; Alex is into sports and lives a separate life from Max, who keeps to himself and is into music, especially the drums. My favorite character is Ruby; it is easy to relate to her, not only because we are about the same age, but also because of her personality. My least favorite character is Kiernan because of his suspicious actions and obsession over the Latham family.

__Week 2:__ May 14 (p. 61-121) A- Jess B- Tori C- Shellie D- Alisha

//B- Topic Question: Tori// The language in this book is very simplistic, yet emotionally charged. It showcases the complex emotions and relationships that the family has, and the interactions that they have with each other. The language flows well, moving from one person's intricate life to the next, showing their similarities and differences. as the book progresses, you can see how Anna Quindlen wraps you up in the book, pulling you into the characters' lives and enveloping you. The language seems to fit so perfectly, making you feel like you are in Mary Beth's head, truly immersed in her thoughts.

//C- Meeting Summary: Shellie// First this morning, we noshed on Jess’s delicious cinnamon buns and iced tea and talked for a few minutes. We picked out the buns with the most frosting and began discussing the section of the book we read. Alisha’s fist question was about Ruby’s breakup with Kiernan. We feel that he is still attached because Ruby was the only person he had ever felt really close with. Ruby was also able to get over the breakup easily and we discussed that she had already been preparing herself to do so. She already had her mind made up and she was mentally departed from the relationship. We think Ruby wants to be friends, but she wants to start over and be more independent without her past following her. Kiernan is not ready for this and it was exemplified when he was in her room and went through her things. We also discussed why Kiernan’s mom freaked out on Mary Beth, and we think Kiernan’s mom is crazy and she was emotionally distraught because her two-year-old son died. We are looking forward to what happens next.

//D- Discussion Questions: Alisha// 1. Why do you think that Kiernan is so attached to Ruby and her family? - He is attached to ruby but mainly the family because his family does not care for him, he has been emotionally neglected by his mother who had mental problems after the death of her younger son. Ruby is the only person that he is really close to and they have had so many memories growing up together. 2. Why do you think that Ruby was able to get over the breakup so quickly? -She has been preparing herself for it and she was not as into the relationship anymore. Ruby has been ready for a change for a long time, but she was always concerned with how Kiernan would take the break-up. 3. Do you think that Ruby seems so different after coming home from camp because she feels free? - Ruby wanted to be friends with Kiernan, but now she just wants to start fresh and focus on her writing and herself. She has become more independent from being away for the summer and is preparing her self for her life in college. Kiernan is not ready for such a change and seems to hold onto the past. 4. Do you think that after talking to the therapist, Max will become more open and less depressed/ ashamed? - Kiernan might help with the change because they are so close. Max seems to be more open and jovial when he is around Kiernan. The therapist might be helping because Max is opening up to him and is telling the parents what is going on. Maybe the therapist will help Max come to terms with his feelings and doubts. 5. Why do you think Kiernan’s mom took things so out of proportion when Mary Beth said Kiernan could not stay with them after the death of his younger brother? - She has problems ( she became crazy); she was emotionally distraught and did not want to deal with Kiernan because he might have reminded her of her other son. Because she was under so much stress and was still coming to terms with the death of her son, she blew things out of proportion. We thought that Mary Beth did the right thing, but at the same time Kiernan might have been better there in a stable home, where he could get the attention he needed.

__Week 3:__ May 21 A- Alisha B- Jess C- Tori D- Shellie

//B- Topic Question: Mood and Tone// Though this book seems to be very relaxed and calm, it also has a depressing feel throughout the story. The beginning explained the daily routines of the Latham family, especially that of the mother in the family, Mary Beth. This showed the relaxing feeling that the book would have. Then, many twists came into play, starting with the troubles the three children of the family had gone through. From anorexia to depression, these children had obvious problems that they needed to face. The book took a sharp turn when the murder of one son, the daughter, and the husband of the family were viciously murdered. The book became dark and ominous, but showed a glimpse of happiness after the discovery of the survival of the other son and the mother of the family. The book changes from a happy overall feeling with a sad feeling in the background to a sad overall feeling with a happy feeling in the background.

//C- Meeting Summary// First at this meeting, we ate Alisha's delicious muffins and drank our Snapple iced tea. Then, we spent a considerable amount of time discussing the shocking act of violence- the murder of half of the Latham family and what it would mean for the rest of the book. We could not figure out where the book would go from there; how the lives of the characters left would continue on. After thoroughly exhausting this topic, we moved on to Shellie's question. One of the questions, number 4 about the cover of the book, provoked a lot of interesting conversation and helped us realize something few of us had put together. The questions were well worded and interesting.

//D- Discussion Questions: Shellie// 1. Why does Mary Beth envy her mother’s relationship with Max at Alex’s soccer game? Her mom is able to make Max smile when she herself is not able to make him smile. He acts more like himself when he’s around his grandmother. 2. Why is Mary Beth surprised her sons are willing to take care of Alice’s son Liam? She was surprised because they were being very helpful and was more surprised with Max because he was coming out of his shell more to care for him. She was really happy because she didn’t expect it from them and the boys were happy to take care of the kid. 3. Looking back after the “incident”, did Mary Beth see the warning signs that Kiernan had a problem with Ruby? Ruby didn’t really tell her what was going on so Mary Beth didn’t really get to see the warning signs. When she saw him crying, she should’ve known he had problems and she kind of played it down and brushed it off when she found out Kiernan went through Ruby’s room. 4. What do the three empty portraits on the book’s cover symbolize? We think the three different empty portraits represent the three family members that died- the ornate one for Ruby, the large classic one for Glen, and the simple one for Max. 5. Why do you think Kiernan murdered the entire family but spared Mary Beth? He thought Mary Beth was dead because she was almost unconscious and he stabbed her in the shoulder. He wanted to hurt her but he wanted her to suffer and live without her family rather than just kill her because he had to live without a family.

__Week 4:__ May 28 A- Shellie B- Alisha C- Jess D- Tori

//B-Topic Question: Alisha// -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? In the book, __Every Last One__, the author depicts the story from the point of the mother, Mary Beth. On the outside it seems that she has the perfect, happy family, but as we all know no one is perfect. In the story, Mary Beth describes her routine and gives a detailed description of her family and the people around her. Anna Quindlen portrays the book in a very detailed manner, she gives vivid descriptions of each character, setting and scene. The first half of the book was not very eventful yet the reader could feel as though they were a part of the Latham family and was able to relate to them. When most of Mary Beth's family is murdered the words on the page make the reader feel her pain of the family that once was. Mary Beth now struggles with the life ahead of her and tries to keep a relationship with her only family left, Alex. She is a very closed person and tries to hide her emotions, she does not want anyone's sympathy. Mary Beth now leads a very humdrum life, trying to keep her self busy in daily tasks, but often finds herself lost. The author shows how Mary Beth feels by her lack of expression; she no longer keeps up with her landscaping business--a passion that died with her family. Without telling the reader, Quindlen can describe Mary Beth's emotions by the descriptions that the main character gives.

//C- Meeting Summary// While conversing about our last book club, we enjoyed the delicious Pop’ems and orange juice that Shellie brought in. We had many things to talk about due to the very eventful section of the book that we read. We spoke of the fact that the depression following the deaths of many family members has affected Mary Beth very much. Though she tries to stay strong for her son, Alex, her feelings cannot be completely hidden. When the book started, Alex’s depression was obvious, and after the deaths of three of his family members, including his twin brother’s death, added to that. It is very interesting to learn about how Mary Beth and Alex cope with the terrible incident that has occurred. We have all come into agreement that we will finish reading the book and discuss it amongst ourselves because we are very intrigued to learn about what will happen next in this book that has taken us through many unexpected twists.

//D- Questions: Tori// 1. How is Mary Beth handling the deaths of her family members? Not too well. She doesn't show her emotions well, and she seems to be ashamed of her feelings and how bad she feels. She feels like she need to be strong for Alex and show that she's okay, when really she's not 2. How is Alex handling the deaths of the family members? He has become very withdrawn and quiet- he doesn't seem to really be handling it at all, but we think that he is mourning silently. He doesn't want to move on or move forward because he is afraid of forgetting. 3. How does Mary Beth feel about Alice's boyfriend? Is she jealous because she doesn't have Glen anymore? We don't think she is jealous at all, but in fact she wants to be closer to Alice and Nate in New York so that they can be a sort of mish-mosh family. Nate is was like a father figure to Alex when they visited, and Alice was a good friend to Mary Beth. 4.What kind of relationship do you think Mary Beth and Alex will have with Alice and Nate? We think that they will be close to each other, because Mary Beth and Alex need someone to be their family right now. Alice and Nate fill the shoes perfectly, but both Lathams don't want to move to where they live because they are afraid of forgetting what happened. This may lead to some difficulty in their relationship with Alice and Nate. 5. What are some of the signs that the Lathams aren't ready to move on? For Alex, you see that he has sort of retreated into himself, become withdrawn and quiet. He listens to CDs of Max playing his drumset and sits in Ruby's room when he thinks no one is paying attention, so it is obvious that he still misses his two siblings. For Mary Beth, you can see that she doesn't want to deal with her emotions. She thinks about her family like they are temporarily gone- just on vacation and coming home soon. She doesn't ever think about their deaths.