https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold Brian Stella/ORB Quarter 1 Project en-us 2018-10-30 12:00:23 UTC 2023-03-03 19:02:33 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Doubleheart.png ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298437848 2018-10-30 12:10:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298437848 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298442678 School Library Journal:
Gr 8 Up—Victor has an urn with his father's ashes and a set of instructions for scattering them. Madeline has a scar and a troubled past. When the two collide, or "bump," as Victor puts it, Victor joins the Kids of Appetite , a ragtag group  that Madeline belongs to. As the gang helps Victor complete his dad's last mission, he begins to fall for Madeline. Meanwhile, one of the KOA comes under suspicion for murder, and Madeline and Victor are swept up in the investigation. Set against the vivid backdrop of Hackensack, NJ, this literary novel will satisfy teens looking for a quirky read. However, sometimes the quirk goes into overdrive and the details overwhelm the plot, which can feel thin in comparison. The KOA are a motley crew, and each member is fairly well drawn, with the exception of one African character, who communicates solely through finger snaps, which is a troubling detail. The writing is lush and lovely, but those seeking a fast-paced or compelling plot should look elsewhere. VERDICT An additional purchase for YA library collections.—Erinn Black Salge, Saint Peter's Prep, Jersey City, NJ --Erinn Black Salge (Reviewed 07/01/2016) (School Library Journal, vol 62, issue 7, p78)]]> 2018-10-30 12:20:26 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298442678 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298443308 I feel as if the review describes the book very well without getting into the nitty-gritty details and plot line. However, i do think that the reviewer missed a crucial part of the plot. The part that describes the lives the characters once lived. The hatred, murder and violence seen by two of the characters, Nzuzi and Baz. They are refugees from the Republic of Congo, located in Africa.  Due to the trauma Baz and Nzuzi faced, Baz was forced to create the "Kids of Appetite" gang or "KOA" as their wristbands read. Once Baz is under fire for murder, the group falls apart at the seams. Displacement, Jail time and broken promises are some of the consequences the gang faces. Although the author used a plentiful amount of profanity, it adds to the emotions the characters faced and the reader soon learns to overlook that fatal flaw.]]> 2018-10-30 12:21:43 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298443308 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298443701 "I'd grown used to being forgotten, which made moments like this-Moments of remembering-all the more difficult" (Arnold 230).]]> 2018-10-30 12:22:30 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298443701 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298451997 2018-10-30 12:38:46 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298451997 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298452399 I feel as if the quote i picked describes the book very well. It shows the trauma that Bruno Victor Benucci III or "Vic" faced after his father passed away and his mother was so overcome by sorrow, he became to be forgotten. Except for every now and then, "those occasional Thursday nights when she was my old mom again (Arnold 311)." I feel as if the quote also explains how once Vic joined the KOA, things started looking up. Especially since his home life was changing for the worse. Once his life at home changed, he became more involved in doing things with his newfound friends, even though they barely knew what he went through. ]]> 2018-10-30 12:39:34 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298452399 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298456833 I feel as if the image i selected as a reference to the strong symbolic bond shared between the characters was a good choice. It explains the strong bond the characters share together in as simple of a reference as a picture. It also explains how people that were once so far apart can become so close. A good example of this close relationship is Vic and Mad's newfound relationship, that may become a relationship more than that of which people who describe themselves as "just friends" share. It also describes how everything the KOA does is somewhat associated with something else they do. Finally, it shows one of the major underlying themes in this book, which is Friendship. Friendship is very obvious to the reader as an underlying theme because it shows how friends always stick together, no matter what. This quote "Right. or however many corners there are. You can't leave, Vic. Not yet"(Arnold 305). I feel as if this quote said by one of the secondary characters, Madeline Falco, really reinforces the theme of how friends always stick together.]]> 2018-10-30 12:48:10 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/298456833 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/299310023 I chose character v. society conflict for the main literary element because of how it can easily be related to all the characters. For example, The entire "KOA" gang shares this conflict as a whole, when the gang leader is convicted of murder, pretty early on. this ends up putting the entire gang in jeopardy because of their leaders' reputation. It can also be related to Vic, the main character, because of the many problems he has faced since his father died of cancer, and since he has a rare condition that makes him unable to blink or close his lips. It also can be related to Madeline Falco, because she also lives a troubled life. Both her parents died when she was very young, forcing her to live with her Grandma "Jamma" as she is called, and her Uncle Les. ]]> 2018-11-01 12:01:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/299310023 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/299315219 2018-11-01 12:16:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/299315219 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/299315820 I feel as if something so simple as a picture of deer antlers explains a lot about the plot. It starts with the part where Uncle Les, Jamma and Mad get in a fight. Eventually, things spiral out of control and things end up bad for Uncle Les. The irony in this is actually pretty ironic. He ends up getting impaled by the antlers of the first deer he hunted. He ends up dying later on, and it doesn't end up affecting Mad, because she has lost her parents. ]]> 2018-11-01 12:17:48 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/299315820 ste11233 https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/299319629 I feel as if there is another strong literary element present throughout the entire book. That is flashbacks. I feel that flashbacks occur throughout most of the book, starting with the fact that Vic dwells on his father, all the good and bad associated with him, and how he wishes he could turn back time in some way. Another example of a flashback occuring is when Baz remembers the trauma he faced back in The Republic Of The Congo. When he witnessed his mother die, when he witnessed mass genocide, and he witnessed the death of his parents.]]> 2018-11-01 12:26:38 UTC https://padlet.com/ste11233/KOA_DavidArnold/wish/299319629