Explain the significance of the title.

The title I believe could be explained in many different ways. From what I have read is that the main character, Tim plays baseball in a small town high school and has just gotten done graduation. He plays baseball, that is what the title meant to me when I first started reading. The title catch, I believe stands for meeting a girl and it is someone that is not like other women, meaning that she is a catch. That is what I think the title is and why it is so significant to the text. The author sets you up by telling you he plays baseball and has a high possibility to go to the University of Illinois to play and get a good education, or he could go to Lakeview Community College and just settle and stay near his high school and home town. This is a hard decision for him because he is not sure what he wants to do. He has a high school friend that he has been friends with until high school. She and him have grown apart and she is all goody good and he is a partier and a typical high school boy. I believe that he has a crush on her and will end up being with each other in love. This would also be a catch because his mother has always wanted Timmy to date her and eventually marry her. So in a sense this would also be a sort of catch for the title as well. The title can stand for many different things, but for right now I think is that he is going to meet a perfect girl for him and it will be a catch for him.

What strategies does the author use to make the point?

After reading the back of the book, "Catch", I believe that this book will be very interesting. It is about a small town hero in Mattoon, Illinois. He is all about working, hanging out with his friends on the nights and weekends and he loves to chase girls. This sounds a lot like a small town kid. Since I live in a small town as well I can relate to what he is trying to explain. I think that this book will have a lot of tension and suspense. I could already see it having a twist in the book as well. I can relate to all of this teenage boy's life. I live in Mackinaw, another super small town, where everybody knows everybody. There has been one hometown hero that I went to school with and he (Doug Small) hit a game winning, three quarter court shot for the Regional Championship against the number five team in the state of Illinois. He went to Elmhurst College and ended up being a point guard for them. He is in his sophomore year now and is a starter. This small town kid, Tim resembles a lot of Doug. This is because Doug was always chasing girls and then he goes onto college and he meets an older girl that is a senior there this year. He has been dating her for awhile and is still doing well in his studies and starting on the basketball team. I think that Tim will end up doing what Doug did, and go to college and get away from the small town of Mattoon.

What strategies does the author use to make her point?

In this text the author really stresses the points of the novel where Valerie is in trouble or is having a hard time. Like throughout the time in the hospital where everyone was against her and it seemed like all Valerie had was herself. She didn't have the guy that was always there for her or the only guy that could make her happy. Her life seemed to revolve around Nick and whithout him she was lost. Sitting in the hospital getting grilled with questions and just waking up from the anesthesia, it was hard for her to come to and remember all that happened earlier. Her parents didn't belive her, she lost her friends that she had, and even her brother who seemed to care and tried to be on her side eventually left and she was all alone. Valerie shut everyone off from her life until Jessica Campbell came into her life. Valerie was having a hard time understanding that Jessica was for real about trying to be her friend. She needed someone to be on her side and wanted to believe Jessica was but she couldn't completely. Finally she caved in and decided to give her a chance and became friends with her and went to a party with her. Her older brother criticized her, threatened her and terrorized her. She was scared for her life and just left and didn't want anyone in her life but herself. She couldn't believe anyone but herself. She was having a hard time letting go and finally did after visiting Nick's grave. She moved on and continued on with her life.

Why did I like/dislike the text?

I like the text a lot this time reading. It was very interesting but still to the point. Valerie I think is handling this whole situation very well. I would be kind of nervous to accept a friend right away too, especially if they were my enemy. I think it is real gutsy for her just to go and trust her enemy and be okay with it. I give her props for being a courageous student. If I was in her position I would go back, there is no doubt about it, but it would be hard to just make friends that quick. I just hated the part of the text of how her dad had been having an affair with his secretary without telling anyone. You would think he would be a little more classy when the shooting went on to not continue the affair. Even though that might be the love of his life, he should have told somebody and should have told the whole family instead of keeping it inside and hurting others later on. The shooting was enough to tear apart her mom, let alone another part of her life missing as her husband and the father of her two kids bailing on them to be with some secretary. Valerie is still trying to move on from the school shooting and that's hard. Valerie's mom is trying to keep and eye on her and help her through all of her problems. I guess looking at that whole situation, Valerie's dad really hasn't been there for her at all. When you read the only time he is really there for her is when she was in the hospital. Other than that he is often supposed to be interpreted in the text at work. He is never home, and when he is home he and his wife fight all the time. It just is not a very good situation for that family. I think that would be hard for anyone go through, left alone 2 teenage kids.