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Kadence Sharp

Sutton Stevens

English IV

7 October 2019

1st Quarter Reading Response

Summary: At the beginning of their sophomore year, Marisa and her best friend Sterling

make a pact to make the school year their best yet. Of course, this includes having a dreamy, first

boyfriend to share highschool memories with. Marisa, up to this point, has been crushing on an

attractive, volleyball player named Derek, but despite all of her attempts to gain his attention, she

has gotten no more than a smile in return. On the other hand, Marisa really seems to click with

Nash, the geeky kid who is her chemistry lab partner. They are together multiple times

throughout the week, working on projects or homework, and are always talking and teasing each

other. Regardless, Marisa believes that he is undateable and not her “type”, and the ease between

them is not enough reason for her to consider him boyfriend material. There is one more

potential guy for Marisa though. This mystery boy make podcasts about their highschool, and

Marisa feels a connection to his words. As a result, Marisa begins to wonder if the guy for her is

actually the one making these recordings, and wants to figure out who he really is so she can

potentially pursue him.

Quote: Marisa is at Nash’s house working on a chemistry lab report, when she notices a

small spider plant hanging in his bedroom window. She gets a friendly feeling from the plant, but

then begins to question herself for feeling something towards an inanimate object. She, as a
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result, become “convinced that [she is] the only person who notices these things”, and is why she

is still single up until this point (page 25). This idea, of believing that she is fundamentally

different than others around her is key because it explains her struggle to find someone she truly

connects with. So when the anonymous DJ comes into the picture, and starts to talk about things

that she had been thinking herself, it makes sense that she begins developing feelings for the one

boy who “understands” her.

Responding As A Human Being: I think that this book relates to a lot of high school girls,

including myself sometimes, who believe that having a cute boyfriend adds to the overall high

school experience. It is so easy to attach your worth to how others view you, instead of being

satisfied in who you really are. So far, I mainly associate with the characters desire to make their

high school experience great. Up until this point, I haven’t felt like I’ve done a lot in terms of

experiences and that includes having my first boyfriend, which I always thought would be before

I graduate, so I understand the feeling of needing to rush into a relationship. Out of what I’ve

read in the book so far, I’ve really liked the idea that there could be someone out there who

understands who you truly are (such as the anonymous DJ shares Marisa’s viewpoints), and

there is no reason to settle for anyone that you do feel any sort of connection with. On the other

hand, I can’t stand that the book portrays Nash, a kid that would be a good match for Marisa, has

been disregarded just because he is geeky and maybe not the most attractive guy in the story. I

wish more people were open to date based on personality than on looks, because that would

create better, longer-lasting relationships.