My sister lives on the mantel piece was a fun to read because it was intense and I loved intense books. It was intense because Jamie's sister died in a terrorist attack and Jamie's dad's life is practically ruined.
While I was reading this book, I couldn't help but notice the author's craft. Since the main character is in fifth grade, Annabel Pitcher succeeded at making him sound like a child. I noticed how the author made him sound imaginative and innocent like a fifth grader usually is.
Out of all of the people in this book the person who bothered me the most was the dad. He doesn't care enough about his children to even bother making them dinner but he does have the right to control their friends and boyfriends. The face that both Jamie and Jas were hiding relationships from their dad because they were scared of him says a lot. The way he stereotyped people bothered me a lot too. He immediately thought Jas's boyfriend was gay because of the way he looked with dyed hair and piercings. He also came to the conclusion that all muslims were terrorists which isn't really an okay thing to do. You can't really say something like that about an entire religion. Overall Jas and Jamie's dad just really bothered me even at the end I didn't like him.
I completely agree. It greatly annoyed my that his opinions were ignorant and politically incorrect. I did predict him eventually exploding over Sunya and her family, but I sure didn't want it to happen.
I am glad the father caused you both to have a strong reaction. I didn't like the dad, but he was very realistically portrayed (in my opinion). A lot of adults stereotype and cast judgements on entire groups, but especially if they had a child die at the hands of a terrorist attack. A lot of parents get consumed by their own problems and cannot take care of their kids the way they need it, but particularly if they are so filled with grief and sorrow that they can no longer function. The father might have been a better person in a different situation, BUT the story shows so realistically how adults might react under the worst of circumstances. People are not perfect, and this character is such a prime example of this truth. I think that was the point, for the readers to see that the children in the story were more understanding and accepting of one another than the adults.
Out of all of the people in this book the person who bothered me the most was the dad. He doesn't care enough about his children to even bother making them dinner but he does have the right to control their friends and boyfriends. The face that both Jamie and Jas were hiding relationships from their dad because they were scared of him says a lot. The way he stereotyped people bothered me a lot too. He immediately thought Jas's boyfriend was gay because of the way he looked with dyed hair and piercings. He also came to the conclusion that all muslims were terrorists which isn't really an okay thing to do. You can't really say something like that about an entire religion. Overall Jas and Jamie's dad just really bothered me even at the end I didn't like him.
I agree with Mia that the dad in the story was not a nice person. He tore his family apart instead of trying to work things out with his wife. The dad also had a thing against muslims because terrorists killed Rose and he yelled at Sunya and her mom who were innocent people and would never hurt anyone. Also in the begging of the book it seems that he cares more about Rose then his two alive children. He feeds Rose's urn food instead of feeding them. In the end I thought he became a better person but that did not make up for all of the bad things he did.
The part that was the most moving for me was when Roger died. James (or Jamie) finally understood what loss was, and how his dad felt when Rose died on that day. He felt sadness, he cried while holding his dead cat. He went back to his house and held Roger longer. His dad came out and and comforted him, while he was holding the urn. They gave Roger a proper burial and said their goodbyes. Jamie finally understood.
Charlotte I completely agree with you. The scene when Roger the cat dies Jamie is very devastated. Jamie loved Roger just like his dad felt about Rose. He never understood how his dad felt about Rose till he lost Roger. I also agree that way they said their goodbyes was the best for both Jamie and the father to let go their feelings.
I agree with this post because it was the most touching part of the book, when Roger died everyone in the family opened up and they both comforted each other by burying Roger and Jamie's dad spreading the ashes. Both of these things were very hard, it was hard for Jamie to bury Roger and it was super hard for Jamie's dad to spread Rose's ashes since her death.
I also agree with this post because, you could really feel that emotion in that scene of the book. I for one got very emotional when Roger died because I love animals. But I could finally understand why Jamie's Dad felt the way he did about Rose when she passed. Jamie I think was more sad about Roger than Rose. But when Jamie's dad finally decided to finally get rid of Rose's ashes I knew that he had moved on. I think Jamie's dad knew that connection Jamie and Roger had and he finally realized that since Jamie was burring Roger, he needed to move on too.
One of my favorite parts of the book was when Jamie's dad exploded about his friend, because she was a muslim and the dad hates muslims, because they killed one of this daughters. The reason I picked this part because I could feel how Jamie was feeling when his dad got mad, it just was just a part that I liked.
This book was sad, touching and a cliff hanger. Throughout the book Jamie and his family were still trying to rebuild their lives and get up back on their feet, from the tragedy of the death of Rose their sister and their parents daughter. Jamie's parents are divorced because they spread apart when Rose died. Throughout the book it amazed me on how each person dealed with Rose's death, Jamie's mom needed to just start a new life, his dad could not seem to move on, he drinks a lot he moved his family out to a new place and it did not seem to help. He also keeps the ashes in the urn and will not spread them. Jas, Rose's twin sister she has changed her entire look , pink hair, black finger nails and she dresses in a ton of black. Jamie has not cried once since Rose's death and that was five years ago. All in all Jamie and his family had many ways of dealing with Rose's death.
One of my favorite parts of the book was when Jamie's dad exploded about his friend, because she was a muslim and the dad hates muslims, because they killed one of this daughters. The reason I picked this part because I could feel how Jamie was feeling when his dad got mad, it just was just a part that I liked.
I thought that the rebellious traits of his sister Jas was an interesting contribution to the story. I believe it accurately depicts how a teenage girl would react to such a situation, especially the fact that she barely eats. I think that the state of mind she's in, which is causing her not to eat, is most likely the result of an eating disorder caused by all the negativity she's around. I love the fact that this book sheds light on this common issue, because more and more teenagers are having this issue and nobody is really acknowledging it.
Alcoholism changed Jamie's at home life forever. It created a wall between him and his father because for most of Jamie's young life he couldn't rely on his father, Jamie was even scared of his father at one point. Even though he stopped drinking in the end, Jamie still only had a sister as a parent figure for most of his young life. This affected him because once Jazz grew up and started going out more and fell in love, Jamie was left alone at home and school and had a cat at his best friend. Jamie needed guidance at certain times and no one was there to comfort him. Overall, Jamie never really achieved anything in the book and I believe he could have if his parents where there supporting him 100%.
As I was reading this book I kept seeing a particular theme popping up over and over again. This theme were sadness and grief. During this book there were very different emotions at different parts. For example Jamie felt very sad when he realized that his friend that he had made was a muslim and that he was dissobeying his dad and his sister. This was very big in the book because Rose died because of muslims and Jamie did not want his father finding out because he didn't know what he would do to him. Another big scene when grief and sadness was part of it was when poor Roger died. I felt that this was sad because other then Sunya.
Death and loss are very big themes in this book. Jamie's family suffered a very big loss when bombers blew up a park that Rose, Jamie's sister, was in. Rose was very young when she died, and after this event, it split Jamie's family apart. Another example of death and loss in the book happened when poor Roger, Rose's old cat, inherited by Jamie, died. Roger got hit by a car. Roger was very special to Jamie, because besides Jas, Roger was his only loving friend at home. Roger's death, although tragic, helped Jamie's dad accept Rose's passing as he was comforting Jamie. He explained that sad night, "Whatever was there has disappeared." Meaning for it to be directed to Roger, but it also was directed to Rose's ashes. The final example of death and loss in this book can be found when we think of Jamie's mom. When his mom left his family forever, she pretty much was dead in their eyes. Not in a bad way, just that she left them behind and was never seen for a long time, until the talent show. She even forgot Jamie's birthday, so Jas had to send a present that was from her, but it posed as a gift from "Mom". There were many examples of death and loss in this sad book, making them two major and important themes.
Jamie's dad was clearly upset that Rose was killed because of muslims but I think he should've paid more attention to Jamie and Jas. I feel like if he paid more attention to Jas then she could have been different and not ended up how she was. Jamie's dad didn't have the right to yell at her for how she looked and acted and who she dated because he practically ignored her and Jamie. Jamie's dad also didn't have the right to flip out on Jamie's friend and her mom because like Jas, he ignored Jamie and didn't really care what he did.
In My sister lives on the mantle piece theres a little boy named Jamie and twin sisters named Rose and Jas, sadly Rose died. Now the mother to all of these children I thought was a very nice person that cared for her children and loved them. But clearly she doesn't. They father is a alcoholic who is sad about his daughter dying from a bomb. He is super rood and when reading this book, I thought he was going to kill his children any second. Anyway about the mom, she left her children and husband for a person name Nigle, so she could run away from dangerous husband. But she left her kids with him. The father is so mean that when Jas told him that she had a boyfriends he left her on the side of the high way. Also when Jas and Jamie finally thought of a good idea to run away to Britains got talent and have Jas preform and sing. When they saw there mom there she ack like it was no big deal, like oh no I don't care that my kids that I haven't seen it years that I left with a scary man are here, like no big deal. Right after I read that scene I knew that the mom was a horrible person. But that is just my opinion.
In My sister lives on the mantle piece theres a little boy named Jamie and twin sisters named Rose and Jas, sadly Rose died. Now the mother to all of these children I thought was a very nice person that cared for her children and loved them. But clearly she doesn't. They father is a alcoholic who is sad about his daughter dying from a bomb. He is super rood and when reading this book, I thought he was going to kill his children any second. Anyway about the mom, she left her children and husband for a person name Nigle, so she could run away from dangerous husband. But she left her kids with him. The father is so mean that when Jas told him that she had a boyfriends he left her on the side of the high way. Also when Jas and Jamie finally thought of a good idea to run away to Britains got talent and have Jas preform and sing. When they saw there mom there she ack like it was no big deal, like oh no I don't care that my kids that I haven't seen it years that I left with a scary man are here, like no big deal. Right after I read that scene I knew that the mom was a horrible person. But that is just my opinion.
I really adored the book My sister lives on the mantelpiece due to how it wasn't slow moving, and the storyline. There was much drama through out the book, from the alcoholic father, to the dead sister, and the mom basically abandoning Jas and Jamie. I liked how the father was depicted, how he was an alcoholic, divorced, fed up parent. It added a lot of character to the book, because if the father was a caring, loving father who whole heartedly only cared about his child's feelings, then the book wouldn't be so dramatic and edgy. I also liked how Sunya had Jamie over, and it explained how Sunya's house/parents weren't as different as Jamie's house, and that her parents were normal, happy. Many people actually have islamophobia so this book, in my opinion, sort of tells those reading with islamophobia that there's really no reason to dislike all islam people, muslims, because not all of them are responsible for terrorists acts, and most of them are just like you, and your family. I really enjoyed reading this book and hope I can read something like it in the future. The themes in the book were strong and I, someone who does not read for fun, loved reading this book.
I found My Sister lives on the mantlepiece to be very boring at times. Although, I loved the concept of it. I loved reading about how each character changed and progressed into great people. Jamie's father was horrible most of the time but, when he actually went out of his way to make dinner for Jas and Jamie really made me happy. I loved the twist ending. In the middle of the book, I found it slow moving but at the end, I couldn't put it down. Overall, I did like the book.
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a sad book. It features grief, loss, pain, and fear. I did enjoy this book though. In many books I read, there isn't a lot of eating disorders, which Jas had, or parents with alcohol problems that neglect their kids. I found it horrible that someone could have a life like this, even in a story. The worst part was when I started to think about real life. I realized that real people, real children go through these things, and worse. Kids parents can have fathers that ignore them, and have alcohol problems. Kids have mothers that say they're going to come back, give their kids hope for a happy life again, then never do. They have to pretend to feel something when they don't just so they don't get judged, or people think that they need help. In real life, parents don't approve of friends because of something that they can't control. Real people change everything about themselves, because of something terrible in their past. They don't eat, or are addicted to checking calories and grams of sugar in everything that they eat. I think that knowing all of these things, and thinking them throughout the book made everything mean more. It made it easier for me to connect to Jamie, Jas, and the other characters in the book. I also liked how Jamie went against his father's beliefs, that all muslims were bad, and became friends with Sunya. He stood up for himself in a way, and managed to look past the color of someones skin tone
In My Sister Lives on the Mantle Piece by Annabelle pitcher a boy named Jaime goes through some very difficult times through out the book. Jaime has too adapt to many things like having his sister changing her hair/ getting a boyfriend, having his dad and mom divorced, even having his dad being an Alcoholic. The hardest especially for Jaime to go through would have to be his cat dying. I feel bad for Jaime personally because the only person that was there for him the whole entire book was his sister. Jaime is not your average character in a book. He brings out a ton of emotion and is a sweet and a very intelligent kid. What I fined happy in this book is that he gets along with his sister very well. Many kids don't get along with their siblings and its very heartbroken to see. In many cases this book was overall an outstanding and admirable story.
Before Rose died and before Jamie's mom left his dad, they were a picture perfect family. They had the perfect house, the perfect loving family, and the perfect holidays. But then Rose died, and everything went downhill. Jamie's mom fell in love with another man, and his dad started drinking once she left. When they moved away, Jamie was sad about his mom leaving, but excited about getting a new home. As the story progressed, Jamie made a friend, a muslim named Sonya, but his dad hated muslims because they killed Rose, so he couldn't let his dad know about his friendship. This made me feel very depressed because, everyone should have the right to choose their own friends. Also, since he wore the same shirt to school every day, people started to tease him, this was not kind. But things eventually changed for the better. Jaz got a boyfriend, and they were starting to fit in, until Jamie’s dad figured out that he was hanging out with a muslim. He came into the school and threw a fit about it, he was extremely rude and he talked to Sonya and her mother as though they were pieces of trash. This whole event made Sonya very angry at Jamie and his dad, so that also caused Jamie to lose his only true friend. All in all, this whole story about loss, regret, and child neglectment shows that nobody deserves to be treated like they are just because of their race, their family, or their money.
In My Sister lives on the mantlepiece I think that both Roger and Rose are the authors symbol of the past. Roger is Jamies old life just as Rose's death hung over Jamies father for the longest time. Since Jamie had Roger and his Dad had Rode's remains they didn't really need to always be there for each other. Jamie uses Roger as as shield and conveys his feelings only to him. Ever since Rose's death only her urn learns how he Jamies Dad really sees the world. As soon as Roger dies Jamie needs Sunya and his Dad more than ever to share his feelings. Roger was Rose's cat and when he dies a little more of her does as well. To help Jamie move on to the future his Dad sprinkles Rose's ashes where Roger is buried. Once They have buried there loved ones there is a future for them tom look for. They both understand the pain the others going through but they are willing to put themselves aside to help each other. As a result of this they both begin to let there past desolve and look for the future together. They share there feelings and are ready to move on to a new life putting the past behind them.
In My Sister lives on the mantlepiece I think that both Roger and Rose are the authors symbol of the past. Roger is Jamies old life just as Rose's death hung over Jamies father for the longest time. Since Jamie had Roger and his Dad had Rode's remains they didn't really need to always be there for each other. Jamie uses Roger as as shield and conveys his feelings only to him. Ever since Rose's death only her urn learns how he Jamies Dad really sees the world. As soon as Roger dies Jamie needs Sunya and his Dad more than ever to share his feelings. Roger was Rose's cat and when he dies a little more of her does as well. To help Jamie move on to the future his Dad sprinkles Rose's ashes where Roger is buried. Once They have buried there loved ones there is a future for them tom look for. They both understand the pain the others going through but they are willing to put themselves aside to help each other. As a result of this they both begin to let there past desolve and look for the future together. They share there feelings and are ready to move on to a new life putting the past behind them.
In My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher, Jamie's family goes through many tough events that they must learn to get through. First, Jamie's older sister, Rose, was killed in a terrorist attack in London. Jamie was very young when this event took place, so he didn't remember Rose very well. However, he still claims that he doesn't love her. After Rose's passing, Jamie is left with his mother, father, and his sister, Rose's twin, Jas. Years later, on Jas and Rose's birthday, their dad finds out that their mom is having an affair with a man she met at a support group. This leads to her leaving the family. Near the end of the novel, Roger, the cat that belonged to Jaimie's late sister, gets hit by a car and passes away. After his mother left them, Roger was Jamie's only "friend" in the family (other than Jas). This is because their father is an alcoholic. Even so, when Jamie's dad sees just how crushed Jamie is when his cat dies, he realizes that maybe it's time to move on. He realizes that he can't spend the rest of his life dwelling on the past, even if it involves losing someone he loves. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece because, even though it was sad at times, it showed that no matter what you go through, you can always get back on your feet and keep moving forward.
I agree with basically everyone that the dad was not a nice person. I mean yes, getting your daughter blown up by muslims would cloud your vision, but many, many years later he should have learned by now that not all muslims are bad, just a select few terrorists. I liked this book's plot, but the italics for quotation while someone was speaking really threw me off. I kept thinking that Jamie was thinking that, because in most books, italics mean a thought. I really liked that Jamie and Jasmine actually tried out and got on the big talent show, because I think that it was their message to their mom and dad to say that we really want to be loved and taken care of us, please don't just dismiss us as "the other kids who were left after rose blew up", and I think it's sad that their mum just showed up, said 'hello', and left. They thought (jamie and jasmine) that the reason they signed up for the talent show was to get their parents to meet again and get back together, but I think it was just a message from them trying to tell their parents that their parenting was terrible. I liked this book a little. It was OK.
In this book, one of the themes was family. If the theme of the book is family, it doesn't mean that the family is perfect, it just means that there was a lot of focus on family. I know how everyone is saying that they hate Jamie and Jasmine's dad the most, but honestly, at least by the end he's trying to be a better dad. Their mom however just doesn't seem to care. She completely deserted her two children with their emotionally unstable dad, forgot her son's birthday, and when she finally got to see her kids after a huge talent competition, she barely said hello. She just doesn't care. Jasmine is the most supportive and loving sister though. She is like a mother, sister, and friend all at once. Jamie, only being ten, doesn't really know what a true, mental and emotionally stable family is, so Jasmine tries to make it as regular as possible for him. Another big part of their family was Roger. Even though he was only a cat, he provides Jamie with the support and consistency that he desperately needed. Roger was always there, no matter how bad things got. That's what family is. Not just who you're blood related to, but who you can depend on.
Throughout the book Jamie battles with wanting to talk to Sunya and then not saying anything. I got really frustrated with this and made me keep reading and reading. This gets reinforced when his teacher says that in order to go to heaven there are certain rules. The 4th rule caught Jamie’s attention. One shall not disrespect their parents. For the next couple of chapters Jamie doesn’t talk to Sunya no matter how much she tries to get a conversation going. Eventually Sunya gives up and Jamie starts to feel more sad than he already does. He’s sad that Jas is never home because she’s with her boyfriend. He’s sad that his dad is constantly wasted. But most of all, Jamie is sad because he doesn’t have his mum. He really really liked Sunya. So he starts trying to get conversations started but Sunya completely ignores him. When they started to talk again I felt so happy and was really glad.
Throughout My Sister Lives on The Mantelpiece, I feel like the author made a daring move creating a story using, as some may say, controversial and devastating topics. For example, alcoholism, anorexia, neglect, terrorism, and of course the whole "Muslims are bad" theme. Too many people avoid these common disorders for fear of offending the readers and audience and yet in this book Annabelle Pitcher just goes for it and I think this makes the book so much better in my opinion. I find that in books authors tend to avoid some of the most common things in our lives in order to make sure everyone can read it which is kind of discomforting to people struggling with these disorders because its saying that your illness is something we can not write about in fear of offending readers. Which in turn is offending those struggling. So overall I find it very admirable that Annabelle Pitcher decide to write about this.
In this book My Sister lives on the Mantelpiece I thought is was not only a great book but it was also a very deep one. In the book Jamie goes through a lot of intense moments. After the passing of Rose Jamie's parents get divorced and they move to a new place .Roger Roses cat is all Jamie has and when he dies Jamie changes completely . I feel like for Jamie, roger is equal to how important Rose was to Jamie's father . It was very hart breaking for him to die and made a impact on Jamie's life but it also opened up new doors to other opportunities.
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ReplyDeleteMy sister lives on the mantel piece was a fun to read because it was intense and I loved intense books. It was intense because Jamie's sister died in a terrorist attack and Jamie's dad's life is practically ruined.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was reading this book, I couldn't help but notice the author's craft. Since the main character is in fifth grade, Annabel Pitcher succeeded at making him sound like a child. I noticed how the author made him sound imaginative and innocent like a fifth grader usually is.
ReplyDeleteOut of all of the people in this book the person who bothered me the most was the dad. He doesn't care enough about his children to even bother making them dinner but he does have the right to control their friends and boyfriends. The face that both Jamie and Jas were hiding relationships from their dad because they were scared of him says a lot. The way he stereotyped people bothered me a lot too. He immediately thought Jas's boyfriend was gay because of the way he looked with dyed hair and piercings. He also came to the conclusion that all muslims were terrorists which isn't really an okay thing to do. You can't really say something like that about an entire religion. Overall Jas and Jamie's dad just really bothered me even at the end I didn't like him.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. It greatly annoyed my that his opinions were ignorant and politically incorrect. I did predict him eventually exploding over Sunya and her family, but I sure didn't want it to happen.
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DeleteI am glad the father caused you both to have a strong reaction. I didn't like the dad, but he was very realistically portrayed (in my opinion). A lot of adults stereotype and cast judgements on entire groups, but especially if they had a child die at the hands of a terrorist attack. A lot of parents get consumed by their own problems and cannot take care of their kids the way they need it, but particularly if they are so filled with grief and sorrow that they can no longer function. The father might have been a better person in a different situation, BUT the story shows so realistically how adults might react under the worst of circumstances. People are not perfect, and this character is such a prime example of this truth. I think that was the point, for the readers to see that the children in the story were more understanding and accepting of one another than the adults.
DeleteOut of all of the people in this book the person who bothered me the most was the dad. He doesn't care enough about his children to even bother making them dinner but he does have the right to control their friends and boyfriends. The face that both Jamie and Jas were hiding relationships from their dad because they were scared of him says a lot. The way he stereotyped people bothered me a lot too. He immediately thought Jas's boyfriend was gay because of the way he looked with dyed hair and piercings. He also came to the conclusion that all muslims were terrorists which isn't really an okay thing to do. You can't really say something like that about an entire religion. Overall Jas and Jamie's dad just really bothered me even at the end I didn't like him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mia that the dad in the story was not a nice person. He tore his family apart instead of trying to work things out with his wife. The dad also had a thing against muslims because terrorists killed Rose and he yelled at Sunya and her mom who were innocent people and would never hurt anyone. Also in the begging of the book it seems that he cares more about Rose then his two alive children. He feeds Rose's urn food instead of feeding them. In the end I thought he became a better person but that did not make up for all of the bad things he did.
DeleteThe part that was the most moving for me was when Roger died. James (or Jamie) finally understood what loss was, and how his dad felt when Rose died on that day. He felt sadness, he cried while holding his dead cat. He went back to his house and held Roger longer. His dad came out and and comforted him, while he was holding the urn. They gave Roger a proper burial and said their goodbyes. Jamie finally understood.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte I completely agree with you. The scene when Roger the cat dies Jamie is very devastated. Jamie loved Roger just like his dad felt about Rose. He never understood how his dad felt about Rose till he lost Roger. I also agree that way they said their goodbyes was the best for both Jamie and the father to let go their feelings.
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DeleteI agree with this post because it was the most touching part of the book, when Roger died everyone in the family opened up and they both comforted each other by burying Roger and Jamie's dad spreading the ashes. Both of these things were very hard, it was hard for Jamie to bury Roger and it was super hard for Jamie's dad to spread Rose's ashes since her death.
DeleteI also agree with this post because, you could really feel that emotion in that scene of the book. I for one got very emotional when Roger died because I love animals. But I could finally understand why Jamie's Dad felt the way he did about Rose when she passed. Jamie I think was more sad about Roger than Rose. But when Jamie's dad finally decided to finally get rid of Rose's ashes I knew that he had moved on. I think Jamie's dad knew that connection Jamie and Roger had and he finally realized that since Jamie was burring Roger, he needed to move on too.
DeleteOne of my favorite parts of the book was when Jamie's dad exploded about his friend, because she was a muslim and the dad hates muslims, because they killed one of this daughters. The reason I picked this part because I could feel how Jamie was feeling when his dad got mad, it just was just a part that I liked.
ReplyDeleteThis book was sad, touching and a cliff hanger. Throughout the book Jamie and his family were still trying to rebuild their lives and get up back on their feet, from the tragedy of the death of Rose their sister and their parents daughter. Jamie's parents are divorced because they spread apart when Rose died. Throughout the book it amazed me on how each person dealed with Rose's death, Jamie's mom needed to just start a new life, his dad could not seem to move on, he drinks a lot he moved his family out to a new place and it did not seem to help. He also keeps the ashes in the urn and will not spread them. Jas, Rose's twin sister she has changed her entire look , pink hair, black finger nails and she dresses in a ton of black. Jamie has not cried once since Rose's death and that was five years ago. All in all Jamie and his family had many ways of dealing with Rose's death.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite parts of the book was when Jamie's dad exploded about his friend, because she was a muslim and the dad hates muslims, because they killed one of this daughters. The reason I picked this part because I could feel how Jamie was feeling when his dad got mad, it just was just a part that I liked.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the rebellious traits of his sister Jas was an interesting contribution to the story. I believe it accurately depicts how a teenage girl would react to such a situation, especially the fact that she barely eats. I think that the state of mind she's in, which is causing her not to eat, is most likely the result of an eating disorder caused by all the negativity she's around. I love the fact that this book sheds light on this common issue, because more and more teenagers are having this issue and nobody is really acknowledging it.
ReplyDeleteAlcoholism changed Jamie's at home life forever. It created a wall between him and his father because for most of Jamie's young life he couldn't rely on his father, Jamie was even scared of his father at one point. Even though he stopped drinking in the end, Jamie still only had a sister as a parent figure for most of his young life. This affected him because once Jazz grew up and started going out more and fell in love, Jamie was left alone at home and school and had a cat at his best friend. Jamie needed guidance at certain times and no one was there to comfort him. Overall, Jamie never really achieved anything in the book and I believe he could have if his parents where there supporting him 100%.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading this book I kept seeing a particular theme popping up over and over again. This theme were sadness and grief. During this book there were very different emotions at different parts. For example Jamie felt very sad when he realized that his friend that he had made was a muslim and that he was dissobeying his dad and his sister. This was very big in the book because Rose died because of muslims and Jamie did not want his father finding out because he didn't know what he would do to him. Another big scene when grief and sadness was part of it was when poor Roger died. I felt that this was sad because other then Sunya.
ReplyDeleteDeath and loss are very big themes in this book. Jamie's family suffered a very big loss when bombers blew up a park that Rose, Jamie's sister, was in. Rose was very young when she died, and after this event, it split Jamie's family apart. Another example of death and loss in the book happened when poor Roger, Rose's old cat, inherited by Jamie, died. Roger got hit by a car. Roger was very special to Jamie, because besides Jas, Roger was his only loving friend at home. Roger's death, although tragic, helped Jamie's dad accept Rose's passing as he was comforting Jamie. He explained that sad night, "Whatever was there has disappeared." Meaning for it to be directed to Roger, but it also was directed to Rose's ashes. The final example of death and loss in this book can be found when we think of Jamie's mom. When his mom left his family forever, she pretty much was dead in their eyes. Not in a bad way, just that she left them behind and was never seen for a long time, until the talent show. She even forgot Jamie's birthday, so Jas had to send a present that was from her, but it posed as a gift from "Mom". There were many examples of death and loss in this sad book, making them two major and important themes.
ReplyDeleteJamie's dad was clearly upset that Rose was killed because of muslims but I think he should've paid more attention to Jamie and Jas. I feel like if he paid more attention to Jas then she could have been different and not ended up how she was. Jamie's dad didn't have the right to yell at her for how she looked and acted and who she dated because he practically ignored her and Jamie. Jamie's dad also didn't have the right to flip out on Jamie's friend and her mom because like Jas, he ignored Jamie and didn't really care what he did.
ReplyDeleteIn My sister lives on the mantle piece theres a little boy named Jamie and twin sisters named Rose and Jas, sadly Rose died. Now the mother to all of these children I thought was a very nice person that cared for her children and loved them. But clearly she doesn't. They father is a alcoholic who is sad about his daughter dying from a bomb. He is super rood and when reading this book, I thought he was going to kill his children any second. Anyway about the mom, she left her children and husband for a person name Nigle, so she could run away from dangerous husband. But she left her kids with him. The father is so mean that when Jas told him that she had a boyfriends he left her on the side of the high way. Also when Jas and Jamie finally thought of a good idea to run away to Britains got talent and have Jas preform and sing. When they saw there mom there she ack like it was no big deal, like oh no I don't care that my kids that I haven't seen it years that I left with a scary man are here, like no big deal. Right after I read that scene I knew that the mom was a horrible person. But that is just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn My sister lives on the mantle piece theres a little boy named Jamie and twin sisters named Rose and Jas, sadly Rose died. Now the mother to all of these children I thought was a very nice person that cared for her children and loved them. But clearly she doesn't. They father is a alcoholic who is sad about his daughter dying from a bomb. He is super rood and when reading this book, I thought he was going to kill his children any second. Anyway about the mom, she left her children and husband for a person name Nigle, so she could run away from dangerous husband. But she left her kids with him. The father is so mean that when Jas told him that she had a boyfriends he left her on the side of the high way. Also when Jas and Jamie finally thought of a good idea to run away to Britains got talent and have Jas preform and sing. When they saw there mom there she ack like it was no big deal, like oh no I don't care that my kids that I haven't seen it years that I left with a scary man are here, like no big deal. Right after I read that scene I knew that the mom was a horrible person. But that is just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI really adored the book My sister lives on the mantelpiece due to how it wasn't slow moving, and the storyline. There was much drama through out the book, from the alcoholic father, to the dead sister, and the mom basically abandoning Jas and Jamie. I liked how the father was depicted, how he was an alcoholic, divorced, fed up parent. It added a lot of character to the book, because if the father was a caring, loving father who whole heartedly only cared about his child's feelings, then the book wouldn't be so dramatic and edgy. I also liked how Sunya had Jamie over, and it explained how Sunya's house/parents weren't as different as Jamie's house, and that her parents were normal, happy. Many people actually have islamophobia so this book, in my opinion, sort of tells those reading with islamophobia that there's really no reason to dislike all islam people, muslims, because not all of them are responsible for terrorists acts, and most of them are just like you, and your family. I really enjoyed reading this book and hope I can read something like it in the future. The themes in the book were strong and I, someone who does not read for fun, loved reading this book.
ReplyDeleteI found My Sister lives on the mantlepiece to be very boring at times. Although, I loved the concept of it. I loved reading about how each character changed and progressed into great people. Jamie's father was horrible most of the time but, when he actually went out of his way to make dinner for Jas and Jamie really made me happy. I loved the twist ending. In the middle of the book, I found it slow moving but at the end, I couldn't put it down. Overall, I did like the book.
ReplyDeleteMy Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a sad book. It features grief, loss, pain, and fear. I did enjoy this book though. In many books I read, there isn't a lot of eating disorders, which Jas had, or parents with alcohol problems that neglect their kids. I found it horrible that someone could have a life like this, even in a story. The worst part was when I started to think about real life. I realized that real people, real children go through these things, and worse. Kids parents can have fathers that ignore them, and have alcohol problems. Kids have mothers that say they're going to come back, give their kids hope for a happy life again, then never do. They have to pretend to feel something when they don't just so they don't get judged, or people think that they need help. In real life, parents don't approve of friends because of something that they can't control. Real people change everything about themselves, because of something terrible in their past. They don't eat, or are addicted to checking calories and grams of sugar in everything that they eat. I think that knowing all of these things, and thinking them throughout the book made everything mean more. It made it easier for me to connect to Jamie, Jas, and the other characters in the book. I also liked how Jamie went against his father's beliefs, that all muslims were bad, and became friends with Sunya. He stood up for himself in a way, and managed to look past the color of someones skin tone
ReplyDeleteIn My Sister Lives on the Mantle Piece by Annabelle pitcher a boy named Jaime goes through some very difficult times through out the book. Jaime has too adapt to many things like having his sister changing her hair/ getting a boyfriend, having his dad and mom divorced, even having his dad being an Alcoholic. The hardest especially for Jaime to go through would have to be his cat dying. I feel bad for Jaime personally because the only person that was there for him the whole entire book was his sister. Jaime is not your average character in a book. He brings out a ton of emotion and is a sweet and a very intelligent kid. What I fined happy in this book is that he gets along with his sister very well. Many kids don't get along with their siblings and its very heartbroken to see. In many cases this book was overall an outstanding and admirable story.
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ReplyDeleteBefore Rose died and before Jamie's mom left his dad, they were a picture perfect family. They had the perfect house, the perfect loving family, and the perfect holidays. But then Rose died, and everything went downhill. Jamie's mom fell in love with another man, and his dad started drinking once she left. When they moved away, Jamie was sad about his mom leaving, but excited about getting a new home. As the story progressed, Jamie made a friend, a muslim named Sonya, but his dad hated muslims because they killed Rose, so he couldn't let his dad know about his friendship. This made me feel very depressed because, everyone should have the right to choose their own friends. Also, since he wore the same shirt to school every day, people started to tease him, this was not kind. But things eventually changed for the better. Jaz got a boyfriend, and they were starting to fit in, until Jamie’s dad figured out that he was hanging out with a muslim. He came into the school and threw a fit about it, he was extremely rude and he talked to Sonya and her mother as though they were pieces of trash. This whole event made Sonya very angry at Jamie and his dad, so that also caused Jamie to lose his only true friend. All in all, this whole story about loss, regret, and child neglectment shows that nobody deserves to be treated like they are just because of their race, their family, or their money.
In My Sister lives on the mantlepiece I think that both Roger and Rose are the authors symbol of the past. Roger is Jamies old life just as Rose's death hung over Jamies father for the longest time. Since Jamie had Roger and his Dad had Rode's remains they didn't really need to always be there for each other. Jamie uses Roger as as shield and conveys his feelings only to him. Ever since Rose's death only her urn learns how he Jamies Dad really sees the world. As soon as Roger dies Jamie needs Sunya and his Dad more than ever to share his feelings. Roger was Rose's cat and when he dies a little more of her does as well. To help Jamie move on to the future his Dad sprinkles Rose's ashes where Roger is buried. Once They have buried there loved ones there is a future for them tom look for. They both understand the pain the others going through but they are willing to put themselves aside to help each other. As a result of this they both begin to let there past desolve and look for the future together. They share there feelings and are ready to move on to a new life putting the past behind them.
ReplyDeleteIn My Sister lives on the mantlepiece I think that both Roger and Rose are the authors symbol of the past. Roger is Jamies old life just as Rose's death hung over Jamies father for the longest time. Since Jamie had Roger and his Dad had Rode's remains they didn't really need to always be there for each other. Jamie uses Roger as as shield and conveys his feelings only to him. Ever since Rose's death only her urn learns how he Jamies Dad really sees the world. As soon as Roger dies Jamie needs Sunya and his Dad more than ever to share his feelings. Roger was Rose's cat and when he dies a little more of her does as well. To help Jamie move on to the future his Dad sprinkles Rose's ashes where Roger is buried. Once They have buried there loved ones there is a future for them tom look for. They both understand the pain the others going through but they are willing to put themselves aside to help each other. As a result of this they both begin to let there past desolve and look for the future together. They share there feelings and are ready to move on to a new life putting the past behind them.
ReplyDeleteIn My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher, Jamie's family goes through many tough events that they must learn to get through. First, Jamie's older sister, Rose, was killed in a terrorist attack in London. Jamie was very young when this event took place, so he didn't remember Rose very well. However, he still claims that he doesn't love her. After Rose's passing, Jamie is left with his mother, father, and his sister, Rose's twin, Jas. Years later, on Jas and Rose's birthday, their dad finds out that their mom is having an affair with a man she met at a support group. This leads to her leaving the family. Near the end of the novel, Roger, the cat that belonged to Jaimie's late sister, gets hit by a car and passes away. After his mother left them, Roger was Jamie's only "friend" in the family (other than Jas). This is because their father is an alcoholic. Even so, when Jamie's dad sees just how crushed Jamie is when his cat dies, he realizes that maybe it's time to move on. He realizes that he can't spend the rest of his life dwelling on the past, even if it involves losing someone he loves. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece because, even though it was sad at times, it showed that no matter what you go through, you can always get back on your feet and keep moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI agree with basically everyone that the dad was not a nice person. I mean yes, getting your daughter blown up by muslims would cloud your vision, but many, many years later he should have learned by now that not all muslims are bad, just a select few terrorists. I liked this book's plot, but the italics for quotation while someone was speaking really threw me off. I kept thinking that Jamie was thinking that, because in most books, italics mean a thought. I really liked that Jamie and Jasmine actually tried out and got on the big talent show, because I think that it was their message to their mom and dad to say that we really want to be loved and taken care of us, please don't just dismiss us as "the other kids who were left after rose blew up", and I think it's sad that their mum just showed up, said 'hello', and left. They thought (jamie and jasmine) that the reason they signed up for the talent show was to get their parents to meet again and get back together, but I think it was just a message from them trying to tell their parents that their parenting was terrible. I liked this book a little. It was OK.
ReplyDeleteIn this book, one of the themes was family. If the theme of the book is family, it doesn't mean that the family is perfect, it just means that there was a lot of focus on family. I know how everyone is saying that they hate Jamie and Jasmine's dad the most, but honestly, at least by the end he's trying to be a better dad. Their mom however just doesn't seem to care. She completely deserted her two children with their emotionally unstable dad, forgot her son's birthday, and when she finally got to see her kids after a huge talent competition, she barely said hello. She just doesn't care. Jasmine is the most supportive and loving sister though. She is like a mother, sister, and friend all at once. Jamie, only being ten, doesn't really know what a true, mental and emotionally stable family is, so Jasmine tries to make it as regular as possible for him. Another big part of their family was Roger. Even though he was only a cat, he provides Jamie with the support and consistency that he desperately needed. Roger was always there, no matter how bad things got. That's what family is. Not just who you're blood related to, but who you can depend on.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book Jamie battles with wanting to talk to Sunya and then not saying anything. I got really frustrated with this and made me keep reading and reading. This gets reinforced when his teacher says that in order to go to heaven there are certain rules. The 4th rule caught Jamie’s attention. One shall not disrespect their parents. For the next couple of chapters Jamie doesn’t talk to Sunya no matter how much she tries to get a conversation going. Eventually Sunya gives up and Jamie starts to feel more sad than he already does. He’s sad that Jas is never home because she’s with her boyfriend. He’s sad that his dad is constantly wasted. But most of all, Jamie is sad because he doesn’t have his mum. He really really liked Sunya. So he starts trying to get conversations started but Sunya completely ignores him. When they started to talk again I felt so happy and was really glad.
ReplyDeleteThroughout My Sister Lives on The Mantelpiece, I feel like the author made a daring move creating a story using, as some may say, controversial and devastating topics. For example, alcoholism, anorexia, neglect, terrorism, and of course the whole "Muslims are bad" theme. Too many people avoid these common disorders for fear of offending the readers and audience and yet in this book Annabelle Pitcher just goes for it and I think this makes the book so much better in my opinion. I find that in books authors tend to avoid some of the most common things in our lives in order to make sure everyone can read it which is kind of discomforting to people struggling with these disorders because its saying that your illness is something we can not write about in fear of offending readers. Which in turn is offending those struggling. So overall I find it very admirable that Annabelle Pitcher decide to write about this.
ReplyDeleteIn this book My Sister lives on the Mantelpiece I thought is was not only a great book but it was also a very deep one. In the book Jamie goes through a lot of intense moments. After the passing of Rose Jamie's parents get divorced and they move to a new place .Roger Roses cat is all Jamie has and when he dies Jamie changes completely . I feel like for Jamie, roger is equal to how important Rose was to Jamie's father . It was very hart breaking for him to die and made a impact on Jamie's life but it also opened up new doors to other opportunities.
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