When+It+Happens

 

When It Happens
Theme: Love

Thematic Statement: "Some people look for love in all the wrong places" "Some people find love in all the wrong places"

Title: When It Happens

Author: Susan Colasanti

Setting: High School

Point of View: 1st point/ Alternating

Main Characters:

Sarah- A very smart, quite, girl that loves her work but isn't exactly a nerd. She loves to have a good time and party with her friends. When the school's most popular jock asks her out she's thrilled. But after dating him a while she doesn't know if he's right for her. Once she meets Tobey she really finds herself and loves being with him.

Tobey- Tobey is a rockin' crazy, high schooler that is set on not going to college. He is set out for Sara but doesn't understand her connection with Dave. Though there nothing alike Tobey wont stop at anything to get Sara, he knows he has to work harder at school and plan for college if he's going to get her. He also is hiding something from Sara she's dying to know, that just might mess up the relationship.

Dave- Dave is your typical jock, football player, that is looking for something in Sara and does things he normally wouldn't to get her. When he finally gets her he goes back to his old harsh ways and sends her packing. When he finds out she is leaving him for Tobey, he sets out to get Tobey.

Laila- Laila is one of Sara's best friends that is more focused on her studies then boys. Since she's not able to date she realized that she would worry about that in college and just have fun right now. When she helps Sara get Tobey she thinks it might have been the wrong decision because Sara only talks to him now. But that doesn't stop her from reading those books.

Central Conflict and relation to the theme: Sara and Dave finally got together and there loving every minute of it. But when Dave realizes that Sara is more worried about school and Sara realizes that she likes Tobey more than Dave there relationship is headed for disaster. Sara doesn't know how she is going to break up with Dave and is scared that it won't go good. After she does, Dave's plan to ruin Tobey isn't a good thing. This conflict is related to the theme because it's showing how love can create problems and leave you empty if you don't have the kind of love you want.

How was the theme developed? I feel the theme was developed mainly through Sara's point of view because she was the one who was confused about what she wanted. Tobey new he wanted Sara the whole time.The first theme was created while Sara was dating Dave. When the two would hang out with Dave's friends everything was awkward and wierd for Sara and about then was when she new she didnt want to be with Dave anymore. The second theme was developed when Sara was dating Tobey because Tobey wasn't a typical type of person Sara would hang around but it turned out that it was exactly who Sara needed to be around.

If this was a newly selected author, would you read another story by him/her? Yes!, I feel that Susan Colasanti really got to the core of a teenager in this book. It was described exactly how a teenager would describe it and made alot of other author's look like they didn't reach the point. I really hope she makes a sequel to this book and more.

Which was your favorite? I think that all three of the books could be put in different catagories of love so im not really sure whick would be my favorite. Home Page