How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes are Untied - FICTION
Ana didn't ask to be named after an anaconda. She didn't ask for zoologist parents who look like safari guides. And she definitely didn't ask for a twin brother whose life goal seems to be terrorizing her with his pet reptiles. Now, to make matters worse, her parents have decided to move the whole family INTO the zoo! All of which gives the Sneerers (the clan of carnivorous female predators in her class) more ammunition to make her life miserable-and squash any hope of class tennis stud, Zack, falling in love with her. Ana tries to channel her inner chameleon and fade into the background, but things are changing too quickly for her to keep up.
Crystal 8F
ReplyDelete“How to outrun a crocodile with your shoes untied” by Jess Keatingwas amazing! I couldn't put it down! This is by far one of my favourite red maple books. I loved the little animal fact at the start of every chapter, it made it different from other books. Also, the writing style was great. Jess Keating shows that she doesn't mind putting her characters in the zone of utter humiliation. The characters were great and realistic. I like how Ana struggles, like how a regular teenage girl does. She gets jealous (when Liv meets Leilani), she gets upset (when she thinks she's not brave enough) and she get's nervous (presentations). I like how she's flawed, which makes her realistic. I like how at the end, with support, she overcomes her fear of presenting. I liked Ana's friends, who all had different personalities (so they don't seem like cardboard cut-outs). Ex. Bella's shy, Kevin's super smart, etc. I also like how Ana befriends one of the mean girls (who isn't actually that mean). But, the only problem with this is that the become sort-of friends, but the book doesn't really conclude how their friendship goes after a few interactions. Also, I readily enjoyed the part where Ana finds out the truth about Zack. She had a humongous crush on him, but when she found out how shallow he was, she told him off. I enjoyed reading the part where Ana really likes the animals at her zoo, but also gets embarrassed by them too (the camel poop episode). Ana is a strong female character, who finds herself in the end. I think that's an important lesson for the teenagers of our generation. It doesn't matter about how others think of you, just accept yourself and move forward one step at a time.
In conclusion, I'd rate this book a 9/10
Liam 7B
ReplyDeleteHow to outrun a crocodile when your shoes are untied was a pretty good book. I really liked the animal facts that were put in the book in order to introduce the characters. The book highlighted Ana's struggle with public speaking and being in the spotlight. As an actor in multiple plays, I can really relate to that. It had a good morale, don't worry about what other people think and just do your thing. I liked Bella as a character and the "mean girl" who Ana befriends. The best character in my opinion was Ana's brother. I really liked it when he spooked the people camping out at the zoo. All in all, this book is a 8/10.
Lucas 7A
ReplyDeleteI thought that this book was pretty well written and you could easily tell what the characters were feeling. Ana was the easiest to understand because the author wrote so realistically. Ana had the same fears that many people her age have and the author described it really well. And the other characters, Kevin, Bella, Zack and Daz showed the other types of kids like the “nerds”, the really shy kids, the really popular sports playing kids and the pranksters. Daz’s pranks also added some humour which was a nice thing to have. It was interesting to read about Ana gradually overcoming her fear of presenting and the way that she eventually figured out her “7th grade self”. In general, this was an an okay book and I would rate it a 7/10.