By: Madison Urbana

Characteristics: Angry, her lip is pierced 15 years old Motivations: Colie’s motivations are to not turn into the person she was earlier in her life, but to become someone completely different then she was. How do others view this character?: Norman really likes Colie, and tries his best to impress her. I think Norman likes her because she sees him very different then the guy who collects broken sun glasses, or who argues with his dad and that’s the reason why he left. Isabel and Morgan see Colie as a little sister. They help her enjoy life and live it to the fullest. How does the character change?: When Colie stays the summer with Mira she changes the way she sees things. Before Colie went to stay the summer with Mira she was someone who was shy and had I guess you could say a bad reputation back home. Mira teaches her that it’s ok to be a little different, and that it’s also ok to see the world differently. Mira collects things that are a little bit broken and then makes art out of them (Dessen).

Theme 1: One of the primary themes that runs throughout the novel is growing up and coming of age. In some way, each of the characters learns lessons about growing up and dealing with responsibilities in life. Primarily, Colie learns from each of the other characters in the novel that she is a beautiful person, inside and out. Some of the characters in the novel - Aunt Mira, her mom, Norman, Isabel and Morgan - influence Colie's change in a positive way. The popular kids that make fun of her and her arch enemy help Colie to come to the same conclusion, but from their negative behaviors toward her. Isabel comes of age by realizing that being nice to people may be a better approach to helping them than by being mean. This leads Isabel to help give Colie a makeover (Dessen) and to help Morgan see Mark for who he really is. Theme 2: Another theme in Keeping the Moon is be yourself. Each of the characters go through a summer where they find out who they can be. Morgan finds out that Mark isn’t right for her while Isabel sees that she needs to be nice to others and respect peoples decisions even if they aren’t the best for the person who is making them. Colie realizes that it is ok to be different and you need to be who you want to be not what others want you to be. “I've always known who I am. I might not work perfectly, or be like them, but that's okay. I know I work in my own way.” “It's so, so stupid what we do to ourselves because we're afraid. It's so stupid” (Dessen)

Keeping the Moon was the last book that Sarah Dessen wrote while she was working at a place called the Flying Burrito. The book Keeping the Moon is full of all of Sarah Dessen’s best waitress things. Sarah Dessen said that while working at the flying burrito she gained confidence, and she wanted to say something more about how it really doesn’t matter how you look it’s what is inside you that gets you where you are really meant to be. “Self respect, Colie. If you don't have it, the world will walk all over you” (Dessen). Colie was a different narrator then in the other books that Sarah Dessen has wrote just because she was a little bit angrier then the other narrators in her other stories. Morgan and Isabel are similar to a lot of the girls Sarah Dessen worked with when at the Flying Burrito. The girls were always amazing people with their emotion, humor, and complete loyalty to each other. Its similar to when Isabel always sticks with Morgan on her decisions with Mark even if she doesn’t agree.

Literary Device 1: “Their words, like the music, had the potential to be endless” (Dessen). Metaphor. Isabel and Morgan are always playing music where ever they are, so it seems like it never stops, similar to how they are always talking even though they sometimes argue with each other. Literary Device 2: The Last Chance is the grill in the beach town of Colby. Aunt Mira loves the chicken salad from the Last Chance. Colie ends up working as a waitress at the Last Chance for the summer. Isabel and Morgan work as waitresses at the Last Chance and Norman works as a cook. Symbolism

The author’s purpose of writing Keeping the Moon is to help people become more confident of themselves. I think she also wanted to show people that no matter how you look or what happens in your life it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Colie was different from my other narrators because she was so angry, and as a writer I really enjoyed getting into her voice. Morgan and Isabel, the waitresses, are basically composites of a lot of the girls I worked with at the Burrito, who always amazed me with their humor, emotion, and absolute loyalty to each other.

Dessen, Sarah. Keeping the Moon. Viking Press, Quotes: 4/5 Fixed the quotes. What about Conflict? 0/5 (add this for more credit) Conflict in the story plays a pretty big part. Isabel and Morgan when they argue it is always about Morgan and her boyfriend, for Colie and Norman it is about talking to his dad, and for Colie and Mira it is worrying about what others think. Total: 23/35