Authors Note

            Many people think that they can do anything without work and effort, they also think that they can achieve something without doing that once. This is a false conception that many people share with each other and is a problem in this society.  For example most highly successful athletes and businessmen never started off naturally being able to do a certain craft right away. A prime example is Michael Jordan, who didn’t make his high school basketball team and was told by many people that he would never be successful. After pushing and persevering he was eventually able to make himself one, if not the best basketball players of all time. Michael Jordan is a prime example of someone who practically everyone knows, not giving up and not listening to negativity but making himself into something.

            I learned this the hard way when I thought that I could play basketball and immediately be amazing at it.  I learned that this is completely wrong and that my prediction was very wrong.  I started off horrible and mediocre at it and thought of giving up multiple times but friends and family pushed my up and convinced me to keep going.  Eventually I found myself doing really good and using skills I have acquired over the last few years of playing on the court to improve my game.  I am still by no means a great player, but a better one then I would have been if I had given up before. Writing this book is very important to me so I can share an important story of perseverance and not ever giving up.

            My hope for this story is that my readers will take this book and reflect on their lives and tell themselves not to give up even after harsh times. Whether that’s giving up on homework or something bigger like a sport or an education.

Synthesis page

Synthesis Page For: I Am Hostage Three.

                  How does the relationship between Amy and Farouz effect the storyline of the book.   

A hostage, Amy developed a relationship with one of the pirates, Farouz and they are secretly meeting with and have feelings for each other.  This was extremely problematic for them two and the rescue mission that came after the hostages. This relationship also came out of no where and I found myself in shock after finding this out. (This began on page 110) At the end of the book Farouz, the pirate unfortunately gets killed which was saddening but also predictable. The author chose to make Farouz someone that the reader could feel bad about and like because he often tells stories of his homeland, Somalia and the hardships that he has faced and why he was forced into the life of piracy. He often explains that he never wanted to do this and that he was forced into his position. In the end when he dies the reader will feel heart broken and will feel for the characters of the book. Lots of books feature this kind of relationship, where two unsuspecting people fall in love with each other then one of them will be found in an unfortunate situation. I think it was good to have a plot twist like this or else the book would have been boring and no where as interesting to read. 

A relationship as obscure as this can symbolize that you can find love anywhere, even if its in the middle of a hostage situation, but that nothing lasts forever and anything can happen at any time.  This book was unique because all along I had a prediction that he was going to end up dead. On page 327 The pirates are onshore with their randsom money and the navy kills every last one of the pirates, including Farouz which left Amy heartbroken and in shock.  This also leaves the readers in shock because we develop such a close relationship and start to feel for the character in the end of the book.  We also know that he is a good person and know that he doesn’t deserve to be put to this fate at the end of the book.

I think that the author of the book wrote this book for a couple reasons one of which to show that the weirdest things can come out of a weirder situation.  This element of the book shows readers that anything can happen even if you don’t expect it.  One more reason that the author wrote this book is to spread awareness on the situation in Somalia.  For example on page 230, Farouz is telling Amy a story about his country and it really makes you feel bad for his people and the conditions of what they are living through.  There is lots of poverty and violence in Somalia that many western people do not know about, including myself. This book spreads awareness about this topic even though this information is often shown indirectly to the reader.