Reading Log Week 4

Book: Queste
Author: Angie Sage
Pages Read: 474 - 515

I have noticed that a trend was when the Drawing happened and Septimus had to escape in order to escape the Queste, but he got the Queste anyway. You can see this when it says, "'No,' snapped Beetle suddenly. 'This has nothing to do with Nicko now. We are with Sep, and Sep is on the Queste. He has no choice. Once you Accept the Stone, Your Will is Not Your Own. Isn't that right, Sep?'" (Pg. 505) You can tell that the Acceptance of the Questing Stone which officially seals his fate to go on the Queste, has spurred a lot of things to happen. It spurred Septimus to try and escape the Queste, it spurred the journey of Beetle, Jenna, and Septimus to try and find Nicko and Snorri, and now it has had a big impact on what they were originally planning to do, as you can see in the quote, which has Beetle trying to get Jenna understand the importance of how the Queste was going to change their original plans. Therefore, it had a big impact on the events that unfolded.


Book: Syren
Author: Angie Sage
Pages Read: 3 - 50

Septimus thinks that a stranger who wished ill of him tried to get a "SafeCharm" to him in order to darken his fate, as had happened before to him, when really it was from Aunt Zelda. Barney Pot, who was supposed to give Septimus the SafeCharm, believes that Septimus was simply being stubborn and that terrible things would happen if he did not give Septimus the SafeCharm. Aunt Zelda thinks that Septimus got the SafeCharm she wanted to give him to keep him safe, and she is satisfied in his well-being. You can tell all these conflicting perspectives when it is stated, "Septimus shook his head. 'No, I don't have to take it.' Barney was horrified. He had promised to deliver a SafeCharm and deliver it he must. Awful things happened to people who promised to deliver SafeCharms and then didn't....Septimus looked at Barney. He felt sorry for the boy. 'Barney, a word of advice - never take a SafeCharm from anyone. Never.'" (Pg. 41) Also, you can see Aunt Zelda's perspective when it says, "Aunt Zelda sighed and told herself that at least Septimus had the SafeCharm - a live SafeCharm, no less." (Pg. 49) I believe that the author created this conflict in order to bring a feeling of frustration to the reader and to create a mood of forboding that Septimus did not have the SafeCharm.