Catalyst

As a sixteen-year-old, I can appreciate Laurie Halse Anderson's writing for its honest and unabashed portrayal of adolescence. In Catalyst and Speak, Anderson recognizes the fact that high school is not necessarily the "best years of our lives" filled with fun, friendships, and happy endings. In fact, Catalyst, while not overdramatic, focuses on many of the unhappy events in the protagonist's life, many of which will impact her future as well. And the book's ending, while relatively satisfying yet abrupt, is not at all reminiscent of the conclusion found in most young adult books.
The main character Kate is like many high school "geeks" - she has a good GPA, takes advanced classes, and is on the school track team. She has a boyfriend and a close group of friends, but her life is thrown into tumult when one of her "enemies" moves into her house after a fire. The book focuses on Kate's grappling with the fact that she is not accepted into the one college to which she applied, MIT. Anderson's genius lies, however, not in plot but in character development. Avoiding stereotypes and overdramatization of relationships serves the book well and lays a foundation to which all types of readers can identify.
If you are looking for an easy read that is not wrought with petty boyfriend-girlfriend relationships and high school dramas largely focused on prom and getting your first kiss, I would recommend this book to you. It held my attention the entire time I was reading it.
And for those of you who are fans of Speak, this book contains cameos by a few of the characters.

I listened to this book on tape (read by Samantha Mathis) and found the main character to be very unsympathetic. The biggest annoyance for me was the frequent overly dramatic comparisons between chemistry and the events happening in Kate's life. It almost felt like the character was mildly psychotic--"gravity ceased to exist," "the stars elongated around me as I went into warp drive," etc. She was also pretty egotistical--she couldn't seem to accept that MIT had turned her down. I guess I just couldn't relate to her. It was disappointing because I really enjoyed "Speak" by the same author and read by Mandy Siegfried. In "Catalyst," Kate has a brief meeting with the main characater, Melinda, from that book. Both books take place in the same community and high school. Catalyst is not completely without merit, but Speak is a much better book.

This band being the only band that keeps me lisening to pop-punk, and they pulled it off again. AFter Sticks and Stone witch was well lets say ok, and after there self titles which was amazing and all of there other stuff they have returned with a brand new record and a brand new sound.

It starts off with a thrash punk intro and quickly gets into there single "All Down Hill From Here" Then after that it gets into a less poppy, more rock type sounding record. Some songs sound like the new blink record but overall good.

The reason for the 5 stars id due to there Stick and Stones record which brought all these people that never herad of them and thought they were greta not knowing they have been around a long time before sticks and stones, but that wasn't a good record and this is. The lyrics are more mature and the musical skills of the band have improved greatly. Overall a great cd with 1 band song, otherwise good, buy it.

After reading speak, I expected this novel to be just as amazing. I quickly learned that if you set expectations, you're bound to be let down.
I dont need to rehash the plot, as many others have already done so, and I'm assuming that you've already read the book. I really felt no sympathy for the main character, which I'm assuming we're supposed to. I was a perfectionist in high school as well, but I couldn't feel any sympathy for somebody that let her life pass her by and was more concerned about whether she could run or not than her future college career. At many points throughout the novel, it doesn't even seem that the story is about Kate, although the author makes it clear that she is supposed to be the center of our attention.
I read this book as part of a YA Lit Education class and we were asked to analyze whether it was suitable for high school students. I can't, in good conscience, recommend this for anybody under the age of 15. There are several issues, however subtle they are, that really don't need to be addressed with younger teens, such as the incest issue.
Overall, the book is decent. If you haven't read speak yet, I doubt that you'll be let down by this novel, just don't expect any huge revelations by the end.

Like Speak, Catalyst addresses the grittier side of teenage life, not the midterm you most definitely failed or the crush that is a complete jerk but the scenarios that can destroy your world or at least shake it up. I can't delve in too much into the story without giving it away but I will tell you Catalyst is not a light read but neither is it too dark. The characters, like real people, are not what they seem in the beginning and neither is the story. I know I started this story thinking I knew what I was getting into but then you hit the part, like the synopsis says, that blows it all apart and you finally see how things can be brought into perspective. Read the book, it definitely deserves it.

while their self titled lp brought a raw, energetic sound with pop/punk tunes "sticks and stones" had a much cleaner sound but with the same formula. on "catalyst", not only does the band stick with their formula..but they have evolved musically and pull it off very well. songs like "i don't wanna know", " failures not flattering", and " full of doubt" shows that the band is not afraid to try anything different. while songs like "all downhill from here" and "this disaster" are your usual new found glory songs that have those choruses and hooks that just wont leave your head. like all of their previous lp's, "catalyst" is witty, fun, energetic and raw, but with a different approach. personally i think that this is one of their best albums. there are only a few bands out there that change their sound sucessfully, and nfg pulls it off. not only is the music better..its still nfg style. expect thier next lp to be better...not only that....i think the band will get bigger. to all you nfg fans give it a shot.

After this whopper of a band relased their last album (sticks and stones), I was expecting this one to be great. However, I was a little dissapointed with it. The music is the same style, but they have alot more slower songs. If you know New Found Glory, they don't do slow songs that well. They're my favorite band, but the slow songs arent good. They do fast songs, and do them well. The first single off the cd (all downhill from here) is great. Most of the songs on the cd are, but there is a few that arent. I would recomend buying the self titled one or sticks and stones instead. But the cd still is really good, so i'd recomend buying it when its on sale. To me its not worth 13.99, but if you see it for anything less then that, it is well worth the money.

As several other reviewers have mentioned, 'Catalyst' does not compare to 'Speak'. To put it simply, Kate, our heroine here, is not a character it's easy to sympathise with, or even identify. At first she seems intriguing and promising (the Good Kate and Bad Kate idea) but after a while this wears off, and you become frustrated with her. I was disgusted with what she put up with from Teri, the class bully and 'weird kid', and despite the fact that we're supposed to develop sympathy for Teri as well by the end of the novel, I couldn't stand her. These are not terribly likeable characters.
Having said that, I did read the book twice within the space of a month, so it's not all bad. Many 'serious student'/'geek' types will be able to relate to the pressure Kate is under, and the storyline is fairly interesting. Read with caution, I suppose.

The vocal can give you a headache after awhile, but if you can get used to it, the CD is okay. I'm not a musician, so I can't tell if there are only 3 chords or what (though I've noticed that's usually the pattern in ANY song), but who cares as long I enjoy listening to it.

And now comes the real reason I decided to write this review. For those of you giving a 1-star rating, I see you gave almost no acceptable reason why other than that "this is not PUNK." You probably haven't even listened to the CD, and the only reason you don't like it is because it comes from a mainstream band. Oh, wow, that's reasonable and original. I'm sorry, but I'm just getting tired of all these obnoxious people bashing what they call "pop-punk" and recommend some "real" music instead. Please, as if you're any cooler if you listen to a real punk band. If you don't like pop-punk, fine, just don't trash the reviews unless you actually have something to say (meaning, aside from "this is not PUNK" and other crap like that).

Being the sister of an MIT student and having loved Anderson's previous novel Speak, I was prepared to be stunned by the author's next book, a novel about a girl who *gasp* wants to go to MIT! Maybe this was why Catalyst, a perfectly average (maybe even above average) teen novel came as something of a disappointment. While the author's wit, psychological insight and excellent writing remain, something is different.
The protagonist of Catalyst is Kate Malone. Preacher's daughter, brilliant student, lots of friends and a hot boyfriend who just got into Harvard. We should hate her--and hey! I do. I don't know where Anderson went wrong with Kate. In most respects, she's a fabulous portrait of a "perfect" person who's falling apart in the seams, breaking down from the inside. But I still can't help resenting the hell out of her--being jealous about her perfect grades, nice dad, faithful friends and great boyfriend. Anderson had a winner with Speak because the heroine, Melinda was someone almost everyone could either relate to or pity. Kate isn't relatable at all.
Catalyst is a solid effort in other aspects. While Kate lacks the witty, cynical humor characteristic of Melinda (Kate's humor is rather perkier), it's still better than the fluffy idiocy one finds in "Angus, Thongs...Snogging" and its ilk. What disappointed me about Catalyst, however was that we didn't get as comprehensive a view of all the different cliques and people that make up high school as we did with Speak. Kate was not as observant (or in my opinion, as intelligent) as Melinda. Anderson also showed a tendency to overdramatize, something which was mercifully absent from Speak. While Terry's brother's death was handled with the understated, not-too-flashy sorrow that made Speak so enjoyable, many other incidents got much more description than they warranted. Overall though, still 100% better than the average teen book.

Kate Malone seems like a perfect teenager. As an almost-valedictorian, a star track runner, and an obsessed chemistry student, it seems certain that she's going to get into MIT-her dream, her aspiration, her goal. But then the letter of rejection comes from MIT, and Kate's life begins to unravel. In the midst of Kate's depression and denial, her neighbor's house burns down (and who would that neighbor be but Teri Litch, who has always been Kate's worst enemy) and the family comes to live with the Malones. Kate has only her father after her mother's long-ago death, but her relationship with him still remains distant during this troubled time in her life. As Kate's life becomes more chaotic that she ever dreamed, how can she reconcile herself to a life without MIT?
If nothing else, "Catalyst" takes a brave stab at delving deeper into a topic that is seldom explored. Many "young adult" books deal with depressed, addicted, or low-achieving teenagers, yet "Catalyst" does just the opposite. Lori Halse Anderson begins the books with several well-done chapters showing just how driven, obsessive, and in some ways, dysfunctional Kate really is. Readers can literally feel how much Kate WANTS to go to MIT, and Kate's frayed nerves about being admitted and her subsequent denial over not being accepted are vividly brought to life.
But after those first few chapters and Kate's "breakdown" over the MIT issue, the book loses something. It seems that as we continue reading "Catalyst," the Teri Litch situation takes up more and more of the story line, and instead of being a good complication in the story, it merely seems to distract from the issue of Kate resolving her feelings about MIT, college, and failure. I kept wating for Kate to sit down, "take stock," and come to grips with her disappointment. But that never happened. Kate and her family are in a whirl of activity concerned with the Litches from the moment their house burns down, and this activity totally cosumes the latter half of the story. The end of the book is too hurried and unrealistic, and does not seem like a satisfactory resolution to all of the problems Kate has faced during the book. Finally, the characters in this book just seemed a little too distant and surreal. I can't totally describe this, but the book seemed a little too dream-like, and Kate's confusion over MIT and then about how to deal with Teri just seemed too distant and detached.
In conclusion, it's hard to know what to say. I'd say read this book, simply for the numerous moments of excellent writing and the portrait of a teenager who is the opposite of the many typically seen in "young adult" novels. But don't expect a novel that stays excellent to the very end and has completely "down-to-earth" characters. Like I said, in "Catalyst," the story's chemistry is just not quite perfect.

After meeting Laurie Halse Anderson at the LA Times Book Festival I put Catalyst on my to read list and soon after bought it at Powells (aka book lover heaven). The majority of Laurie’s books deal with “big” topics (rape, PTSD, anorexia, etc.) and Catalyst was about a “normal” teen problem, not getting into a dream college. While this problem wasn’t as big as some of the others it is still huge.
Kate has made it seem like she has a perfect life. She gets straight A’s, she a science and math wiz, she has a good strong group of friends, and is in a healthy romantic relationship. At home she doesn’t get along with her dad is the caretaker of her family. She doesn’t know how to deal with the stress of waiting to hear from MIT, making her deal with it by running at one am and barely sleeping. I think a lot of adults don’t realize the stress put on teens to get into a good college. I’m in ninth grade and whenever I talk with my parents friends I don’t see often I’m always asked two questions: 1) How’s school? and 2) what colleges do you like?/Have you been to any colleges?/*insert other generic question about college here*. So while the book didn’t cover a “big” issue it covered an issue I felt many teens could relate to.

Verdict
5 stars!!
I think this book should be read by anyone in high school. The writing is incredible the issue is very present, and it is an amazing story.

Read more reviews like this at booksunderthetable.blogspot.com

NFG has still got the stuff with catalyst. Though it isnt as good as Sticks and Stones, or their self titled cd it is still a great cd. You can tell in some of the songs that they have lost their stuff, a little. For instance in This Disaster, they have and AWESOME chorus that is almost addicting, but the intro and the lines in the middle are marginal and dont fit with the style of the CD. This is definately a good CD to pick up, espically if you are a fan of this 'pop punk'...but if you dont like bands like Story of the Year, or Blink-182 then you probably wont like NFG's latest. But if this type of music appeals to you than you will definately like it. I certanly do...

1. Intro...A marginal intro to a good cd. The rawness of the chords is a little off kilter with the style of the CD. 6/10

2. All Downhill From Here...Awesome song. I cant stop listening to it. It has great lyrics which are almost ironic, and has a great gutiar and bass line. Great song. 10/10.

3. This Disaster...This song has some great parts to it, but the intro and the guitar lines are a little raw for my taste and dont fit in with the rest of the CD. The chorus is Awesome though and the end is really good two. 7.5/10

4. Truth of my Youth...This is a great "pop punk" song. It has a great fast pace and the lyrics are great. You can see alot of NFG's progression as artists in this song dosent descrie stupid punk thrills like in sticks and stones, but shows a more sensitve side of the band while still having a great guitar line. One of my favorites. 10/10

5. I Dont Wanna Know...A slow song, but still half decent. It can get annoying after a while and is a little too slow for my taste. 6/10

6. Your Biggest Mistake...It took me a while to catch on to this song but after a while I ended up loving it. The words are pretty cool and show NFG's progression. It is a little slower than most songs on the album but makes up for it with a cool riff and some great lyrics and guitar lines. 10/10

7. Dobut Full...An OK song. It has its ups and downs and is still listenable. It is a little slower than the rest and has a boring gutiar line but somehow is still good. 7/10

8. Failure's Not Flattering...A great song with great lyrics. Their second single is definatly worthy of NFG's other cd's. It can get a little overplayed but still has a great sound. 9.5/10

9. Over the Head, Below the Knees...An ok song with some good lyrics and guitar lines. 8/10

10. Ending in Tragedy... A really slow song with a boring, slow line. This song gives me a headache. 4/10

11. At Least im Known For Something...This song is Awesome, my favorite on the CD. Has lyrics a lot like All Downhill From Here but has great lyrics and great guitar lines and riffs. Dont miss some cool power chords. 10/10

12. No News is Good News...An ok song that is still worth listening to. Has a good gutair line and some marginal lyrics. 8/10

13. Who am I...This song starts out good and is a good song but then is gets REALLY bizzare. Some weird ghostly sounds and then a drunken sailor song that is F***D up. 5/10

... ...
But, getting back to Laurie Halse Anderson and to Merryweather High, the setting for SPEAK, and now for CATALYST... What? Yes, indeed, Laurie returns us to the land of the infamous Mr. Neck, and Hairwoman, and Andy the Beast--none of whom we get to see here. The story is set at the end of the school year following SPEAK, and Melinda, in another of Mr. Free-man's classes, does actually make a cameo appearance. So, knowing all of this ahead of time, you are possibly going to open this book and look for it to grab you by the throat and mystify you the way you were immediately mystified by Melinda Sorrentino's treatment on the bus and in the auditorium on her first day at the school.
Right?
Well, get over it! This is a whole different chemical equation:
Kate Malone, minister's daughter, star student, and runner, is a senior who lives for her acceptance letter to MIT--the only college she has bothered to apply to.
"Insomnia rocks, actually. You can get a lot done if you don't sleep. I've turned into a hyper-efficient windup Kate doll, super Kate, the über-Kate. I wish this had happened last year. It would have given me more time to study for my AP exams."
She introduces us to her family:
"Toby and I are the proton and neutron of our atomic family unit. Dad is the loosely bonded electron, negatively charged, zooming around us in his own little shell."
She introduces us to her group of friends:
"Sara slides her sunglasses across the table. I take off my glasses and put them on. The room mellows to a golden, SFP-protected glow...They are all out of focus now, but...I'd recognize these shapes anywhere. Sara Emery, my BF, is a self-described Wiccan Jewish poet. This would send most parents screaming to the therapist's office, but the Emerys are totally cool with it. I've been asking them to adopt me for years.
Travis Baird is to Sara as water is to fire: opposite and necessary. Trav is a freakazoid good guy with a taste for body art. The vice principal in charge of discipline has been aching to bust him for four years. He refuses to believe that good things can come in colorful packages.
A warm hand snakes around my waist. My knees buckle and the hand pulls me down into the very familiar lap of Mitchell A. Pangborn III--my friend, my enemy, my lust."
She introduces us to the story's outcast, a tough female named Teri Litch:
"The ugly girl, the one who smells funny, studies carpentry at vo-tech, stomps around with sawdust in her hair, and has fists like sledgehammers. Teri beat me up every year in elementary school, fall and spring. I turned the other cheek for a while, then I learned to run. Intelligent life pursues self-preservation."
And she introduces us to her "sad excuse of a motor vehicle, a Yugo named Burt."
But who or what is the catalyst here is one of the things you're going to have to read the book to find out.
...
CATALYST, which alternately had me crying and laughing, is a moving story that seeks to knock us off our little career tracks long enough to see what's really important. <P...
Laurie Halse Anderson has once again crafted an unforgettable young adult novel filled with literary brilliance. This CATALYST sure got one [heck] reaction out of me! ...

For a book that repetitively stresses the unpredictibility and violence of chemical reactions (in order to draw parallels with Kate Malone's life), surprisingly little actually HAPPENS, chemical or otherwise. In the final chapter Kate still runs. Kate still eats breakfast foods with her stock group of "quirky" friends. Kate still has inane internal monologues about "quantum futures", meant to amuse, but merely annoy. How has she changed? Isn't she still moaning about MIT? So what if she's willing to take a sledge hammer to a house. How has her life changed, for the worse or better?
The author fails to show a change in mindset, or even the promise of one. In the eighth-grade-level chem-speak metaphors Anderson is so fond of beginning her chapters with (Isn't Kate supposed to be in AP?), Kate would be a buffer. She SLOWS the rate of reaction. Even when plausible catalyzing agents are added, such as the Liches moving into her room, the rejection letter, a character's death, etc. Kate does nothing. Teri steals from her and she does nothing. Even the realization that Mikey is not who the Liches claim takes place off stage. We are not privy to Kate's thoughts or insights. She talks about her car or her brother or MIT...AGAIN. All the tension is sucked right out of that plot point in favor of the banal.
The ending came as a surprise only because I was certain there had to be more to the story than that. It's entirely possible the narrator (an uneven Samantha Mathis) in the audio version ruined the cadences of Anderson's writing, so I'll reserve judgment on her until I read "Speak". She seems to have a handle on the turbulent thoughts and desires of the adolescent mind, but she would be better off plumming the depths of the teenage psyche rather than merely skimming the surface as she did in "Catalyst".

After reading "Speak" I really wanted to read anything else by her. She hasn't really written much, but she did write "Catalyst". It's about a girl named Kate. She pratically LIVES just to get into ONE college. When she's rejected her whole life, her whole plan just kind of crumbles. Kate is a runner and she uses running to escape her troubles. Everyone seems to have something they do to get rid of stress or just to forget something, anything. For me it's writing or painting. For Kate, it's running. So whenever something wrong happened, she'd take a long run. A lot of problems rise in Kate's life and the book is basically how she deals with all of it. This is a very good book, but I did like "Speak" better.

Like many others, I was interested in "Catalyst" because it's written by the same YA author as the fantastic "Speak." And I really liked the early parts of "Catalyst. In fact, I could hardly put the book down at first. In the beginning of the book, Laurie Halse Anderson is once again in top form, creating a completely believable, intriguing narrator with obsessive perfectionist high school senior Kate Malone.

I also enjoyed the direction the book seemed to be taking early on. It was clear something momentous was going to snowball its way into Kate's perfectly controlled existence and change her forever. I read on eagerly as she grew more and more stressed out, was devastated by her rejection letter from MIT, and had her home life completely disrupted.

However. When the Big Momentous Climax finally occurred? Huge diappointment. I won't spoil the book by saying what it is; suffice it to say it's a weak ploy obviously attempting to tug at the reader's heartstrings. I'll be honest, it didn't effectively tug at mine at all. Now if the Big Momentous Thing had actually happened to *Kate*, the main character I'd grown interested in, then I might have cared. Unfortunately, by that point Kate had been pushed aside and relegated to the dull position of bystander. A shame, because the book really did start out well.

I thought that this book was really good. I thought it reflected that even though some people are tough on the outside they may be going through some real big problems that no one knows about. This book was about a girl who is totally determined into getting to MIT, then on top of all that stress her total enemy moves in with her family! It tells about all the stress she goes through during her senior year. During this time she really started to understand life a lot better. And understood that everybody has their problems. I won't tell anymore about this book but I thought it was really enjoyable and well written.

Powerful. Laurie Halse Anderson has created characters and situations that fill the reader with as much stress and emotion as those on the page. We're not sure we really like Kate, the high school senior who suffers from insomnia and runs so hard that she does physical damage to herself. We can sympathize with her college dilemma, but still, I'm not sure we like her. And most readers probably won't like Teri, the harsh outcast character who Kate ends up aiding. But Ms. Anderson writes with such force that we are compelled to read non-stop until we find out the heart-wrenching conclusions that these two difficult characters face.
Definitely a high school read and for any adult who remembers what being a teenager is like.

I bought this expecting a good, but not fantastic, rock CD. After hearing a few songs like "All Downhill From Here" i knew the cd would be worth buying. I didn't expect it to be this good.
I thought i would never buy a New Found Glory cd. I heard STICKS AND STONES when it first came out, and i hated it. Heard the self-titled one, too. I wanted to shoot myself after hearing that monstrosity. But CATALYST has more substance to it, and i think they'll win over a lot of new fans while pleasing old ones. Jordan's voice is less whiny - he's actually made it sound good! Standout tracks are the single "All Downhill From Here," "I Don't Wanna Know," and "No News Is Good News," but like i said, the album is solid from beginning to end.
The year's first great power pop album is here!

Catalyst
By: Laurie Halse Anderson
Reviewed by: K. Ueno
Period: 5
The book that I am reviewing is Catalyst. It is about a girl named Kate. Kate is the minister's daughter. She desprately wants to get into the university MIT. MIT is the only school that she applied to. Finally one day her acceptance letter comes. She was rejected! When she thought that things could not get any worse, they did. Her school bully's house has been burned down. It just so happens that the bully, who's name is Teri, is her neighbor. Since her father is the minister, he offers to let Teri and her little brother stay in their house until Teri's families house is repaired. Teri and her brother decide to stay. Teri and her little brother Mikey stay at the house for quite some time. When the house is being repaired by the church members and Teri, her little brother is missing. They all search for him throught the house. Then Teri finds him dead in his soon to be room. He was only two years old when he died. Mikey wasn't Teri's little brother, he was her son. It was an emotional time for everyone, even Kate because she had gotten "attached" to Mikey. Fairly soon they have a funeral for him. Out of pain and sadness Teri ruins what they have fixed in the house. When Teri calms down after a while everyone pitches in to help refix the house.
I thought this book was a pretty good book. I enjoyed reading the book because it was interesting to see how Kate would react to all of the situations she was put through. I also liked this book because Kate somewhat started to become friends with Teri. Teri started to teach Kate how to do certain things. Teri did this when Kate said "You promised that you would teach me how to hammer." At first they never did anything together, but then they began to. They wern't the best of friends, although they became fairly close.
I did not like this book because it had some sad times in it. I did not like it when Mikey died. I thought it ws really surprising and sad when Teri said "He's my son, my son, my baby, my boy." I thought that it wasn't fair for him to die. Although if he hadn't died, the book would have been less interesting to read because it wouldn't have had anything sruprising in it. This book was interesting, but it was sad to read toward the end.
My favorite part of the book was when Kate's friends tried to help her continuously. They always were there for her and they always were willing to help her. Sometimes Kate didn't want any help. She just wanted to be alone. Nevertheless they would be there for her like when they were going to try to kidnap her. Her friends were going totake her out to the movies without telling her. Their thought was nice, although their plan never happened because Kate and her friends saw each other at the grocery store. Kate told them she was fine and they told her what they were going to do to her. I thought this book was enjoyable to read and other people should read it.

Kate, on the outside, is slightly better than your average teen. A science genius, star track runner, and Reverend's daughter, she's always around to help, to excel, to win. But when she's rejected from MIT -- the only college she applied to! -- and the house of the local "white trash" family burns down, her life takes a radical turn. Her father, kind-hearted as he is, forces Kate to bunk with Teri, another senior and borderline criminal.

I didn't like this book as much as I liked Speak, also by Ms. Anderson. This book didn't capture my interest in the same way, and I know that if I had put it down for any length of time, I never would have picked it up. The main problem was Kate -- she is a character that is hard to like, and impossible to identify with. The book itself is well-written, but when you want to slap the narrator on a continual basis for her own arrogance, stupidity, and elitism -- well, it makes it hard reading.

I suppose that's why her "redemption" by Teri is so important. The problem is, I just didn't buy it. Yes, people (and characters) can change, but (unlike Speak) I never really saw the changing process. It was there, but it seemed forced. Annoyingly so.

On the other hand, I may just be being hard on this BECAUSE of how much I enjoyed the first one. Speak is a tough act to follow, and my expectations were a little too high.

Bonus: Melinda appears in this book, if only for a few pages. THAT is character change -- not only is Melinda finally speaking, and participating in a school thing (art project!) but she goes out of her way to speak to Kate, to reach out and find out if she is alright. Go Melinda!

One day, I'll reread this book. Just not soon.

Kate, on the outside, is slightly better than your average teen. A science genius, star track runner, and Reverend's daughter, she's always around to help, to excel, to win. But when she's rejected from MIT -- the only college she applied to! -- and the house of the local "white trash" family burns down, her life takes a radical turn. Her father, kind-hearted as he is, forces Kate to bunk with Teri, another senior and borderline criminal.

I didn't like this book as much as I liked Speak, also by Ms. Anderson. This book didn't capture my interest in the same way, and I know that if I had put it down for any length of time, I never would have picked it up. The main problem was Kate -- she is a character that is hard to like, and impossible to identify with. The book itself is well-written, but when you want to slap the narrator on a continual basis for her own arrogance, stupidity, and elitism -- well, it makes it hard reading.

I suppose that's why her "redemption" by Teri is so important. The problem is, I just didn't buy it. Yes, people (and characters) can change, but (unlike Speak) I never really saw the changing process. It was there, but it seemed forced. Annoyingly so.

On the other hand, I may just be being hard on this BECAUSE of how much I enjoyed the first one. Speak is a tough act to follow, and my expectations were a little too high.

Bonus: Melinda appears in this book, if only for a few pages. THAT is character change -- not only is Melinda finally speaking, and participating in a school thing (art project!) but she goes out of her way to speak to Kate, to reach out and find out if she is alright. Go Melinda!

One day, I'll reread this book. Just not soon.

I am a college student enrolled in an Adolescent Development class, and I read this book for a book review project. I was excited to read a "teen" book and see what kids are reading these days. I was really disappointed.

I have two major problems with this book. The first is that the writing is flat out bad. These are some of the flattest and most unbelievable characters ever. The main character Kate goes through absolutely NO changes the entire book. Never does she learn anything new about herself or realize what a crabby person she is. She hates her dad, all adults, she can't stand her brother or most of her friends. I'm sorry, but I was never rooting for her, and she isn't believable at all. The book throws in some "surprises" at the end, but they're ultimately pointless. They don't change the characters in the least.

My second big problem is with some of the content of this book. The author is flat out OBSESSED with masturbation. The main characters brother is given these two character traits: 1) he smells and 2) he masturbates. That is what I call an undeveloped and pointless character. There are also refrences to the main characters boyfriend getting an erection and various curse words. One of the characters was even molested by her father and has his child. All of it seems trite and used just to be provacative. None of it makes for a better story.

There has to be better books out there. When I was in High School I was reading Jurassic Park. This book would have been an insult to my intelligence. The quality of the writing is Junior High level, but some of the subject matter is definitly late High School. Whether you're a parent or teen, don't waste your money. Get this from the library if you have to.

First, there was Speak, a life-changeing, thought-process-altering insightful novel about a believable character.
Then there was Fever, another life-changing, incredible novel.
Now Catalyst. (...). This book will rock the foundation of what you think is life and what you take for granted, if you let it. It is an emotional cleaner that will have you shouting "No no no no no no no" at Ms. Anderson and wondering if you can even finish the book. Take a long lunch, because you will not be able to put it down.
I can recommend this to the geeks of the world, especially, the ones like me who got accepted to most of the colleges they applied for and graduted magna cum laude--or those people who want to understand us.

After reading a couple of reviews I felt like posting my own. This album is actually really great, I've been away from pop/punk for a long time (I've been into the Mars Volta and Converge lately) but this album has an amazing appeal to me. I believe it is most definitely better than "Sticks and Stones", an album that had no fun compared to their previous releases ("New Found Glory", "From Your Screen to Your Stereo" and "Nothing Gold Can Stay"). The musicianship has become better, with better timing, and the experimental sides of the songs work perfectly (maybe I'm just a sucker for keyboards). This album captures what made me thrilled about their self-titled and "Nothing Gold Can Stay" and then adds a new touch to it with something unexpected, with keyboards as said earlier, or even a gospel choir. I'm just so happy about this cd, after hearing "Sticks and Stones" I thought it was going be to all downhill from here... haha, but really, if you like catchy fun pop/punk, check this out.
As for the person who said "this album is too depressing" and "go listen to Staind if you want that", I feel that's a little unfair to say. These guys have really grown up in songwriting, and I don't really know how you could call this "all the same as their older stuff". At first listen it may be, but it's really not. It's definitely alot more experimental, and coming from a guy who usually listens to bands like Refused, Converge, and The Mars Volta, and being an artist myself, I think I would have some slightly better insight.
Okay I'll stop being rude, just go buy this (...) cd.

Having read two wonderful books by Halse Anderson (Speak and Fever), I eagerly went to Catalyst. I began reading it at the wrong time, the time of AP exams. I found Kate realistic at the beginning, and enjoyed the scenarios that went on. The sharp dialogue seemed to be in tact... and then, everything went downhill.

The first big shock of the book, that involves Terri Litch (who is also in Kate's class) and Mikey is obvious and contrived. Kate becomes whiny and unlikeable quickly, and does not have any real transformation anywhere in the book.

There is an awful thing that occurs close to the end, bringing Kate to her 'catalyst' but even the catalyst is very unrealistic.

The book does have a few memorable scenes, and some wonderful wit; but if you are not a true, devoted Laurie Halse Anderson fan, avoid this book. I read it a few more times after I had finished AP exams and I was still dissapointed with the book. The focusis shady and you'll find yourself wanting to shake Kate throughout most of the book. If you want to read a true artwork turn to Speak or Fire.

For all of you "non-conforming"(haha...non-conforming...right: the punk and indie clicks are worse than mainstream and don't even realize this) "true punk fans" who think being punk involves bashing others and their tastes...last time I checked that was everything punk isn't morons. I don't like britney spears but i don't bash her. don't even review the cd if you haven't heard any of the cd. My pet peave is people who bash bands that get grouped into stupid genres. My fave band is Deftones and they are always being grouped into nu-metal which is not even close to their sound. NFG is the same. Go to a live show and experience an excellent band that really takes on influences from early tours with H20, Glassjaw, and Finch. And for the record, they are not like Blink at all. They don't write songs about kiddie things, many of their songs are applicable to everyday life for me and i'm 19. Pop-punk is my least favorite "genre" (if we need to go there), as my fave bands include deftones, thrice, thursday, refused, tool, glassjaw, etc. and NFG is right in there and are so much different than the likes of GC, simple plan, etc. (i can't stand much of that crap at all). If you sit down and listen to it w/an open mind you'll enjoy it as it's good music with some punk influence.

The preacher's daughter. Star Athlete. Straight A student. Upcoming Chemist. Kate Malone. Kate has dreamed of being the reincarnation of Marie Curie since she was in fourth grade. She has planned to follow her mother's footsteps and enroll into MIT for college and then become a famous chemist that will bubble her way into history books. Since she knew that she was going to be MIT, when sending out applications for college Kate neglected to apply to any safety schools. But things could not be better for her. She has a perfect boyfriend and will be going to the perfect school.
Life is not so perfect for Teri Litch, though. Balancing taking care of her little brother, Mikey a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed toddler, and her feeble mother, and keeping her house in one piece. School is not a priority for her. When she is at school she is constantly teased for her beefy appearance and lack of fashion sense. Teri can throw a mean punch and is constantly getting into fights with other students. Teri and her family live in a house behind of Kate's, on the other side of a hill.
Kate's perfect life was suddenly turned around when Teri's house was burned down and her father took responsibility, as the preacher, to take care of these dispossessed people. He invited them to live in his house until theirs was in better condition. The fire burnt down the barn and only affected the kitchen, roof, and attic on the house. But Kate's father decided that if the whole community could work together they would rebuild the whole house so not only would there house be in one piece again it would be ten times better than before. They tore down the whole house to the foundations and began to rebuild it.
All of a sudden the whole community was consumed in rebuilding a house for the Litch family. Since Kate was not to be trusted with a hammer. She was assigned to ferrying around Teri and Mickey. She took them shopping at the grocery store, she took them to school and daycare, and wherever else they required. Kate was fed up of putting miles on her precious car, Bert, and sharing her room with her snoring monster Teri, who she doesn't get along with to great.
The story of these two girls trying to get along is thoroughly enjoyable. Laurie Halse Anderson does an amazing job of creating very real quirky characters. This book has many layers. It will have you laughing uncontrollably and sobbing hysterically in the same chapter.
Anderson wrote another book before Catalyst entitled Speak. It was about a girl recuperating from the experience of being raped by an upper classman in her high school. Speak and Catalyst is very similar. They both have a dark plot with touches of sarcastic humor. They take place in the same town but are not sequels. I suggest both books. They are extremely rewarding and enjoyable. Laurie Halse Anderson is a talented writer that will entertain you and eyes. make you to see the world through another person's eyes.

I will give them that they changed ... for the worst. "All downhill from here" is a good song but after that something just went wrong ... the guitar riffs sound easy and unoriginal (ex. "Doubt Full" and "This disaster"), the lyrics look good on paper but they don't fit w/ the melodies/choruses (ex. "I dont want to know", "Over the Head, Below the Knees", "Ending in Tragedy", and "Doubt Full").
However the band really matured in the writing of their choruses. I can honestly say that I can listen to every chorus on the album and be amused by it.
I really liked the following songs: "All Downhill From Here", "This Disaster (I know I criticized the song above but the riff fits the song very well), "Failures Not Flattering", "At Least I'm Known for Something", "I'd kill to fall asleep", and "No News is Good News".
My advice is this ... if you want good solid New Found Glory go buy "Nothing Gold Can Stay". Or if your friend is giving it away ... listen to it and then pass it on to the next unlucky victim. (The 3rd and final option is to download the above songs off of KaZaA, limewire, e-donkey, morpheus, napster, etc.)

I've liked NFG since way back. "Nothing Gold Can Stay" got me hooked, and the self titled CD blew my socks off. I was very hyped up for "Sticks and Stones" and I was extremely disappointed. They didn't sound like the same old NFG-more like another pop band, content with writing pop music, that people will still love anyway. There were about 4 songs on that CD that I honestly liked, and everything else seemed like filler. And still, you MTV freaks loved it...so many people think "Head-On Collision" is the best song they've written, because it was on TV so much. Lemmings.
I bought this CD at 12:02 and had it in my CD player at 12:04. From the opening chords, I was hooked. THIS is a return to the New Found Glory I remember-great songwriting, incredible hooks, and heart. Some of the songs are a lot harder/rougher, which I prefer, and some of the more casual fans might not like that. I, for one, think it is a great dirrection for the band. And although strings and synthesizers aren't exactly groundbreaking, they do give this CD a different feel than any of their previous releases.
The main difference in this CD is the songwriting. No longer settling for 3 chords and some string picking, NFG has stepped it up. Minor chords, better harmonies and awesome percussion arrangements made this CD a GREAT CD. Yes, I said great. I haven't been this excited about a new CD since I picked up "Ocean Avenue" nearly a year ago (yes, you MTV fairweather fans, Yellowcard has been around for a long time as well).
All the songs are very good in their own way, but my personal favorites are at the opposite ends of the spectrum-the heavy rocker "This Disaster" and the sappy, yet catchy "Failure's Not Flattering". And for those worried that they won't hear any songs like "Hit or Miss" or other happy punk nuggets, don't worry. "Truth of My Youth", "Your Biggest Mistake", and the lead single "All Downhill from Here" will satisfy your urge.
Bottom line-buy this CD. If you were disappointed with Sticks and Stones, you will be validated. If you actually liked Sticks and Stones, this will take you to a higher level. Bottom line-these guys wrote a great album, and deserve every ounce of success they get. Check them on Warped this summer, because they put on the best live show I've ever seen.

Laurie Halse Anderson is the well-known author of the award winning novel speak in which she caught the attention of young adult readers everywhere, she is also known by her similar novel Catalyst in which she surrounds the everyday life of a senior in highschool. These two novels yet incredibly similar have their own taste which makes them a pair of delightful reads.

Kate is a senior in highschool, the perfect kid, science fair winner, honor roll student and one of the most astounding runners in her school, not to mention she's the town's preachers daughter. As the daughter of a widower she finds herself taking care of her family, house and especially her little brother. Everyday Kate finds herself midnight running and yearning for the acceptance to the school of her dreams MIT, which has been her dream since the death of her mother.

Kate's tired self takes a break when her Harvard accepted boyfriend sweeps her from reality giving her the strength she needs to survive the battle between the school loving "Good Kate" and the troubled "Bad Kate" living deep inside her, chained yet yearning to escape.

Kate's dream is then shattered when MIT refuses her application leaving Kate in a deep depression accompanied with anger and confusion. Kate's life then quickly falls out of place when her neighbor's house burns down, and the two children move in with Kate's family. Kate's mind then races with mixed feelings and spirals out of her control.

Terri Litch, Kate's old middle school bully is now Kate's roommate, and as the hours, days and weeks pass Kate learns more about Terri's battle in life, at the same time learning a bit about herself. The plot in Catalyst is filled with emotional rollercoasters, from the heart-warming moments, to a violent, unexpected tragedy which keeps you glued to each page. This novel filled with coming of age experiences, taught how to value your insecurities, flaws and talents. Catalyst not only gives you its share of crying pages but it keeps you hypnotized in the genius plot filled with twists and turns.

I've only recently started listening to New Found Glory, I have heard their earlier stuff and I think it's quite good. Recently, a friend lent me this album and I fell in love with it, well, not in love, but I like it alot.

I think if you're a NFG fan, then you should like this album, although, I'm not talking from experience, I have heard some of their earlier stuff but not much of it, I'm more of a new fan of new found glory lol.

Some fans have said that this isn't as good as their other albums, which I think probably is a fair comment, but I think this album is still worth having. I think their previous albums had a more consecutive approach to them. There are a few on this album that I don't listen to, in saying that I do listen to the majority of songs on this album, and as there's alot, it's taken me a while to work out how good I actually think this album is. Well, I'd give it roughly 4 stars, as I like 10 out of 14 songs, excluding the music video.

Overall, I think this is a cool NFG album, although, I recommend some of their other songs from other albums:

Dressed to kill
Hit or miss
Sucker
Second to last
from their self titled album NFG

and

My friends' over you
Sonny
Forget my name
The story so far
from their album sticks and stones

I'm not a massive NFG fan, I'm not about to buy all the albums they've ever made, but this album is one that's probably worth buying.

Remember one thing:

Papa Roach rock way more than NFG lol :-D

Catalyst- a substance which increases the rate of a reaction. It is consumed in one step of the reaction and then regenerated later in the process. The catalyst is not used up, but provides a new, lower energy path for the reaction.

While reading the book Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson, there never seemed to be a dull moment. I was pulled into Kate?s world not being able to take my eyes off the page.
Kate Malone is an 18-year-old math and science prodigy. Kate manages her life by organizing it, as logically as the Periodic Table of Elements. But when her neighbor?s house burns down (who just happens to belong to her worst enemy), things sort of start to happen like a chemical reaction. And through all of this, Kate waits for her acceptance letter from MIT, the only college she applied to. Then when things are so terrible you would think the worse has come and nothing could happen to make it worse, something happens that blows everything apart.
In the book Catalyst there are many exciting incident, such as when she went grocery shopping at the Superfresh with Teri Litch (her neighbor, who?s house burned down). Kate and Teri seem to have a slightly different perspective on what grocery shopping is. Kate?s idea of shopping is: get grocery cart, wander through the store picking out what you need, waiting in line, paying, and leaving. Teri?s idea goes something like this: get grocery cart, walk around store grabbing everything you want, run out of store without paying, hot-wire a car and get out of there as fast as possible. And that?s exactly what Teri did.
Catalyst is a follow up to Laurie Halse Anderson?s widely popular Speak. If you like an eventful suspenseful book that isn?t filled with unrealistic x-ray vision people, but rather book with realistic people to whom you could relate, a book that will make you cry, make you laugh, make you scared, then Catalyst is the right book for you.

Catalyst is about a teenage girl, (Kate Malone), who is having trouble with her life. She was rejected from the one college that she applied to and has become seriously depressed because she has no future. She has no mother to talk to and needed this connection with her mother's college to make her feel like she is in some way like, her mom. Her friends, boyfriend and reverend father are very concerned about her but all she wants to do is run. Suddenly a person who has bullied her since kindergarten (Teri Litch) begins to have her own troubles. Her house burns down and she is made to stay with Kate. They don't get a long at first, but a tragic accident pulls them together. They learn a lot from one another in this period, and teach each other new lessons.
I liked this novel because Kate Malone was a fun character to read about. She was full of surprises and was a person who you could relate to. With her continuous problems, she makes you really think about the traumas of life. The writing style, which was quick and choppy, went well with Kate's speedy role. I loved how Teri and Kate are brought together by destiny and create such a sincere friendship. They are such different people, but they balance the story well. I didn't like this novel, though, because it went a little bit too fast for my liking. Some of the questions that I had were never answered and I was confused about some of the background characters. The characters were not very positive, and they seemed to switch moods really fast. Most of the events that happened in this book were depressing, and made you focus on the negative side of life.
I felt that this book was a sensational novel but that it was depressing. At times I would stop reading it because I wanted something lighter to digest. I do not recommend it, and would try for something much lighter and happier. However if you are looking to be inspired for a dark, teenage novel this is a good book to look into.

Kate Malone, chemistry geek, reverend's daughter, and one of the top students in the senior class, is nearing the end of her high school career at Merryweather High. The only thing she wishes for is to receive the acceptance letter from MIT, the college her dead mother attended and the only college she applied to. When the letter, a rejection, arrives, her life is turned upside down and Kate is faced with one conflict after another.
Though I found "Catalyst" to be a satisfying read, I would have expected better from this author, writer of the remarkable "Speak", one of my favorite books. "Catalyst" was simply not as gripping as I found "Speak" to be, and, at times, seemed as though it served as an advertisement for "Speak". However, this book was still extraordinaly written, and used the same suspenseful and humorous tone only Laurie Halse Anderson possesses.

In Catalyst, Laurie Halse Anderson paints a beautiful portrait of a hard working teenager that cares about other people's problems, sometimes too much. Kate Malone is a stressed out minister's daughter, mainly because she only applied to one college, MIT, and she hasn't received a letter about it yet. But then, Kate gets the letter from MIT and she wasn't accepted. She keeps thinking of excuses of why she didn't get accepted and how to get in and keeps telling herself that the admissions office made a mistake. She barely has time for her friends and her boyfriend, who got accepted into Harvard early.

Meanwhile, her neighbor, which happens to be her enemy's house, catches on fire so her father lets them move in with the Malones. Neither Kate nor her brother Toby are exactly thrilled but being the minister's children, it was the rightful thing to do. The church is helping rebuild the neighbors' house and Kate has to take care of Teri (her enemy) and her little adorable brother Mikey. After the house is almost restored and they are celebrating with pizza, Teri realizes Mikey is nowhere to be found. Something happens to Mikey...

If you like books about real-life things and what one wrong turn could do, I would recommend this book. Along with Laurie Halse Anderson's "Speak", this is a book told in the first person. Seeing through someone else's eyes could really help the way you see everything. With a blend of humor, suspense, and a sad tragedy, this book deals with the true things in life and how to cope. Read it!!!

While this book has many good qualities, such as strong, dynamic characters and a unique plot line, it seems this book would be intended more for a high school audience than a middle school audience. Some of the issues and dilemmas the main character, Kate, faces seem to connect with high school students and are things that middle school students would not connect with. However, this novel is a good example of literature that could be enjoyed by either a male or female audience.
In this novel, Kate struggles with the fact that she does not get into the only college she really wanted to attend, which is also the only college she has applied to. Already, middle school students would have a hard time connecting with Kate. Most middle school students have no idea what it is like to make a major decision like college. The main thing on middle school students' minds is the start of high school.
Also, there are some other major issues in this novel that seem a little advanced for middle school students. These issues surround Teri Litch, who is Kate's neighbor and also Kate's enemy. When Teri's house gets burned down and she ends up moving into Kate's room and into Kate's life, Kate discovers things about Teri that totally change her perspective. When Teri's brother, Mikey, dies and Kate learns that Mikey is really Teri's son, this adds a whole new aspect to the way Kate views Teri. Kate has to deal with Teri's feelings on the situation and helps Teri when she cannot find anything else to comfort her. No middle school student is going to fully understand this, which makes it even more difficult for them to connect with the characters of the novel.
However, this novel does not seem to be directed toward a specific gender. While two of the major characters in the novel are female, either gender would be able to identify with these characters. On the one hand we see Kate, an excellent student, kind of a "geek," an athlete, the oldest child in a single parent family, and a high school senior waiting to get accepted into the only college she applied to. She lives a far from perfect life, as do all of us. This makes it much easier to identify with her because she has many of the same problems as all high school seniors have, regardless of gender. Also, this novel focuses on much more than romantic relationships and typical high school things, such as prom, that we read about in many novels. Most males do not typically enjoy this type of reading, but a novel such as Catalyst, which shows a much different part of school life, would appeal to both genders.
Catalyst is a good novel, but there are many things that make it not very appropriate for middle school students. I would not include this book on my list for middle school students, but I would include it on a list for high school students.

After reading the many reviews on Catalyst, i really think some of the reviewers have very minimal experiences on reading the different genres of fictions. i found catalyst to be a very true, down to earth portrait of any typical teenage girl with very high self standards and the pressure of applying for an university. For those who think this book is crappy because of all the inner thoughts of the protangonist, i think u just cannot relate to the book on a personal level!

Like many other, I loved SPEAK. Melinda and her trial spoke to me, and really left me in awe. Laurie Halse Anderson captured magic in that novel.

And then I read CATALYST. It is the better written of the two; the work of an author at the top of her game. I saw how other readers dismissed this novel, saying that SPEAK was better. I disagree. SPEAK was darker, and you could really root for Melinda. You wanted, as a reader, to see her succeed.

Kate Malone, the heroine (if you can call her that) of CATALYST, is not all that likeable. She lies, she mistreats people, she observes but never interferes. Here is where Laurie Halse Anderson took a huge risk as an author, and succeeded. Imagine how hard it must be to get into the head of someone like Kate. It takes truly masterful work to not leave the audience hating her.

The set up of the novel may have been what threw off reader. This is NOT SPEAK. Readers must come into this novel thinking of it as a completly different book. It is lighter, but has more black comedy. It is more linear, plot driven.

CATALYST is a great book. SPEAK is a great book. They are seperate, however. Take a chance, try this book. You will not regret it.

Being a long distant runner myself, I, like the main character, Kate Malone, use running as an excuse to escape the troubles and mishaps of my life.
In truth, unlike Louise Halse Anderson's fist book, `Speak', Catalyst deals with extremely common problems in the teenage life, problems that seem small and unimportant, and it may seem with the emotional input, for some simply being told about this book, that the problem Kate is facing has been blown completely out of proportion, but I can tell you it is not so, but so very human to think so.
There is a very large amount of pressure upon Kate Malone to make it into MIT, the university her mother made it to before her. Now, left with not but the faint and faded memories of her deceased mother, Kate knows that the only dream she is worth having is to make it into MIT, and then everything will be okay.
But she does not make it to MIT, despite the fact she is an A student, rated third in her class, a genius at physics and Biology, and loves her mathematics. The letter is just too thin.
Instead of slipping into deep depression as many have done in such a common case, Kate completely denies t, and tries to block it out, always finding something else to think about. But it becomes worse and worse, the girl who used to beat her up every day in primary school, has moved in, and suddenly Kate has found herself caring for someone else and discovering emotions she did not knew she had.
This book had intrigued me in many ways, the most significant is in an emotionally way that perhaps only a reader and one who had experienced or is experiencing such problems can comprehend. Most certainly a book that is not to be taken lightly, and may take a while to recover from and one may find themselves thinking about Catalyst days after they'd finished, and that is truly a mark of genius.

Dude, that dude totally cursed on the store. I like that person. Anyway, the latest video for these guys came on the TV just the other day and I thought that it was a spoof on the current state

of rock. It wasn't. These guys are probably the best example of the derivative water-treading state of "rock" we are in. They sound like 8 billion other bands out there with that one vocal line that stays in the same mode and goes "whoa - oh - oh" every five lines. OOOH...and then there's the hard-ass breakdown. How original. How the hell did we get to this point in music? Who allowed this to happen? It's completely useless. Well, maybe if you are a 12 year old girl, it's good. And that's OK. You'll learn later. I won't compare this to "real" punk because that's like apples and oranges. If somebody out there digs this, try this path. Start easy and buy an old Jimmy Eat World record, then say maybe the second Weezer. Next get the first Supergrass and then some Sunny Day Real Estate. If you are still with me try "Steady Diet of Nothing" by Fugazi and before you know it you'll be selling this to your local CD store and picking up a copy of Zen Arcade and we can forget about his whole tragic episode of your youth.

Feb. 9, 2006

Catalyst- ISBN # 0-670-03566

Catalyst Review

How far down can your life go? Doesn't it hit a point where your life can't get much worse? This book tests the limits. This realistic fiction book begins with a senior at high school, Kate Malone, who is worried about getting into her top college, MIT. Oh yeah, did I mention that that was the only college she applied for. All her alliances believe that she has many safety schools to back her up; but no. When she doesn't get accepted into MIT she thinks that her life can't get much worse. Then her messed up neighbor's house burns down. The mother leaves to live at a friend's house. Teri, who is Kate's age, and her 4 year old brother live in her room; they run her life. Every chapter reveals something that was not recognized before. In the closing half of this book, the scenario turns from bad to worse. Join Kate in her quest to try and figure out what is really important.

Laurie Halse Anderson has a truly unique and magical way of writing, yet this book is very depressing. Usually, I don't particularly enjoy this style of writing. But, Anderson doesn't stress over all the tragedies that occur, she get you inside the heads of the characters. You suddenly find yourself not understanding the significance of the situation until Kate says it is a disaster. This story was also defiantly a page turner. Every chapter left you guessing or wondering what was coming up. Here is one example;

"I just needed a way to get through the week. I have to find a way to get some sleep, deal with MIT, put up with all the withering, pitying, gloating looks from my classmates, evade the well-meaning support of my teachers, not ---- off Teri, figure out why Mitch is beginning to bug me, and stop running. I think I can do it. Please, gods.

I believe tat his book appeals to all boys and girls ages 13 and up. There are some parts in the book that my not be appropriate for younger children. I think that all people would enjoy this genre because a lot of people can relate to it. So pick up Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson and start reading.

These are how I rate the songs

Intro: Nice gutair playing! 4/5

All Downhill From Here- Great opener to a great album its mild and rythmic. Nice, cool and smooth. 4/5

This Disaster- It is a twist on NFG's normal sound. It slower paced and has a nice tune but for people who liked Nothing Gold Can Stay i'm sure the wouldn't like it. 3.5/5

Truth of My Youth- Classic. Fast paced and the story behind the song means something. Not there best but comes in a close #4. 4.5/5

I Don't Wanna' Know- Slow paced but has that classic tone to it. The same style as SC and Rx Bandits, I can dig it. 4/5

Your Biggest Mistake- Great rythm to it, and oh so addictive to listen to. Definitly one of their better songs. 5/5

Doubt Full- Not great at all, just some doppy lovesick song. But it sounds goood the first two times and then it get's annoying. 2.5/5

Faliure's Not Flattering- In my opinion their greatest song ever. Great tune and that techno mix is so catchy but i can't understand why it wasn't called "What's Your Problem" 5/5

Over The Head, Below the Knees- Ehh, not much of anything sorta' catchy chorus not one of the greats. 3/5

Ending in Tragedy- I don't really know what to think until the chorus hits and bam! it becomes a good song. 3.5/5

At Least I Known for Something- After the other two slow paced songs it's nice to get a breath of fresh air with this song. 3.5/5

I'd Kill to Fall Asleep- This song should of have been more popular it is so good. It sounds like the style of their best album "Stick & Stones" 5/5

No News is Good News- Horrible way to end an album. In my opinion one of their worst songs skip this one and move onto watching T.V or something. 1.5/5

Really good album a must buy.

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson is a truly phenomenal book about a girl who is trying to find out who she is and where she is to fit into the world. Kate Malone, a senior at Merryweather High School, seems to be a perfect little girl. She maintains a "crushing academic load," excels in track, wins national science fair awards and takes care of her dad and younger brother while still having time to work part time and rank 3rd in her class. She seems to have everything figured out about her future as well. She aspires to attend MIT in the fall and feels that she will get into the school with no problem. In fact, she is so sure that she only wants to go to MIT that it is the only application she fills out. Poor Kate didn't plan on Murphy's Law happening to her, however, and must rearrange her life around her neighbor's house being burned down. She now has to share her room with the school bully, Teri Litch, and her little brother. Just when things seem as though they can't get any worse, something happens that changes Kate's life forever. Filled with teen angst and high school drama, Catalyst keeps you riveted from cover to cover and makes sure that you can't put it down without feeling changed.

Anderson very obviously wrote this book to address teens and help them to see "how not to be." Anderson addresses the issues presented in Catalyst. "Today's high school students are turning into mini-middle-aged people complete with time stress, ulcers, lack of sleep, and confused values. Everyone marches along like lemmings!" Kids today are always looking for something or someone to whom they can relate. Anderson wrote the novel about teenagers for teenagers. "I hope that Catalyst will spark some discussions about what is really important in life, getting ahead or getting a life." Although Catalyst was not necessarily intended for adults, it can be a life lesson for everyone who reads it. It is important to not be bogged down with achieving. A person's sole purpose in life is to become what they are intended to be. Through the message presented in the novel, hopefully people will learn to quit running like Kate. Stop and simply rest, appreciate, and above all, live!

Kate is obsessed with chemistry, which is very ironic because knowledge of science is essential to life, but she very obviously has no clue about the importance of life itself. The book is written in the first person perspective, which helps the reader to see the inner-workings of Kate's mind- solely based on chemistry. Kate has an application for science in just about everything she does. Anderson makes these observations very obvious, but does it in a very original way, even in the presentation of the novel.

The format is very intriguing and original. Anderson titles the three parts of the book "Solid, Liquid, and Gas." These are the three forms of substances and the most basic and essential knowledge in chemistry. Thus Anderson is getting our attention and informing us in this way that the knowledge with which we are supposed to come away in the book are the most essential elements of life. She includes interesting little snippets from textbooks in these parts that make us feel as though we're cramming with Kate for a chemistry exam. She also formats the chapters in the novel. She titles the chapters to make them look like sections in a lab manual. These titles always have an application in that chapter of the book, such as chapter "1.0 Elemental" which describes Kate and her family and some of the problems Kate experiences, such as "workaholism," insomnia, and running at night. Anderson also includes at the beginning of every chapter a little "Safety Tip" with advice such as, "Never carry out unauthorized experiments." Many readers have said that it made them feel as though they were back in high school! In these unique ways, Anderson further exemplifies the irony that high schoolers, which should be enjoying themselves, put themselves under more stress than most adults!

Anderson uses Kate's habits and ideas to better emphasize the ideals of the novel. Kate is obsessed with chemistry because it is her way of controlling her surroundings. She loves feeling that she has everything the way it needs to be; taking action and fixing everything. This control proves many times to be an illusion. She even admits that she runs for this specific reason. "If I could run all the time, life would be fine. As long as I keep moving, I'm in control." While she's running, she can escape from her lack of control over things and she doesn't have to think about her life. Through the events of the novel, we learn that life-changing events cannot be stopped and all one can do is simply live. Finally, Kate learns this hard lesson.

Kate obviously has a long road behind her in the beginning of the novel. She has always strived to her top potential. In her eyes, achievement is all that matters. Catalyst follows Kate through her life, watches her grow up, and essentially watches her discover who she is. At the end of the novel, through Kate's decision on the last page, we see that she has indeed grown up. She has learned that grades, ranks and SAT scores really are not the most important things in life. In the end, she discovers, life is worth embracing; we are not intended to stress about things. Once she has reached the end of her life, the colleges she attends and the grades she makes in high school won't amount to anything. Anderson describes Kate's growing maturity flawlessly and gives the reader a message which will allow itself to be applied to the reader's own life, "Learn, grow, and live."