10/24/11 Readers Journal #9
Dear Mrs. Zrihen,
This week I started reading a mystery called Diagnosis Death by Richard Mabry MD.
The quote that really stood out to me was the synopsis:
“The threatening midnight calls followed Dr. Elena Gardner from one city to another, prolonging her grief. Even worse, they are echoed by the whispers of her own colleagues. Whispers that started after her comatose husband died in the ICU… then another mysterious death during her training. When a third happens at her new hospital, the whispers turn into a shout: ‘Mercy killer!’ Why doesn’t she defend herself? What is the dark secret that keeps Elena’s lips sealed? Two widowers offer support, telling Elena they know what she is going through after the death of her husband. But do they? And is it safe to trust either of them with her secret? Soon Elena will find that even when the world seems to be against her, God is for her, if she’ll only trust him.”
I chose this passage because it tells readers that the book is a mystery because it uses words like “mysterious” and “dark secret”. It also tells readers what the book will be about.
I used many strategies before, during, and after reading this book to help me better understand what I was reading. Before reading, I read the synopsis and identified the genre, mystery. Then, I read the reviews to see if others enjoyed reading it. While reading the reviews, I found out that this book is the third one in a series. I was about to abandon the book because I didn’t think there was any point of reading something I didn’t understand; however, one of the reviews said that the author did a great job and readers do not have to read the other two books to enjoy this one. While reading, I used post-its to write down any new vocabulary and figurative language I identified. I also wrote down any literary elements I found. The other during reading strategy I used was predicted what I thought would happen. After reading, I though about all the literary elements I had identified. I also wrote my reader’s journal.
I found many literary elements in this book. The genre is fiction and the subgenre is mystery because it has a suspenseful plot with mysterious conflicts. The main character so far is Dr. Elena Gardner. She is a protagonist, so far, and round and dynamic. There are no antagonists yet, but some foil characters are a woman who calls Elena every night at midnight, screaming and crying, Dr. David Merritt, Dr. Amy Gross, Dr. Bruce Matney, and Dr. Helen Bennett. The setting isn’t specified in the book although they do mention the St. Paul Hospital. Weather conditions vary throughout the book and the social condition is that Dr. Elena Gardner is a widow who has a secret.
The plot structure in this book is okay; it is pretty slow. So far, I am on the rising action. The exposition of this book explains who the main character is, her problems, and her past. It also tells you about the mysterious phone calls she gets at night. The rising action started with Elena getting a call from a doctor named Dr. Helen Bennett offering her a position to work for her; however, it turned out the doctor got a job somewhere else.
I'm not sure what the theme is yet. There is no moral lesson in this book. The tone is mysterious and the mood is curious. If I had read the authors other two books, I would’ve known his motif, but I think it is writing medical mysteries. The pattern of organization is climatic order and the point of view is third person limited. The author’s purpose is to entertain and the author’s perspective is unbiased. I'm not sure, but I think the conflict is Man vs. Self, because Elena has to decide if she should tell others her secret, and she is morning over her husband’s death.
I identified many different figurative language in this book. “Fight or flight” is an assonance. “She put on her surgical scrubs” is alliteration. A hyperbole is “…her stomach did a flip-flop.” “Click!” is onomatopoeia. “The evening dragged on as Elena worried about the problem like a kitten with a ball of yarn” is a simile.
All in all, this book is okay. So far, I rate it a 7½ out of 10 stars. I hope it will get better. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone yet, because I don’t know if it will get better.
Your student,
Bailey Levy
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