Chapters 31-39 (pages 123-162)

This book is really turning around! It's really nice to see so many good things happen to Bradley. He seems so happy to finally see what life is like when you're not a "monster." It reminds me of how I felt when I was younger. I was very quiet as a kid but at one point during my teenage years I realized that speaking up and being outgoing wasn't as horrifying as I always assumed it to be. I used to think everyone would laugh at what I had to say, make fun of me or think I wasn't worth listening to if I actually did speak up infront of people that weren't my friends or family. I was incredibly excited when I finally decided that I was ready to not be so quiet; I realized that all the depressing and embarrassing things that I thought would happen actually never did. It was completely different than I expected. People were interested in what I had to say and not nearly as critical as I thought they would be. I suddenly seemed to easily make many more friends. It was an awesome, enlightening experience. I'm sure it's kinda similar to how Bradley feels about his recent experiences: making new friends, including Jeff (again), reading Carla's book and writing a (pretty funny) book report, doing his homework, getting along with his Dad and getting invited to Colleen's birthday party. Unfortunately, where I left off was the twist. Carla just told Bradley that she's being transferred to another school. He's pretty upset but I think I have a good idea of how this book is going to end. :)