Insomniac's blog

After spending the better part of my Saturday with my face comfortably stuck in No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman, I began to think about the ways in which I was reading this book. I must admit that I was excited about it. When I did have to put the book down, I felt a little disconnected and anxious to pick it back up. Some of the methods I used while reading No More Dead Dogs were typical. I picked an area of my house where there were few distractions, namely no television, radio, or other gadgets to interfere with my total absorbtion in the novel. I also kept a pencil stuck into the back of my ponytail so I could be ready for any underlining or note taking. I took breaks when my eyes hurt, or my kids needed me, but other than that I was not just reading the text, but fully immersed in the story.
I can always tell when a novel has hooked me. I lose all concept of time. When I must disengage myself from the story, I always feel a little out of place. It is something like standing on the side of a busy highway after your car has broken down. There you were cruising along and then you have just stopped but all these other cars keep speeding past you. That was how I felt when I had to break off from the book.
I also found that I was adjusting my mind to the characters. Rather than thinking like the 30 year-old I am, by chapter three I was starting to remember all the drama and humor from junior high school. It has been a long time since I read such a light-hearted comedy, but I am so glad that I read No More Dead Dogs. I guess I just thought that YA literature was only for my daughter and not for me, but now I am beginning to see that really good books do not have an age level. The really good ones will always remain good. It is true though that this book would have affected me differently if I could have read it when I was in junior high. I think I agree with the Reader Response Theory to a certain extent. Although, I do believe that a beloved book will always have a certain special attachment to a reader no matter how much the reader has changed.
Overall though, I am amazed at how a well-written YA book can keep me focused and entertained. I guess after spending so much time in college oftentimes reading difficult and complex novels, I became a little bit of a literature snob, thinking that reading for anything other than the intellectual value a book can offer me is simply a waste of time. After reading No More Dead Dogs, I have learned my lesson.