Week 3- Oh, Quiznak

I didn't see a theme this week, but it doesn't matter that much since I wasn't gonna stick to it very well anyways. I'm aaaalmost done with Conversion, and there was stuff I thought I had figured out that, just as I was about to call it, got disproved. Howe is awesome at not being predictable--or rather, at making you think she's predictable and then--BAM!-- whacking you upside the head with originality! Like when I think the suspicious substitute teacher is the one sending mysterious texts, and then she denies it, and then she says she is and AUGH Howe is such a good writer. She knows how to suck you in to the scene without trying to describe every detail like I sometimes fall into the habit of doing. In fact, most of the time, she leaves out details like who's speaking, and instead of being confusing, it just kind of adds to the spooky mood. So cool!

Anyways, things are starting to get really crazy. At first I didn't understand the connection between Ann and Colleen: there didn't seem to be any parallel in the stories or even in the time span that everything on their sides of the story were happening.

But now I can see that Ann's story is a version of what happened during the Witch trials in a way that relates to the illness. It's interesting how Howe's been dropping hints the entire time, without even my over-analyzing brain figuring it out. I had my doubts that the girls were faking, especially when they seemed to lose their symptoms completely at one point, but it seemed like that wasn't the right answer somehow. It was too easy to reach that conclusion.
But then Colleen of all people starts feeling symptoms, at first just a headache, and I knew it was coming and then it came and she got sick too, which meant no one was faking after all! Called it! Only everyone but her seems to think it's the girls' brains tricking them into having symptoms. Which I guess makes sense, since why would they trust the opinion of a teenage girl with no medical training? But everything is still really weird. I honestly have no idea what's going to happen next.

But the thing that really interests me is about Ann's story. All of the girls, from what I can tell, are the actual ones from the Salem Witch trials, and the story is based on their accounts of what happened. What interests me is that, even though it started out as pretend, and it only continued so they wouldn't get in trouble for lying, now they're acting like they really believe it, and even Tituba, the slave they accused of bewitching them seems to be either truly believing it or completely out of her mind. It's hard to tell what's real and what's not, especially now that Colleen is feeling symptoms, and it really is scary now, with real suspense and mystery. Exactly what I was looking for!

I really love Howe's style of writing, and I think it's her style that helps create this mood, combined with her interesting word choice. Not to mention the idea of an unreliable narrator, which both Colleen and Ann may or may not be. It's creepy not knowing if the person whose eyes you're seeing through is really seeing what you think they are.
In conclusion, I'll probably finish this book by the end of next week, but until then, just know that I am seriously freaking out. Keep being awesome!