The end of my Weblog ;)

so...here I'm now finished my personal first Weblog, sorry for mistakes but I'm not good in english :D
I hoped, you have enjoyed it and maybe you would by this novel of Tim Bowler, if yes ( http://www.amazon.de/Shadows-Textheft-Lernmaterialien-Tim-Bowler/dp/346437159X/ref=sr_1_2/028-0226464-0246150?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175185526&sr=8-2 )
klick there ;)
I'm now finish see you maybe in few months again with a new weblog ;)

Yours
Marcel

Own Impression

After finishing the first chapter of the novel I felt very shocked because of the brutality Jamie‘s father shows.
The following parts confirmed our impression.
It was very interesting for us to see what happened.
It‘s because I can‘t retrace such behaviour of Jamie‘s father and so I searched out the reasons for that.
From time to time we sympathise with the main characters Abby and Jamie.
In the end I admired their attitude. There can be no doubt that both do their escape with any effort they have.
It shows that Jamie can reach a lot if he wants to.
More and more I recognized compassion for the teenagers during I read the book.

All in all, I liked this novel, because it was interesting to read and the story is very realistic. I liked the ending, because you get the impression that all persons live in the real world.

Characterisation of Jamie

Jamie Williams is a 16-years old boy who lives in Ashingford, a small town in England. He lives or playing squash, but he is more and more pressured by his father, because he was a big squash champion and he wants his son become a champion, too. Jamie has bold hair, blue eyes is not tall, but has a strange body. He isn’t good at school and hasn’t got many friends. His neighbour Spider is his only and best friend. Jamie says that he is the best friend he ever could have. They’re often play basketball together.

Danny, a great squash player, is his biggest adversary and in the beginning, Danny wins against Jamie, because of the better conditions. But in the end Jamie wins against Danny by the regional championships. Jamie isn’t a very self confident pupil and wants to be another person, who has a better relationship to his dad. He is a very helpful person who always cares about the people he likes and he does everything for the girl he loves, Abby. He helped her in every situation and goes with her long ways, but they had to disconnect in the ending, because both realize that they are two different characters in two different live-positions. Also he is a very organized person who always thinks about the things he will do.

The 27th and last chapter

The last chapter of the novel deals with a last dialogue between Jamie and his desperate father. Jamie tells him his story and his father tells Jamie that he read his secret book and afterwards he realizes what he has done. He realizes all his mistakes and thought about it a long time, so he decided to change his live and behaviour against Jamie. Jamie feels happy about this and his father also says that he will give him the money, Spider borrows him.
In the night he thinks about his life, about his mother and about Abby. Then he goes quietly as he can to his shed, turns on the lamp and sees his shadow and Abby’s words comes back to him: “Whenever you see your shadow, Jamie, just remember you’re looking at me.”
In my opinion, it's a good ending of the novel, because all the people are content, Jamie can live well and without beats with his father...and he will always think at Abby...

After reading, I ask me some questions:

• Does Jamie and Abby meet again?



• Does Jamie play squash again?



• Are Jamie and his father able to start a new life without the help of the mother?



• What happened to Abby and her son?



• Are they able to start a new and also happy life?



• Is Jamie beaten by his father again?

Chapter 26

In the beginning of chapter 26, Jamie finds out how his mother dies. His father tells him that she read before his secret book in his bed and she thought that she’ll never see him again and was very sad, so she takes an overdose of pills and dies. Jamie thinks that he has the obligation for this.
Afterwards he talks with Spider, but he had already decided that he would never tell anyone about Abby, not even Spider. Jamie finds out that Angelo died and Vittorio takes all the money for himself. Spider nobody tells that he knew where Jamie is and he is very happy about it and tells Spider that he is the best friend he could ever has.
I think, this chapter show us one more time the very good relation between Spider and Jamie. He tells nobody one thing about Jamie and I think, this is a really friend and Jamie can be happy that he know somebody like Spider.

The 25th Chapter

After few days, Jamie is back at home, but he can’t find his mother or his father. His home looks like every time, but it’s curious that all foot and drinks are full of a sort and everything is clear in his house. But he found no one. Before he goes to the squash hall he eats something and makes his way to Ashingford.
He goes into the changing room, thinks a while about Abby and then he goes to the Tournament organisation committee, because today are the regional Championships. All people are wondered about Jamie, because he missed a long time. But he don't noticed long the reations, because he only wants to play squash.
His adversary is Danny and Jamie plays only for Abby, so he wins the match with ‘nine-love, nine-love and nine-love’. Then he goes upstairs to Bob Powell and hits him very brutal without saying anything. His dad goes with him into the changing room and Jamie represents him that he’ll go away again, when his father beats him again, but his father doesn’t want to hit him, he has a very hard message for him: Jamie's mother is dead.

That is a really hard shock, for all people when they heard, that their mother die. I think, Jamie need some time to get over this events, first his bad life at home, then the escape with Abby, the win against Danny, the fight against Bob and now the message that his mother is die...Jamie is a very poor boy. He has only bad luck. But i can follow the reation of the fight against Bob Powell, because he only ignored Abby and love Danny.

Chapter 24

The next few days it was hard for Jamie to accept the answer and he decides to go back home and Abby relates his decision, because she also thinks, that they are two different characters in two different parts of live and Jamie has to go home. Abby doesn’t will never go home.
When they lied in the bed together so close, Abby says that she can’t make love with him and Jamie agrees that and has the same position. He encourages her and suddenly she gives him a kiss. Abby says that Jamie has to go the next morning without saying goodbye, because it’s better for both and she says: "Whenever you see your shadow, Jamie, remember you’re looking at me."
I think, this is the most important sentence, because the relation between Abby and Jamie is very good and Jamie will never forget this sentence and Abby.

Chapter 23

Jamie wakes up in the morning and sees Abby, who wears new clothes and take a shower. She tells him that Savita is searching for some men clothes and that he can takes a shower, too. Jamie asks Abby for Savita and her life. Abby tells him that Savita builds this sort of commune for some women who have nothing and no one. Then Jamie asks Abby for her life and Abby begins to tell. She says that she ran away from home when she was fourteen and all she wanted was to go away. Then she met Angelo, the taller one of the two mysterious men, who found her when she was at her most vulnerable. He took her and was good to her in the beginning, but then she realized that he just wanted her for one thing and when he got bored with that, he decided to use her for something else. Jamie asks her for the money and Abby says that this money was money she had earned for him and she had borrowed it a friend called Jude to go away. Then Abby went away, because she wanted to meet her family in Ashingford and she tells Jamie that the other one of the two men is Vittorio, Angelo’s brother, who is even more dangerous than Angelo and they’re half-Italian, half-English. Abby tells that she met her father in Ashingford, but he ignored her like in the past and that’s the reason, she ran away. Jamie asks why the father only loved her brother. She says that he is a winner type. When Jamie asks what her brother is a winner at, she answers: "Danny’s big thing has always been squash."

That is really a shock for Jamie, because he spend a lot of time with the sister of his biggest adversary. I think, he is very angry about Bob Powell, the father of them.

22nd Chapter

The walk through the night seems to be endless, but after a long walk they finally arrive at the women's house. Abby can't stand longer time and so they decides to push the bell, yet. Savita, the matron receives them. Abby tells her that she already called to her and Savita lets them in. She shows them their room and first, they eat something. Afterwards they go sleep together in one bed and Jamie enjoys this situation, he'd never seen a so pretty and softly girl like Abby.
I think, he enjoyed it, because he had never find a girl like Abby.

Chapter 21

Abby, her baby and Jamie want to go Cumbria to Cartmel Fell. Abby wants to be a tramper and tries to stop a car, because driver more likely to stop for a girl on her own. Then a transit van with a man stops and takes the three kids. In the car the man asks Jamie for their life and what they are doing. During Abby sleeps, Jamie tells the man a false story about them and I think that he tells the life story he would likes to live. After this they tramp with other cars, so that they only 8 miles have to walk and Jamie says that he will go with them till the end.
I think, Jamie is in a very bad situation, because he has to lie again some other people, because they think when he tells the true, that this is a dreamstory.

The 20th Chapter

In Chapter 20 Jamie meets Abby again, but he is very wondered about her baby she will get in few hours or days. Jamie helps her very much and assists her by the birth. When she gave a birth the boy, they pull the boy and relax. Jamie tells Abby that he paid the men and says that his best friend and neighbour Spider borrows him this many money there for. Then they laying together in the darkness and fall asleep. When they wake up, Jamie asks Abby for the name of the boy and she calls him 'Jamie'. He is very coaxed about this.
Jamie feels very confused and then he finally learns her name, too.
In my opinion, that is a very good chapter, Abby gets her baby and Jamie is content about the birth and his work for Abby. He likes her very much.

Chapter 19

The two mysterious men sit in the car and they call him to get in. Jamie gets in the car and Jamie blackmails them by saying that they won’t see the money if they drive them anywhere and they should leave the girl alone. He blackmails them with a no exist video which shows the two men. The men agree, Jamie tells them where the bag with the money is and they let him out in
I think, that Jamie is very clever, because he lies to the men by saying that there is a video, but in real there is no video, but the two men believe in it. That was a big risk, but the two men don't think that Jamie could lie.

Chapter 17 and 18

In the morning of Chapter 17, Jamie goes to Spider and wakes him up early.
Spider is suprised what Jamie doing here and Jamie tells him that he left home. He doesn't tells him the right story, because of Abby.
Jamie asks slowly Spider for the money but Spider absolutely agree and Jamie is wondering about his cooperativenes. He can't believe it that he has a so nice and pretty friend.
Spider packs a big bag of food for Jamie and give him some pounds to buy something at a mini-market.

12 hours later, Jamie meets Spider at the passageway. He has a big bag with a lot of money and give it Jamie. He gives him a pen and a letter, to write a fare well letter to his family.
His father and the police searching him at the school, at home and at friends. He would tells them that everything is allright with him.
Jamie tells Spider that he is very happy to has someone like him and he is amazingly thankful.
After this, Spider goes away and Jamie is alone. But he goes now to the meeting point for the money at the lay-by.

16th Chapter...

In Chapter 16, they want to leave the squash court and want to split, because that is safer concerning the two mysterious men.
Jamie want to hide Abby in a big bin and want to find another way to flee.
But suddenly, when he ran away, one of the two men stop him and don't let him go away. They ask him for Abby, but they don't find her.
Jamie says, that he could give them the money, which Abby owe.
The men give him 13 hours time to get the money...suddenly they fight him and Jamie is a little bit injured.
When they go away, Jamie looks into the bin but Abby has left it...

Chapter fiveteen

They go the squash court and sit there on the ground. They talked about what they could do in next time. Abby tells Jamie, that she owes the two men many money. That is the reason for the search operation for Abby.
They decide that they want to go to Cumbria, where live a friend of friend of Abby and where she can always go to when she has problems. They think that they are there secure.
Suddenly, Abby gets first pains, because she will bear a baby in next few weeks.
They will go when the situation is clear.
I think, Jamie would safe Abby and her baby, because he find a new "friend"...

The 14th chapter

Jamie and Abby are in the shed and consider to go to Jamies school. When they arrive, a car stopped at the school. They think, that this could be the two mysterious men. They flee into the squash hall of the school.
The men step out of the car and search the two young people. But they doesn't found them, so they return to their car and drive away.
Jamie and Abby are shocked after this incident and want to go to a secure place.

Chapter 12 and 13

Jamie's father picks him up at the school and talked about his school day. Jamie says nothing interesting. His father wants to make a visit at the gym by Greg. Jamie would train some hours at the bicycle.
When they arrive there, they meet Danny and his father Bob. Greg would be make some train today. He wish, that he can work alone with the guys. But suddenly, his assistant Stephanie calls him, because the telephon rings.
Bob and Ron, Jamies father, says their two guys could be do a contest, for see who has the better condition.
The guys agrees and starts to ride the bicycles. But Jamie has no good condition as Danny, so he collapsed after few minutes.
His father is angry about that and he payed some pounds to Bob.

After this, Jamie wakes up at the massage room. Greg sits near to him and talked a little bit with him. He says that he noticed, that Jamie don't have fun with the sport and his father puts him under a big pressure.
He advise Jamie to leave the squash, because it makes no sense more.
Later, Jamie goes home, because his father drives earlier with the car.
When he arrives, his mother sits at the sitting room. The father tells her a wrong story and Jamie wants her to clarify.
But at this moment, the father comes down. Jamie says that he wants to stop with the sport. Ron absolutely disagree with this decision. He beats Jamie and Jamie flees after this situation. He takes a bag with some food and leave the home.
It shows the big pressure and the incomprehensibility of his father. I think, it is the right decision of Jamie, to quit squash.

Chapter 11

This chapter isn't so important, because at the beginning, the Williams sitting at the breakfast table and Jamie sees that his father beats his mother one more time. His mother is very confused and forgot some things for Jamie and her husband.
Jamie is very angry about his father but he says nothing. He hoped that it would be ended in few time.
After this, Jamie goes together with Spider to school. When they arrived at the squash court, Jamie takes notice that the two mysterious men are there, too. They asked Jamie and Spider, if they know where they could find Abby. But the two guys say don't know everything.
Jamie is scared about the interest by the two men about Abby.

10th Chapter

In this chapter, Jamie meets Abby again in his shed. He brings her some food, for example the rolls. He wants to speak with her, but she ignore him. She doesn't want to speak with him. That is maybe a sign for, that Abby don't want Jamie in her private affairs. After few minutes, Jamie is getting on her nerves and Abby says that he don't need to bother of her.
But I think, this was to hard, because Jamie only wants wo help her, but when she don't want...?
This Chapter shows, that Abby is very secret and a lone person. The reaction of her isn't good.

Chapter nine

In this Chapter, the Talbot's are guests by the Williams (Jamies family name). They talked about his attainments in school. When he has the chance, he left the house and goes to the shed and searched the girl. But he only sees the two men, who searched Abby, too. He wait until they go away, but Abby isn't here.
I think, he noticed the interess of the two men for Abby, but he hope that Abby is secure.

Chapter 8

In Chapter 8, Jamie brings some rolls to the girl in his shed. His mum asks him why he eats so much, but he says he is only hungry.
On the way to school with Spider, the two mysterious men stopped them. They showed them a picture and asked them, whether the saw a girl like her. Jamie regonized, that that is the girl who lives in his shed. But hit says nothing, he doesn't know, who is the girl. Spider agrees.
After this, he father picks up him and drives to the squash court to play a little bit.
In this chapter, Jamie realizes what the mysterious man really want: Abby! I think, he is shocked about it and wants to help her.

The seventh Chapter

On the next day, he writes something is his secret book:
"One day he won't hit me and I'll have a real relationship with him, like Spider does with his dad. I want him to respect me. I know to love him but I can’t because he won’t let me. I know he was a great squash player, better than I'll ever be. I never saw him play but Mum says he was brilliant, and I've read the reports so he must have been good. And he learnt his squash in Australia and Australia is supposed to breed top squash players, so he keeps telling me. But we don’t live in Australia."
After this, he talks with his mum. She tells him, that his father is only so hard because when he was young, he have nobody who helped him. And he doesn't want it for his son.
This chapter is important, you gets many impressions of Jamie's feelings and the background of the life of his father.

Chapter 5 & 6

In Chapter 5 & 6, you gets some informations about the pregnant girl Abby, who meets Jamie is his secret place. But first, Abby don't want to say her real name. She only want to sleep there, but don't think at love, like Jamie.
In the next morning, when Jamie wakes up, Abby doesn't in the room. Jamie goes to school and meets Spider, but he doesn't talk with him about the girl.
He goes into the office of Mr. Talbot's, who calls Jamies father. He is very angry when he have to pick up Jamie at school and drive to home.
At the gate, he saw the two mysterious men and think every minute about them.
I think, Abby is a secret girl, because she doesn't tell her name. Maybe, Jamie like her...

The 4th chapter

In the beginning of Chapter four Jamie and Spider are in Rossis Burger Bananza in Ashingford where Spider borrows Jamie money to eat something. There Jamie sees the two mysterious men again and he want to understand what they're talking about, but he can't. After this, he comes home and his father blames him to stolen money from his mum, but Jamie doesn't know what his father mean. Jamie’s father beats his hands and so Jamie runs away from home to his personal and secret place. There he lives alone in the darkness and thinks about his life.

I think, this situation is a good example for the bad relationship between Jamie and his father. He searched only mistakes at Jamie, and when he found nothing, he conceive something.

Chapter three

This chapter starts with a discussion between Jamie and his father, because his father wants to stop the pocketmoney for Jamie. He says, that Jamie don't train enough and thats the reason for his loss against Danny.
Then you gets the information, that Jamie enjoyed in the past to play squash, but when the pressure gets bigger and bigger he dislikes squash more and more.
After this, Jamie meets Spider and his family. He eat and drunk something. Then they want to go to the city.
I can't understand the decision of Jamies father, Jamie don't will be better and more interessted in squash in future without money.

The second chapter

The second chapter is about the other new characters who will play a big role in the following parts. Jamie comes back home to Ashingford after the match against Danny and has the first contact to two men who are standing on the street. They looked mysterious, so they would called the two mysterious men. When he arrives at home his mother tells him that his dad beats her one more time and Jamie is very angry about his father. He takes his basketball and plays in his garden. He hopes, that Spider, his best friend and neighbour, comes and plays with him. Suddenly he sees one of the two mysterious men again standing on the street and looking in the air.In my opinion, the second chapters tells us good, how are the relationships between the main persons and it shows us, that the two mysterious men plays an important role.

The first chapter

In the first chapter, there are a lot of people who play a important role. The persons are Jamie, Danny (opponent), Geoff, Joe (Bar Crowd), Bob Powell (father of Danny), Andy and Ron (Jamie's father). Jamie’s adversary in the little town Ashingford is Danny Powell, which is likewise trained by its father. Danny seems to be the better sportsman of both, because he has the more aggressive way to play and the larger force reserves. Danny bent a match against Jamie after a 0:2, because he has a better condition. The next duel of this both guys is coming on the regional championships.
But after this loss, the father of Jamie is angry and you can suffer, that Jamie have a problem with him.
I think, the first chapter is well, because you got a good impression of the people and you can maybe think about the relationships between the guys.

Introduction

Jamie is good at squash. He is trained by his father. The training is very difficult, but his father wants that Jamie is some day the world champion. When he finds a girl, he is confronted with another person who has been living in the shadows.

My Blog of Tim Bowler - Shadows

Hello,

my name is Marcel, i'm 16 years old and i go the Elsa-Brändström-Gymnasium in Oberhausen, Germany.

My task is to write a Weblog about the novel "Shadows", written by Tim Bowler.

At next, I would write a introduction, so you can see the topic of the book.

After this, every chapter i will write a summary and a short comment with my opinion.

So now, i wish you much fun with my first weblog and I hope, i don't will make so many mistakes ;)

Greets

Marcel