Blog Response #4
The endings of Chinese Handcuffs, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Running Loose, and Stotan! leave the reader with some unanswered questions. Chris Crutcher assumes the reader knows the ending, but he doesn't come out and say it. You take control and write the overview of one more chapter to these books. If there was one last chapter, what would it be about. How would you tie up loose ends, if you were the author?
in the book running loose the last page the main character Louie went to get his sludge hammer from his dads gas station. to go to the school to beat up the plaque that the principal Jasper put up for becky. i think if there was another chapter louie would get caught for his actions and punished. then he would probably go away to collage or in to working full time and leave his mess in the past.
ReplyDeleteI think that your last chapter is pretty much how I would in vision it also. Do you have any unanswered questions about the ending in the book?
DeleteI totally agree that Louie would will possibly go to college and leave everything in the past behind him. I also thing that the principle jasper putting his name on the plaque was not necessary because he had nothing to do with Becky and her death.
DeleteI agree he would continue to destroy the plaque and get in trouble. Do you think he will stay close with his friends and with Becky's dad or do you think he would move on a get away from them?
Deletei totally agree. I think he will never come back to his home town. I think him and carter will become distant and eventually never talk again.
DeleteChris Crutcher life the main character Louie going to get a sledge hammer to vandalize Becky's memorial plaque to smash it because jaspers name is on it. If there was another chapter explain what might happen I would imagine that he would get caught and get in a little trouble. But I think that Becky's dad is going to be there for him and get him out of that trouble. I also believe that Louie would go to college or go straight to working and leave the past behind him.
ReplyDeletei completely agree with you about louie and how he acted i wonder if there would be another chapter what the principal jasper would have to say to louie? do you think louie will get in trouble?
DeleteI agree with you that Louie would smash Becky's memorial plaque, but do you think he would stay around long enough to be in trouble. I think Louie is going to leave everyone and everything in his past.
DeleteWith him leaving the past behind him do you mean that he would also leave his friends behind him and for get them or do you think that he will still stay close to them and stay in contact?
DeleteIf I had to write one more chapter to Chinee Handcuffs, I would have it where Dillon and Jen finally make amends and move to Canada with Jen's sister. Stacy and Ryan go with them as well and together they raise the younger children and Dillon marries Jen. Although I did enjoy the way Chris Crutcher ended this book. I makes you understand without telling you every little detail. You have to think the same as you do when your in Chinese Handcuffs.
ReplyDeleteI feel like that is the same way in my book, how you have to almost think the same way as if your in the book. Throughout my book Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, there would be random flashbacks and you would just have to know when they were.
DeleteI agree that would be a good ending and the book has a good title because you really have to think about what is happening in the book similar to being stuck in Chinese handcuffs
DeleteI feel like this ending would not make very much sense coming off the final chapters of the book. Jennifer and Dillon are not really talking and Jennifer told Dillon she hated him for what he did.
DeleteI read Running Loose, and I thought the book ended pretty well. I had like maybe one unanswered question, but I feel the book ended with a little bit more closure than some may think. I feel Chris could put more detail in throughout the hole book. He taught an important lesson on how a strong support system can be so important to a single person like Louie had. But in the end maybe he could take about college or what Louie is going to do for work or something like that, to help kind of concluded the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about how Chris could put more detail throughout the books because In my book I feel like he left some details out the would have made the book even more interesting than it already was, I read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes.
Deletei agree the chris left some unanswered questions, do you think that if there was another chapter that louie would get in trouble for his actions? also since he is graduate now do you think jasper and lednecky will leave him alone?
DeleteI agree it felt like the book leaves you on your toes thinking why did you end it that way.I think if there was a second book I would read it
Deletei agree i feel like there should be another chapter to talk about his life through college.
DeleteI agree that the author could have added more details because I felt like the book skipped around a little and there were sections where we did not know what happened between each major event.
DeleteI agree and I believe that we were left with a lot of closure and the book really didn't leave us with disappointed.
DeleteDo you think it would of been a better book if Becky didn’t even die in the first place? would Louie if had a different mindset towards Jason?
DeleteI read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and if there was one more chapter I would add what ended up happening to Sarah Byrnes since it kind of left me hanging on that part at the end. Since Sarah's dad is in the hospital I wonder if the Lemry's adopted Sarah or something. In the last chapter I would talk about what ended up happening to Sarah's dad after he gets out of the hospital along with that I would also talk about how long Carver had to stay in jail for.
ReplyDeleteI agree with wanting to know how long Carver had to stay in jail/prison. If feel like it would’ve played more to his favor if he had agreed with his history of being in the Vietnam war and that affect his decisions. But he seems an honest man and I think that someway he’d be able to use that to his advantage and lower his sentence.
DeleteI agree with wanting to know what happened to Sarah. I do not think the Lemry's would adopt her, but she would stay with them until she finished school and got her life started. I would also like to have read what happened with Sarah's dad, whether he gets away with what he has done in the past or if he gets time in jail for what he did to Sarah and now Eric.
Deletesarah did get adopted by lemery, it was in the newspaper excerpt on page 291, it also states that sarah's dad gets a 20 year sentence. im not sure how Chris Crutcher has done it but he has somehow managed to tie up most of the loose ends.
DeleteIf I had to write another chapter to Chinese Handcuffs I would write about finding TB and the testimony against Him and if they put him in jail for molesting Jen. I enjoyed this book a lot, but I thought that Chris Cruthcer could put more detail in his book. With the extra detail all the unanswered questions at the end of the book could be tied up.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way with Running loose, if Chris Crutcher put in more detail, then he would be able to conclude the books better. Do you have any questions yet about the book?
DeleteI agree with you that the book was really good! I do want to know what happened to T.B. after the testimony. He left the book with a cliffhanger and I hate cliffhangers. I wish he could be more detailed towards the ending then when he was earlier in the book.
DeleteI feel that this book was filled with a lot of detail and the fact that he makes you think at the end is the sign to me that Chris wants you to form your on conclusion making him a good author and leaving you wanting more.
DeleteAre you asking for more detail for what happened to T.B. after, or how he got away?
DeleteI feel like if Chris would put more details in the book it would make the book way more interesting he would be able to build off of it a lot more and could more into it.
DeleteIf there was another chapter in Running Loose, it would consist of Louie smashing Becky's plaque again, and then leaving town. Louie is graduated and at this point, I feel like he is just done with school and his town. If he stays, then I think he will drive the long hours for Norm, and barely be around. I think he would try his best to escape his life and reputation.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what your thinking about Louie leaving everything behind and bettering himself by leaving. But I also wonder if Louie will stay in close contact with Becky's dad.
DeleteI think Louie would not smash Becky's plague but Louie would have helped the principal write what is on the plague and I also would agree that he would try to escape.
DeleteThats scene reminds me of when dillion went into the bar and put all of Preston's ashes in the bar so the warlocks would never forget it.
DeleteAt the end of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Carver was in court for his attack on Mr, Byrnes. If there was to be a next chapter I would hope for it to let us know what happened to Carver overall, if he gets out of jail/prison time or if he has to do even more time than that. I would also like to see Eric’s Moms reaction to Carvers outcome. I also wonder if Mr. Byrnes could possibly be planning something for the future.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100 percent. I would like to have known what happened to Carver and Mr. Byrnes. I also think that Mr. Byrnes has something planned for the future, if he gets better I can see him still threatening Eric and trying to track down Sarah wanting to bring her home.
DeleteWere there any cliff hangers for the book? If not, were you satisfied with the ending?
DeleteI can fully get behind that. I really feel like we should know more of what happened with Carver because his actions at the end were huge in the ending of the book.
DeleteI think if there was one more chapter of Chinese handcuffs. I think that Jen and dillion would get together and get married and I also think the would move to Canada. I did like how Chris Crutcher made you end on kind of a cliff hanger and didn't really feel like he finished the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree at the end it did not really feel like he finished the book. He might of had a reason for it that i really don't understand.
DeleteI also did not like how he ended this book, I hate cliff hangers in books that I liked.
DeleteI also though that my character would end up with his girlfriend, but the big traumatic event in my story was her death.
DeleteI agree with the ending of the book but do you think there is a reason why he left the book with a cliffhanger? Do you think there will be a second book?
DeleteI agree with your ending as well. This is what I felt should happen too. I think Crutcher has this kind of ending so that you are left wanting more and hopefully read another one of his books.
DeleteIn the ending of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, it deals with Carver being questioned for what he did and Mr. Byrnes in the hospital. If there was one last chapter I would want it to be about what ended up happening with Carver whether it was jail time or if he got off as self defense. I would also like it to include if Mr. Byrnes gets better and if he keeps trying to find Sarah, his daughter. Also while Eric and his mom watched the news about what happened, Eric's mom had little reaction I wonder what she was going on through her mind and what she actually thought of all of it.
ReplyDeleteon page 292 there is a newspaper excerpt that explains what happened to carver and Vrigil, there isnt much detail but it is there. One thing that i might want to know more would be carver's relationship with moby's mom.
DeleteIf there were another chapter after the end of Chinese Handcuffs I feel like it would play out as follows. I think that T.B. would try and fight the case against Jennifer's rape allegations. I think that the chapter(s) would follow her and Dillon's lives throughout the case and how they each are dealing with the thought of losing.
ReplyDeleteI also think T.B. would try to fight the case but ultimately lose because there is video proof. I would have liked a chapter to follow Jens and Dillon lives because I think they had something going for them.
DeleteI think that T.B. would already be ahead of them in court find his way out of jail just because of how respected he is as a lawyer
DeleteIf the book could have ended my way, I would have had Dillon kill the step dad. I feel like it would have been a very entertaining ending and to not have a second book, it would leave readers to only wonder what would happen after it.
ReplyDeleteI would also have liked to see Dillon get revenge on T.B. and put him in his place. the ending for this book left me with a lot of unanswered questions with T.B. and if Dillon would have gone through with his plan I would know more.
DeleteStaying fat for sarah byrns actually had a pretty satisfying ending. Most of the problems that came up in the store were resolved, and what is left isn't too vague. I guess if there was another chapter he would go over moby's college experience, and go into detail about sarah's new home. the main villain is already in jail, and it has already been made clear that sarah's mom does not want to get involved. overall good story.
ReplyDeleteI also felt like my book had a satisfying ending. It wrapped up very well. I wouldn't change the ending.
DeleteI unfortunately didn't have the luxury of a loose-ends-tied-up ending in Stotan! Every character had a rather ambiguous end of the book, and there are numerous paths each could have taken following the finishing of the story.
DeleteI can agree with this. I like how it kind of took a turn at the end and Carver took it into his own hands to get revenge on Mr. Byrnes. I really wasn’t expecting it because it kind of came out of nowhere, but like everything else I’ve read, surprises show up whenever they want to.
DeleteI agree that the ending wasnt horrible for the book. however i do kind of want another chapter talking about Calvin after his jail sentence or whatever.
Deletethe only way i would change the book would be by adding some new material about how relationships turned out.
DeleteI thought my book ended fine. But if I were to add another chapter, it would be in the future. Louie would be married and still living in the same town. He would possibly be a coach for the school. He would be married and have kids, but still coping with Becky's death. He would be living a happy life and be a great coach and play the game right.
ReplyDeleteIf I could make one more chapter it would be about T.B.'s trial. I wonder what he would do try to fight it or since there is video proof give up and plead guilty. If I could tie up loose ends I would follow Jen and Dillon a little farther and see how things work out between them. I also wonder about Stacey and Ryan and where they ended up at.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to know what happened to T.B. during his trial. I would love to know if he went to jail. I also would like to see how Stacy's and Jen's relationship developed.
DeleteT.B.s trial would be a good ending to the book because it gives peace to the readers that something might actually happen to him
DeleteI believe that since T.B. is such a good lawyer and respected that he would find a way out of being guilty.
DeleteIf Chinese Handcuffs made another chapter, I would have it include about Jen and Dillion. I would have Dillion starting a new life with Jen and having a fresh start to have her live her life the way she wanted in the beginning. Jen and Dillion would have a baby and name it Preston. I would have Dillion kill Jen's stepdad instead of him just going to the jail.
ReplyDeleteIf Running Loose would have added another chapter I think it would be about there future as in college life.Wouid Louie have meet another girl in college or would he have been single?He would know his actions lead to further consequences.Would Washington have ran track or played football in college?
ReplyDeletei completely agree i feel like it would be his life throughout college and what he decides to do.
DeleteI agree with what your saying. But do you think that if there was another chapter, Louie would get into more trouble or even stay in contact with Becky's dad.
DeleteIn Stotan!, a hypothetical final chapter would pretty easily include closure on the storylines of each main character. Walker would likely still be trying to convince himself to break up with Devnee, despite his inability to do so. Jeff either would have had to live or die, as his condition continually deteriorated as the sun set on this story. Nortie would either be committing to his psychology path, or maybe he'd make amends and return to his teaching roots, although the latter feels less likely. Lion had the least said about his possible future, although it could be presumed he goes into art as a full-time career. Marty O'Brian probably joined the rampant antigovernmental protests that really started breaking out in the 90's. That one is less plausible to have been included in the story, but it's also the most realistic of anything previously mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI like how you think thats how you would end the book because if i could end the book i would do it pretty close to the same .
DeleteI believe that is how the author would have ended it like that too, but if you wrote it what would you change? I would change that Jeff would start to feel better.
Deletefor tying up loose ends in Chinese Handcuffs, I would have it take a couple years later, and explain the relationships between the characters/ where they are today. I would also go into what happened to T.B. and if got away.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, I don't think an immediate recap would be necessary for the purpose of what happened at the end
DeleteI also agree I think that would make the book more interesting and we get to see if t.b. gets put in jail or not.
Deletei read running loose and at the end it ended with Louie grabbing the sledge hammer from the gas station to smash up Becky's plaque. i feel that if there was another chapter it would give more closure about what Louie does after high school and where he goes.
ReplyDeleteI think it would also say more about Louie getting closure, but how would he get closure. I think he would talk more with Becky's father.
DeleteThe end of the book running loose has Louie planning to destroy the plaque for the second time. After that I would think that he would continue to to fight with Jasper about the plaque until he changed it. After the summer of working he would go off to college. He would continue to talk to Becky's dad and stay in contact with carter. I would see him leaving town to work elsewhere and get away from people to get a new start.
ReplyDeleteI also think he will talk to Becky's father more to get some more closure and start to try to get over the tragic thing that happened to Becky. If it were to continue I think it would show Louie taking steps to move on from the past.
DeleteI feel as if there was one more chapter at the end of the book, the loose ends that it would have too cover over would obviously just where Jennifer and Dillon would be at some time in the future and how they are doing compared to the beginning/ middle of the book.
ReplyDeleteIf there was another chapter I would right about how Dillion and Stacy raise the kid together and they will do it for Preston because the kid deserves to have some type of dad
ReplyDeleteI think the ending of the book running loose did not have to many unanswered we knew most things already. The end of the book was just Louie smashing a plaque that was made it Becky's memorial, but the plaque was stupid because the principle signed it basically just for attention. But if the book were to continue I think it would show Boomer being a little nicer to Louie and it would Follow Louie through college a little and I think that could be interesting.
ReplyDeleteI read running loose and i think if there were another chapter, I think that Louie would have smashed the plaque and ran from the town to college and never come back. he would end up finding someone new and he leaves because he doesn't want to get hurt again like Becky.
ReplyDeleteagreed i could see him getting away from the town not just to go to college but to leave and never looking back
DeleteBased on Louie’s personality what would you do if you were in his situation would you leave everyone you grew up with because of a selfish mistake ?
Deletein the end of running loose jasper stops watching the plaque and Louie plans on making a second go at destroying it. After this I think he would keep breaking it until they got it and right, then finally he could move on from his home town and get a fresh start somewhere else and forget all of the bad times he had and all of the stupid things he did.
ReplyDeleteIn the book stotan the final chapter is about the swim team going to state and the evens that they will be racing in. it also talks about one of the main characters who is named jeff and he has a blood disease. if i could write one more chapter to tie up the loose ends of this book it would have to start with walker taking his girlfriend out and seeing if they will actually break up or not. but then there is elaine and walker has a crush on her so i would like to see what happens with there friendship. I would also like to no if jeff survived or if he passes away form his disease. As for Nortie i would like to see what college he would end up going to. lion had then lease talked about past but it did talk about him at boot camp and i would like to see him go into the army and fight for america. For Max the coach maybe talk about how he will start over with a new team. other then that i would leave all the other loose ends the way they are because i believe that it makes the book better.
ReplyDeleteI agree. What do you think happened to Nortie and his mom, do you think they ever live together? I hope they do.
Deletescotlynn, i do not think that Nortie and his mom would ever live together, just because of what they have gone through and their past experiences with eachother. i think they both just want a new beggining and not to remeber hwo each other had been treated from Norties dad
Deletei think that nortie and his mom will keep meeting every once in a while but i dont think that they will be living together ever again.
DeleteI've never thought of any of the other characters but i would also like to see what happens to Nortie in his future. I also think lion would be very good in the military because he is very strong and Independent
DeleteIf I was Able to add another chapter I would have Jeff getting better. Nortie and his mom get a house and his dad pass for what he had done to them and that Walker finally tell Devnee the truth about how he is feeling. Also the O'Brien gets kicked off the baseball team because they find out that he was the one with the newspapers. Max and his child are able to see each other more.
ReplyDeleteThis would have been a very optimistic overall way to conclude this story. I didn't even consider Max's storyline; I would have loved to have seen him make amends with his ex, and be able to spend more time with his daughter considering she evidently enjoys his company just as much as he does hers.
Deletei agree with all of that i never thought of Norties dad because of how bad of a person he is to the family, but that would be a great thing instead of jeff dieing to have norties dad have a heart attack.
DeleteScottlyn's response to this blog is the reason I added in my hopes for Max and his daughter. My main thoughts were on Jeff and Nortie because they were the ones who had it the roughest in my mind, but I didn't even think about how much Max must be hurting not being able to see his own child.
DeleteFor me I don't like to give the characters a final ending in my mind. However, I want Max to be able to get more involved with his kid. We discovered his child near the end of the book, thus proving he is not very active in his daughter's life. I also want Jeff to overcome his cancer. Jeff was not a very HUGE impact on the book and I never paid him much thought until we found out he had cancer. After learning that is when I realized how much I love his character. Even if we don't get to see how things turn out for him, I hope he beats his cancer. I also want Nortie and his mother to live the rest of their lives happily.
ReplyDeletethe part about Jeff i totally agree with. i never paid attention to his character until i found out about his blood disease.
DeleteI imagine if there was another chapter to the book is Walker not breaking up with Devnee because he knows Elaine and him will never be together. I also think Jeff who was diagnosed with Leukemia passes and it would hurt the boys more then anything has before. I also would hope that nortie lives his dream of being a teacher and norties dad goes to jail for abuse.
ReplyDeleteAfter writing my response I never gave a thought to Jeff passing away. Now that I have sat on the idea for a minute maybe that would be for the best of the boys. Plus, it wouldn't make Jeff suffer anymore. I can't imagine what he must be going through.
Deletebeing the nerd i wish i was, i read the headline of the epilouge. im happy sarah got adopted but i am also really confused on how Eric and her will get along after all of the stuff he spilled behind her back,.
ReplyDeletei also wish for a last chapter, but i would have it focus on their relationship, or about eric and jodi.
ReplyDeleteIn the book Chinese handcuffs I feel the ending would be dillion and Jen hanging out with Stacey and Ryan. They would get ice cream and go sit at the ski resort where they would like to sit and talk to each other about how Jens stepdad finally is away from her and how she finally is happy. Dillion would then talk about how he feels satisfied that's he locked up and will serve time for what he did.
ReplyDeleteIf there was another chapter in Running Loose, I don't think it would be to good. The way it ended was the best way I think, end it with something that started it all. Proves that not always are things fair and you never know what is going to happen. Say I was writing another chapter I would go into how Louie is doing after all years later as the book seems to end at a good point with Louie and Washington talking. Seems to come full circle. One thing that I wish I had more detail of is if Louie would stay in touch with Becky's Dad.
ReplyDeletei read the book Stotan! and in the last chapter the guys go to state for swim team and from my understanding they win, but i am unsure as chris cttutcher levaes you hanging at the end. but if i were to add another chapter to the book to tie up any loose ends i would first start with jeff. i would get to poin t weather he dies or survives the blood diesease, which sadly doesnt sound possible. next i would have walker go out with devnee and do what he needs and break up wit her. if it were me i wouldn tbecause i do not think he is going to score with eliane being she has a boy. somthi g is better than nothing anyways. that would be about it to tie up the book, those were the main parts that chris crutcher left a guy hanging on.
ReplyDeletei agree, i think he shouldve told us if Jeff was going to survive.
DeleteI would agree with everything that you said and I would really want to know what happens to Jeff. I also really want to know what happens to walker and Devnee because he had so many opportunities to tell her how he really feels but every time the time came, he changed his mind again.
DeleteIn the end of Running loose Louie wasn’t ever really punished for his actions for what he did to Becky’s plaque all because jaspers name was on it.That surprised me that it didn’t give any more detail and really didn’t know what had happened to him because of it. I would want to hear the conversation between the principle and Louie. Also it didn’t really give any detail with Louie’s after highschool plans which made the ending of the book not that good of a closer. I also believe it would of been better if it gave more details about Louie smashing Becky’s plaque with a sledge hammer and the setting around him as he was doing it.
ReplyDeletei read stotan! i believe that if i had the chance to finish that book, i would have them win state. from my understanding they did win "for Jeff" but apparently they didnt. i would also let the reader know if Jeff is gonna make it or if he dies from the blood disease because that left me hanging. the other thing i would add is to say if Walker ends up breaking up with devnee or not since he was thinking about it. thats about it though.
ReplyDeletein the book Stotan, Chris Crutcher ended the book with a lot of loose ends. towards the end of the book he said that Jeff might not have very long to live. if i was to add another chapter I would add what happens to Jeff and how long he lives. he kind of accepted that his life was over so i think it would be good to see him stay for a couple years yet. another thing i would add is what happened to walker and Devnee. did he actually tell her this time or did he get caught up in the moment and forget about it again. throughout the book there was many times when walker was going to tell Devnee how he feels about elaine and every time he changed his mind. in the end this would be good to know being he had so many opportunities to tell her.
ReplyDeleteIn the Chinese handcuffs I believe after everything that happened Dillion and Jen are going to meet up and discuses about Jens stepfather beating her.
ReplyDelete