The Wave (Laurel-Leaf contemporary fiction) by Todd Strasser
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Book Reviews of The Wave (Laurel-Leaf contemporary fiction)
Book Review: The classroom experiment that went too far
Summary: 5 Stars
After Mr. Ben Ross, the history teacher at Gordon High School, showed the class a film about Hitler, the other Nazis, and the Jews in the concentration camps, a few of his students start to ask questions about why the Germans didn't do anything about the Jews in the concentration camps. It bothered Mr. Ross that he couldn't answer the students' questions, so he decided to do an experiment called The Wave. Mr. Ross taught his students the salute, the symbol, and mottos: Strength through Discipline, Strength through Community, and Strength through Action. The class quickly gathers momentum and discipline through the leadership of their history teacher. The experiment made everybody, including Mr. Ross, get caught up with it. It made people have confidence and pride to be a member of The Wave. At first, it was just a game. But as The Wave becomes more successful, it spreads throughout the whole school, as old members recruit new ones. Later, conflicts arise because of The Wave. Members threaten anybody who is against The Wave or who doesn't want to become a member. After The Grapevine publishes a newspaper describing The Wave and its disadvantages, things really get out of control. Only Laurie Saunders and her boyfriend, David Collins discover out how dangerous The Wave is, they both try to stop it. But is it already too late?The Wave is a very good book. I think the book is also very descriptive and detailed, but it also doesn't give a lot of useless information. Another reason I like the book is because it is told in the perspectives of the main characters, mostly Laurie and Mr. Ross. The Wave has taught me a lot about group and peer pressure. Through Mr. Ross's experiment, the book describes how minorities, such as the Nazis, control a majority, such as the Germans and how important self-esteem and individuality are. It shows how one thing, such as The Wave, can cause so many conflicts between people. In addition, it shows how close history was about to repeat itself and that we should try not to repeat mistakes that happened. This book is one of my personal favorites.
Book Review: book review
Summary: 5 Stars
The Wave was a good book. It was a very quick read and easy to understand. I read this book for my freshman honors lit class and it was one of the better books that I have read.
The Wave was about a high school, Gordon High School, that has a history project that goes way too far. The main character Laurie has her best friend Amy, her boyfriend David, and her history teacher Mr. Ross. The story starts out with everything going as it normally would at Gordon High. In History class Mr. Ross was teaching about the Holocaust and the class had to watch a disturbing video about the Nazis. On the other hand Mr. Ross had an idea of how to teach the class, hands on, just what it was like in the Nazi Party.
After a few days Mr. Ross came and was teaching the class about discipline and how to properly answer questions. The class responded very well and did as they were told with no questions asked. After awhile Mr. Ross would create a saying for the Wave and also a salute. Also as this was all going on in the class students were recruiting other students to become part of the wave. Students were believing that the wave could bring equality to the school and success the football team.
While most of the students believed The Wave was a great improvement, Laurie and the rest of the school newspaper were still weary of The Wave. As time passed it begun to get too serious and people were getting beat up for not joining, This was pretty much the end for the wave because after this Mr. Ross began to find ways to end the Wave effectively.
A few days later Mr. Ross set up a meeting after school for all Wave members. During the assembly, Mr. Ross put on the disturbing video of Hitler and it made the students in the wave see how much they looked like Nazis. They rightfully freaked out and immediately got out of The Wave . This taught them a valuable lesson to not let someone dictate your life.
Book Review: The Wave
Summary: 5 Stars
Get Carried Away on The Wave
By Todd Strasser
Power is a dangerous thing. It gives "Strength through discipline. Strength through community. Strength through power." This is the irrepressible mantra of The Wave, an organization of power, a social experiment created by high school history teacher Ben Ross. Mr. Ross creates this experiment out of curiosity, and to illustrate to his students the terror of uncontrollable power, such that the Nazis possessed during World War II. The Wave is a captivating novel written by Todd Strasser, based on actual events occurring in a California high school in 1969.
What begins as a creative history lesson quickly snowballs into something greater and more dominant than anyone would have expected. Mr. Ross tries to show his students the appeal of following the strict dictatorship of Hitler, and ends up enticing them all into his test. Most students find the strength and power of joining The Wave appealing, yet Laurie Saunders, the smart and popular main character, manages to see past the charm of the cult. As The Wave gains momentum, holding rallies, forcing a salute from all who want to watch a football game and giving special control to its members, more outsiders are drawn, and the few against the group are shunned. It takes an attack on a non-Wave member to truly awaken the harm of The Wave to Laurie, but her concerns are forcefully stifled by Wave members. Will Laurie be able to show The Wave the error of its ways, or is history destined to repeat itself?
I really enjoyed the suspense and intrigue that I found in this book; the pages managed to turn themselves as I eagerly read on. Anyone looking for an exciting and though-provoking read will truly appreciate The Wave.
Book Review: eye opening
Summary: 5 Stars
The Wave is a book about a high school where a social studies teacher performs an experiment on the students. This expirement creates a group that almost the whole school is involved in. It is frighteningly similar to the Nazis.
My favorite part was when two of the students realized what was happening around them. They approached their teacher, and asked him to make it all stop. The next day, everyone was told that there was going to be an assembly for all of the members. At the assembly the teacher revealed that the group he had started was incredibly similar to the Nazis. It was interesting to see the affect that this had on everyone, some were left speechless and disbelieving, while others were crushed by this truth.
Out of all the books I have read, The Wave was by far the most interesting because what was happening in it is happening all over the country, only in different forms. The fashions we see today are like the wave in that they are all anybody can think about. If you shop at Hollister, Areopostale, or other such stores, you are considered acceptable. If you don't, you aren't considered "popular". This clothing may be some of the ugliest stuff you have ever seen, and yet, people will wear it all the time just to be "popular". The same thing happens with music. It could be the worst sounding music you have ever heard, but to be considered "popular" you have to listen to it. This book really opened up my eyes to what is happening to our counry and the people around me.
Book Review: A Good Lesson
Summary: 5 Stars
How did the Nazis take over? How could a counrty let it happen? It couldn't happen here! Wanna bet? That is the backdrop to "The Wave". Hip history teacher Burt Ross decides to answer his students with an experiment. Instead of Nazism, he calls it "The Wave" and couches the terminology in good feeling ideas that grab some of the kids. He then stands back and watches.
The idea catches on with some of the students. The class loser suddenly starts to gain status and moves up in the social order. Some of the students start to recruit and the "movement" builds. Just as Nazism did, the movement starts to use intimidation and veiled threats to gain new members. The situation starts to fly out of control with burt Ross trying to figure how to regain control.
This story is the metaphor for the rise and fall of Nazism. It is also based on a true story out of California. That is what makes it so scary. That it could happen in America. Even in the land of the free, a cult of personality can lead to the very thing our society hates. The right to dissent is the hinge pin to our freedoms even if the people dissenting seem to be nuts. The story shows perfectly how trying to do something good can lead to the very thing the group is trying to avoid. Mass movements are not always good and society is fine just the way it is even if it is not perfect. Think about that the next time you hear about the next great thing to fix us. Highly reccommended.