This week I took the first steps to overcoming a fear of mine.  I won't go into details what that fear is, but it got me thinking about Fear in books.  Like death (I wrote a post about it), fear is a great way to propel a character into a certain direction.  It also helps to bring in curve balls to a story that otherwise wouldn't happen.  Then there's the numerous obstacles fear can present for a character, either something they won't do because of it or something they will do to hide from it.  Let's take a look at some books.

Gone by Lisa McMann, from the Wake trilogy.

Janie's fear is understandable.  Her ability weakening her with every dream and there is nothing she can do about it.  Until she realizes, that maybe there is.  She could run, she could leave everything and everyone behind and run.  But that means running from love as well, but isn't that what's best for Cabel.  Fear is funny like that.  Sometimes, it makes you think that the thing you're running from is really for the benefit of someone else.  It isn't until Janie gets all the facts that she realizes, that while fear is understandable, running from it is not.  She realizes that facing it head on is the best way to live her life.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins from The Hunger Games trilogy.

The Hunger Games trilogy has no shortage of fear.  After all, it's the fear of Prim dying in the arena that propels Katniss to volunteer in her place.  However, the fear I want to talk about here is the one that finds Katniss running after she realizes she is heading back to the Games.  It's an instinct, a reaction, something she finds herself doing before she even realizes it's happening.  Fear is like that.  One minute, it takes over your senses, making you do things you normally wouldn't do.  It isn't until Katniss calms down and has time to think that she drags herself off the basement floor and comes to the only understanding she can muster: this time, it isn't about her.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.

Is it fear that drives John Smith to move from place to place to hide from the Mogadorians or is it survival?  That is the question that plagues even the best of us.  Sometimes, it takes courage to run.  Sometimes, it takes courage to fight another day.  But, how do you distinguish between what is courage and what is fear?  In the end, John fights.  In the end, his motivation to survive overcomes his fear of dying.  Fear can, in some cases, be a good thing.  What you need to remember about fear is not to let it control you.  In the best circumstances, we can use fear to help up.  This is what John does.

So, the book club meet on Friday for drinks, appetizers and a review of Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden.  It was the first time we met on a Friday, we usually do Wednesday, that we almost forgot to even talk about a book.  We were enjoying our drinks and food that much.

Only having two of us talk about it (two were out and one didn't read the book), we didn't get into it too much.  I gave my review, the same as what I had written here and the other girl made notes of the language of the book, feeling that it was dated.  The girls, at times, were talking older than what their age called for.  Regardless, we did like it and the one who didn't read it still plans on it.

Our next book is Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan.  No date yet, but as always, stay tuned for my progress.