Lukas K.'s Reading Log

1st chapter:

The first chapter of the novel Snakeman deals with Cathy, who is new at Portland High School. It’s her third school in the last four or five years. Because she doesn’t want to be an outsider, she trys to make a good impression right from the beginning. Her homeroom teacher, Mr. Deedles, introduces Cathy to the class, while he tells her new classmates all the nice things she has told him personally. When the bell rings, Jamie, a boy in her class, introduces himself to Cathy. He works for the school newspaper and asks her for an interview. Cathy approves for an interview during lunch. During the interview, Jamie asks Cathy for example about her hobbies or about reading books. Afterwards he asks whether she wants to work for the school newspaper. She says that she would think about it.

2nd chapter:

The second chapter is about the first coming together between Cathy and Snakeman at the new school. Just after school finishes, Cathy opens her locker when she feels a strange attendance behind her. She turns around slowly. Cathy is astonished, as she sees a tall and thin guy with empty eyes of a snake and two other boys standing a few feet away on both sides of her. Snakeman forces Cathy to join his club. From now on, Cathy has to pay weekly membership dues. The price is five dollars a week. Cathy isn’t allowed to disagree and has to cooperate with Snakeman. Otherwise he impends to hurt Mike, Cathy’s little brother. After making the first payment, Cathy stands about two minutes alone in the corridor and thinks about what even happened. Then she walks to the main door.

3rd chapter:

In the third chapter, after the school has had ended, Cathy takes the bus home. While she is sitting in the bus, she thinks about the incident that happened in school just a few minutes ago. When she arrives at home and comes into the kitchen her little brother Mike asks her about the first day at school. Cathy has braced herself up for this question and says that it wasn’t bad. After answering the question she checks Mike’s reaction to make sure he doesn’t realise that something bad has happened. Then she asked Mike how his first day was. When the conversation ended, Mike goes to the park to play some basketball. Until her mum comes home Cathy thinks about whether she should tell it or tell it not. She decides to wait a few days. Her mum arrives lately at home and tells Cathy about her problems she has on the first day at her new job. Then Cathy goes into her room and in the end, after two hours, she has a strategy to deal with Snakeman.

4th chapter:

The 4th chapter deals with the failure of Cathy’s non-resinstance strategy. After a few weeks, Cathy notices a change when Snakeman comes and collect the money. Snakeman looks at Cathy, as if he wants her to say or do something. On a given day, Snakeman continues staring at her necklace. He asks whether he can take the necklace along, so that a good friend can have a look at it whether it is faked or not. Because Cathy doesn’t want to give the necklace away, Snakeman impends to take it himself. Consequently, she gives the necklace to Snakeman. When Cathy is back at home, she feels certain that she won’t hand over the money anymore. Then the telephone rings. It is Jamie. He wants her to join the school newspaper. In the end, Cathy agrees on a try-out basis. After that she trys to concentrate on her thoughts about Snakeman and realizes what her next step would be: she would try to find a confidant.

5th chapter:

Chapter five is about the meeting of Cathy with the principal, Dr. Callahan. Cathy has arranged an appointment with him. Dr. Callahan’s secretary asks Cathy to come in and when she enters the room, he stands up and asks Cathy to have a seat. They talk about outdoor living and the principal narrates about his summer home on the coast. He says that he would spend all his time after this year with his wife there. The appointment lasted about fifteen minutes. On Cathy’s opinion, he seems friendly, but there is something about him that Cathy’s doesn’t like. Always when she suggest her problems he seems nervous. Whatever it is, Cathy feels certain that he isn’t the right person to speak with.

6th chapter:

The sixth chapter is about the meeting between Cathy and the counselor, Mr. Black. He is one of the members that are on Cathy’s list. Mr. Black is one of those Cathy thinks she can trust. She has prepared a fictional story as her problem. First she says that she had a little problem. She tells Mr. Black about her problems regarding the first days and weeks at the school. After that she tells Mr. Black that her necklace has been stolen during phys ed. Subsequently Mr. Black asks whether she did reported it to the principal. But that was the reason for coming to Mr. Black. When Cathy leaves Mr. Black’s Office, she has already crossed him off the list.

7th chapter:

In chapter seven, Cathy tells her mum about Snakeman and his strategy. Eileen, Cathy’s mum is surprised and asks Cathy whether she hadn’t told it her before. Cathy hasn’t told it her before because her mum is new at her job and has a few problems at her first days. After Cathy has told the whole story, they think about a solution for the present situation. This solution is: finding pupils and teachers who are on Cathy’s side.