Driving.

I am absolutely terrified of car accidents, of dying in one. I have internal mini breakdowns almost every time I get into a car. It doesn't help that I was actually in one last month, and I have horrifying flashbacks every time I leave my neighborhood.

I got my permit yesterday. Driving the car isn't nearly as scary as being the passenger in a car, but it's still terrifying. I refuse to drive, my parents want me to go out and practice and take them out for a spin, but I'd rather not have to get behind the wheel again. Ever. I'm sure the more I drive the more comfortable I'll get, but I don't enjoy driving, it's not an interest of mine. The way I see it is, I'll drive the amount I have to in order to practice and do well enough to pass my license test next year, and then I'll drive only when absolutely necessary and when I don't have my own ride somewhere, otherwise. Sadly, my parents aren't okay with this reasoning and are probably going to force me to drive on a regular basis.

Birthday Bash?

To start off, today is my birthday, which I guess, is the one and only day of the year where it's okay to be a little self-centered and a little egotistical. In all actuality, I don't see my birthday as anything special, as a day different than any other and I don't see why it should be treated as such. I appreciate the gifts and the hugs and the well wishes, I really do, in fact they put a huge smile on my face for most of the day, I just don't really understand why. You should celebrate being alive everyday, not just on the one day of the year you were born. But like I said, even though I don't see much of a point in celebrating the day, I did quite in enjoy the day. For the most part, anyway.

Now, my day didn't start in exactly an ideal way. It actually started with a bit of an emotional breakdown on the way to school, but I guess that's bound to happen when your mother claims you hate her and calls you a horrible person first thing in the morning. A great way to start the day. My day did get better once I got to school though. It was a little creepy knowing a few of my friends were in my locker, but a nice gesture nonetheless. I came to school to find candy, cards, gifts, and Morgan Freeman sitting atop my books. I guess it would do good to clear up and add, that Morgan Freeman wasn't really in my locker, although that would've been sure to put a smile on my face. Instead, a picture of him was taped to the door with a quote by him hanging above it. It said "If you lay down, people will step over you. But if you keep scrambling, if you keep going, someone will always, always give you a hand. Always. But you gotta keep dancing, you gotta keep your feet moving." This alone made me incredibly happy.

I opened a song that my best friend wrote me next, and I almost cried right there in the middle of the hallway, it was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. Next I opened a card from her mom, who is basically my second mother. And it was again, one of the sweetest things I could ever hope to receive, and my heart loves the fact that I'm such a big part in their family. Next I opened the card from said best friends cousin, who is one of my favorite people on this earth and his card brought a huge smile to my face. I opened his mom's card next, which sang and made me giggle, and on the inside she wrote "You are truly a wonderful person. I am blessed to have you in both of our lives. Love, -boy's mom- and -boy-." I must say, I did tear up at that last one. I feel like the lucky one to have all of them in my life.

I did actually have a bit of a breakdown during first period, because with the lights out and everyone working quietly around me, my mind began to wander, and I thought back to the cards with the cute sayings and all the I love you's... and I had ask to go to the bathroom so I didn't lose it in the middle of class.

The rest of the day was slow, until lunch when the aforementioned best friend brought out two cookie cakes that her mom had made me for my birthday. Did I mention I absolutely love her family? Because I do. Her entire family. My lord. <3

I honestly don't know where I'd be without them, and now that I've been obnoxiously sappy, I leave you on this note.

The Key To Midnight Journal Entry: Four

Now that I've finished this novel, I can accurately compare it to each of Dean Koontz's other books that I've read. This is certainly among the top, but is not the best one I've read. I don't believe I will ever come across a Dean Koontz book that doesn't grab hold of my attention from the first word and keep me on the edge of my seat for the ride of my life. He's a fantastic author, and I will most definitely be reading more by him in the near future.

The Key To Midnight was suspenseful, beautiful, unpredictable, and flat out brilliant. I honestly wouldn't change a thing, there isn't even a sentence worth criticizing. This book was easy to follow, and always throwing you a curve ball, and whenever you think you figured out what happened to Joanna, something happens to convince you otherwise. I enjoyed this novel a lot, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

I have read a number of Dean Koontz books over the years, a few of them being, Strangers, Watchers, Velocity, The Darkest Evening of The Year, and The Face. Each and every one has been wonderful in their own way, but my two favorites remain to be Strangers and The Darkest Evening of The Year. Each tale was unique and had me hanging on every word. I love Dean Koontz's style of writing more than anything, it's poetic, beautiful, and wonderfully breathtaking. I would give anything to tell a story the way he can.

The Key To Midnight Journal Entry: Three

So far, there have been a lot of important passages in The Key To Midnight but I think the most important one I've read thus far, was one found on page 245.


Joanna took a deep breath. "I see midnight. The most perfect midnight imaginable. Silky. Almost liquid. A fluid midnight sky runs all the way to the earth on all sides, sealing everything up tight, melting like tar over the whole world, over everything that comes before, over everywhere I've been and everything I've done and everything I've seen. No stars at all. Flawless blackness. Not a speck of light. And not a sound either. No wind. No odors. The earth itself is black. All darkness on all sides. Blackness is the only thing, and it goes on forever."

"No," Inamura said. "That's not true. Twenty years of your life will begin to unfold around you. It's starting to happen even as I speak. You see it now, a world coming to life all around you."

"Nothing."

"Look closer, Joanna. It may not be easy to see at first, but it's all there. I've given you the key to your past."

"You've only given me the key to midnight," Joanna said. A new despair echoed in her voice.

"The key to the past," Inamura insisted.

"To midnight," she said miserably. "A key to darkness and hopelessness. I am nobody. I am nowhere. I'm alone. All alone. I don't like it here."


I feel like this is a very important passage in this novel because not only does it refrence the title, but it also lets you in on how Joanna feels, having been brainwashed for an unknown reason, and now missing twenty years of her life from memory. You get a look into how much she doesn't know, how much she doesn't feel, and how alone she truly is because she had her past taken away from her, her present thrust upon her, and her future choosen for her.

This conversation took place during a hypnosis session, Inamura tried to delve deeper into the unknown, learn more about who the man with the steel hand was and why he had kidnapped Joanna. Joanna has begun to remember many things about what happened to her and she's learned to overcome memory blocks put in place, but she still has no recollection of Lisa Chelgrin, her former self.

Not only is this one of the most important passages so far in The Key To Midnight, it is also one of my favorites. I love the way Joanna described the perfect midnight, in a beautiful and thrilling, yet frightening way.

The Key To Midnight Journal Entry: Two

Each time I pick up The Key To Midnight to read some more, I have a hard time putting it down. The tale is interesting and the characters are enthralling and I find myself craving more. It's one of those books I know will have a satisfying ending, but in the end, I'll still find myself wanting more. Dean Koontz has always been one of my favorite authors and so far, this is definitely at the top of the list of those that I've read.

After reading so many of Dean Koontz's novels, I feel like I may be able to accuratley assess the kind of person he is. I've come to the conclusion that he must be a deep person, someone who always has a bunch of things running through his mind. The type of person who has fragments of beautiful sentences in his head that he scrambles to remember and write down and he builds ideas off of them. I believe he is a caring and honest person. And I like to believe he is like a lot of the characters that he creates, the ones I hold so dear to my heart.

Sometimes in one of his works, there's one line or one passage that makes me think, makes me believe, and makes me crave more. The beauty in his writing never ceases to amaze me. I'm the type of person, that when I read I mark pages with my favorite passages and when I'm finished the book I write them all down in a notebook. My favorite line so far, in The Key To Midnight is "Every cloud, has a silver lining."

In all of the books that I've read by him though, my favorite passage was in The Darkest Evening Of The Year. This is it... "Bad people succeed and good people fail, but that's not the end of the story. Miracles happen that nobody sees, and among us walk heroes who are never recognized, and people live in loneliness because they cannot believe they are loved." This is one of the truest statements I've ever read, and it was written in such a beautiful, poestic fashion.

I'm looking forward ro reading more of this book, and also to adding more quotes to my collection. =]