John Knowles's A Separate Peace was a wonderful story about friendship and life. This novel was a great book to read during the summer before starting at a new school. I thought it was creative the way Knowles uses a flashback as the plot. In the first chapter, when Gene is visiting Devon fifteen years after he graduated, it shows that Devon meant a lot to him. I could see that he had memories of sadness and of happiness there. This was a great way to grab the reader attention quickly.
             I didn't really have a "favorite part" of A Separate Peace, nor did I have a favorite character. I did think one character was more like me than any other. I believe that I am like Gene. School work is very important to me and I always try my best when doing it. I am extremely competitive. I like sports and I'm good at many of them, but I'm probably not the most athletic person you could find. They say opposites attract and I think this is true. Many of my friends have the same interests I do, but most have different interests Gene and Finny didn't share many characteristics, but were best friends and were loyal to each other.
             Even after reading the passage about Phineas falling out of the tree and the passages where Gene confesses, I don't think that Gene meant to shake the limb. Though he admits to doing it, I think that it is something he blames himself for even though it was just an act of nature. Just before they had climbed the tree, Gene had realized that Finny and him were never really competing. I don't think that Gene would shake the limb right after figuring out what a great friend he had.
             John Knowles A Separate Peace is a wonderful book that teaches a lot about friendship and trust. Phineas and Gene can be a lesson to everyone to cherish every moment with the ones you love because you never know when they'll be gone.
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