It’s funny how we often overlook potentially good blogs simply based on where they are hosted. Like so many other reviewers I have a tendency to do just the same with someone who’s using one of the pay services. A blogspot blog. Can you see the grimace on my face? However it was a pleasant surprise to not got to his blog and see that ugly multi-colored layout with the big black borders? I know you all know which one I’m talking about. Instead you’re graced with the cool colors of blue. This, dear reader, is a nice change.
The author, Ruchita, is a young one. Still in her high school years, it’s amazing sometimes to see the difference in the writing style of the youth today as opposed to just a few years ago. I doubt I could’ve written anything worthy of posting when I was still in high school. Though she shares with us her anticipation of graduation, we can sympathize, because goodness knows there’s not a person alive who doesn’t remember anticipating graduation high school. Ruchita reminds me very much, in her style of writing, of some of the young adult books that I’ve read. Don’t get me wrong, I love and adore those young adult books and have turned many an adult onto these books. This blog reads much like those (referring to classmates and dorkus’). It gives the blog a very light-hearted, humorous feel to it. Young people can relate, and older people can remember. A nice balance between all worlds.
As you read you feel her pain as she studies for exams, and juggles between leisure and work, and also the occasional rambling about theater or concerts. This lets the reader wonder whether she’s a theater freak, or just the regular over-zealous teenager trying to make it into a decent college. This also caused me, the reader, to want that much more about Ruchita, which left me searching for an about me page. Maybe it’s just me, but I like to know a little more about the reader, sometimes even just silly details. However, on the plus side, you do learn more about Ruchita if you actually get to reading more of her entries. She’s obviously a social butterfly (which is definitely not a bad thing) with scheduling a movie night at her house and inviting everyone she knows (and making sure that everyone “spreads the word.”)
She writes in a style that almost mimicks letters to her friends, as a whole. Her readers are referred to as “you” and it makes the blog have a very personal feel to it… almost like she’s your friend also. I’m guessing that’s the point. And trust me… it definitely makes you feel more at home.
The only issue I was noticing with regard to the entire blog is that it is hosted on blogspot. It’s not that it’s a bad host, it’s just that there are a few server problems now and again. I didn’t take this away from her score, simply because it’s not wholly her fault. She cannot control the server gods and make them do anything right. The problem lies in when you try to view any of her archives. Some archives show up with the “page not found” error. Other’s come up with just the code of the page. Other times you’ll load the layout, no text. And when you refresh (sometimes it’s the 4th or 5th time) you finally get the text to show, sometimes with a few errors.
Overall, this blog is a simple glimpse into the life of a teen somewhere out there. It’s fun, entertaining and highly amusing. It reads like a book, very smoothly, and I recommend stopping by and giving it a read. You might be surprised to find that you’re enjoying it as well.Virtual Insanity