“The First Half of My Life” By Logan Haug

1. My name is Logan Haug.
2. My major is Exercise Science.
3. My hobbies include going to the beach and shopping.
4. I can walk on my toes for hours at a time, which most people consider an unusual skill.
5. My favorite toys as a little girl were Barbie’s because I enjoyed dressing them up and pretending they were a family.
6. Half A Life was the last book I read.
7. The novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson has had the most influence on me because it prompted my interest in Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN) who sponsors the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
8. I always carry my white Iphone 5 with me so I am always connected to my family and friends back home in New York, regardless of the distance.
9. The title Half A Life can be implied in two different ways. One being that Darin Strauss is only living his life half full because of the anguish he feels about killing Celine Zilke, although not intentionally. Darin is constantly distraught about the situation even after 30 years of the incident. Another way the title can be interpreted is Darin Strauss has to make up for the lost life and fulfill accomplishments for both his and Celine’s shoes. At her funeral Celine’s mother said to Strauss,” You are living it for two people” (pg 56) as she made him promise to live out his life for both his life and her daughters. Darin admitted that “Celine herself started coming with me, on job interviews, dates, everywhere.”(pg 131)