Snow Bound by Harry Mazer

¶ … Bound by Harry Mazer Snow Bound is the story of two teenagers Tony Laporte and Cindy Reichert. They are very different characters and do not get along, but when problems happen, they have to learn to cooperate and work together. The book delivers important messages about life in the real world, showing that you have to get along with other people, work to help yourself, and be prepared to face challenges. The novel begins with Tony Laporte. Tony is spoiled and used to his parents giving him everything he wants.

It seems like he can hardly believe it when his parents tell him he cannot keep the stray dog he found. Tony reacts badly to not being able to get what he wants and decides to run away. He steals his mother's car and leaves to drive to his uncle's house. Cindy Reichert enters the story when Tony picks her up. Cindy is also a runaway and is hitchhiking. While Tony and Cindy are both runaways, they are very different.

Tony is spoilt and running away to get his parents back. Tony is also arrogant and seems to think he is better than everyone. Cindy is the complete opposite. She does not have any of the confidence of Tony. The differences between the two characters are clear as soon as they meet and results in them fighting and bickering. The story becomes more interesting when Tony and Cindy become stuck in a snowstorm. Tony acts arrogant again in the snowstorm and tries to show off his driving skills.

As a result, he crashes the car. Cindy and Tony wait to be rescued, but they continue to fight. Finally, Cindy and Tony realize that they will have to find a way to cooperate or they may not survive. The first important message of the book is about cooperating with other people. At first, Cindy and Tony fight all the time. As the situation becomes worse for them, they realize that they will have to accept each other's differences, put the difference's aside, and work together.

They have many problems on the way, but working together they do succeed in saving themselves. This shows the importance of accepting others and working with them, even if you are different to them. The lessons that Tony learns in the story are also important. He started by thinking that he is better than everyone and can do anything. When he runs away, he partly does this because he wants to show that nothing can stop him from getting what he wants.

He also crashes the car because he is showing off and thinking that nothing will ever happen to him. He is proved wrong when he crashes the car and when he realizes that his life might be in danger. It seemed like this was the first time in Tony's life where he didn't just get what he wanted by asking. Instead, he had to make a real effort and save himself. This taught Tony two important lessons.

The first is that he is not as tough as he thought he was. The second is that he cannot live his whole life expecting other.