Monday, December 29, 2014

❄If I Stay (Book Review)❄️

Hello my readers! This will be my last review of the year as for now, I will be reviewing Gayle Forman's novel If I Stay. This young adult novel is about Mia Hall, who deals with the aftermath of a car accident involving her family. In a coma she later realizes that she is experiencing an out-of-body experience, while watching her friends and extended family members in the hospital. Also she has to decide whether to stay or to leave the world.
Characters:
Mia Hall- She is a 17-year-old girl that is quiet, kind, and a musically gifted. She often struggles with belonging because she is from a rock and roll family and also has a rock star boyfriend, she often feels out of place.
Adam Wilde- Is Mia's boyfriend, who is very handsome and loves music. He is a singer and plays the guitar while being apart of a band called "Shooting Star". It is later revealed that he is the reason Mia decided at the end of the book.
Kim Schein- Is Mia's best friend and is sarcastic and obedient to her emotional mother. In the novel it is described she and Mia are very similar.
Teddy Hall- Is Mia's younger brother and admires her. Mia thinks of him as her own son. 
Kat Hall- Is Mia's and Teddy's mother and loves rock music and her family. She is described in the novel as "tough as nails, tender as kittens".
Denny Hall- Is Mia's and Teddy's father who is quite rebellious but mature. He steps up to be a father and eventually gives up his band in favor of teaching.
Overall Ranking:
I give Gayle Forman's novel a 5 out of 5 stars because I was critical about how the out-of-body experience would be played out in this novel but it flowed really well. I liked how we received all these flashbacks that create suspense and emotion towards Mia and what she is going through. Before I read it the movie had already premiered and I was given away the ending by my friends but the ending was still unexpected and left on a cliffhanger when I read that part of the book. Even though I'm critical about cliffhangers I still enjoyed the book and it made an exception. I would recommend this to any young adult reader and adult reader because the novel is mature and discusses many topics and themes through out the novel. I will try and review the movie adaptation and the sequel to this novel soon. Don't forget to continue following me and my sites below. Till next year my wonderful readers!





☆The Fault In Our Stars(Movie Review)★

*Read with caution! Spoilers ahead!*
Hello my beautiful readers! Today I'm going to review the film adaptation of The Fault In Our Stars. First off this movie is about a 16-year-old girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She is forced by her parents to attend a cancer patient support group, where she meets and falls in love with Augustus Waters. I give this movie a ranking of 5.5 out of 5 stars because Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort were excellent choices for the main roles and they didn't look like 20-something-year-olds trying to play teenagers. They also did a great make-up job for Shailene's character because I don't like it when they put too much make-up on a character that isn't supposed to have any on. I disliked that they didn't include some scenes in the movie but left them as deleted scenes, which I didn't want but it still was a great film. Also when they tried acting out these beautiful quotes from the novel I found it cheesy because I thought it could work but it didn't look right in reality. Most of the scenes with Hazel and Augustus were absolutely beautiful but some scenes felt a little too much romance. Regardless this adaptation from the book is true to the story and I would recommend a friend to come over and watch this film. Don't forget if you haven't already read my review for the book The Fault In Our Stars, I will leave a link below. Also don't forget to continue following me and my sites listed below! Don't forget to be awesome my readers!

✿Perks of Being A Wallflower (Movie Review)✿

*Please read with caution! Spoilers ahead!*
Hello my lovely readers! Once again I'm going to review another movie I will be reviewing the movie adaptation of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being A Wallflower. Before I give my final ranking, I would like to address a couple of my opinions towards this movie. The plot of the story is about finding yourself and being able to fit in. If you haven't read the book I would suggest that you read my review to get a further understanding of the movie. Which will be listed below at the end of this review. The plot is still reflected from the story but like many movie adaptions that were based off of a book some scenes have to be cut. In this case, I felt that the movie stayed true to the book because Stephen Chbosky in fact directed his book into a movie adaptation. Also the movie had a talented cast because of Logan Lerman and the beautiful Emma Watson. In the movie I felt that the main character, Charlie, was portrayed as a mature teenager but in the book Charlie is a little childish instead of being mature. Regardless, I had no problem with any of the other cast members. The cinematography for this film was beautiful because it stayed true to this vision that anyone who read the book would view how the book would play out as a movie. If that makes any sense. Also I would like to note that the film had a really good soundtrack that I fell in love with and would listen to it on repeat. As a result, I would give this movie a 5 out of 5 stars because of the points listed above. If you haven't watched this film please do I feel like anyone could relate to this coming of age story. I'm sorry this is a short review but I hope these posts make up for my absence earlier in the year. Don't forget to follow for more reviews and to follow the sites below. Till then my lovely readers!


Sunday, December 28, 2014

☆The Fault In Our Stars (Book Review)★

Hello my lovely readers! Today I will review John Green's book The Fault In Our Stars. This book takes the point of view of Hazel Grace Lancaster, who has thyroid cancer. She attends cancer patients support group at her mother's behest. However, during a support group meeting she catches the eye of Augustus Waters. The story follows Hazel and Augustus story as friends but eventually blossoms to a romantic relationship.
Characters:
Hazel Grace Lancaster- Is a 16-year-old teenager who was diagnosed at age 13 with thyroid cancer. She is intelligent and diligent but keeps most people at a distance, knowing her death will ultimately hurt them until she fell in love with Augustus.
Augustus Waters- Is a 16-year-old teenage whose osteosarcoma caused him to lose his leg. He is seen as having keen wit and has a tendency toward performances-he reveals in grand romantic gestures. He falls in love with Hazel during a support group meeting.
Isaac- Is a mutual friend of Hazel and Augustus. He is blinded by cancer and was dumped by his girlfriend Monica. He is embodies skepticism and rage.
Mrs. Lancaster- Is Hazel's mother and is an emotionally kind woman who has made her life to care for Hazel.
Mr. Lancaster- Is Hazel's father and is caring but prone to tears. Like Hazel's mother, he only understands Hazel's cancer broadly and spends much of his time at work.
Peter Van Houten- He is the infamous author of An Imperial Affliction but is later to be revealed a drunk and deflects emotion with walls of intellectualism and cruelty.
Overall Ranking:
John Green's novel is given a ranking of 5 out of 5 stars because it is and isn't a typical love story/ YA novel. The story surrounds many themes such as life and death which is something I can forward opinions on and discuss further. Even though, the plot has funny aspects it still has some serious aspects that are mentioned. The characters, that are acknowledged are battling cancer but at the same time want to live a normal life. They are also shown to have a hint of adult like relationship even though they are portrayed as teenagers. The book creates beautiful scenery that can be painted in your mind such as the famous Amsterdam scenes. You can imagine that John Green took careful thoughts into the Amsterdam scenes because he traveled to The Netherlands to get inspiration for this novel long before the book was published. A couple of other ideas that I would like to mention are, the tone and attitude of Hazel and the poetic feel that the novel hints. I feel like John Green can be some how shown in Hazel's character but at the same time stay true to a young teenager is something I favorite. I would recommend this novel to anyone because it has all these concepts that were mentioned above. Please give this novel a try if you haven't read this novel. Be sure to follow me and my sites listed below. Don't forget to be awesome! Till then my lovely readers!

Insurgent Trailer



Next year, I will be doing more movie reviews and my next one will be Insurgent. I still have to review the first movie and book, Divergent. Expect a review of both to come soon. Till then my lovely readers!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

❤Holiday Gift Guide For Book Lovers❤

Hello my lovely readers! Today I'm going to discuss gift ideas to get for any book lover. Since the holidays are coming up fast I decided to list my top five gifts in this gift guide.
1. Book Cover Shirts
This gift includes all classical books in literature but if your not into t-shirts there is the option of sweaters. You can find this gift anywhere at a low price but if you want the gift above go to The Hob Nob Shop for these lovely t-shirts.
2. Book Cover Bags
If your not into the book cover t-shirts, then you'll love these book cover bags that can be used as a book bag. Again, you can find these bags anywhere at a low price but if you want the one pictured above you can find it at The Hob Nob Shop .
3. Personal Library Kit
This gift is an excellent choice for any book lover. I personally would like this gift for myself  because I loan my books all the time and I would like something to help me keep track of them. You can find this anywhere but I found this gift on Amazon .
4. Invisible Metal Book Shelf
This invisible metal book shelf is great for all book lovers who need an extra shelf for organization. This book shelf can be bought at Barnes and Nobles .
5.  Book Recommendation
This book is recommended to anyone who loves women in classical literature and you find this book on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles . It has beautiful illustrations and quotes that are included from their books.
If you still need some more ideas, then go to booksandquils on Youtube for her book recomedations for the holiday. Don't forget to follow me and check out the sites below. Merry Christmas to all my lovely readers!


Saturday, December 6, 2014

Into The Woods Trailer


Be sure to look out for Meryl Streep in the new Disney movie Into the Woods that will be coming out on December 25. Also, be sure to look out for a review on this movie in January. Till then my anxious readers!

Saturday, November 29, 2014

✿Perks of Being A Wallflower (Book Review)✿

 This book has been on my to-review pile for ages so, enjoy. Perks of Being a Wallflower By Stephen Chbosky, begins with Charlie, the main character, writing about his traumatic experiences as a freshmen in high school, the death of his friend, and a year before, the death of his favorite aunt. He befriends senior step-siblings, Sam and Patrick, while Charlie quickly develops a crush on Sam. He also experiences everything that a typical high schooler does through out the story.
Characters:
Charlie- Is a 15 year old boy who is sensitive, and quiet at the beginning of the story. He is taken notice for his passion for reading and writing in English class.
Sam- Is a senior in high school, who is laidback, down to earth, and outgoing. She is often free spirited and has a wild side.
Patrick- Is also a senior in high school, who is outgoing, very bold, is funny, and is never afraid of an adventure. He is friendly and approachable but within his circle of friends they know he is homosexual and had a private relationship.
Mary Elizabeth- Is very into social issues such as the Native Americans, objectifications, and bourgeois. Charlie shortly dates her but breaks up with her.
Alice- Is bubbly with a mystery. She likes vampires and wants to go to film school.
Candice- Is described as being mean but is actually loving and understanding when she wants to be, which shows she deeply cares for Charlie. 
Overall Ranking:
This coming-of-age novel is given a 5 out of 5 stars because the novel explores the main character's freshmen year. Which many who have gone through high school would relate to this type of scenario. It also explores many cultural references to American literature that I remember reading when I was a freshmen in high school. I absolutely loved the idea of finding-your-friends-when-they-find-you-kind-of-thing. The concept that I was skeptical about was the idea of this book being told through letters made by the main character but I find it refreshing and it wasn't as difficult to read. The book is short but has many sides to it such as moments that are funny and serious at times. I recommend this book to all young adult readers and expect a movie review to be posted soon. Till then my readers!


Monday, November 24, 2014

=Reached (Book Review)=

Hello my wonderful readers! Today I'm going to review the last book from the matched series, Reached By Ally Condie. The story is told in the point of views from Cassia, Ky, and Xander. Before, Cassia finally found Ky but they are separated again. Cassia is supposed to work within the society, while Ky works outside the borders. Soon the real story is shown in a twist of events through out the dystopian world.
Overall Ranking:
There is many new characters to include but I decided to not talk much about them because it would be like giving away the plot. However this book is given, a 4.5 out of five stars because the series gave many obvious answers towards the end but there were several unexpected turns. Such as the "real" enemy isn't the rising, why Ky was put into the matching pool, and the favored memory of Cassia's grandfather. While reading this trilogy I found that the common theme was Cassia breaking from society and no longer taking their authority. Which is seen on the cover and resembles the symbol of the red pill, that is revealed in this book. I wasn't satisfied with this book because the artifacts that were mentioned in Matched wasn't given any clue to where they may be found and what happens to the world? Does the world return to it's "normal" state or does it "change" in the end? Many of my questions weren't answered but I felt some what accomplished when I finished the trilogy. I still feel the author brought many poetic images through this book but it didn't feel over bearing as Crossed and it felt like the language and tone moved swiftly with this concept. Also, the reason I was unable to finish this book was that the beginning was still boring and lagging but when I reached the turning point of the book I started to enjoy myself once again. In conclusion, you should start this trilogy because it is dystopian but has many twist and turns that I personally favorite. Please give it a try and continue following me on all my accounts listed below. Till then my readers!


Cinderella Trailer


I'm looking forward to watching Disney's Cinderella that will be released in early March of next year. I'm hoping that it won't be like Maleficent's ending by staying true to the original story. Be sure to look our for a review of both movies to come soon.

♥Crossed (Book Review)♥

 
Hello again my beautiful readers! Since I previously reviewed Matched By Ally Condie I thought I could continue reviewing the trilogy because I like to continue my thoughts on each book of this series. So, in Crossed the story continues with Cassia's internal struggle between Ky and Xander. She also has trouble finding the society's enemy also known as the rebellion. Which Cassia thinks it is the only safest place to be with Ky whom she choses to be with at this point of the story. However, the story focuses on the struggle in general such as struggle between friendship, love, and most of all surviving but also breaking away from the society.
Characters:
Indie- Cassia's friend from camp who helped her escape. She is mysterious, sneaky, and a little dishonest. She wants to find the rebellion and join it by staying with Cassia.
Vick- Ky's friend from camp who escaped with Ky. He is caring and compassionate but is secretive and seemingly stoic.
Eli- Is a young boy whom Ky takes with him when he escapes from camp, because he reminds Ky of Cassia's brother, Bram. Eli is younger and weaker but he manages to keep up with Ky and Vick.
Hunter- Is a farmer from the carving, a mountain range in the outer provinces. He has lost his daughter and tries finding other farmers on their trek to someplace safe.
Overall Ranking:
I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars because the plot of the story was finding the rebellion by escaping the society. However, towards the larger portion of the book I found it really boring and dragging on because I didn't find it as exciting until it reached towards the reunion. Also more references towards color and imagery is really well thought out but I think it could still be less especially with these descriptions it loses my concentration towards what's happening. When you think the plot of the book gets sweeter the plot builds on towards some complications such as "How to get to the rebellion?' and "Will they ever see each other again?' this creates an illusion of anticipation for the next book. All questions will be answered in the next book, which is pretty massive but I think I can tackle them down when it comes to the review. Besides my concerns about the book, I liked several parts of the story such as the Canyon scenes and the characters finding the secret tissue lab. I would recommend this book, if your really into this series it will be a quick read but I feel like it didn't live up to my expectations but for others it's different. Till then my lovely readers I will update soon! Don't forget to follow me on my social media which is linked below!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Trailer


I know I have been lagging on all these reviews but I'm currently updating right now so expect a Mocking Jay book review and movie review to come soon. If you have any suggestions for movies and or books for me to review I am open for recommendations. Till then my readers!

Saturday, April 26, 2014

➳Cathing Fire (Movie Review)➳

*Please read with caution! Spoilers ahead!*
I'm again sorry for delaying all my reviews but they will soon be up just stay patient. As we left off in the first movie Katniss and Peeta are the current victors of the last games and they return home to find that some things have changed. Such as being put back into the arena and creating a new strategy in the games. I found that it was hard to rank this movie because the movie adaptation is so close to the book but of course there are a few details that they didn't include. Such as the two escapees from District 8 stating their theory about District 13 and while Katniss is about to eat dinner with the mayor but views the uprising in District 8 before the dinner. These scenes are replaced by Katniss walking past the control room in the train they are on and views the uprising. Lastly when Katniss is dancing with the new game maker, he reveals a clue about the games which is a clock with a mockingjay and it wasn't included but the movie played it out with Wiress giving her a clue. Besides the fact that they didn't include these little details doesn't make it a bad movie. The entire cast was wonderful to watch and they did an outstanding job of playing their roles. Especially those who were returning to their roles. Compared to the first movie, I felt that the cinema photography changed in coloring by using brighter colors but keeping it dark so it could depict the storyline was real. As I have said before it is hard to rank this movie but based on what I have seen and known, I would rank this movie with the highest value, which is a solid 5 out 5 stars. Since I give this movie a high ranking value I expect the next movie to be as great as this one. I also anticipate the next to stay true to the book as well as continue where the last book and movie left off. I have high hopes for the next! Until then, be sure to follow me for more reviews.


Tuesday, April 15, 2014

➳Catching Fire (Book Review)➳

Since the movie adaptation of Catching Fire is going to release in a couple of days I decided to take this opportunity of reviewing this book before the movie comes out. As we know the two victors from the games come back and return home to District 12. The day that Katniss and Peeta are to start their victory tour is when Katniss receives a visit from President Snow. Which he explains why he is angry at her for breaking the rules at the end of the game, which allows both Katniss and Peeta to win. Snow also tells her about when she defied the capitol, she inspired a rebellion in the districts. The victory tour starts with District 11 and ends with the capitol. During an interview, Peeta proposes to Katniss publicly, which is a plan to settle the dispute between Katniss and President Snow and to calm the rebellions in the districts. Their attempts to calm the revolts in the districts fails. Shortly after returning to District 12, Katniss encounters two runaways from District 8. They explain their theory that District 13 has not been entirely wiped out and most of the residents live underground. Later it is announced that the 75th Hunger Games would have 24 victors from previous years must be forced to compete once again. This is the third Quarter Quell, an event that occurs every 25 years of the games and allows the capitol to introduce a twist. Katniss knows she and Peeta will be the two tributes and decides that Peeta should be the victor. Even though Peeta wants to protect her.
 
Characters:
 
Finnick Odair- He is the male tribute for District 4 and was known for winning the 65th Hunger Games at the age of 14. Finnick is 24 years old and is described as being very handsome, muscular, athletic and tall with tan skin, bronze hair, and stunning sea-green eyes. He is popular among the people of the capitol, and is known as a sex symbol for having many female lovers in the capitol, non of whom he stays with long.
Johanna Mason- She is the female tribute for District 7 and was known for winning the Original Hunger Games when she pretended to be a coward and weakling but towards the end of the games she reveals herself as a vicious killer. Johanna is described as being rebellious and sarcastic.
Enoboria- She is the female tribute for District 2 and was removed from the games by the capitol after Katniss caused an explosion in the arena.
Beetee- He is the male tribute for District 3 and was removed from the games by the rebels.
Wiress- She is the female tribute for District 3 and died after her throat was slit by another tribute named Gloss.

Overall Ranking:
This book receives 5 out 5 stars because of the major game change in the Hunger Games and the big plot twist towards the end of the book which revolved around the uprising and the idea of  District 13 remaining underground. After reading this book it kept me wanting to read the next book and have my questions answered such as what will happen to all the characters and is Katniss going to be reunited with Peeta? Personally, I think Katniss will be the one to lead this rebellion because she is called the Mockingjay and the next book is also titled the Mockingjay which might indicate what might happen with the rebellion. For those who are wanting to read on, I recommend that you should continue reading the 2nd book because it does continue after Kantiss and Peeta's life changing after they won  the games. I'm sorry for my absence I have been busy with school because of 2nd semester gets a little chaotic but now that I'm on break I will be doing more reviews. Don't forget to follow for more reviews! Also don't forget to check all the links bellow and comment what you thought about this book.