Thursday, July 30, 2009

Dungeon: Zenith: Vol. 1, Duck Heart

Dungeon: Zenith: Vol. 1, Duck Heart


By: Joann Sfar
Reviewed by: Matt, 13
Rating: It was amazing!


Welcome to Terra Amata, and a crazy fantasy world of personified animals, monsters and other crazy beings. This world of humor and horror is set around the Dungeon, a great fortress that attracts adventurers of all sorts and where the highest tower is visible from leagues away. The Zenith portion of this series centers around Herbert a duck who has attained the sword of destiny, and Marvin the vegetarian dragon. In the first half Marvin and Herbert have to save the dungeon from an army hooded and tentacled monsters and their minions. In the second half, Herbert gets training. This book is almost guaranteed to get you hooked.


Recommended to: everyone who anjoys a hilarious, fantasitcal graphic novel of epic proportions

Her Majesty

Her Majesty

By: The Decemberists
Reviewed by: Matt, 13
Rating: Really liked it


This is The Decemberist's second album,and-although its good- it was still lacking. However, this is only because it only because it follows Castaways and Cutouts, which is a completely amazing album. I highly encourage checking it out and taking a listen.

Track Listing:
1)Shanty for the Arethusa
2)Billy Liar
3)Los Angeles, I'm Yours
4)The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
5)The Bachelor and the Bride
6)Song for Myla Goldberg
7)The Soldiering Life
8)Red Right Ankle
9)The Chimbley Sweep
10)I was Meant for the Stage
11)As I Rise


Recommended to: anyone who likes Indie music or The Decemberists

L.A. Candy

L.A. Candy


By: Lauren Conrad
Reviewed by: Tracy L., 13
Rating: It was amazing!


This book's storyline was pretty good. It was about two girls who moved to L.A. just for a change from where they had lived before. Then they get discovered at a bar for a documentary-like show. Now this show is taking up their lives. Jane meets a guy named Braden that she really likes but sees he has a girlfriend, but still hangs out with him. Then she meets Jesse that she really likes, but then photos leak out of Jane and Jesse and Jane is confused, and leaves with the manipulator named Madison.

I think this story reminded me a lot about High School Musical in a way.

Its telling a story about the basic college life. Interns, school, meeting guys, going to bars, breaking up. This book surprised me, and I would definitely recommend it to people.


Recommended to: older teens

He's Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You

Directed By: Ken Kwapis
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it


This was a good chick flick. The beginning and the end were pretty funny, and the fact that it sort of touches on reality really can make you laugh.

This is basically a dating movie with a touch of comedy here and there. There are nine main people in this movie, and each person holds a separate little story in the big story - each relating to romance and break-ups. Some of the characters were plain jerks, some were out-right-funny, some made you want to strangle them, and some were really loveable. You can join in Gigi in her quest for true love, through a clingy stalkerish dream-strucked fashion; or Beth, who just wants to get married to her long-time lover but has difficulty grasping onto the fact of whether marriage is really worth wanting or not when she's really in love. Or join Ben as he gets stuck in two relationships, one with his wife and one with another woman who thinks he really loves.

This movie was funny, light-hearted, and not too deep. It's a good movie if you're not looking forward to become emotionally touched in the end: meaning, no crying, no anger, no terror.


Recommended to: Anyone 16+

Dorothy Mills

Dorothy Mills


Directed By: Agnès Merlet
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: It was alright...


Dorothy Mills was a nice horror. Actually, not as much as a horror as it was suspenseful. It's confusing in the beginning, but the more you watch it, the more secrets become unveiled, and before you know it, you're done with the movie. I was able to guess my way through the movie to discover the secrets before they were answered so I felt like I really enjoyed the movie as far as suspense goes. There were unpredictibility, and some scenes were dead-on creepy, but my friends and I agreed it wasn't too scary at the end. In fact, it had an interesting plot. I didn't like the ending much just because it was too crazy and sudden.

Dorothy Mills is a girl living in Ireland whose body is used for spirits of the dead to communicate with the living. And some of the living are grateful for this, because they either loved or are related to the dead spirit. Other people will not say anything about it for the community was a small and private community. The only people really concerned with this would be a psychiatrist who lost a child, and of course, Dorothy Mills. She can't control it, but she doesn't want to be this. Especially when some of the spirits hold secrets of the past. Deadly spirits who are ready to kill.

There are many strange events as Dorothy are accused with countless crimes, when really it was the spirits. She almost kills a baby while babysitting and killed a man because the spirit that killed the man only wanted revenge for when he was alive. History also tends to repeat itself in this movie to show when the spirits were alive. It was sort of confusing, but you have to really think in the end to put one and one together.

All in all, this movie is okay. Some people might even really really like it.


Recommended to: Anybody

Kiss of Life

Kiss of Life


By: Daniel Waters
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Didn't like it


When I finally got my hands on Kiss of Life, I was totally excited to read it. Although the first book, Generation Dead, was okay for me, I really thought Kiss of Life would be awesome.

And, I was sort of disappointed while reading the book. Maybe I was expecting too much? I don't know, but this might have even been duller than the first, in my opinion. Maybe because I was rooting for Tom and not Adam, I don't know why. Adam just seems too uncertain in the first book, and now he's a zombie. And still loves Phoebe, who still has a thing for Tom.

This book might be REALLY confusing if you didn't get the first book. It's basically the same, except Adam is a zombie. And from his point of view, it was really hard for me to understand because he stutters a lot and jumps back and forth and there is NO punctuation. So, yeah, that was sort of the downside for me because I can't understand it well. I'd have to read it over and over again to get it to click in my head. It was kind of annoying.

I didn't really like the ending. There are many people who enjoyed this book a lot, but the characters don't appeal to me. To be honest, this book is really annoying to me. Phoebe annoys me and just like Adam, the plot moves really slow.


Recommended to: Not a lot of people. Actually, no one

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Exorcist: The Beginning

The Exorcist: The Beginning


Directed By: Renny Harlin
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Didn't like it


I don't like this horror movie because it was scary, but because it was not. AT ALL. In fact, my friends and I were laughing throughout the whole movie. If there was a part that was scary at all during this movie, it might be the beginning - but that's because it had a suspenseful, mysterious feeling to it. No cries, no horrors, no whimpers were coming out from the audience of my friends and I that night.

This movie was basically about an exorcism; just as the title states. There are many suspects, but in the end you'd be surprised to find out who it is that is being 'possessed by the devil'. There's gore and crazy things like that in this movie... but you might find yourself a little confused. There's a Father in this version that is also the main character, and he goes through many events just to find out WHO the possessed it, and in the end it was almost too late.

People say that this movie was by far the scariest because it's the first, but seriously...no. It was ridiculous, almost entirely humorous because it was just THAT ridiculous. There's probably a lot more scary movies out there than this, folks. If you're a jumpy person then this might work, but if you're looking for real horror, turn your head away from this movie and back away from the shelf. Usually before I go to sleep after watching a good horror flick, I CAN'T go to sleep. That night, I slept soundly, thank you very much.

I guess I shouldn't say this movie was horrible. It was pretty good for back then, and maybe scared the older folks in their generation. So, I didn't necessarily hate it. Because there was suspense and mystery, it earned itself some kudos for me. I just didn't get the "horror" from this "horror flick".


Recommended to: People who likes comedy

Monday, July 20, 2009

My Name is Chloe

My Name is Chloe


Created By: Melody Carlson
Reviewed by: Tayla, 13
Rating: It was amazing!


this book is really truely amazing!
it is about a teenage girl called chloe.
chloe's brother caleb is a drug dealer and left home when she was young.
Chloe devotes her life to god because of this and so does her best friends Allie and Laura.

They form a Christian Rock band called Redemtion and live the life of fame on the road. Trusting and doing what god askes us to do is a challenge and is almost impossible to do but chloe through her music devotes millions of people to god and turns her life around.


Recommended to: ANYONE!

The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place


Created By: Corrie Ten Boom
Reviewed by: Brady L., 15
Rating: Really liked it


The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom was assigned to my Honors English class for summer reading. This true story greatly inspired and motivated me.

Corrie Ten Boom was a loving Christian woman living in Holland. Her family always cooked meals for the hungry and clothed the needy. They never turned down anyone who came to their door. However, during World War II many people needed the love and care that the Ten Boom family offered. Jewish people especially were in desperate need of food and housing. The Germans were taking innocent Jews to concentration camps. Jews were beaten and killed at the hand of the Nazi's. Corrie and her family began an underground operation of housing Jews. They even created a secret room in their house that the Jews could hide in.

Throughout the book theTen Boom family is persecuted just for helping fellow humans. They continue to show Jesus' love to the Jews as well as the ruthless Nazi's. I was deeply inspired by how much Corrie depended on God to carry her through difficult situations. Her faithful and courageous attitude will stay with me for along time.


Recommended to: 13 and older

Ugly Betty Season 2

Ugly Betty - Season 2


Created By: Silvio Horta
Reviewed by: Tracy L., 13
Rating: It was amazing!


The second season of Ugly Betty was just as good as the first.

It included Hilda getting over Santo's death, Justin trying the "bad boy" image, two guys (Henry and Gio) fighting over Betty, Henry moving to Tuscon to be with his pregnant ex wife Charlie, Henry proposing to Betty, Gio asking her to go to Rome, Betty making the choice, and Whilemina succeeding to taking Daniel's "editor-in-chief" spot and Alexis ruining her family's relationship,


Recommended to: teens

Ugly Betty Season 1

Ugly Betty - Season 1


Created By: Silvio Horta
Reviewed by: Tracy L., 13
Rating: It was amazing!


Ugly Betty is a show where a young, intelligent girl goes to work at the top fashion magazine, MODE. There is only one problem. She is not thin like the rest or pretty.

The first season includes her saving the magazine from failing, Bradford Meade going to jail after being accused of the death of Fey Sommers, Claire Meade confessing and put in jail instead, Alex's sex change to Alexis, Hilda(Betty's sister)'s fiance getting shot and killed while buying Justin a present, and Whilemina trying everything to take over the magazine.

I really liked the first season because it was eventful and kind of enpowering. It shows that even if you are not the most beautiful girl or the skinnest, you can still succeed in things in the fashion industry.


Recommended to: teens

On My Honor

On My Honor


By: Marion Dane Bauer
Reviewed by: Tracy L., 13
Rating: It was alright...


The book took place at the local state park and included two boys. Tony was the daring one, the one that loved adventure and the adrenaline. Joel on the other hand was the calm one who didn't like taking risks. When Joel dares Tony to swim in the Vermillion River, Tony agrees, but he doesn't know how to swim and when Joel turns around, he sees that Tony has been pulled by the current underneath the water.

I thought this book's storyline was overall pretty good, and had a good lesson to it. The lesson in my opinion was, even if you are that person that loves taking dangerous risks, you should be sure you are ready before taking it.

And for Joel, the lesson would be, don't dare a friend to do something dangerous that they cant do. For example, Joel daring Tony to go swimming, and him getting dragged underneath. Joel would have to live the rest of his life with a small guilt that he was the one that made his friend down and die.


Recommended to: young teens

Twilight

Twilight

Directed By: Stephenie Meyer
Reviewed by: Louela, 14
Rating: It was amazing!


Okay so some of my friends told me about this twilight saga and recommended me to read it. I thought it was rediculous because of the number of pages it had. But after i read twilight, i fell in love with it. Just the way the drama fills in with mysteries.


Recommended to: Everyone in this world

Diary of a Teenage Girl

Diary of a Teenage Girl


Directed By: Melody Carlson
Reviewed by: Louela, 14
Rating: It was amazing!


This book was great. It really did have the concepts and issues a regular teen aged girl would go through. The author, Melody Carlson, mentioned things about the pressure girls in relationships would have when it comes to sex. This is also a very religious story. These teens have christian mentors mentoring about how to be a good christian. Despite any problems the teens had to face, they always kept their friends and family close, even including God.

Usually i wouldn't finish a book in 3 days, but this book was just so interesting, i wanted to know more. Im kind of ticked off because there is a part one to the part two i read. Im a kind of girl that really doesnt have time to read, but i made time for this book. It was a great book i recommend every teenage girl to read.


Recommended to: Every teenage girl

Thursday, July 16, 2009

David Rain's Dragons Series

David Rain's Dragons Series


By: Chris d'Lacey
Reviewed by: Baby Roo, 13
Rating: It was amazing!


This series is wonderful it includes the books the fire within, fire star icefire, The Fire eternal.

This guy named david goes to bbe a tenant to a potter and her daughter. Soon he figures out that the dragons she makes out of clay can come to life if you believe and/or sit around long enough. Later he gets a goth/sybll girlfriend and becomes a polar bear. this fantasy contains some pretty cool ddragons too.


Recommended to: all fantasy lovers

The Vacation

The Vacation


By: Polly Horvath
Reviewed by: Baby Roo, 13
Rating: Hated it!


Polly has soome ok works but this one was horrible!!!

This guy henry ends up staying with his two mean aunts while his parents go to africa. when one of the aunts get sick they go on a long vacation...roaming around the country.

The book started out really boring then it got a little interesting. It started to kinda jump around and speak of random things...so in other words it started to bore me again. i set the book down and put it away even though i had like three more chapters left. if anyone else reads it tell me hoow it ends.


Recommended to: no one...unless they like boring works

One Lonely Degree

One Lonely Degree


By: C.K.Kelly Martin
Reviewed by: Baby Roo, 13
Rating: It was amazing!


ok this book was definitly a chick book...i;m soooo glad i read it.

the main characters old playmate jersy moves back to her city and she kinda likes him. then he gets with her best friend. when her best friend gets in trouble because of Jersy she moves away for the summer. while her best friend is away she and jersy are spending more time together...read the book to find out the whole wonderful story of finn's possible summer romance.


Recommended to: teen girls again its not a little kid book

A Kiss in Time

A Kiss in Time


By: Alex Flinn
Reviewed by: Baby Roo, 13
Rating: It was amazing!


This book reminded me of when I was younger. It has the same features of Sleeping Beauty but with a twist.

This girl as you can probably guess pricked finger on a spindle and fell asleep. well 300 years later this guy from Miami wakes her with a kiss. He ends up getting locked in a dungeon and then when he takes her homme with him his parents flip. this book isn't all about the lovey dovey finding one's true love thing. it is about girls watching themselves an dtrying to fit in and be friendly too.


Recommended to: girls in highschool..maybe middleschool. this book is definitly not for little kids

Dragon's Keep

Dragon's Keep


By: Janet Lee Carey
Reviewed by: Baby Roo, 13
Rating: It was amazing!


Okay this book was pretty awesome. if you like dragons an dprincesses you'll love this book. even if you don't like those things you'll still love it.

This girl pretty much runs away from her family and finds the dragons. After that she learns to love the dragons and the dragons learn to accept her. And then there is the prophecy about her and the "handsome prince" and the war... but you'll have to read the book to find out anymore.


Recommended to: Fantasy lovers

Juliet Dove:Queen of love

Juliet Dove: Queen of love


By: Bruce Coville
Reviewed by: Baby Roo, 13
Rating: It was alright...


It was an alright book. After i read it i realized it was something little kids would like as well.


Recommended to: 4th through 6th graders

Monday, July 13, 2009

A Doll's House

A Doll's House


Directed By: Patrick Garland
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: It was alright...


When I got this movie, I didn't think it was going to actually be a good watch. I read the book, and I just wanted a better and more visual understanding of it. I definitely have, however, finished it without stopping or pausing. I really, really watched the movie and I was a bit surprised, because the book really wasn't as interesting as the movie. Maybe it was because of the actors, but the play really was performed well; also, I understood it much more.

Basically, the movie is about a woman named Nora who is pampered well by her husband, who is becoming much more respected as the new bank manager. Nora may first strike you as totally greedy and money-driven, but her intentions become quite clearer during the movie. She is actually a very courageous and strong woman, who cared very much for her husband and family. There were entangles of past troubles, including the crime of forgery and the questioning of a woman's independence. There were a lot of symbolism, with Nora being classified as a "doll".

This is a pretty old film, but Claire Bloom and Anthony Hopkins are in it and are pretty good at acting.


Recommended to: Anyone interested in old films

A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns


By: Khaled Hosseini
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it


This novel was very inspiring, empowering, making me understand that the world we lived in is bigger and more unpredictable than what we think. A Thousand Splendid Suns was really good, like First They Killed My Father and Sold. These novels all have the experiences and background credible to sound honest and intriguing down to every single word.

This novel was about Afghan culture during a horrible war. It showed the cruelty between genders; males being the dominant in a relationship, and females being the subordinates. The experiences of the two Afghan woman who were recollecting their lives in Afghanistan was very well-written.

This book can really open your eyes. The author also wrote Kite Runner, which was another really inspiring and emotionally compelling novel. This book can move many to tears or anger - charging emotions through every single page.


Recommended to: Anyone ready to open their eyes

The Princess Diaries

The Princess Diaries


By: Meg Cabot
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it


Mia Thermopolis was an ordinary, maybe even less than ordinary and edging towards geeky, girl until the day she meets her father in NYC. Finding out that she was a the future heir to throne of Genova was insane enough, but actually becoming a princess was the hard part. Her grandmother goes through many ends to prim and prop her social-lacking-inclined granddauther into the proper princess she was born to be.

This was a fun read to me, partly because I enjoy royal stories and Disney movies. Since I was a little girl, I enjoy fantasizing about being something glamorous, like a princess. This book made me laugh, and I was amused throughout the whole story. The characters, plots, and wittiness in dialogue really hooked me in.


Recommended to: 12 yrs +

Friday, July 10, 2009

Fairy Tale

Fairy Tale


By: Cyn Balog
Reviewed by: Lisa R., 15
Rating: Really liked it


Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne have not only grown up together, and have the same birthday, they are the hottest couple in their school. Morgan is known for correctly predicting the future of others in visions and Cam is the star football player and all around hot shot. But before their big 16th birthday party everything starts to change and their relationship is put to the ultimate test.

Pip, Cam's "cousin" arrives in town and Cam starts acting weird. It's not till Morgan asks for the truth, that Cam explains that he is a fairy and is going to be taken away from her world to his own to become fairy king.

Now Morgan, with the help of Pip, must find a way to keep Cam from leaving before their birthday arrives. Is her "perfect" relationship really in her future?

I really enjoyed reading how Morgan handles her decisions and continues to love Cam throughout his change into a fairy.


Recommended to: Anyone who likes fairy stories and romance

Evermore

Evermore


By: Alyson Noel
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it


Evermore wasn't as original as I hoped it would be, but I definitely kept reading it for the suspense. The book was interesting, but it wasn't as intriguing, sad to say. I mean, there were definitely some cool scenes in the story, but I guess reading the whole series of Twilight weared off my interest in these immortal/different worlds/eternal kind of things. If you like mystery, then this is the book for you. Oh, and add romance, drama, and a pinch of witty sarcasm to our little stone soup, for that matter. Oh, and if you prefer an alternative to Twilight, voila! Crack this book open and you'll have quite a joy reading it.

There were also more sensible and saddish parts in the novel that talks upon death and life and all that jazz. I do look forward for the sequel... titled Blue Moon... how so totally original, huh?

P.S. Book published after Twilight's success, though Alyson Noel has been a novelist for quite some time , so I guess I can give her some kudos for that. :)


Recommended to: Teens 15 1/2+ :P

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

At Midnight: A Novel Based on Cinderella

At Midnight: A Novel Based on Cinderella


By: Jennifer Baker
Reviewed by: Annabelle L., 15
Rating: It was alright...


Ella Browning, your typical girl. Fair, brunette, happy, friendly, kind. You know the type, but also, she knows when to savor the moment- literally. Spun away in shock from the moment her beloved father said, "I do," to Lucinda, welcoming her and her two snobby, complaining daughters into their home. Barely days after that, Ella's father collaspes and dies; leaving her alone with the now revealed wicked Lucinda and company. No friends, no family, nobody is there for Ella.

The modern Prince William de Montroig Frederic Henri Windmere Villacampo aka Will for short, is happy to be away from all the prancing parties and the girls who aren't really into him. Of course, no one could understand what he has to go through, look at his friends the oh-so-shy Kenny and ladies' man Chris. All he wants is that special someone who he could share his life with.

Following the happily-ever-after story of Cinderella, Ms. Baker recreates the essence of what should be happily-ever-after in a modern sense with a touch of surrealism.

I liked the writing and setting the fairy tale in modern times, though, it's not your accelerated or hard reading. Something for taking you back into our younger days on yonder, and an easy, relaxing day with maybe a pillow and some cocoa.:) Enjoyable, easy, but nothing remarkable, so to speak.


Recommended to: younger teens, those who want to revisit fairy tales

Eragon

Eragon


By: Christopher Paolini
Reviewed by: Conor, 15
Rating: It was alright...


Eragon is the first novel in the Inheritance Series. The story follows a young unsuspecting farmboy named Eragon, who is chosen by the dragon, Saphira, to be the first new Dragon Rider in a century. The plot was, in a word, distasteful. The writer seemed to have taken a cliché concept and jammed it onto ideas from other works. The plot has an eerie similarity to the original Star Wars Trilogy. I'd rather not give out information on the book, as that is frowned upon. As much as I complain, this is one of the few fantasy novels I've read. I manage to enjoy it, as much of a nitpicker as I am. Christopher Paolini has a talent for words and phrases, not for plot.


Recommended to: Whoever would be interested in reading it. I can't tell you what books you should read.

Tail of the Moon

Tail of the Moon


By: Rinko Ueda
Reviewed by: Paj, 14
Rating: Really liked it


hey everyone, if you peoples haven't read this book yet...i recommend for all of you to read it...its a really exiciting book...by the way... its a comic book!!!
some parts are sad but the rest is exciting!!!


its about a clumsy ninja girl and ....you have to read the rest if you want to know about the whole story.....


Recommended to: the teens...&& people who loves reading animes

Twilight

Twilight


By: Stephenie Meyer
Reviewed by: Amy, 15
Rating: Hated it!


never read this crap!!

Recommended to: anyone

The Fetch

The Fetch


By: Laura Whitcomb
Reviewed by: Annabelle L., 15
Rating: It was amazing!


Calder is a Fetch. An escort for all those who transcend their life on Earth, yet have not reached Heaven. Unsettled with his position, he takes a chance with one soul that questioned him with canny questions- Rasputin. Using Rasputin's body, he is forced back into the physical life of a human in the Russian Revolution. With that, he also creates a crevice to erupt between the Aisle and Earth. Souls, Fetches, and human alike can all feel the torn of the worlds, and it's up to Calder to fix it. With Ana and Alexis, and the accompanying Rasputin to mix things up, Calder takes on the task, before it's too late.

Laura Whitcomb takes you on a journey of the Russian Revolution and how the world keeps going, though history is in the making. She takes an interesting view on the mysterious disappearance of Anastasia and Alexis' body during that time.

This book kept me on the edge, and I always flipped page after page after page; it's difficult to put down, when you start. I definitely enjoyed this enormously, especially since I held Anastasia as a favorite historical person; Ms. Whitcomb's characterization of her and her younger brother Alexis made me felt like I actually knew them, plus Calder fitted in perfectly with them.

Speaking of Calder, as the protagonist, he wasn't the perfect hero. He made his own mistakes, big and small, but he also perserves, and I admire him for that. He's a person you can definitely relate to.

Rasputin is another character to talk about. He plays a major role in this story, being part hero and part villian. We never could tell if Rasputin was really a bad guy or a good guy in real life. He was a favorite of the tsarina and a healer for Alexis, but his underground ways unnerved many and made them think of him as evil and corrupt. It could be the media that promoted that view, but casting that aside, this story brings a little bit of both sides of Rasputin, and you start sympathizing with him and seeing HIS side of the story. It's amazing, how she [the author] twists this subplot in.

A side of humor, a lot of supernatural, and a tinge of history, and a dash of underlying romance, we see glimspes of many genres put into this masterpiece that Laura Whitcomb created. I hope everyone who touches this books, comes out awed. Or at least, enjoyed the story. :)

Recommended to: anyone!

Orange Planet, Vol. 1

Orange Planet, Vol. 1


By: Haruka Fukushima
Reviewed by: Annabelle L., 15
Rating: It was alright...


Some girls have a hard time catching a boy's eye, but this girl- Rui- has too many boys watching her! From her best friend, the cute next-door-neighbor-boy, Tarou to her crush Kaoru, and her "perverted" new teaching intern- Eisuke! It's just too much, not to mention, she was stuck in a fire that was Eisuke's apartment- leaving Eisuke to take the blow and to endure Rui's hospitality, by staying at her place! Of course, Rui has no idea what to do with her life, being the innocent and naive girl that she is.

Haruka Fukushima's art is pretty and definitely her own style, as Instant Teen: Just Add Nuts! (my favorite manga by said mangaka), and it's a joy see these new characters pop up to life.

As much as the unique-ness of the story plot it, it was a little spazzed all over the place, and too slice-of-life for me, especially since it's a little bit unbelieveable. I enjoyed Tarou as a good character, though, he probably won't prevail in the series. For me, an easy as well as quick read. But, not something I could go back and have the same enjoyment on.


Recommended to: people into slice-of-life, school life, fluffy mangas

Twilight (The Movie)

Twilight


Directed By: Catherine Hardwicke
Reviewed by: gothiclolitamaiden, 15
Rating: Didn't like it


Oh my goodness. And not in a good way. When I finished watching Twilight, my first thought was that it was horrible, worse than the book. After further thought, I still thought it was horrible, but I remembered the few good points of the movie.

I hated most of the acting and didn’t think that the casting was done very well. The worst casting choice by far was Kristen Stewart as Bella. She is a fairly pretty girl, and I don’t mind the fact that her voice is very low-pitched, even though I had imagined Bella speaking in a slightly higher-pitched tone. My problem is that Kristen Stewart can’t act very well. Even in moments of great anger or passion, she either sounds wooden or extremely bored. Whenever she looks at Edward (Robert Pattinson, who is not a vampire, ladies) her eyes express no true caring for him, only a faint glimmer of lust, which didn’t fit with the book. And there was the fact that she kept on twitching, blinking and shaking her head like a bobblehead doll, even when she was supposed to be perfectly calm. I thought it would be relatively easy to pretend to be in love with Robert Pattinson, seeing as he is rather easy on the eyes, to say the least. I would be able to ignore Kristen Stewart’s bad acting if she played a minor character, but since she’s on screen for a good 90 percent of the movie, it was hard to ignore. I must stop Kristen Stewart-bashing, so I’ll talk about the other actors. Robert Pattinson, unlike his costar, is much more expressive and believable, even if he could be a little creepy sometimes (especially when he says something along the lines of “I like to watch you sleep). I am impressed that he almost completely rid himself of his British accent. If you didn’t know he was British, you wouldn’t guess.

Cam Gigandet breathed life into James, who was a rather flat villain in the book. I liked Rachel Lefevre as Victoria, even though her voice didn’t match the description in Eclipse and her hair was more strawberry blond than red. Laurent’s actor was also pretty good. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle and Esme all had about three lines each on average, which sort of makes you realize how much time is spent on Bella and Edward and how much the other characters are shunted into the background. The actors for Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme all looked and acted pretty well, but Alice and Jasper didn’t work very well for me. They just didn’t look right, and Jasper looked kind of creepy and…crazy. Jessica’s actress (don’t know her name) was the stand-out actress of Bella’s crew of human friends, though it doesn’t take much to act like a shallow, catty girl. Jacob’s actor kind of looked the part, but his acting was a bit awkward.

Usually it bugs me when screen writers add scenes to movies that weren’t in the book, but some of the scenes added into the movie actually helped. For example, the scenes where James and company appeared, attacking unsuspecting humans, foreshadowed their arrival, unlike in the book. In the book, James just appeared out of nowhere, as if the author had added him and his crew as an afterthought and to create an actual conflict. I also preferred the extended fight scene to the book, where Bella simply blacked out and readers missed all of the action. Other scenes, like the tree-jumping scene, were unnecessary. The diner scene in which Stephenie Meyer makes a rather obvious cameo greatly amused me.

The special effects were very corny, which detracted from the movie even more. Everything, from the super-fast vampire running to the sparkly skin, looks almost ridiculous. I thought that the film would have a pretty big budget, but I was wrong. Despite my grumblings, I really liked the soundtrack. There were some really good songs, and the orchestral score caught my attention and pleased me more than most of the acting in the movie, which is kind of sad.

Overall, I’d only recommend this one to diehard Twilight fans or die-hard anti-Twilight people. If you already dislike Twilight, you might get a kick out of this movie.


Recommended to: Die-hard Twilight fans, anyone who would want to see Robert Pattinson shirtless for a couple of seconds. 13+ For violence and one excruciatingly long kissing scene.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn


By: Stephenie Meyer
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: It was alright...


I was a little disappointed with this novel, compared to the rest in the series. I actually didn't know what exactly to expect, but the story was just a little awkward and shallow.

I'm a Twilight fan too, but not hardcore as many people are. I was able to read this book in a short time, but it wasn't as amusing as the other books in the series. The fact that Jacob imprinted on Bella's daughter... yeah, that was just... really really really weird. I mean, it's like, "Hey, love, I fell in love with your mommy but that's okay now it's just me and you." ...Okay then.

And the so called "war", I anticipated it to be a little more juicy. I mean, one person got killed and then they became BFFs again. Great. If only life was like that, I can only relate...

All in all, not the best. Very disappointed this was the ending of the series, but not all that's golden glitters... Oh well, still loved the series and the idea was fresh. Now tons more vampires books are being written, haha.


Recommended to: Twilight Fans

Eclipse

Eclipse


By: Stephenie Meyer
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it


To be quite honest, this novel was kind of slow for me. Skipped some parts here and there, but I managed to finish it. Don't get me wrong though, there was a lot of great parts too! Edward reunites with Bella, and Jacob goes jealous. That's the juice of the story, with some more violence and hate tidbits here and there. Bella pretty much struggles with her emotions (like the movie is able to show that... Kristen is like, a stone...) and Edward struggles to protect her. I remember laughing at the parts where the vampire and the wolf was fighting for a human being. Seemed ridiculous, but in the movie, that's two good-looking guys so I wouldn't complain. :)

I actually enjoyed some of the parts of this book more than any of the series. Slow some, yes, but quite an amusing read. There are more uncovering of secrets, and you'd get hooked onto it once you get started reading this!


Recommended to: Twilight Fans

New Moon

New Moon

By: Stephenie Meyer
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it

Regardless of what everyone has said about hating this book, I actually favored this over Twilight. I didn't really despise Jacob until later than on, but I think it was good he was there for her. I mean, Edward had his reasons to leave Bella, and it takes a little more than just understanding to get that.

People actually threw the book upon finding Edward leaves, but I could only smirk... it was going to happen one way or another, right? I mean it was kind of expecting for me. I knew, though, that he wouldn't leave her for good. If he was to really leave her forever, then, yeah, I would probably feel a little dismayed. But all in all, I really liked this book. And can't wait for the movie to come out! Seems like a better watch than Twilight based on the trailers.


Recommended to: Twilight lovers, Jacob supporters(?) haha