Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising


By: Pam Munoz Ryan
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it


Esperanza Rising was a beautifully-written book, in my opinion. It's about a girl named Esperanza Ortega, who lived on El Rancho de las Rosas in Aguascalientes, Mexico in the 1920s. She was surrounded by servants, beautiful dresses, and people that adore her. She is sweet, smart, and rich - and later possesses the fine quality of courage throughout the story. Conflicts arise when her family has flee Mexico because jealous wealthy bankowner Tio swore to make life miserable for her family and her because her mother did not marry him. Esperanza's poor father was killed because of this.

Throughout the story, there are many twists and turns of adventures. The title fits with the book because Esperanza is "rising" above all her life problems. This was a book you would not be able to put down. As I said, this book was written quite beautifully and the book should earn more readers. It's quite a read!


Recommended to: Teens

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs


Directed By: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it


Full of some cheesy and some fresh humor, this was a movie I didn't expect to be amusing until I sat down and and, well, watched it.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs wasn't exactly on top of my Must-Watch list. I mean, it seemed kind of cheesy (thanks to the trailers) and I thought it would be something for kids to watch, not teens.

But alas, I was wrong. This was a good movie to watch. It's definitely funny and the plot was funny. It brought out the little kid in me... the imagination of this story awes me. It's so creative... it's basically about a scientist who struck success finally with an experiment until too much food becomes trouble after falling from the sky. I don't want to give out too much because it pretty much says it in the trailer, but this was still worth watching. The kids will love it, the adults will love it, and yes, so will the teens. :)


Recommended to: anyone

Riot!

Riot!

By: Paramore
Reviewed by: awesomeVia, 15
Rating: Really liked it


I was just listening to the group's last album because their new album "Brand New Eyes" is coming out soon.

They are know for the song "Decode" for the Twilight Soundtrack. And iTunes claimed that Hayley Williams will be the next Avril Lavigne and tells Avril to "back off, Hayley will be the next rocker chic in town". Kind of mean to Avril since she is busy with her Abbey Dawn clothing line at Kohls.

The songs "Misery Business", "Crushcrushcrush", and "That's What You Get" are good, "Let's the Flames Begin" is okay. Most of their songs are cool. I love Hayley's voice, because it's not too high and so not like bubblegum pop-like.

So...check it out and get their new album Brand New Eyes, coming Tuesday September 29th.


Recommended to: Paramore fans, alternative lovers, former/current fans of Avril Lavigne, etc.

Ghost Dancer

Ghost Dancer


By: John Case
Reviewed by: Yaz, 16
Rating: Hated it!


I have to admit that this is my first novel by John Case and probably is my last if this is novel is indicative of his writing.

The story in a nutshell: a photographer falls in love with a doctor who dies. Many flaws with this novel. The author never really cultivates the characters. The lead hero is not really much of a hero. Nor does he offer many reasons why we should like this person. There is very little compelling about our lead to like.

Then you have the bad guy. Ok, we get that he has a reason to do what he does. But it just does not seem to work in this book. What are the motivations of this character other than revenge? I found myself asking myself why anyone would do what this character was doing.

And then we get to the pacing of the novel. The hero has about the first 20 pages to himself. And then doesn't show up again until two thirds of the way through the novel. I found myself struggling not to put the book down.

If you are a fan of action, I'd probably say skip this one. There are plenty better.


Recommended to: No one

I Look to You

I Look to You

By: Whitney Houston
Reviewed by: Meena , 16
Rating: It was amazing!


Whitney is back. It's official. Every single song on her new cd is amazing. Each song has its own individual meaning and not to mention sound. No two songs sound the same on this record; every song will force you to sing along. When i first bought the cd I thought it would sound exactly like Beyonce or Mariah Carey, but instead Whitney brings her own style to every single song on the record. There are slow, passionate songs and there are up-beat songs that make you want to dance and sing along.

Each and every beat on this record will have the listener humming the songs for the rest of the day. Furthermore, this record will definitely be winning many awards next year. Whitey makes music history every time she creates a new record and never fails to please her devoted fans.


Recommended to: Anyone who loves music

The Kingdom

The Kingdom


Directed By: Peter Berg
Reviewed by: Meena , 16
Rating: It was amazing!


The Kingdom is one of the most amazing movies I have ever seen in my entire life. This movie shows what the world is like; not just in American but in other troubles countries. This movie gives the audience an inside look as to how life is like for other people. Not everyone has a perfect life or a complete family, and this movie shows the audience how much that can affect a person.

The director Peter Berg actually does his research and doesn't sugar-coat what life is like in overseas countries, in particular, Saudi Arabia. Berg tells the story of FBI agent Ronald Fluery and his team and how they fight to uncover the truth in a very secretive and protective country. The Kingdom is a moving and riveting story that takes the viewers to another world. A world where absolutely nothing is perfect and where everything is chaotic. After experiencing a passionate and moving story like the one told in The Kingdom, the audience will be thankful for everything in their life.


Recommended to: Anyone who what life is like in other countries

Vampirates: Blood Captain

Vampirates: Blood Captain


By: Justin Somper
Reviewed by: Lizzie, 17
Rating: It was amazing!


New troubles arise for the Vampire/Pirate ships. Grace hopes that Lorcan will gain his sight, meanwhile Conner deals with a new ship mate.

Wow! This book again, blew me away! This is book 3 of the Vampirate Series. What can I say? Oh I know, BETTER than Twilight! I always liked Action Adventure, and maybe some romance. This book has everything. So let's start shall we?

Grace, the Captain and Lorcan (along with his donor) travel to a place called, "Sanctuary". Hoping that a healer can help gain his sight. As we travel along with Grace, we see new charactors, and new questions. I started to feel the tension, and the excitment! Let's discuss the characters in this book.

Lorcan: Way BETTER than Edward. Lorcan isn't some stalker, and he dosen't "sparkle". Anyways, in this book, I could see clearly that indeed- he had romantic feelings for Grace. Though however, he IS much older than her. But, I got the impression that Lorcan knew Grace & Connor way before she was born (the mystery somehow!). Anyways, I felt that Lorcan's character didn't drift at all.

Grace: Eh, well she isn't BELLA SWAN. I can guarantee you that. Okay, well she is sort of a strong character, but I felt that she made unnessary drama? Like the sterotypical gal, who cries alot, and makes it so obvious that she likes Lorcan. I dunno. In this book, you can tell that in a sense she sort of matured, but probably not the best.

Connor: Ah, he was my favorite. In the other book, "Vampirates: Tide of Terror" I could see that is was maturing a lot. Connor knows what he dosen't and what he does want. Sure, sort of like grace too, but he has more of a "sense" of things. For example (not giving away to much spoilers), he is a very good pirate, and he pretty much believes thats what he wanted at first. But...later on, he see's the other side of piracy. And that's where the readers can feel his nobleness, and can easily associate with that. In the end, the reader has more respect for Connor, in that sense.

Villians. New and old villians make this book more bloodier than ever! The tone dosen't drift away, and it maintains true to the plot. Each character is somehow unique, and makes the story what it is. There are many twists and turns, which leads us to "Vampirates: Black Heart".

If you are seeking for Action Adventure, Romance, Humor, Horror....then this book has it all.


Recommended to: Anyone who loves Pirates, and Vampires

When Harry Met Sally

When Harry Met Sally


Directed By: Rob Reiner
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Didn't like it


I was relatively surprised that this movie was in 1989 because I'm so used to seeing Meg Ryan in more recent movies. This was definitely not the best movie she's in...

When Harry Met Sally started out pretty funny, but the movie just dragged on and on. It was like seeing the clouds go by. First it's fun, then it's just like... what am I doing here? You're basically paying to watch two people develop feelings for each other initially as friends... (I've never really considered each hating each other). I guess I expected too much out of this movie, and who couldn't have when the ratings were so high?

The only parts I really found amusing was when in between scenes there were real old couples that talk about how they fell in love and how they managed to still stay in love for like 50+ years. Those were cute and sweet. When Harry Met Sally's plot would not compare to these old couple's life stories. I would rather watch what happened between the old couples than watch When Harry Met Sally again, sadly.


Recommended to: No one in particular

Doomwyte

Doomwyte


By: Brian Jacques
Reviewed by: gothiclolitamaiden, 16
Rating: It was alright...


“Stolen by a notorious thief years ago and hidden away, a young mouse convinces the creatures of Redwall Abbey to go on a perilous hunt to find the fabled treasure and return it to its rightful owner; forcing Bisky and his fellow Redwallers to come face-to-face with dangerous snakes, hungry ravens, and other vicious creatures to complete their task.”

I’m a big fan of the Redwall series, but the last couple of novels published in the series have been lackluster, especially when compared to their predecessors. When I picked up Doomwyte, I remained optimistic that maybe this book would be more original. Alas, I was disappointed. Maybe I’m getting older, and I just can’t enjoy Redwall like I used to, or maybe all of the themes and characters are starting to get repetitive.

Some of the components found in just about every Redwall book so far are adventure, revenge, epic quests, riddles that send the characters on epic quests, monsters, cruel baddies, ships, big swords, feasts, and lovable characters. It sounds like a good formula, but the ingredients are combined in the same way in almost every single book, which gets too predictable.

After reading the Redwall books for a long time, I’ve started to realize that all of the characters and villains from the different books in the series are basically the same, they just have different names and sometimes switch species.

Previous Redwall books have usually started out kind of slow, but picked up the pace as the story unfolds. Unfortunately, the pace of Doomwyte never really sped up for me. It might have been because I’ve read all of the books and know what to expect, but I think the books are slowly losing that charm they once had. I hate to say it, but the author might need to rethink his plotting strategy when writing these books.

There’s another book coming out soon, and I will read it, partially out of my loyalty to the series and partially because I really want to be pleasantly surprised by the next installment. I remain optimistic about Redwall, because I am really fond of the series, despite my complaints.



Recommended to: Dedicated Redwall fans, children. Little bit of violence, but not much else.

Pet Sematary

Pet Sematary


By: Stephen King
Reviewed by: gothiclolitamaiden, 16
Rating: Really liked it


"Sometimes dead is better...."

“When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son — and now an idyllic home. As a family, they've got it all...right down to the friendly cat.

But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth — more terrifying than death itself...and hideously more powerful.”

This is the first Stephen King novel I’ve ever read (gasp). I must say that I’m quite impressed with King’s writing, and sort of creeped out as well. I had, of course, heard of Stephen King, but had never read any of his books, so I decided to try it out. You see, whenever any book or author gets a lot of hype, I feel the need to check it out to see what the hype is all about. That is my nature, and the reason I even bothered to read Twilight in the first place, but I digress. It is also my nature to willingly seek out books that will likely scare me out of my wits, and read them, and consequently spend a couple of weeks cowering under my covers at night. I don’t know why I torture myself like this, but I’m just drawn to horror novels, especially the ones that involve ghosts or other things that go bump in the night. And thankfully, Stephen King has many other scary books to satisfy my craving for well-written horror novels.

King is very convincing, a master story-crafter, with considerable talent for creating characters. In Pet Sematary, we meet the Creeds, a seemingly ordinary family, living in a seemingly normal small town, with a seemingly normal cat and a seemingly normal elderly couple across the street. Everything’s lovely, except for the Pet Sematary in the woods behind the house. Generations of children have buried their beloved pets there, and before it was a pet burial ground, it was a Micmac burial ground, which quickly becomes problematic. Of course, from the beginning we readers can tell that there is something very wrong with the Sematary, other than the fact that “sematary” is spelled wrong, but we keep reading anyway.

King handles the supernatural elements in the story very well, and the book is creepy. The suspense (and the madness) builds up steadily. The only slow part was when Louis was digging up Gage, where the author described the process of grave-robbing in detail, which should have been gross, but was instead rather boring. Those scenes were dragged out too far, but the rest of the book progressed fairly quickly.

As much as I enjoyed Pet Sematary, as I read I got the feeling that I wasn’t reading King’s best work. I am eager to read more of his novels, and from what I see in Pet Sematary, reading King’s books is going to be very interesting.


Recommended to: Horror fans, supernatural fans, anyone who likes to read scary books in the dark, older teens and adults for gore, mature content and language.

Prince Caspian

Prince Caspian


Directed By: Andrew Adamson
Reviewed by: JC, 12
Rating: It was amazing!


Annotation:
The four Pevensie children - Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy - return to Narnia, only to discover that hundreds of years have passed since they ruled there. Now, crowning himself king, the evil General Miraz has taken charge. The children enlist the help of a heroic mouse called Reepicheep. They set out find the exiled Prince Caspian, determined to see him rightfully named king.

Recommended to:

Only Emma

Only Emma


By: Sally Warner
Reviewed by: JC, 12
Rating: It was alright...


Emma is an only child living with her mother, and she wants to keep it that way. But then a four-year-old nuisance named Anthony comes to live at Emma's house for a week. Emma wants to impress her new friend Cynthia, but how can she if she's afraid Anthony will embaress her.

But as the week draws to an end, Emma finds that she doesn't really want Anthony to go, because then it will just be her. Only Emma.


Recommended to: Eight-year-olds in need of a good laugh.

Miss Congeniality 2

Miss Congeniality 2


Directed By: John Pasquin
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: It was alright...


I thought that this movie was really good, but it was a little boring here and there. I love Bullock's acting in this and the prequel, Miss. Congeniality. She shows her tough side and incorporates her stylish side too, and embracement that would be loved by many female audiences.

Gracie Hart (Bullock) basically tries to save her "only" friend and the pageant's manager in Las Vegas. I didn't really like the plot that much, but the acting made up for it. The ending was too bland for me. And I wished she got with that guy, but instead Miss. U.S did, which it's really stupid because they just barely met in the end. He's a total loser throughout the movie and in the end, the character wasn't even strong enough to handle Gracie Hart and instead goes for Miss. U.S? Total BS for me... yeah, I was mad at that. Oh well, she deserved better, anyway. This movie, I must warn, made pretty much all guys look pretty jerky, satirical, and stupid... so definitely not a movie to watch in the date. It's a Girl Power movie, so it's perfect for a girl's sleepover. It was funny too, on a plus.


Recommended to: Girls 15+

28 Days

28 Days


Directed By: Betty Thomas
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: Really liked it


28 Days is bascially about a woman (Sandra Bullock) who ruins her sister's wedding by being drunk. She gets herself into rehab after running into a house and first, thought it was all ridiculous. Later on though, she realizes that her life IS a total mess. Flashbacks of her past made her rethink of what her whole life is consist of, and she accepts the fact that she's a total addict and drunk. She tries to turn it around after making friends at rehab and rejecting the proposal of her also outgoing boyfriend. Forgetting about the past, she tries to move forward and let go of her memories and mistakes.

I thought this movie was very good, even though many people claimed they got bored. It had a comedic feeling to it, but it was also serious and insightful. I found this movie very amusing - the whole three hours of it (or it seemed to be about 3, at least). Though I wished the ending coukd've been a bit stronger, I liked it because it was really funny.


Recommended to: People 15 yrs+

One of the Boys

One of the Boys

By: Katy Perry
Reviewed by: awesomeVia, 15
Rating: It was alright...


Well...Katy Perry was from a conservative Christian family and her last album (not a lot of people knew about) was too. Until she released the single "I Kissed a Girl" in summer of 2008, she got her big break and is one good girl gone bad.

Her album is okay. I found her song "Waking Up in Vegas" okay but now bored with it since it's overplayed now. So is "Hot n' Cold" and if I ever listen to that song again, I'll go crazy.

Problem is that her songs are overplayed now thanks to radio stations and etc.
The person, I like that she likes H&M and has a bold sense of fashion but it sometimes gets out of hand. She is also a philanthropist (H&M's Fashion against AIDS campaign). In many ways, kind of like Lady Gaga. And that she's good friends with Rihanna.

So just listen to this album if you like pop and are fans of Lady Gaga.


Recommended to: Fans of Lady Gaga, and pop genre

Dark Horse

Dark Horse

By: Nickelback
Reviewed by: awesomeVia, 15
Rating: Really liked it


Nickelback is back with another album that I think is not as good as the last album "All the Right Reasons" but it is still decent.

I loved the songs "If Today was your Last Day" and "I'd come for You", "Gotta be Somebody", and etc. I love the vibe and the tune as well as Chad Kroeger's (lead singer of the band) voice. I knew that they'd be a good band to listen to because I checked out their last album and they had over five hits from it! Hopefully, this album can do the same.

Little background info: The band is based in Hanna, Alberta (Canada) and formed in 1995.

They have had earlier success with songs like "How you Remind Me" (2001), "Someday" (2003), "Photograph" (2005), "Savin' Me" (2006), "Far Away" (2006), "If Everyone Cared" (2007), and "Rockstar" (2008). I guess that this will be the same for Dark Horse with singles like "Gotta be Somebody" and "If Today was your Last Day" and the upcoming ones "Burn it to the Ground" and "I'd Come for You".
So check this album out!


Recommended to: Rock genre lovers, alternative genre lovers, hardcore people, fans of Nickelback, pretty much anyone

Cirque Du Freak

Cirque Du Freak


By: Darren Shan
Reviewed by: Meena , 16
Rating: It was amazing!


Cirque Du Freak is a suspenseful, action packed novel that everyone should read. Unlike many other "scary" novels, this book actually does frighten the readers. Darren Shan, the main character, takes the audience on a roller coaster ride when he becomes apart of the Cirque Du Freak, a traveling circus. From the very first page, the audience is taken to a world like no other.

When I first picked up the book to read it, I didn't believe in ghosts or anything paranormal, but once I was finished with it, it was impossible for me not to believe those things existed. The details and descriptions are so precise that any doubts are immediately dissolved.

Overall, this book is one of a kind. The author's ability to create and develop such a complex story line is amazing. This book will capture the minds of everyone who reads it from the beginning of the story until the very last page.


Recommended to: Readers who love scary stories

The Fray

The Fray

By: The Fray
Reviewed by: awesomeVia, 15
Rating: It was alright...


They have another album, self-titled. The songs have the same tune/tone like their last album. The song "You Found Me" is kind of sad and was played on the commercial for last season's Lost and others. Another of their songs "Never Say Never" has some motivation.

Check this album out if you have not.


Recommended to: Alternative, rock genre lovers, fans of Lost, fans of The Fray, pretty much anyone

Fearless

Fearless


By: Taylor Swift
Reviewed by: awesomeVia, 15
Rating: It was amazing!


Around three years ago, Taylor Swift started with her self-titled album and had a single called "Tim McGraw". Then after her first ever single, I heard a lot of people say "that's a stupid song", "she has no voice", etc. I guessed then that people will like her eventually and I was right, they did. Girls were obsessed with her songs after the single "Our Song", "Picture to Burn" and others came out. Many were wearing her concert T-shirts and I could tell they went to her concert.

Now that she had her second album come out, she comes back better than ever. Her first song "Love Story" is the singer imagining herself in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juilet. The song is romantic and so is the music video. Second single "White Horse", is kind of like a fairytale story in a song but with a twist. Third single (current) is "You Belong with Me" is probably on of her best songs because the tune flows well with the song. The music video for the current single is also cool.

She is much more of a modest celebrity compared to Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, etc. At 19, she is one good girl figure.

Taylor Swift is probably one of the singers that when you listen to it, you forget you are listening to country music because it has some pop vibe in it.

So check out her album "Fearless" if you haven't. Seriously, some of her songs don't sound like country at all.


Recommended to: Country genre lovers, current Taylor Swift fans, fans of modest music, young girls, teenage girls, etc.

The Road of Lost Innocence

The Road of Lost Innocence


By: Somaly Mam
Reviewed by: Lynna, 17
Rating: It was amazing!


The Road of Lost Innocence was an amazingly inspiring book by Somaly Mam. She talks about her horrible past in which she went through brothel slavery. She talks about losing her "innocence" without ever wanting to at a very young age and having to deal with it over and over again for many years. This book was written with pain, tears, and struggles as the author has to overcome her dark history to share to the world of the awful experiences in brothels.

Upon reading this book, I was in disbelief that these things can happen to such a young girl. To top off my disbelief, this was all real. It all seemed too terrible, too unfortunate to be true - but yet these are the words and thoughts of the author herself, who accounts her past in a strikingly accurate way on each page.

Somaly Mam was a Phnong, which is a group of villagers on the hills of Cambodia, and now lives to tell her nightmare of tales in France and Cambodia. She's a huge activist in saving the thousands of girls from sex slavery and was named Glamour Woman of the Year in 2006. This book was very inspiring to me and made me create a gateway charity website. However this book wasn't the ONLY initiation to my site, as many other books and experiences/accounts have also inspired me to create a website for Cambodian charity.


Recommended to: People who want to open their eyes a little bit more to the world

Bride Wars

Bride Wars


Directed By: Gary Winick
Reviewed by: awesomeVia, 15
Rating: It was alright...


Okay...so it's another wedding movie. Seems that every January, there's going to be some wedding chick-flick that'll be released. First, there's 27 Dresses and then there's Bride Wars.

Very weird that best friends since childhood Emma(Anne Hathaway) and Liv (Kate Hudson)have aways dreamed of a June wedding at the Plaza hotel ballroom. Well, they get the wedding alright but it is schedule on the same day at the same time, June 6th! So the two fight and persuade one to push the date to three years from now. But neither will. All because of this wedding conflict, the two are temporary enemies. Enemies all because of this!!!!! How stupid!

*Spoiler alert* the two later make up and one of their weddings get ruined and decide to marry later. So the beginning and ending are weird. Liv's quote "You don't alter a Vera Wang, you alter yourself to fit into one" is kind of creative. I loved the clothes they wore, it's kind of stylish. Both of their wedding dresses are pretty.

Other than that, watch Bride Wars if you love chick-flicks or if you liked 27 Dresses.


Recommended to: Fans of Chick-Flicks and 27 Dresses, all newlyweds or ones about the get married, girls who dream of a beautiful wedding

Relentless

Relentless

By: Natalie Grant
Reviewed by: Kayleigh, 16
Rating: Really liked it

For teens who are looking for fun, but spiritual new Christian album, Relentless by Natalie Grant is the album for you. All of her songs are catchy and have a good message. If you are looking for more Christian rock style music, buy tracks
1. I Will Not Be Moved
3. Make It Matter

If you’re looking for Christian pop style music, buy tracks 6. Perfect People 8. So Long

Overall my favorite song is In Better Hands. Natalie Grant has amazing talent and is able to convey the Lord’s message through her music. I would definitely urge you to just listen to a few tracks even if you’re not interested in buying the whole album.



Recommended to: anyone who wants a new Christian album added to their music collection

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince


Directed By: David Yates
Reviewed by: Meena , 16
Rating: Really liked it


This movie, one of the six that have come out into the theaters, was the best so far. Not only is it serious and captivating, but it is also funny and romantic. Although many of the great fights and conversation were cut out of the film, what was included was pretty good. In this movie, Harry, Hermione, and Ron's characters each deepen not only within themselves, but also with each other. All three of them realize how important friendship is and how easily it can be taken for granted. As a result, this box-office sensation broke records in its opening weekend.


Recommended to: Everyone who loves movies

Life of Pi

Life of Pi


By: Yann Martel
Reviewed by: Meena , 16
Rating: It was amazing!


This novel, about a boy named Pi, is captivating and wonderful. Throughout the story, Pi takes us along during all of his adventures and outings. From the very beginning, the audiences' attention is taken by the author's note, claiming that this novel will"make you believe in God." And in the end, it truly does. This story of love and pain and devotion shows the audience that not one moment should be taken for granted, no matter how bad someone's life is. This novel also shows the readers the importance of story telling. And how a story told the right way, can change someone's life.


Recommended to: anyone who is fighting for tolerance and peace