A rich and eccentric visitor comes to stay in Scarlett's family hotel for the summer, and it quickly becomes the strangest summer any of them have ever experienced. Both for the worst and the better.
Overview
Teen chick lit isn't normally the type of book that I read, but since Maureen Johnson is a friend of John Green's, and I have found her YouTube videos on writing both amusing and insightful, I thought I'd give it a try. It's still not my favorite genre, but I liked it enough to get through the whole thing and get the sequel. However, that is probably because I'm a bit of a voyeur when it comes to functional but quirky families, which is something portrayed in this book. I liked the interactions that Scarlett had with her siblings and like, just as in many families, the siblings had their favorites, those they couldn't stand, and those they just didn't understand. It wasn't a profound book, but I got the feeling it was never meant to be, and that's fine. If you're looking for light read with humor and family drama, I'd recommend this.
Book Club (Spoilers)
I kept thinking that it was going to be revealed at the end that Mrs. Amberson was actually just some crazy mental patient escaped from the institution and that she'd somehow stolen all the money she was giving Scarlett. I was a little disappointed with the actual truth.
I laughed out loud a few times while listening to this book, but one of my favorite lines was the description of Lola's "creepy underwear sandwich."
In my personal opinion this is the best Potter book to film adaptation. The third film is still my favorite, but this one captured all of the most important parts of the 7th book, as well as being pitch perfect on the tone of both the book and the characters. Fans have often lamented than Ron's best lines from the book are given to Hermione in the film. But this was Ron at his best.
Overall, the pacing, which I feel has been the biggest problem in the last two films, was perfectly executed. I never felt things were to slow or too fast. In pacing, it's actually even better than the book, as I did feel the camping dragged on too long, but in the movie it was great character building and well integrated with excitement and suspense.
There were a couple quibbles I had with things being confusing if you hadn't read the books, but I actually saw the film with someone who had never read the books and had only seen the first film. And the only thing she said she didn't understand were the horcruxes.
Finally, the part where they chose to cut it worked surprisingly well. Many fans had been speculating they might cut it at Dobby's death but that it would be really depressing. By having Vodemort stealing the wand be the very last seen they balance that bleakness with suspense. I am eagerly looking forward to part 2.
Spoilers
Okay, so the mirror shard that Harry carries and sees what he thinks is Dumbledore's eye through, was my biggest complaint. They never explained it in any of the films and they didn't in this one either! The girl I was with who hadn't seen them probably assumed it had been explained and perhaps that's why she wasn't confused. But I knew they hadn't, so that annoyed me. But honestly I don't think it's that important. I think they could have left it out entirely. Many fans claim there's no other way to explain how Aberforth knew to send Dobby to help them. But trust me, there's always another way. But I'll reserve final judgement in the hopes they explain the mirror in part 2.
A change I loved was Hedwig saving Harry instead of simply exploding. At least she went out heroically and not trapped in a burning cage.
I also loved Dobby's speech. Only seriously maim. Golden. Some fans seem to feel it was too comedic, but I think it was just right. You can't have the entire film be dark, it would be too much. Plus, considering that we haven't seen Dobby since the second film, I think it was crucial to remind us why we love this little elf before he gets killed. Cruel, yes, but necessary to make us care.
Tangled is hands down the best film since Tarzan ended Disney's golden age. On a list of my six favorite Disney films (based solely on their stories), Tangled is my third favorite. That list is: Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Tangled, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid.
Like these other Disney films, Tangled has a great story, fun characters, and breathtakingly beautiful animation. There's only one snag that prevents it from being utterly perfect, a disappointing bug in an otherwise tasty porridge. No, it's not the fact that they changed the name from Rapunzel to Tangled because they thought the latter would attract more boys. Really, Disney, did Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, or Mulan do poorly just because they had prominent female leads? Still, the name change was a minor annoyance, easily overlooked since it was overall a great film. No, there was something else that bugged me far more. But first I want to go over all the reasons why I loved it and why you should go and see it. What are you doing still reading this? Go now!
Story: The story was fantastic. I know the original Rapunzel tale pretty well, so I could spot the changes. But if I was a fairytale purist, I wouldn't like any of Disney's films. Besides, the changes made, in my opinion, worked very well. They added just enough life and detail to the story to keep up the pace and emotional depth over the course of a full length movie, while still staying close enough to the plot of the original tale. I'll elaborate more in the spoilers section. I am tempted to just do so here. I mean, if you don't know how Disney movies all end by now, then there's no hope for you. But I'll hold back. I do talk about a few specifics in the character section but nothing earth-shattering. You could figure out most of it from watching the trailer.
There was also a good balance of serious emotions and and humor, even though the trailer might indicate otherwise. It might be a little more comedic than the Disney classics, but what I liked is that even the comedic characters had serious sides. Pascal worries for Rapunzel and is her only friend. Maximus may always seem funny, but if you think about it, it's because for most of the film, he's out for Flynn's blood. Humor that involves wanting to kill or maim someone is always the best kind in my book. Same goes for the Vikings they encounter. Good tone is one of the first things I look for in a cartoon and Tangled delivers.
Characters: Rapunzel manages to be a very interesting character for a girl trapped in a tower for 18 years, which also makes her the first Disney princess to reach the age of consent before falling in love! She doesn't let being bored out of her mind make her a boring character, which is a tall order. She's had nothing to do but teach herself things like astronomy, guitar, and painting. She also has the drive and determination to question the woman she thinks is her mother, even though this is the only person she's ever known. And when the chance to escape her tower comes, Rapunzel grabs it (and hits it over the head with a frying pan). I also really related to her when she escapes from the tower. There's an excellent montage of her feeling alternately elated and morbidly guiltily which is absolutely hilarious.
Flynn is a more fleshed-out character than the traditional Disney male leads, like the princes from Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. But he didn't have quite the character depth of Aladdin, the Beast, or Tarzan. Still, it felt like he did have a good backstory, just like they couldn't fit it in the film. He mentions it a little bit, just not as much as I would have liked. Still, he's the perfect foil to the repressed Rapunzel and the chemistry between them works very well and keeps you invested in both their characters.
Pascal, Rapunzel's chameleon sidekick, is easily on my list of top five Disney animal sidekicks: Mushu, Pascal, Sebastian, Abu, and Zazu—in that order. Pascal doesn't talk, but his expressive face says it all. He's clearly the enforcer of the group.
Maximus kinda reminded me of Phoebus's horse from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I still enjoyed his stalwart and honest nature that suffers no fools, particularly not thieving ones. And you have to admire a warhorse willing to pick up a sword and fight his battles himself!
Animation: The lantern festival when all the lanterns started to light easily gave me the same chills I felt when the crowds at the Imperial City bowed to Mulan, visually stunning and emotionally moving when you think about how the lanterns represent love and longing. I also think Disney's made the right decision to do the whole movie in the style of a Rocco painting. Rocco was a reaction to being freed from the oppressive rule of Louis XIV, and this movie is all about freedom. Plus, it's just a pretty and whimsical style of painting, perfect for a cartoon. I could wish that the style of the characters had been a little more organic so it would look more like the actual Rocco style. The backgrounds did feel Rocco, particularly, Rapunzel's tower. But the characters, while charming and cute, look more like the standard plasticine doll-like versions of computer animation which would have looked right at home in Toy Story. But this would be my criticism of all computer animation. Regardless, I still thoroughly enjoyed the 3D, and it fittingly emphasized the action rather than being a gimmick. It makes the lantern scene that much more magical.
The Snag...
Okay, so after all this, you're probably wonder what I possibly couldn't like about this movie. What more is there than story, characters, and amazing visuals?
Well, from most movies, nothing. But since this is a Disney musical, there's one more element. The music. This is where this movie was a big disappointment. The songs aren't bad, but they are not anywhere close to Disney standards. They were supposed to be a musical mix of 1960s rock and medieval music, which is a great idea. I love modernized medieval music. But while the first song, When Will My Life Begin, starts well with a catchy beat, it fades away in a completely incongruously mellow way that makes it feel like two different songs sewn reluctantly together. The reprise, on the contrary, ended on a very good note but left out too much of the original bouncy nature. All in all, Out There, from the Hunchback of Notre Dame remains Disney's best song about being stuck in a tower.
Plus, other then the faintest possible Irish-like hint in the acoustic beginning, I fail to hear anything medieval about either of these songs. Rather than mixing the two genres, which could have been really fun and original, it seems Alan Menken decided to do one or the other. Although, honestly, none of the songs with lyrics had any medieval flair to them. I'm also not personally a fan of story songs, and all of them, except the love song and the one one the end credits, were tied too closely to the story to be a song that you can later turn into a radio classic.
Mother Knows Best was yet another story song and too musically repetitive, once again, with no good hook, not enough variety to the sounds or build in the middle and end of the song. The whole time she's mostly talking along to music rather than singing. Which I know is actually something they sometimes did in the 60s, but I'm not a fan of it, and the tune isn't strong enough to carry a lack of singing. Plus, it doesn't sound like a 60s song; it sounds like it's from the 50s or from a not very good theater musical.
As for the love song, after several listenings determined to like it, I've managed to appreciate it a bit more than when I first heard it, but it's still nothing special. It doesn't build enough or have a powerful enough hook to make you want to sing it, and I really don't think it challenged the singer's voices enough.
I'm usually not a fan of silly songs, but I've Got a Dream was the one that I actually liked most when I first heard it because it's got the best beat, is the most melodic, the overall tone is consistent, and it is actually sung!
Don't even get me started on the flower song. Musically, it's really pretty if a bit too short. But I can't see myself singing it. It's a song about a flower!
The instrumental score is actually quite good but not so good where I noticed it the first time around (with the exception of the excellent dance music in the town) because I was too busy being disappointed in the other songs.
Finally, the end credits song is good but sorta just stolen and not made for the film, so it doesn't really count. Though, it might have been better if they'd just stolen all the songs.
This is why, sadly, Tangled does not even make the list of my top twenty favorite animated musicals. Now, this list is strictly for the music, not the stories. I like most of their stories, but not all. Tangled doesn't even make it ahead of Lilo and Stitch (not listed), who stole all their music from Elvis. And I'm not even an Elvis fan! Yes, even a few lame Disney sequels had better music. * Note that the 1st, 4th, 5th, 14th, 15th, and 16th movies are NOT even Disney films. They are often mistaken for Disney, but they are NOT.
1.)* Anastasia 2.) Mulan 3.) Tarzan 4.)* Road to El Dorado 5.)* Quest for Camelot 6.) Aladdin 7.) Beauty and the Beast 8.) The Little Mermaid 9.) The Hunchback of Notre Dame 10.) Pocahontas 11.) Hercules 12.) Lion King II13.)Toy Story II 14.)* The Prince of Egypt15.)* Thumbelina 16.)* The Swan Princess 17.) Pocahontas II18)Lion King 19.) Cinderella 20.) Sleeping Beauty
Yes, these are exactly in the order starting with my most favorite and going down from there. Yes, I am a strange person (more evident at the later ones--the first few are pretty standard). But hopefully this gives you an idea of my musical taste so you have something by which to gage my opinion.
Spoilers
Notable differences between this and the original tale:
The whole sun drop turning into a magic flower was completely Disney, but I liked it. Actually far more epic than the original lettuce that Rapunzel is named after.
They reversed Rapunzel and Flynn's social statuses. In the original story Rapunzel, is a commoner, and the man who saves her is a prince. But I was fine with Rapunzel being the lost princess. I know how Disney loves its princesses.
Mother Gothel isn't actually using Rapunzel for any magic in the original tale. She just wants a child to love. Which actually makes her evilness rather more ambiguous. Sure, kidnapping and dropping the prince from the tower was wrong, but otherwise Gothel is more the archetypical over-protecive parent than evil stepmother. I actually wished Disney had played this up more, but I realize Disney villains rarely have that kind of nuance. I didn't feel they played up her evil nature enough either. I wish there had been more hints that she didn't really love Rapunzel. I don't think her constantly making fun of her really cut it because some parents do that. It makes them bad parents, but at Gothel's level, it wasn't even really verbal abuse. It easily could have just been someone who was too selfish to know better.
The prince gets his eyes gouged out falling from the tower into a bunch of thorns, but Flynn just gets stabbed.
In the original, Gothel cuts Rapunzel's hair but here obviously she couldn't because then it would be useless to her.
Rapunzel's tears do actually heal the prince in the original, but I really wish it had been her hair in this one since it was healing hair and the whole time I thought: “This is perfect because she could use her hair to heal Flynn when his eyes get gouged.” I always thought the tear thing was cheesy in the fairytale. But at least Disney didn't have to change it for a happy ending. The prince always lived at the end of Rapunzel. Interestingly enough, the witch doesn't die in any version I've ever read. The closest she comes is getting stuck in the tower.
Rapunzel has twin babies by the prince in the original. In some it's even how Gothel figures out what's happened. Then Rapunzel wanders the desert for years with her babies until she finds the blinded prince. But I get why they didn't want to explain that to the kiddies.
Moose's life seems to be going better. His sister's finally in the school she needs, his mother spends more time with him, and his friend Scout can finally come to Alcatraz to play ball with him. But the reason Moose's sister got into school was Al Capone, and now it seems like Moose may have to pay the piper.
Overview(No spoilers)
Choldenko's gift of narration and Moose's character kept me turning the pages. I did want to know what happened next. There was everything you needed for excitement--real peril and dastardly plots. However, I didn't get as much character development in this book as I was hoping. Perhaps the author plans to write more books because it made me feel like it was a coming of age story that didn't quite come of age.
6/10 stars * * * * * *
Book Club(Spoilers)
I still hated Piper's character at the end of this book and was annoyed with Moose for being attracted to her in spite of her obnoxious behavior. I don't care if she was having a hard time because of her mother's pregnancy. Maybe if she had been nice in the first book and this marked a change in her character, but she was the same in the first book, so she's just a horrible, selfish person in good times and bad. I also didn't quite get or believe Al Capone could be involved with getting Moose's sister into school and even though there was a jail break on Alcatraz, the children's involvement seemed far-fetched.
However, in spite of these complaints, I would read another of these books because it could simply be that the story isn't finished yet, and I would still love to see how Moose's story continues.
Jason wakes up not remembering who he is, where he is, or how he got there. Unfortunately, the monsters chasing him aren't very considerate of his amnesia. He and his new friends Piper and Leo are soon drawn into a world of ancient Greek gods and beasts of legend. They seek refuge at Camp Half Blood where they discover their godly parents and meet others like them. But the oldest and darkest power is rising, and even the heroes of Camp Half Blood won't be enough to fend it off. Could Jason be the key to finding the help they need, or will he be the instigator of war?
Overview (No Spoilers)
I LOVED this book! It has a slightly more serious tone than the Percy Jackson series. In some ways, I thought of it as American Gods for kids except a whole lot less depressing! This is not just because it's about gods but because it's about how gods need people. There's still plenty of humor, however, and it's just as action-packed as all of Riordan's previous books. My sister likes to say they're about to die on every page, and I'd have to agree with her. I also loved all of the characters almost instantly which is pretty rare for me with any book. For an amnesiac Jason is quite interesting. Probably helps that he has fragmentary memory and that even the reader doesn't know who he was before, so we're not shouting at him the whole time to stop being so stupid. We want to discover his past as much as him and are just as baffled by it.
I also loved both Piper and Leo, which I'll go into more in the spoiler's section. But it's not a spoiler to say that Leo reminded me a bit of Marco, my favorite character from the Animorphs (another excellent YA series). They're both, small, funny, and snarky with troubled pasts that make you just want to hug them, and they're both overshadowed a bit by their best friends, but they still transcend the average role of sidekick to be heroes in their own right. It also helps that the story is told from all three points of view. That's also probably what made it so long but hard to mind the length when it's such a page-turner. The chemistry among the three heroes as also so much fun to read! They're the perfect ensemble.
9/10 Stars* * * * * * * * *
Book Club (Spoilers)
One star deducted because he suggested a love-triangle at the end, and I am firmly team Piper. But the jury's still out on that. Riordan has written one of the few, if not only, tolerable love triangles before. He may yet do it again.
It was great that Leo was actually the only one of the three whose godly parent I guessed before they got to Camp Half Blood. In the Percy Jackson books I could pretty much always guess so he's getting better at being mysterious even if you do know the gods. Even though Jason showed he could fly early on that didn't tip me off that his father was Zeus because Thalia never showed any ability (or inclination) at flight. The lightning didn't tip me off either first because I wasn't even thinking Zeus would have another kid since he'd promised not to. Silly me. I even thought it was possible Jason didn't have a godly parent because of all the Roman stuff which baffled me pretty much until the end of the book and it's all still pretty mysterious. I thought he might be something other than a half-blood but clearly I was wrong about that.
I thought it might be Piper's dad who was the god after all because I couldn't think of anyone who fit her ability to talk people into things except for Hermes. But again I was stunned to find her mother was Aphrodite! Yet it made perfect sense even though Piper's the farthest from what one would expect of a child of Aphrodite. Even her beauty didn't tip me off since it was sch a natural beauty and you do always think about magic causing unnatural beauty (like Barbie girl beauty). I loved what he did with this fact, too, showing an entirely more formidable and admirable side to Aphrodite's powers.
I also loved that she had named her zit Bob.
Riordan's use of actual facts are very satisfying as well. I loved that when I looked up Jack London and Wolf House all the things Riordan said were actually true, or even better, were real life mysteries that are solved in his fantasy world. London, for instance, grew up thinking that a man named William Chaney was his father, but when he wrote to Chaney as an adult, the man vehemently denied the relation. Now, in the real world Chaney's accusation that London's mother slept around was either true or he was a deadbeat (or both). But it's more fun to think that London actually was the son of Mercury.
I didn't quite believe they would leave the burnt ruins of London's house on a national park but that's true too!
I liked the end of this book a lot but, of course, this is going to be a whole series so I'm not sure about the second one. On one hand I hadn't even guessed Percy might be with the Romans until the end which is another one of those impressively obvious things. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to an amnesiac Percy since that could get annoying. But if anyone can do it well, it would be Riordan.
After her mother is murdered by her own village, Makenna runs away and only survives by making the unlikeliest of friends--goblins. She renounces her humanity and defends the goblins against people, but soon a plot to destroy them all forces her to accept the aid of a human knight and find a gateway into another world.
Overview (No Spoilers)
I actually owned this book for quite some time, but I didn't read it until recently because goblins aren't really my thing and the cover wasn't that prepossessing. It made me think the story was just some little girl wandering into the woods and meeting plucky goblin friends. But when I got an advanced reader's copy of the sequel, The Goblin Gate, at the library conference back in June, my sister read them both and loved them. Since we usually have similar taste I figured I'd finally give it a chance and I loved it too. The characters have so much mettle from the very first page that I immediately liked them all. Independent, determined, Makenna and her devious but faithful goblin companion, Cogswhallop. I also felt Tobin the knight's perspective of Makenna, the feared sorceress, added a depth to the story that we would not have otherwise had. It's a morally confusing but satisfying mix of rooting both for and against the main characters when they find themselves pitted against each other and having to decide what they truly believe is right.
Another thing I loved about the story was the moral ambiguity in general. The characters struggle throughout, never quite knowing if what they're doing is right, even at the very end. We see both sides are fighting to survive. Is one any more justified than the other? The question's never really answered in this book, but I still loved the characters enough not to care if they were always morally right. I liked the fact that they questioned themselves, but there's never any convenient or easy answer--just like in life.
The sequel, The Goblin Gate officially came out just this month, but since I already read that, I must now eagerly await the third book, The Goblin War, which does not yet even have a publication date. I guess that's the only downside to advanced readers copies, now I must wait even longer for the next one!
8/10 stars * * * * * * * *
Book Club (Spoilers)
In the beginning it was Makenna's vengeance on her former town that cemented how I related to her. I know if I had seen someone I loved murdered by villagers she had helped all her life, I too would have wanted to flood the town. I probably would have wanted to do worse, but what she did is clever and so human. We mostly acknowledge that our desires for vengeance are often wrong or won't really solve anything, but almost all of us feel it. I always prefer a flawed protagonist to one who always does the "right thing."
I was also surprised to find that I didn't mind so much that the attraction between Makenna and Tobin never fully blossomed into romance. Although, one can interpret Tobin's actions at the end to be largely based on how he feels about Makenna--they're still also based on the love he develops for the goblin people.
Moose Flanagan always does what he's told. He takes care of his sister, who has autism in the 1930s before science really understood this condition. He moves with his family, who must live on the famous prison island, Alcatraz, so his father can work as a guard there. He even gives up his beloved baseball when he has to take care of his sister instead. But Piper, the Warden's daughter, is a trouble-maker who can even get the obedient Moose in trouble. Even more shocking, is when the heretofore straight-and-narrow Moose finally finds something worth risking everything.
Overview (No Spoilers)
What I liked most about this book was that it wasn't depressing, in spite of the subject matter. It would be so easy to make a Depression era story taking place on Alcatraz with a boy who must care for his severely autistic sister a sob-fest. At the same time, it's also not unrealistically cheerful. It's the mark of good writer that Gennifer Choldenko managed to perfectly balance darkness with humor and light.
It's easy to relate to Moose's problems. Perhaps none of us live them to the extreme of Moose, but many people feel overshadowed at some point in their lives, like Moose does by the needs of his sister. Having to move to Alcatraz and away from everything he's ever known also taps into the lack of control that the majority of children (and even some adults) have over their lives, which makes this a fitting youth book--not surprising that it won the Newbery.
Yet, in spite of his relatibility, Moose is not a tabula rosa by any means. Instead, he feels like a friend walking you through his world, and I was glad that he shared it with me.
I was also pleased to find out this book has a sequel called Al Capone Shines My Shoes, and I look forward to reading it.
7/10 stars * * * * * * *
Book Club (Spoilers)
The amount that I liked Moose is on par with the amount I hated Piper. A spoiled, selfish, and insensitive little rich girl with no redeeming qualities who inexplicably is nice at the end but I still think she wanted something. I hope she and Moose don't end up together. I would like Moose's sensibleness to win over his growing hormones. He was only twelve in this book, so it wasn't played up much, but it was unmistakable that there was an attraction that baffles even Moose himself who simultaneously cannot stand Piper. So I suppose that you're supposed to hate Piper just like Moose does. But I think I hated her more. I am firmly on team Annie. I'd love to see Annie and Moose end up together. Unfortunately, I doubt that will actually happen in the sequel, if he ends up with either one, it'll probably be Piper, so I just hope Choldenko redeems her character somehow.
I was a little bored by the scene where Moose actually plays baseball, but since I liked his character so much, I was sad for him when he couldn't play. The pain and frustration of having something like that promised and ripped away is another thing I think many people can relate to.
I liked the end but it felt unresolved. What did happen with 105? Why was the warden at the dock to meet Piper? Seems strange that it would just be about grades. My theory was that Al Capone never got Moose's letter but the warden did and he managed to get Moose's sister in that school but let Moose believe it was Capone by leaving a note in his shirt. Maybe that's too crazy, but the idea that Capone could do anything from Alcatraz was the only unrealistic thing I found in the story. So I'm interested to see how the sequel resolves these issues.
Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar does well enough as a female doctor in her native Salerno, but when the King of Sicily orders her to a wet and gray Cambridge, England, Adelia finds an entirely new world where she does not fit. In order to track a treacherous child-killer, Adelia most both blend in and set herself apart in a land where one misstep could get her burned as a witch. However, for the children of Cambridge, Adelia's success is a matter of life and death.
Overview (No spoilers)
Being a huge fan of the TV show Bones I was pleased to find many similarities between Adelia and the TV version of Dr. Temperance Brennan. Actually more similarities than there are between the book and TV versions of Brennan herself but I digress. The point is that Adelia is a sharp, intelligent, but in many ways, socially inept. She wears the mask of fearlessness and emotional distance but is often more human than those who scorn her.
I did also listen to this book on audio but the audio was neither bad nor spectacular, simply the type of well-done recording as to be unobtrusive to the experience of the book, but I have nothing specific to say about it.
Book Club (Spoilers)
Along with Adelia I thought the other characters really came to life. I was particularly fond of Simon of Naples and King Henry. Of course, this also meant I was rather distraught when Simon died but that was just how I knew how much I liked him. It wasn't even him alone as a character but the mix of characters that did so well. Franklin did a great job of creating a friendly chemistry among the three (Adelia, Simon, and Mansour) that the loss of one effected the balance and could not be replaced.
Henry's cunning character made me smile at the ending courtroom seen and I appreciated the suspense of not knowing what would happen to the nun, Victoria. However, I did guess that Sir Jocelyn was involved based on the fact that he was so nice, so he would be the one people would least suspect. However, if I had picked an accomplice for him, it would have been the Prioress, so I was wrong on that count.
So, today's storytime was bunny themed for the upcoming Easter holiday. I had the kids make rabbit eared hats which they enjoyed. But I only got to tell one story because the kids were far more interested in the hats. This is one of those instances where I wonder if I should shift the craft to the end of the storytime but for now I still prefer it as a method to gather a crowd.
This story was good though because it was simple but clever enough for the slightly older girl I had in the audience who was paying the most attention.
Yesterday I gave a sheep themed storytime and had the kids make woolly sheep by pasting cotton balls onto paper sheep cut-outs. Good fun. Of the sheep stories I read, this was the best--a sheep that just keeps getting bigger because he doesn't stop eating. Excellent. Check him out in all his woolly glory.
I saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D and with all the 3D movies out recently, I feel this movie should come in two parts. One on the actual story and plot and the other on the 3D special effects and use thereof.
Story
Alice Kingsley has had the same nightmare since she was a child: a land full of strange creatures and people--a land called Wonderland. At the age of 19 Alice is far from Wonderland, about to be forced into a horrible marriage, when she falls down the rabbit hole once more. She finds a Wonderland plunged into war between the Red and White Queens--and Alice is the one prophesied to end the feud!
Story Review
When I described the story to my sister before we saw it, I said it was a sequel to Alice and Wonderland where Alice returns to fight in a war for the freedom of Wonderland with the Mad Hatter as a daring general.
My sister seems to think my description was better than the actual story but she felt the plot was still far better than Avatar's and I did as well. I've actually never read the original, but I think the basic story is part of everyone's general psyche if they grow up hearing about it. In that sense, I felt this movie was in keeping with the general tone of Alice in Wonderland--being sufficiently surreal and wide open to interpretation.
With just the story I give 6/10 stars. I would have liked a little more background and depth to the characters since so many of them were so bizarre. You can't just assume they're like normal people. I also would have liked a little romance for Alice, but I respected the ending they had for her.
3D Review
I wish things would pop out of the screen. I know they can do it. I've seen it before. But modern 3D movies seem to think that depth is more artsy or something. Either that or it's easier to do on a mass scale because the best 3D I've seen has been for IMAX specials--not Blockbusters. True, it's cheesy to write a story for 3D. But if there's a monster flying at the screen I want it to pop out! The Jabberwocky should have come flying right in my face. There was one scene where the smoke was coming off the Mad Hatter's hat and it was coming out of the screen but everything else but me in mind of seeing a play and the "stage" had a depth so it looks more like the actors are really standing down there. This wasn't always bad. I thought it was really well done when the Mad Hatter was standing in the burned out pit. But in the action scenes I just don't feel they use the 3D to its fullest.
There were even some parts in the beginnning that I wasn't sure were in 3D at all. But I would say the 3D gets a 7.5/10 stars overall.
Total Ranking
7/10 stars * * * * * * *
I know it probably doesn't make mathematical sense, but the combination of 3D and decent story made me feel that the movie overall was 7/10 stars. For me this means I'm not disappointed that I saw it but I wasn't blown away and it could have been better.
First off I thought it was really cool when I realized that the cover art was not fire but hair. Secondly, I listened to this on audio but I don't feel like I have enough to say about the audio to call this an audiobook review. I have a few audio critiques but the majority will be story focused. Honestly, I feel like most my audiobook reviews are like that so, in the future, I may just call them book reviews.
Summary:
So, The Girl Who Played With Fire, picks up where The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo left off. You find out that, after the events of the first book, Salander takes a year off to tour the world. She returns to find that a plot has been hatched against her that soon turns her into the country's most sought-after fugitive. When Salander's few friends fight tooth and nail to exonerate her, we discover the key factors of her past that made her the mystery she is.
Overview: l loved this book even more than the first, which I loved quite a lot. This may have been because the underlying villains were in the sex trade which is a lot easier to understand than financial crime. Plus, I feel Larsson really hit his stride with the characters where I was really rooting for them even more than before and I was very worried when they were in danger. I began the book with the assumption only certain characters could die. I finished fearing everyone was fair game. They even had me get really into boxing in one scene, a sport I care nothing for normally. The only thing that had me concerned was the end. I won't reveal it here (that's for my Book Club section), but I will say, if that's the end to this book, I'm worried about the end of the last book. At the same time, I have to know what happens! I can't wait for the release of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest this May!
Audio
It was fine EXCEPT he gave Salander and Blomkvist these very distinct British accents which felt weird since they're Swedish. The narration was fine because it was a very standard midlands British accent which was fine. But the voices were weird. I don't know enough about British accents to point to a map and say where one is from, but I would bet someone who did could. I don't expect Swedish accents but no pronounced accent at all would have been the best route.
Film
There is also a Swedish film to this book. You can see the trailer below. The trailer made some scenes look a bit cheesier than I would have liked, but it's hard to tell without seeing the movie.
Book Club
Okay, this is where I talk about the book as if you've already read it, so if you don't want spoilers, don't read on.
First of all, Mia Johansson and Dag Svensson were really likable characters, so I was easily able to relate to the shock and heartache the other characters felt when they were murdered.
I also didn't think it was possible, but I love Blomkvist even more in this book. He's responsible, ethical, loyal, and true. These qualities easily outweigh his human foibles--such as his many and varied relationships with women. Part of the reason I'm never bothered by it is that Blomkvist continues to show all of these women nothing but respect and it is always believable why they're interested in him. Harriet, for instance, owes a lot to Blomkvist, and he's the only one who knows her secret. So it makes sense that she would feel close to him. Berger explains in even more detail that she just happens to be sexually attracted to Blomkvist. The few other women mentioned are interested in his rising fame. It doesn't feel like a male fantasy as these type of books often do. Not in the least because Blomkvist isn't jumping into bed with everyone who offers. Berger and Harriet are actually the only two in this book. He's not even tempted by the young star-struck intern which shows he has some measure of integrity and taste. I think it also helps that I generally like or at least respect the women he's with. There's also the fact that even after Salander has repudiated him, he remains a loyal friend. It's also a small detail, but the scene where he's panicking over the alarm after breaking into Salander's apartment and she can see him on video is hilarious!
I still find Salander difficult to relate to, but I understood her a lot better in this book than the first one. Probably because this book is actually about her. I also loved it when Paolo Roberto told Blomkvist he was a friend of Salander's and the "of course" moment. Priceless. The beauty of these characters is they are simultaneously realistic and larger than life. Salander is both troubled child and avenging angel. For this reason, and the fact that I knew there was a third book, I wasn't worried about her death through most the book. She seemed safely invincible. But at the end I began to seriously fear that she would die when she was shot in the head. I thought maybe the third book was a prequel or something because she was shot and buried! Part of me was thinking "No! She can't die! She's Lisbeth Salander!" The other part was thinking "@$#%! She's just been shot in the head and buried. She's dead. She's dead!!" Even if he brought her back as a zombie, it would be the death of a good book. But I was so excited when she bust out of that grave. Larsson made it just difficult enough where I could believe it just might be medically possible. Plus, I was willing to stretch the limits of possible just a little for Salander.
The ending allows for no denoument, though. Not really a cliffhanger, but I sincerely hope the third book doesn't end similar. I fear it's possible because this was supposed to be a ten book series but Larsson is dead. Literature is the poorer for that man's early loss. But I will definitely still read the third and last book of his oeuvre.
Today my storytime theme was dancing. Since my first story, Yoshi's Feast, featured Japanese dance, I had the kids decorate paper fans for a craft. I brought my kimono and Japanese fan to do the dance in the story. The kids enjoyed the craft, perhaps got a little to in to the dancing, but I kept my audience entertained which is the important part.
In Yoshi's Feast, Yoshi's neighbor says he will charge him money for smelling his restaurant's food. Yoshi says if he is charged for the smell, he'll pay with the sound of his money (I brought a money box to shake). Eventually, Yoshi decides to help his neighbor out by doing a fabulous dance to attract customers to the restaurant.
It would be a bit of a complex story for some of the kids with shorter attention spans if I just read it it straight. But that's why I always perform a shorter version with the kimono, fan, and money box as my props.
This second one, Twist With a Burger, Jitter With a Bug, was a good find. It's a short but rhythmic little ditty on dancing.
The last book, Down By the Cool of the Pool features a simple rhyme with a bunch of animals dancing. I decided to do a dancing theme after choosing Yoshi's Feast but not finding any other Japanese stories I wanted to tell. I choose the other two books for a gender neutral approach to dance. Too many books talked about little girls taking ballet, so I was happy I found these.
I read this book last month but hadn't had the chance to review it. Right now I'm listening to The Girl Who Played With Fire on audio. But I'll just focus on the first book for this review.
Summary:
Mikael Blomkvist, a Swedish reporter, stumbles into the secrets of a corrupt financier, but his evidence falls through, and he's convicted of libel. Facing the ruin of his career, Blomvkist is talked into humoring an old company mogul by investigating a long cold case involving the disappearance of the old man's niece, Harriet Vagner. At first Blomkvist does not expect to find anything, but his investigation of the Vagner family leads to growing suspicion of dark secrets. Along the way, he enlists the help of an enigmatic expert investigator, Lisbeth Salander. Together they find information that puts them on the trail of a serial killer.
Overview:
I love this book. The beginning was admittedly a bit slow because there was a lot of talk of corporate financial things that went over my head a little. The Swedish names were also a bit overwhelming at frst in a tongue-twistery sort of way. I also had to look up the references to Swedish literature, even Pipi Longstocking because I knew the name but nothing about the character. But once I got past that, I really enjoyed it. The characters are so real, and in spite of the cultural divide, I found myself able to personally relate to many of them, particularly Blomvkist. Salander is harder for me to relate to personally. Not just because she's a computer expert, but also her antisocial nature. This is a trilogy so you don't really understand Salander by the end and you're not supposed to. But I still cheered for her throughout. Larsson does a beautiful job of making Salander into a real life avenging angel. She sees the wrongs in the world and is determined to personally right them herself. He also does a good job of creating reprehensible but believable villains that you root strongly for the heroes.
Film
I was very excited to see a trailer for the Swedish movie up on IMDB the other day. I had known there was a Swedish version, but it hadn't been officially released in English yet. You could downlooad an English version illegally off the internet (ironically fitting for Salander's character) but you couldn't buy a real copy! Now finally, it looks like I'll be able to see it either dubbed or subtitled (impossible to know which they're planning. Personally, I hope it's subtitled.)
This isn't the official US trailer; it's the original Swedish trailer, but I liked it better, and it's subtitled in English, so you can enjoy and understand! :) NOTE: Click the video if the blog cuts off the edge and it will take you to the original
Rating
I would give this book 10/10stars:* * * * * * * * * *
Book Club
This is where I discuss my thoughts on specific plot points in the book so scoot if you haven't read it.
I'm serious; this is a really good mystery and I don't want to ruin it. Go read it.
So the characters themselves are often a mystery. I think Salander wouldn't have so much trouble if she would just trust authority. The rape scene was really difficult for me to read and I've read plenty of really violent things without blinking. I wanted her to either turn that guy in to the police or kill him. But I have to confess I was very satisfied with what she did to him. I just didn't feel it was permanant enough and wished she had simply killed him. I guess I sound rather murderous, but it's just a literary fact that villains you don't kill always come back. He's also such a nasty person (though the tattoo she gave him helps to prevent him troubling other women). But it makes sense that Salander would feel she needed him to help to get the declaration of her incompetence revocked.
Blomvkist, in my opinion, is exactly the opposite of Salander. He's not exactly an everyman, but his quirks are understandable and even lovable. He might sleep around, but he respects all the women he's with. He manages to be sexually open while still being a very stable and responsible person. It also wasn't a mystery to me why he got propositioned by women so often. It was a believable mix of luck and his likable personality. I sincerely felt sorry for him when he fell out of favor with Salander in the end because I really liked them as a couple. But it's possibly the first time when I'm not angry at either party. Salander knew about Blomvkist's relationship with Berger. He never lied to her about that and she was the one who came onto him. All the same, I can see where, while Salander may have consciously understood about his running affair with Berger, confronting it when she's realized she's in love with him was much harder. And Salander isn't the type to talk those type of things out.
I thought that Harriet was alive the whole time. I didn't think anyone else would send the flowers (although the wall of flowers still always gave me a chill). But her owning a ranch in Australia did seem a bit out there. Still, the characters were so real that even some of the more bizarre happenings seemed credible. Some of the more complicated clues in Harriet's case also swished right over my head but I was so into the drama by then that it didn't really matter to me.
Last night I saw the Percy Jackson movie and very much enjoyed it. It did leave a few things out that I wish had been left in. But, overall, I felt it stayed true to the spirit of the book, and that's always the most important thing to me in movie adaptations.
In the first book Percy finds out he is the son of Poseidon and accused of stealing lighting from Zeus. Percy must find the real thief before war breaks out among the gods.
The movie follows this basic storyline. The first Percy Jackson book is very campy with a lot of pop-culture. Since this is usually how I feel Hollywood ruins books, I didn't have to worry about it with Percy. They actually made the gods slightly more serious than they are in the actual book. But I suppose they felt the need to give them a certain amount of gravitas, so this didn't really bother me. And there was plenty of campy adventure and action to enjoy.
I was both happy and sad to see that this movie is clearly self-contained. They dropped all the running storylines from the series. I feel this means they probably don't expect to make the money to do a sequel which makes me sad. If they really can't do another one, I would prefer this one be self-contained. But I plead with you all to see the film so that they do make another!
I give The Lightning Thief: 8 / 10 stars!* * * * * * * *
Oh, and in completely unrelated news: Happy Year of the Tiger! Now beware the spoilers all ye who read below!
The Good:
Grover: I didn't think he would match the Grover I had imagined, but the actor did an excellent job. They honestly even made Grover more satyr-like than he is in the book since he was more interested in flirting with women. They didn't overdo it, and Grover's more charming personality traits are more prevalent, but I think a healthy interest in females is actually more accurate to the satyrs of Greek myth.
The Minotaur: Ack! That thing scared me! I'm almost never scared of monsters in movies so that's pretty good.
The fast pace: You do not have time to get bored.
The chemistry of the actors: I think the kid who played Grover was actually the best actor, but together they made a believable team of friends.
The Lotus Hotel: This was a pretty spot-on representation and probably the best use of Lady Gaga's Poker Face song.
Persephone: She actually gets pretty shafted in the books, but I liked their portrayal of her in the movie. Once again, even though she's not the same as in the books, it was in impovement to flesh her out.
The humor: Even jokes they added were very similar to the jokes in the books and very in keeping with the characters. My favorite added joke was probably Grover complaining about Medusa's head in the sink of their hotel. I was also pleased that they kept the part from the book where Smelly Gabe gets his comeuppance...
The Not-so-good:
No Dionysos: My favorite god in general and he plays an excellent role in the books as their unsupportive camp counselor. I do understand where they probably didn't have time in the movie. But, alas. I would have happily watched another hour if they'd added Dionysos.
Luke's depth: The actor who played Luke was good, and I felt his portrayal was accurate. But I felt they lost a lot of character conflict by making Annabeth indifferent to Luke. His betrayal in the end has less punch.
Hades as a baddie: I rather like the fact that Hades isn't necessarily bad in the books (at least, not any more than the rest of the gods). But I get that they had to drop Cronos for time (and probably special effects) reasons. Having Luke as the primary lightning thief was also fine. Like I said, I just would have preferred he have a bit more of a relationship with Annabeth.
Stupid lady: Medusa sorta explained it, but why is it people in movies always do stupid things. Like look at the gorgon even when they know what will happen?!
But you'll notice that the things I liked is a longer list than the ones I didn't! And all the things that made me sad could be fixed if they would make another film! Sigh...but with the economy being what it is, I don't have high hopes.
This is hands down the best fractured fairy tale picture book I've ever read. It also unquestionably has the best representation of a fairy tale female that I've ever seen. After randomly picking it up in the library, I wanted to write the author a fan letter based entirely on this book alone.
In this version of Rumplestilskin the miller's daughter falls in love with Rumplestiltskin and they both escape the greedy king together. But, years later, their daughter is kidnapped by the same miserly king. Instead of calling her father for help, Rumplestiltskin's clever daughter hatches a plan to save, not only herself, but the whole kingdom's economy.
I was delighted to see they actually made a play out of this book. Here's a link to the website for that. Unfortunately it's only in Richmond Virginia, so I can't see it. I also think it might already be over. But it's cool just to know they did one. This book certainly deserves it. Heck, I'd love to see a movie based on this book if they did it right.
Book Club
This is the spoilers section.
What, you say? A spoilers section for a picture book? That's right. This one was so cleverly written I'd rather you read it before you read this part.
Okay, are you done? C'mon, it's a picture book, it doesn't take that long. Go to the kids section of your library (only cowards feel embarrassed there) and pick it up. If they don't have it, demand that they get it!
Okay, done with that? Here it is.
I LOVE that Rumplestiltskin's Daughter got to be prime minister. I was inwardly cringing the whole time, worried she would marry that icky king. Because, no matter how reformed he is, it's still creepy. Plus it would have only reinforced the message that women have to get married to live fulfilled lives. Now, I do admittedly like romance. But this story had that with the miller's daughter and Rumplestiltskin. That was so cute, and Rumplestilskin was a cutie. So it this story has it all!
In this second book in Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, Tally is finally one of the Pretties. She becomes a member of a popular clique called the crims and falls for the leader, Zane. But she's plagued by half-remembered memories and soon the people from her ugly days do more than haunt her: they come back in the flesh.
No offense to the models on the cover, but they're not how I imagine Pretties. The guy has a caveman brow, and his eyes aren't as wide as they're described as being. The girl's okay but not breathtaking. I suppose it's ironic that I'm critisizing their appearance, considering the whole series is about the nature of beauty. But I actually think the girl on Uglies is stunningly beautiful and these two cannot compare. Perhaps that was the intention.
Anyway, I thought that this story was a great follow-up to the previous book. Even after being made a pretty it's clear that an important part of Tally's previous personality still remains. I read in another review the the pretty talk was annoying, which it was, but I got used to it.
I don't have enough comments on the audio part this time to give it a seperate section. I used a playaway format again but was frustrated by the buttons being changed. Still,to be fair, most the stuff I complained about was fixed in this different playaway. It was just annoying to have finally adjusted to the old one just to have to adjust to a new one.
Book Club
Warning, I'm about to reveal the ending of the book.
But first I'd like to say that I initially thought Zane was somehow David. Clearly wrong on that.
I didn't really want Tally to be turned into a Special at the end. Something about the predictability of it bothered me. When I first discovered Shay had become a Special, it was my hope that would be the conflict in the next book and Tally would be left a pretty. But I can't say I didn't see it coming, and I didn't guess that it would be Shay that would change Tally.
Plus I think I can see where Scott Westerfeld is working all this into a theme of evolution and the good and bad of changing as you mature. On one hand Tally is gradually inheriting more power, which is like a metaphor for adulthood. On the other hand, the ability to abuse that power, becomes more and more apparent, like when she encounters the tribe that worships Pretties because they're some anthropologist's experiment. I can see this power and abuse being stepped up when she becomes a Special.
