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The Queen of Hearts' Tale
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Before she was the Queen of Hearts she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. When Marissa Meyer finished writing The Lunar Chronicles, a series of books loosely based on fairytales, everyone wondered what she would do next. Continuing along the lines of using famous stories, Meyer has devoted an entire novel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. With thousands of references to the original tale, and a couple of other works too, Heartless is perfect for fans of Carroll’s salient characters.
Unlike most retellings, Meyer has focused on events prior to Alice’s accidental discovery of Wonderland. The resulting novel is essentially a theory as to how the characters turned out the way they did in the original story published in 1865. Drawing attention to the predestined Queen of Hearts, a young woman named Catherine, readers discover a reason for her development into an infamous villain.
Lady Catherine Pinkerton is completely unlike the character she is fated to be. She is a kind, thoughtful girl whose greatest wish is to open her own bakery. Unfortunately, this dream is just that, a dream. With the asinine King of Hearts resolved to marry her, there is little Cath can do to avoid her royal future. At first it may appear odd that Cath is so against marrying the ruler of Hearts, but she soon makes it clear she would much rather marry for love. So, when the court joker, Jest – a similar character to the legendary Hatter – catches her eye, Catherine becomes determined to control her own future.
Heartless is a humourous, yet romantic, young adult novel, full of both well-known and new characters. Set in a world with morals similar to the Victorian era, it works extremely well as a prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Catherine is an admirable, feministic character who readers will struggle to believe will become such a notorious Queen. What could possibly happen to vastly alter her personality? Similarly, what is it that makes the Hatter go mad, and who is Jest? Being a character unique to this novel, there is a foreboding sense that this joker, and his poetry reciting raven – cue Edgar Allan Poe references – suffer a horrible demise.
Unlike Marissa Meyer’s previous books where the fairytales were not so obvious, the storyline in Heartless perfectly joins up with Lewis Carroll’s imagination. With references to mock turtles, the Jabberwock and other minor characters, there is so much to discover in Meyer’s interpretation of Wonderland – it even clears up a couple of scenarios from the original tale that may have bamboozled readers initially.
Admittedly, Heartless takes a little while to get going, but once it has, it is difficult to put down. Fans of Marissa Meyer may be disappointed that she did not stick to her futuristic storytelling, however all Alice enthusiasts will fall in love with this book – and probably with Jest as well. Overall, Heartless is a delightful book that reignites our inner childish imagination.
Before she was the Queen of Hearts she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. When Marissa Meyer finished writing The Lunar Chronicles, a series of books loosely based on fairytales, everyone wondered what she would do next. Continuing along the lines of using famous stories, Meyer has devoted an entire novel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. With thousands of references to the original tale, and a couple of other works too, Heartless is perfect for fans of Carroll’s salient characters.
Unlike most retellings, Meyer has focused on events prior to Alice’s accidental discovery of Wonderland. The resulting novel is essentially a theory as to how the characters turned out the way they did in the original story published in 1865. Drawing attention to the predestined Queen of Hearts, a young woman named Catherine, readers discover a reason for her development into an infamous villain.
Lady Catherine Pinkerton is completely unlike the character she is fated to be. She is a kind, thoughtful girl whose greatest wish is to open her own bakery. Unfortunately, this dream is just that, a dream. With the asinine King of Hearts resolved to marry her, there is little Cath can do to avoid her royal future. At first it may appear odd that Cath is so against marrying the ruler of Hearts, but she soon makes it clear she would much rather marry for love. So, when the court joker, Jest – a similar character to the legendary Hatter – catches her eye, Catherine becomes determined to control her own future.
Heartless is a humourous, yet romantic, young adult novel, full of both well-known and new characters. Set in a world with morals similar to the Victorian era, it works extremely well as a prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Catherine is an admirable, feministic character who readers will struggle to believe will become such a notorious Queen. What could possibly happen to vastly alter her personality? Similarly, what is it that makes the Hatter go mad, and who is Jest? Being a character unique to this novel, there is a foreboding sense that this joker, and his poetry reciting raven – cue Edgar Allan Poe references – suffer a horrible demise.
Unlike Marissa Meyer’s previous books where the fairytales were not so obvious, the storyline in Heartless perfectly joins up with Lewis Carroll’s imagination. With references to mock turtles, the Jabberwock and other minor characters, there is so much to discover in Meyer’s interpretation of Wonderland – it even clears up a couple of scenarios from the original tale that may have bamboozled readers initially.
Admittedly, Heartless takes a little while to get going, but once it has, it is difficult to put down. Fans of Marissa Meyer may be disappointed that she did not stick to her futuristic storytelling, however all Alice enthusiasts will fall in love with this book – and probably with Jest as well. Overall, Heartless is a delightful book that reignites our inner childish imagination.
Kyera (8 KP) rated When Dimple Met Rishi in Books
Jan 31, 2018
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon is a contemporary book set in San Francisco. Our two main characters, Dimple and Rishi are Indian-American and this book is such a lovely addition to the more diverse YA reads that we have been getting lately. Dimple’s parents don’t understand her love of coding and desire to do that for a living. They want her to find the Ideal Indian Husband, get married and settle down. To Dimple, that sounds like the most horrifying loss of her identity and freedom, so she’s very surprised when her parents agree to let her attend a coding camp over the summer at SFSU.
Rishi is the perfect eldest son, sure of his duties and ready to fulfill his family’s wishes. He plans to attend MIT in the coming year to major in engineering and computer science. Even though he has other interests, he knows that they are not viable career options and will have to support his family in the future. His parents send him to the same coding camp so that he can meet and get to know his (possible) future wife. It is not an official arranged marriage, but their parents each have decided that they would be good together.
Unlike Rishi, Dimple does not know of her parents' plan and is entirely freaked out when a stranger comes up to her and addresses her as his future wife. Their first interaction is hilarious and sets the stage for a fantastic book to come. Although Dimple is vehemently opposed to Rishi’s attendance as she feels tricked, she knows that it would be unkind to demand that he leave. The two end up spending more time together and become friends. Their friendship was authentic and quite adorable, even though on the surface they don’t have much in common.
Celia, Dimple’s roommate and Ashish, Rishi’s brother are really nice supporting characters. Celia gets wrapped up in the idea of fitting in and we watch as she learns to be herself. She has a number of rapid changes of opinion and emotion that aren’t entirely explained. Sometimes they seem like they come out of nowhere and there isn’t enough context or backstory to support them. That feels like one aspect of the story that could be improved.
Ashish is initially portrayed as the lazy brother who does not care what his parents want for him. He is most passionate about basketball and spends his time doing things that Rishi does not always approve of. It was nice to see their brotherly bond evolve over the course of the novel. Rishi learns to support his brother and judge him less, as a result, their relationship becomes stronger. They learn more about each other and it was nice to see a positive familial relationship depicted. Even his parents are ultimately supportive as they just want their children to be happy.
I would highly recommend this book to young adult/teen readers who enjoy diverse reads, contemporary novels, character-driven plots and coming of age stories. The characters go on a lovely journey of self-discovery and have a lot of enjoyable (and funny) scenes along the way.
Rishi is the perfect eldest son, sure of his duties and ready to fulfill his family’s wishes. He plans to attend MIT in the coming year to major in engineering and computer science. Even though he has other interests, he knows that they are not viable career options and will have to support his family in the future. His parents send him to the same coding camp so that he can meet and get to know his (possible) future wife. It is not an official arranged marriage, but their parents each have decided that they would be good together.
Unlike Rishi, Dimple does not know of her parents' plan and is entirely freaked out when a stranger comes up to her and addresses her as his future wife. Their first interaction is hilarious and sets the stage for a fantastic book to come. Although Dimple is vehemently opposed to Rishi’s attendance as she feels tricked, she knows that it would be unkind to demand that he leave. The two end up spending more time together and become friends. Their friendship was authentic and quite adorable, even though on the surface they don’t have much in common.
Celia, Dimple’s roommate and Ashish, Rishi’s brother are really nice supporting characters. Celia gets wrapped up in the idea of fitting in and we watch as she learns to be herself. She has a number of rapid changes of opinion and emotion that aren’t entirely explained. Sometimes they seem like they come out of nowhere and there isn’t enough context or backstory to support them. That feels like one aspect of the story that could be improved.
Ashish is initially portrayed as the lazy brother who does not care what his parents want for him. He is most passionate about basketball and spends his time doing things that Rishi does not always approve of. It was nice to see their brotherly bond evolve over the course of the novel. Rishi learns to support his brother and judge him less, as a result, their relationship becomes stronger. They learn more about each other and it was nice to see a positive familial relationship depicted. Even his parents are ultimately supportive as they just want their children to be happy.
I would highly recommend this book to young adult/teen readers who enjoy diverse reads, contemporary novels, character-driven plots and coming of age stories. The characters go on a lovely journey of self-discovery and have a lot of enjoyable (and funny) scenes along the way.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Operation Finale (2018) in Movies
Sep 11, 2018
Very Good Film with 2 Very Good Performances
The kids are back in school, the leaves are beginning to turn and Halloween is just around the corner (if you believe the displays in the stores), which means it's a "dead period" at the Cineplex for decent films. So, the BankofMarquis headed to the "Art House" to check out a well made, well directed and well acted post WWII drama - OPERATION FINALE.
Set in the early 1960's, OPERATION FINALE tells the tale of Israeli Secret Service Agent's attempt to capture Adolph Eichman in Argentina and bring him back to Israel to face a very public, world-wide trial for his role as the "Architect of the Final Solution".
In other hands, this film could have very easily devolved into a Jason Bourne-type action flick with kick-ass Mossad agents fighting Nazi-loving Argentinian police (with assists from once and future Nazi's). But, in the hands of Writer Matthew Orton (in his major Screenplay debut) and Director Chris Weitz (ABOUT A BOY) this film becomes something much more, much deeper and much more interesting than that, it becomes a character study between Eichman and Mossad Agent Peter Malkin.
The first 1/2 hour of the film starts out "action-y" enough, with the discovery of Eichman and the Mossad's planning of the caper that will bring him to justice. We get the "gathering of the team" - and there's a couple of interesting characters in this group - specifically the characters played by Nick Kroll and Melanie Laurent - but the film really takes off and finds it's footing when the team - and the film - is forced to slow down (waiting for their escape plane to show up) and coax a confession (of sorts) out of Eichman.
So the middle part of this film is really a "two-hander" interrogation between Malkin (Oscar Isaac) and Eichman (Sir Ben Kingsley) - and both really bring it. Isaac (EX MACHINA, STAR WARS) shows a sadness and vulnerability as the agent who's life was deeply affected by the death of his sister (and other family members) at the hands of the SS. He is out to nail Eichman for his crime, but discovers a humanity (both in himself and in Eichman) along the way.
But the picture really belongs to the performance of Sir Ben as Eichman. This is a larger than life actor portraying a larger than life character and more than holds the audience's attention whenever he is on the scene - and when it comes down to an interrogation of Eichman by Malkin, the positions are quickly switched and it is Eichman who is the interrogator and Malkin is in the hot seat. It's not quite an "Oscar-worthy" performance, falling just short of that, but darn good nonetheless.
The final 1/2 hour of the film falls prey to the "Argo" ending - making a more exciting escape than it was in real life - but that is just a quibble for a really good, really intelligent and really ADULT film. One that is well worth checking out at an Art House near you.
Letter Grade A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Set in the early 1960's, OPERATION FINALE tells the tale of Israeli Secret Service Agent's attempt to capture Adolph Eichman in Argentina and bring him back to Israel to face a very public, world-wide trial for his role as the "Architect of the Final Solution".
In other hands, this film could have very easily devolved into a Jason Bourne-type action flick with kick-ass Mossad agents fighting Nazi-loving Argentinian police (with assists from once and future Nazi's). But, in the hands of Writer Matthew Orton (in his major Screenplay debut) and Director Chris Weitz (ABOUT A BOY) this film becomes something much more, much deeper and much more interesting than that, it becomes a character study between Eichman and Mossad Agent Peter Malkin.
The first 1/2 hour of the film starts out "action-y" enough, with the discovery of Eichman and the Mossad's planning of the caper that will bring him to justice. We get the "gathering of the team" - and there's a couple of interesting characters in this group - specifically the characters played by Nick Kroll and Melanie Laurent - but the film really takes off and finds it's footing when the team - and the film - is forced to slow down (waiting for their escape plane to show up) and coax a confession (of sorts) out of Eichman.
So the middle part of this film is really a "two-hander" interrogation between Malkin (Oscar Isaac) and Eichman (Sir Ben Kingsley) - and both really bring it. Isaac (EX MACHINA, STAR WARS) shows a sadness and vulnerability as the agent who's life was deeply affected by the death of his sister (and other family members) at the hands of the SS. He is out to nail Eichman for his crime, but discovers a humanity (both in himself and in Eichman) along the way.
But the picture really belongs to the performance of Sir Ben as Eichman. This is a larger than life actor portraying a larger than life character and more than holds the audience's attention whenever he is on the scene - and when it comes down to an interrogation of Eichman by Malkin, the positions are quickly switched and it is Eichman who is the interrogator and Malkin is in the hot seat. It's not quite an "Oscar-worthy" performance, falling just short of that, but darn good nonetheless.
The final 1/2 hour of the film falls prey to the "Argo" ending - making a more exciting escape than it was in real life - but that is just a quibble for a really good, really intelligent and really ADULT film. One that is well worth checking out at an Art House near you.
Letter Grade A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Darren (1599 KP) rated AVP - Alien Vs. Predator (2004) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: AVP: Alien vs. Predator starts by taking us around the world fron Antarctica to space to Nebraska to Nepal where we meet the mountain climbing expert Alexa Woods (Lathan) onto Mexico where we meet the archaeologist Sebastian (Bova) who both get a visit from Maxwell Stafford (Salmon) who represents Charles Bishop Weyland (Henriksen).
Weyland has discovered an ancient pyramid buried under the ice of Bouvetoya Island in Antarctica and has built a team including Alexa, Sebastian, Miller (Bremner), Mark (Flanagan), Joe (Rye) and Adele (Boulaye) to mention a few. To travel to the island to enter into the pyramid for what could well be a massive discovery for whoever finds it.
What starts out as a simple exhibition turns into a nightmare when above ground the men get attacked by Predators but inside the pyramid they must battle aliens in a battle for survival stuck in the middle of these iconic villains.
Thoughts on AVP: Alien vs. Predator
Characters/Performance – Alexa Woods is the expert climber hired to lead the team into the pyramid using her experience on climb ice surfaces, she reluctantly agrees knowing she is the only available person to do the job safely. Sebastian is the archaeologist that is an expert on many ancient cultures. Weyland is the man funding and seeking technology inside the pyramid. The rest of the characters get a proper introduction only to be killed off in about a ten-minute sequence.
Performance was Lathan is good and the highlight of the human characters with everyone else just coming off fine not getting the time to make an impact.
Story – When you look at this story you are left thinking this is Alien on Earth, just without any suspense, horror or interesting stuff going on. This sounds harsh because this is an easy watch and people are going to be happy to watch aliens and predators fight, the problem I have was the introducing us to countless humans only to be disposable for these villains. Certain elements of the story telling do work though, looking at the idea of ancient civilizations worshiping the predators in exchange for the pyramids I did like.
Action/Horror/Sci-Fi – The action is all what you would come to expect, large body counts and alien or predator kills we have seen before. The horror is almost gone which disappoints with the sci-fi edge working on the level it needs to only.
Settings – After taking us around the world in the opening sequences we do settle down nicely for the setting inside the pyramid under the ice with little escape.
Special Effects – We have good effects when we keep things small scale but bad effects when things get to the large scale.
Final Thoughts – This is just fine nothing more, it is an easy watch and brings together icons of film, but this just isn’t as fun as Freddy v Jason.
Overall: Easy to watch all actioner horrorless movie.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/11/18/franchise-weekend-avp-alien-vs-predator-2004/
Weyland has discovered an ancient pyramid buried under the ice of Bouvetoya Island in Antarctica and has built a team including Alexa, Sebastian, Miller (Bremner), Mark (Flanagan), Joe (Rye) and Adele (Boulaye) to mention a few. To travel to the island to enter into the pyramid for what could well be a massive discovery for whoever finds it.
What starts out as a simple exhibition turns into a nightmare when above ground the men get attacked by Predators but inside the pyramid they must battle aliens in a battle for survival stuck in the middle of these iconic villains.
Thoughts on AVP: Alien vs. Predator
Characters/Performance – Alexa Woods is the expert climber hired to lead the team into the pyramid using her experience on climb ice surfaces, she reluctantly agrees knowing she is the only available person to do the job safely. Sebastian is the archaeologist that is an expert on many ancient cultures. Weyland is the man funding and seeking technology inside the pyramid. The rest of the characters get a proper introduction only to be killed off in about a ten-minute sequence.
Performance was Lathan is good and the highlight of the human characters with everyone else just coming off fine not getting the time to make an impact.
Story – When you look at this story you are left thinking this is Alien on Earth, just without any suspense, horror or interesting stuff going on. This sounds harsh because this is an easy watch and people are going to be happy to watch aliens and predators fight, the problem I have was the introducing us to countless humans only to be disposable for these villains. Certain elements of the story telling do work though, looking at the idea of ancient civilizations worshiping the predators in exchange for the pyramids I did like.
Action/Horror/Sci-Fi – The action is all what you would come to expect, large body counts and alien or predator kills we have seen before. The horror is almost gone which disappoints with the sci-fi edge working on the level it needs to only.
Settings – After taking us around the world in the opening sequences we do settle down nicely for the setting inside the pyramid under the ice with little escape.
Special Effects – We have good effects when we keep things small scale but bad effects when things get to the large scale.
Final Thoughts – This is just fine nothing more, it is an easy watch and brings together icons of film, but this just isn’t as fun as Freddy v Jason.
Overall: Easy to watch all actioner horrorless movie.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/11/18/franchise-weekend-avp-alien-vs-predator-2004/
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Cuckoo Song in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Frances Hardinge’s <i>Cuckoo Song</i> is a historical, horror story for children. Six years have past since the end of the First World War, a war in which the Crescent family lost their eldest child. Eleven-year-old Theresa Crescent “Triss” lives with her parents and nine year old sister, Penelope “Pen” in the fictional town of Ellchester, England. Since losing Sebastian, Triss has become a very frail child and so it is no surprise to her parents that she develops an awful fever after falling into a millpond. The question, though, is how she came to be in the pond to begin with and why Pen is so scared of her?
Things become even more mystifying when Triss sees dolls start to move, finds leaves on her pillow, and is constantly ravenously hungry. Her parents begin to consider that Triss is suffering from some form of mental illness, however, Pen, the bad-tempered child, is adamant that that is not the case. She claims that Triss is a fake.
The horrible realization is that perhaps Triss is not Triss at all. This discovery leads the tale into paranormal territory with the introduction of unique new creatures: Besiders.
Cuckoo Song is not just an entertaining, fantastical story; it also deals with themes of family and personal emotion. Piers and Celeste Crescent are examples of parents whose behaviour and response to the death of a child impact on their remaining children. Triss becomes a child they want to protect and save leaving Pen to become an attention-seeking troublemaker.
As the story progresses, Triss and Pen’s relationship develops, or rather Pen and Not-Triss’, into something more recognizable and sisterly. Through their strength and newfound love for each other, they fight to get the happy ending they deserve. And through it all Triss discovers that just because someone calls you a monster, it does not mean that you are a monster.
The 1920’s setting did not feel quite accurate. At times it felt as though the story could have been set today. This, however, was not a major issue as, apart from Sebastian’s death during WW1, the time period was not a key aspect of the plot.
Initially the children, particularly Pen, were written in a way that made them seem older than Hardinge intended them to be, although by the end it is clear that they are fairly young. This is shown in the way that Pen begins to become attached to, and slightly more dependent, on Triss.
It is difficult to say who the target audience of <i>Cuckoo Song</i> is. The protagonist is eleven but the writing may be a little difficult for some children, on the other hand it cannot exactly be classed as Young Adult fiction since the characters are not even in their teens.
Overall, <i>Cuckoo Song</i> is an exciting, fast paced, fairy tale-like story with original characters. It is not scary and is fun to read; there is nothing to stop older readers from enjoying it too!
Frances Hardinge’s <i>Cuckoo Song</i> is a historical, horror story for children. Six years have past since the end of the First World War, a war in which the Crescent family lost their eldest child. Eleven-year-old Theresa Crescent “Triss” lives with her parents and nine year old sister, Penelope “Pen” in the fictional town of Ellchester, England. Since losing Sebastian, Triss has become a very frail child and so it is no surprise to her parents that she develops an awful fever after falling into a millpond. The question, though, is how she came to be in the pond to begin with and why Pen is so scared of her?
Things become even more mystifying when Triss sees dolls start to move, finds leaves on her pillow, and is constantly ravenously hungry. Her parents begin to consider that Triss is suffering from some form of mental illness, however, Pen, the bad-tempered child, is adamant that that is not the case. She claims that Triss is a fake.
The horrible realization is that perhaps Triss is not Triss at all. This discovery leads the tale into paranormal territory with the introduction of unique new creatures: Besiders.
Cuckoo Song is not just an entertaining, fantastical story; it also deals with themes of family and personal emotion. Piers and Celeste Crescent are examples of parents whose behaviour and response to the death of a child impact on their remaining children. Triss becomes a child they want to protect and save leaving Pen to become an attention-seeking troublemaker.
As the story progresses, Triss and Pen’s relationship develops, or rather Pen and Not-Triss’, into something more recognizable and sisterly. Through their strength and newfound love for each other, they fight to get the happy ending they deserve. And through it all Triss discovers that just because someone calls you a monster, it does not mean that you are a monster.
The 1920’s setting did not feel quite accurate. At times it felt as though the story could have been set today. This, however, was not a major issue as, apart from Sebastian’s death during WW1, the time period was not a key aspect of the plot.
Initially the children, particularly Pen, were written in a way that made them seem older than Hardinge intended them to be, although by the end it is clear that they are fairly young. This is shown in the way that Pen begins to become attached to, and slightly more dependent, on Triss.
It is difficult to say who the target audience of <i>Cuckoo Song</i> is. The protagonist is eleven but the writing may be a little difficult for some children, on the other hand it cannot exactly be classed as Young Adult fiction since the characters are not even in their teens.
Overall, <i>Cuckoo Song</i> is an exciting, fast paced, fairy tale-like story with original characters. It is not scary and is fun to read; there is nothing to stop older readers from enjoying it too!
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Before she was the Queen of Hearts she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. </i>When Marissa Meyer finished writing <i>The Lunar Chronicles</i>, a series of books loosely based on fairytales, everyone wondered what she would do next. Continuing along the lines of using famous stories, Meyer has devoted an entire novel to Lewis Carroll’s <i>Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</i>. With thousands of references to the original tale, and a couple of other works too, Heartless is perfect for fans of Carroll’s salient characters.
Unlike most retellings, Meyer has focused on events prior to Alice’s accidental discovery of Wonderland. The resulting novel is essentially a theory as to how the characters turned out the way they did in the original story published in 1865. Drawing attention to the predestined Queen of Hearts, a young woman named Catherine, readers discover a reason for her development into an infamous villain.
Lady Catherine Pinkerton is completely unlike the character she is fated to be. She is a kind, thoughtful girl whose greatest wish is to open her own bakery. Unfortunately, this dream is just that, a dream. With the asinine King of Hearts resolved to marry her, there is little Cath can do to avoid her royal future. At first it may appear odd that Cath is so against marrying the ruler of Hearts, but she soon makes it clear she would much rather marry for love. So, when the court joker, Jest – a similar character to the legendary Hatter – catches her eye, Catherine becomes determined to control her own future.
<i>Heartless</i> is a humorous, yet romantic, young adult novel, full of both well-known and new characters. Set in a world with morals similar to the Victorian era, it works extremely well as a prequel to <i>Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</i>. Catherine is an admirable, feministic character who readers will struggle to believe will become such a notorious Queen. What could possibly happen to vastly alter her personality? Similarly, what is it that makes the Hatter go mad, and who is Jest? Being a character unique to this novel, there is a foreboding sense that this joker, and his poetry reciting raven – cue Edgar Allan Poe references – suffer a horrible demise.
Unlike Marissa Meyer’s previous books where the fairytales were not so obvious, the storyline in <i>Heartless</i> perfectly joins up with Lewis Carroll’s imagination. With references to mock turtles, the Jabberwock and other minor characters, there is so much to discover in Meyer’s interpretation of Wonderland – it even clears up a couple of scenarios from the original tale that may have bamboozled readers initially.
Admittedly, <i>Heartless</i> takes a little while to get going, but once it has, it is difficult to put down. Fans of Marissa Meyer may be disappointed that she did not stick to her futuristic storytelling, however all Alice enthusiasts will fall in love with this book – and probably with Jest as well. Overall, <i>Heartless</i> is a delightful book that reignites our inner childish imagination.
Before she was the Queen of Hearts she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. </i>When Marissa Meyer finished writing <i>The Lunar Chronicles</i>, a series of books loosely based on fairytales, everyone wondered what she would do next. Continuing along the lines of using famous stories, Meyer has devoted an entire novel to Lewis Carroll’s <i>Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</i>. With thousands of references to the original tale, and a couple of other works too, Heartless is perfect for fans of Carroll’s salient characters.
Unlike most retellings, Meyer has focused on events prior to Alice’s accidental discovery of Wonderland. The resulting novel is essentially a theory as to how the characters turned out the way they did in the original story published in 1865. Drawing attention to the predestined Queen of Hearts, a young woman named Catherine, readers discover a reason for her development into an infamous villain.
Lady Catherine Pinkerton is completely unlike the character she is fated to be. She is a kind, thoughtful girl whose greatest wish is to open her own bakery. Unfortunately, this dream is just that, a dream. With the asinine King of Hearts resolved to marry her, there is little Cath can do to avoid her royal future. At first it may appear odd that Cath is so against marrying the ruler of Hearts, but she soon makes it clear she would much rather marry for love. So, when the court joker, Jest – a similar character to the legendary Hatter – catches her eye, Catherine becomes determined to control her own future.
<i>Heartless</i> is a humorous, yet romantic, young adult novel, full of both well-known and new characters. Set in a world with morals similar to the Victorian era, it works extremely well as a prequel to <i>Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</i>. Catherine is an admirable, feministic character who readers will struggle to believe will become such a notorious Queen. What could possibly happen to vastly alter her personality? Similarly, what is it that makes the Hatter go mad, and who is Jest? Being a character unique to this novel, there is a foreboding sense that this joker, and his poetry reciting raven – cue Edgar Allan Poe references – suffer a horrible demise.
Unlike Marissa Meyer’s previous books where the fairytales were not so obvious, the storyline in <i>Heartless</i> perfectly joins up with Lewis Carroll’s imagination. With references to mock turtles, the Jabberwock and other minor characters, there is so much to discover in Meyer’s interpretation of Wonderland – it even clears up a couple of scenarios from the original tale that may have bamboozled readers initially.
Admittedly, <i>Heartless</i> takes a little while to get going, but once it has, it is difficult to put down. Fans of Marissa Meyer may be disappointed that she did not stick to her futuristic storytelling, however all Alice enthusiasts will fall in love with this book – and probably with Jest as well. Overall, <i>Heartless</i> is a delightful book that reignites our inner childish imagination.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Dumplin' (2018) in Movies
Jan 16, 2019
Good On So Many Levels
High school student Willowdean (Danielle MacDonald) decides to enter a beauty pageant to spite her mom Rosie (Jennifer Aniston), a former pageant queen.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
The characters in this story are not just unique and enjoyable. They also represent the melting pot of what this world should be. Willowdean feels out of place because she is heavyset so she tries to attack herself before others do. Her Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley) tried to teach her to do the opposite before she passed away, but Willowdean didn’t grasp her aunt’s confidence unfortunately. Through her journey of pageant life, she makes two good friends: Hannah (Bex Taylor-Klaus) who is anti-establishment (or anti-everything, rather) and Millie (Maddie Baillio) a ball of happiness with an overprotective mom. They are at the core of a slew of good characters that brighten the story. And did I mention the drag queens? Phe-no-men-al.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
The conflict here is less about outward confrontation and more about inner discovery. Willowdean’s greatest enemy is herself, something most of us can probably relate to. It is refreshing to watching her battle old demons while coming to terms with who she is and who she can be. Destroying yourself is toxic and Dumplin’ shows how a negative view of one’s self can damage and destroy the relationships around us.
Genre: 10
Memorability: 8
The story as a whole has a magical feeling to it that’s centered in realism, almost like a trailer park Cinderella. I thought of all the 201 movies I watched in 2018. Few touched me quite like this one. A really memorable movie can make you laugh, maybe cry a little, and reflect. Dumplin’ gets the job done. It teaches you never to underestimate yourself and to go all out even when you don’t think you have a shot.
Pace: 10
I love when storytelling is consistent and blends seamlessly from one scene to the next. You get that here. There’s not a whole lot of pointless dialogue that takes you nowhere or random scenes that forces relationship-building. It moves consistently like a batch of waves. Before you know it, it’s over and you’ve had a great ride.
Plot: 10
The story isn’t just original but heartfelt. Something we can all get behind. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like it. You can see the ending coming a mile away, but you’re having so much of a good time you don’t care!
Resolution: 10
Just as with the plot, you definitely see the ending coming a mile away. Doesn’t make it any less awesome or touching. Mum’s the word, but it ties on a nice little bow on the movie as a whole.
Overall: 98
I’m always wary of Netflix originals. Not because they can’t be good, I’ve seen plenty of amazing things on Netflix. Rather I understand that there’s a pressure for them to keep putting out original content at a fast pace because the market is catching up. This could mean more swings-and-misses. Dumplin’ is not a casualty of that in the least. Quality movie.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
The characters in this story are not just unique and enjoyable. They also represent the melting pot of what this world should be. Willowdean feels out of place because she is heavyset so she tries to attack herself before others do. Her Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley) tried to teach her to do the opposite before she passed away, but Willowdean didn’t grasp her aunt’s confidence unfortunately. Through her journey of pageant life, she makes two good friends: Hannah (Bex Taylor-Klaus) who is anti-establishment (or anti-everything, rather) and Millie (Maddie Baillio) a ball of happiness with an overprotective mom. They are at the core of a slew of good characters that brighten the story. And did I mention the drag queens? Phe-no-men-al.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
The conflict here is less about outward confrontation and more about inner discovery. Willowdean’s greatest enemy is herself, something most of us can probably relate to. It is refreshing to watching her battle old demons while coming to terms with who she is and who she can be. Destroying yourself is toxic and Dumplin’ shows how a negative view of one’s self can damage and destroy the relationships around us.
Genre: 10
Memorability: 8
The story as a whole has a magical feeling to it that’s centered in realism, almost like a trailer park Cinderella. I thought of all the 201 movies I watched in 2018. Few touched me quite like this one. A really memorable movie can make you laugh, maybe cry a little, and reflect. Dumplin’ gets the job done. It teaches you never to underestimate yourself and to go all out even when you don’t think you have a shot.
Pace: 10
I love when storytelling is consistent and blends seamlessly from one scene to the next. You get that here. There’s not a whole lot of pointless dialogue that takes you nowhere or random scenes that forces relationship-building. It moves consistently like a batch of waves. Before you know it, it’s over and you’ve had a great ride.
Plot: 10
The story isn’t just original but heartfelt. Something we can all get behind. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like it. You can see the ending coming a mile away, but you’re having so much of a good time you don’t care!
Resolution: 10
Just as with the plot, you definitely see the ending coming a mile away. Doesn’t make it any less awesome or touching. Mum’s the word, but it ties on a nice little bow on the movie as a whole.
Overall: 98
I’m always wary of Netflix originals. Not because they can’t be good, I’ve seen plenty of amazing things on Netflix. Rather I understand that there’s a pressure for them to keep putting out original content at a fast pace because the market is catching up. This could mean more swings-and-misses. Dumplin’ is not a casualty of that in the least. Quality movie.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Daughter of Smoke and Bone in Books
Jan 23, 2020
How I really feel these days: read/listen to a book, pull out the overall point of the book, give brief information on why I liked/disliked the book, the end. Or, go through that and the words come as I start typing the review, and it may or may not be in an organized manner. That's for your judgment, I suppose.
It's precisely how I feel with <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i>. It's interesting with all the seraphs and chimaera (I keep wanting to call that chimera) being at war with each other, but I pretty much picked out one very important theme in this entire book.
Reincarnation (or resurrection in this case) and self-discovery.
Karou is a very mysterious person (at least, she likes to keep it that way). From early on, she doesn't have a family (aside from a surrogate one), doesn't talk about herself, and avoids questions from anyone who actually want to know who she is aside from the fact she is fantastic at drawing mystical creatures. She also deals with wishes, her hair is blue (really cool, by the way), and speaks over twenty languages. But she still doesn't understand who she really is, and that remains the constant until Karou goes on an errand where she comes across Akiva, a seraph with fire in his eyes.
I'm not really sure how I feel about Akiva. Although Laini gives information about his past, especially with Madrigal's memories, I'm pretty indifferent towards him. He's a seraph, fell in love with Madrigal, and wants peace among the seraph and chimaera, but otherwise, I feel like he's just appropriately placed in the story.
<i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> is also one of those books in which I believe Laini does a fantastic job with flashbacks. I'm generally not a huge fan of flashbacks, because while I know they play an important role most of the time (authors don't do things in their novel without reason), they sometimes add more bulk or it doesn't really fit well in the story.
In <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone's</i> case, it would have been a really bad idea not to have so many flashbacks later on in the story. From what I've read up to Madrigal's memories, Karou is a enigmatic person. Madrigal's memories add on to Karou as a whole, and I feel it makes Karou more developed than she would have been had Laini not written in the most important aspects of Madrigal's life.
<i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> has it's very gruesome parts (don't tell me listening to a description of someone being beheaded is <em>not</em> gruesome), but I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to listening to the second book (bonus points because it's the same narrator for the entire trilogy).
Have I mentioned I absolutely <em>adore</em> Zuzanna? *kiss/punch*
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/audiobook-review-daughter-of-smoke-and-bone-by-laini-taylor/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
It's precisely how I feel with <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i>. It's interesting with all the seraphs and chimaera (I keep wanting to call that chimera) being at war with each other, but I pretty much picked out one very important theme in this entire book.
Reincarnation (or resurrection in this case) and self-discovery.
Karou is a very mysterious person (at least, she likes to keep it that way). From early on, she doesn't have a family (aside from a surrogate one), doesn't talk about herself, and avoids questions from anyone who actually want to know who she is aside from the fact she is fantastic at drawing mystical creatures. She also deals with wishes, her hair is blue (really cool, by the way), and speaks over twenty languages. But she still doesn't understand who she really is, and that remains the constant until Karou goes on an errand where she comes across Akiva, a seraph with fire in his eyes.
I'm not really sure how I feel about Akiva. Although Laini gives information about his past, especially with Madrigal's memories, I'm pretty indifferent towards him. He's a seraph, fell in love with Madrigal, and wants peace among the seraph and chimaera, but otherwise, I feel like he's just appropriately placed in the story.
<i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> is also one of those books in which I believe Laini does a fantastic job with flashbacks. I'm generally not a huge fan of flashbacks, because while I know they play an important role most of the time (authors don't do things in their novel without reason), they sometimes add more bulk or it doesn't really fit well in the story.
In <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone's</i> case, it would have been a really bad idea not to have so many flashbacks later on in the story. From what I've read up to Madrigal's memories, Karou is a enigmatic person. Madrigal's memories add on to Karou as a whole, and I feel it makes Karou more developed than she would have been had Laini not written in the most important aspects of Madrigal's life.
<i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> has it's very gruesome parts (don't tell me listening to a description of someone being beheaded is <em>not</em> gruesome), but I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to listening to the second book (bonus points because it's the same narrator for the entire trilogy).
Have I mentioned I absolutely <em>adore</em> Zuzanna? *kiss/punch*
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/audiobook-review-daughter-of-smoke-and-bone-by-laini-taylor/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Wanderers (The Wanderers, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Kate Ormand takes a unique twist in <i>The Wanderers</i>, following a group of nomad shapeshifters traveling under the guise of a circus. Flo has been part of the circus ever since she was young but has always thought of what the world would be like if she were not a part of the circus. When she accidentally reveals what the circus really is to the public, shapeshifter hunters attack and take away everything she has ever known.
There aren't a lot of shapeshifter books out there all the ones I've come across so far typically have characters that shift into wolves (<i>technically</i> werewolves are like shapeshifters. They're interchangeable). <i>The Wanderers</i>, on the other hand, don't really have wolves (I don't think there are any here). Ormand takes the concept and expands the idea of shapeshifter to include all kinds of animals bears, seals, tigers, horses, etc. It's a breather to have all kinds of animals instead of the usual furry four-legged ones. Have I mentioned there's a shapeshifting parrot? Uber-cool.
Flo (I started imagining her as that Progressive chick) has elements of a good character she's realistic and brave, even though she's watching her back constantly for hunters. She has a constant inner battle with a desire and curiosity to see the world outside of the circus but has no clue if she wants to take that opportunity when she's old enough to be offered a life outside. But Flo is a bit of a mystery to me, and so are most of the shifters.
<i>The Wanderers</i> feels more like a discovery book no one aside from the "elders" know how the circus originated in the first place. Flo and the other shifters seem as though they've been there all their lives they all have a similar past and their way to the circus are all similar. The book becomes more of a survival book after the attack and the remaining shifters work together (albeit the tolerable tension some have towards Flo) to escape the clutches of the hunters going after them. In the midst of it all, Flo discovers a disturbing plot and sets about breaking it before other shifters get hurt as well.
Ormand pulls off an ending similar to <a title="Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-killer-of-enemies-by-joseph-bruchac/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruchac's in <i>Killer of Enemies</i></a> there's a solid ending, but it's very open-ended and lots of things could potentially happen. The ending to <i>The Wanderers</i> feels very fitting with the story considering the title and the concept. Even though I'm not a huge fan of this book, Ormand has certainly left a mark with just the entire idea.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-wanderers-by-kate-ormand/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Kate Ormand takes a unique twist in <i>The Wanderers</i>, following a group of nomad shapeshifters traveling under the guise of a circus. Flo has been part of the circus ever since she was young but has always thought of what the world would be like if she were not a part of the circus. When she accidentally reveals what the circus really is to the public, shapeshifter hunters attack and take away everything she has ever known.
There aren't a lot of shapeshifter books out there all the ones I've come across so far typically have characters that shift into wolves (<i>technically</i> werewolves are like shapeshifters. They're interchangeable). <i>The Wanderers</i>, on the other hand, don't really have wolves (I don't think there are any here). Ormand takes the concept and expands the idea of shapeshifter to include all kinds of animals bears, seals, tigers, horses, etc. It's a breather to have all kinds of animals instead of the usual furry four-legged ones. Have I mentioned there's a shapeshifting parrot? Uber-cool.
Flo (I started imagining her as that Progressive chick) has elements of a good character she's realistic and brave, even though she's watching her back constantly for hunters. She has a constant inner battle with a desire and curiosity to see the world outside of the circus but has no clue if she wants to take that opportunity when she's old enough to be offered a life outside. But Flo is a bit of a mystery to me, and so are most of the shifters.
<i>The Wanderers</i> feels more like a discovery book no one aside from the "elders" know how the circus originated in the first place. Flo and the other shifters seem as though they've been there all their lives they all have a similar past and their way to the circus are all similar. The book becomes more of a survival book after the attack and the remaining shifters work together (albeit the tolerable tension some have towards Flo) to escape the clutches of the hunters going after them. In the midst of it all, Flo discovers a disturbing plot and sets about breaking it before other shifters get hurt as well.
Ormand pulls off an ending similar to <a title="Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-killer-of-enemies-by-joseph-bruchac/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruchac's in <i>Killer of Enemies</i></a> there's a solid ending, but it's very open-ended and lots of things could potentially happen. The ending to <i>The Wanderers</i> feels very fitting with the story considering the title and the concept. Even though I'm not a huge fan of this book, Ormand has certainly left a mark with just the entire idea.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-wanderers-by-kate-ormand/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Go Back for Love in Books
Mar 18, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Go Back for Love by Anne-Marie Sassoli is an extremely brief romance. This book can easily be read in a day, in not just a couple of hours. It also relies heavily on time travel in very short bursts.
Laura is a bit of a nobody and always has been, at least in her own opinion. Then one seemingly random day she gets a letter from a solicitor. This letter sets her off on a whole new life as it is her inheritance from an aunt she barely knew. Along with a large sum of money Laura is given a mysterious coin collection that is connected to her aunt in a most unusual way. Through these coins, Laura learns about her aunt's past. She is introduced to her aunt’s fall from riches to being a servant. Her aunt’s journey doesn't end there but in an unexpected interaction with a man who sees her potential as a person despite the differences in their social classes.
During Laura’s discovery of her aunt's past, she also starts forming a cautious relationship with her neighbor, Blaire, who also happens to own the building she lives in. What is most startling is how Blaire is already interwoven into Laura’s life by a surprising connection to her Aunt. Was their meeting predetermined by fate (or the Aunt) or is it just something that happened by chance?
Like many of the books that I do not care for, I do like the concept, it just wasn’t presented very well. So much could be done with how the Aunt's coins allowed Laura to travel back in time. What Laura saw when she traveled was also interesting but lacked relevance, it contained no lesson and did nothing to directly encourage Blaire and Laura to get together. The book is extremely vague. It is almost as if it is an unfinished draft of what could be a much larger story. Unfortunately, everything felt glossed over, like the author had a good idea but didn’t want to take the time to write a larger novel.
If I were to recommend this book to anyone it would be adults who like romance (there is one semi-vivid sex scene). It is good for those that want a basic and quick read, but those wanting something with more depth will be disappointed. I rate this book 1 out of 4. I was rather disappointed in it. While so short stories have the amazing ability to quickly draw readers in, provoke emotion, or make them think, this one missed the mark. In fact upon thinking about the story, time travel wasn’t even needed as the money that Laura also got put the couple in contact and not the coins.
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Laura is a bit of a nobody and always has been, at least in her own opinion. Then one seemingly random day she gets a letter from a solicitor. This letter sets her off on a whole new life as it is her inheritance from an aunt she barely knew. Along with a large sum of money Laura is given a mysterious coin collection that is connected to her aunt in a most unusual way. Through these coins, Laura learns about her aunt's past. She is introduced to her aunt’s fall from riches to being a servant. Her aunt’s journey doesn't end there but in an unexpected interaction with a man who sees her potential as a person despite the differences in their social classes.
During Laura’s discovery of her aunt's past, she also starts forming a cautious relationship with her neighbor, Blaire, who also happens to own the building she lives in. What is most startling is how Blaire is already interwoven into Laura’s life by a surprising connection to her Aunt. Was their meeting predetermined by fate (or the Aunt) or is it just something that happened by chance?
Like many of the books that I do not care for, I do like the concept, it just wasn’t presented very well. So much could be done with how the Aunt's coins allowed Laura to travel back in time. What Laura saw when she traveled was also interesting but lacked relevance, it contained no lesson and did nothing to directly encourage Blaire and Laura to get together. The book is extremely vague. It is almost as if it is an unfinished draft of what could be a much larger story. Unfortunately, everything felt glossed over, like the author had a good idea but didn’t want to take the time to write a larger novel.
If I were to recommend this book to anyone it would be adults who like romance (there is one semi-vivid sex scene). It is good for those that want a basic and quick read, but those wanting something with more depth will be disappointed. I rate this book 1 out of 4. I was rather disappointed in it. While so short stories have the amazing ability to quickly draw readers in, provoke emotion, or make them think, this one missed the mark. In fact upon thinking about the story, time travel wasn’t even needed as the money that Laura also got put the couple in contact and not the coins.
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