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Erika (17789 KP) rated The Green Knight (2020) in Movies
Aug 2, 2021
Green Knight, based upon the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, does the poem justice. We join our relatively pure-hearted Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) on Christmas morning, as he wakes up in what appears to be a brothel. He rushes home to his Mother (Sarita Choudhury), to change for the Christmas Day feast with the aged King (Sean Harris). Mother is left behind as Gawain goes to the feast, and conjures the appearance of the Green Knight.
Gawain agrees to the Christmas game proposed by the Green Knight, so he can be knighted himself. The game is the same as the poem, a knight gives a blow to the Green Knight, and a year from that date, the knight will visit the Green Chapel so he can return the favor.
The year passes, and Gawain sets out on his quest. Mother gives him the gift of a green sash, that will protect him as he faces the journey and the Green Knight. He sets off on his trippy journey, encountering a scavenger (Barry Keoghan) along the way and is quickly delayed in his quest and left for dead, losing his green sash. After freeing himself, he sets out on his allegory-filled quest again, encountering St. Winifred (Erin Kellyman), giants, and is led by a fox to a castle near the Green Chapel.
The castle is where the film gets back on track with the poem. The Lord (Joel Egerton) shows kindness and hospitality, while his wife (Alicia Vikander), takes the role as temptress. Alicia Vikander plays both the Lady, and the prostitute that Gawain is in love with back home. It’s understandably confusing for Gawain. The same deal is struck between the Lord and Gawain, while the Lord is away on the hunt, he will give Gawain everything he catches, while Gawain promises to give the Lord anything he receives at the castle. Gawain does not end up keeping the agreement as he’s seduced by the Lady and gets the green sash back. He escapes the castle and goes to the Green Chapel to finish the Christmas game. The end was very interesting, would Gawain choose to be courageous and maintain his honor, accepting death? Or would he be a coward, running away to be knighted, then subsequently become King? The ending was scary good.
My first thought after the film ended was that we finally got a film that did an Arthurian legend justice. I happened to be really into Arthuriana, so this film was such a treat. Though, I am left with some questions. I’m not sure which sister Mother was supposed to be. Was Mother Morgaine or Morgause? I assume it was Morgause, but Mother was a little more witchy, so maybe Morgaine? I also don’t know if in the film, the Green Knight was the Lord. The characters were played by two different actors, but the Lord is definitely supposed to be the Green Knight.
Another thing I did like is that I don’t believe they ever called the King by his name, Arthur. This was a smart move, as the story was centralized on Sir Gawain, and not about Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
The one sore thumb for me was Alicia Vikander. Her accent when she was the prostitute, Essel, was horrid. I also think that character wasn’t really needed at all because she was just annoying. The whole brothel situation itself was kind of lame because Gawain was supposed to be pure and innocent. The innocence being lost at the Castle was a major part of the poem.
Dev Patel was excellent as Gawain; I was entranced by him, and he kept my attention the entire film. I know there were grumblings about his casting, but seriously, this is a fantasy story. It also is not impossible for people of a different race to be present all over Europe. There once was this empire called Rome, that encompassed a very large area, and enabled people to travel around and settle in areas.
I had been looking forward to this film since March of 2020, and it completely delivered. I hope we get more films like this, rather than the barrage of big dumb action and comic book films. I can’t wait to go see this film again!
Gawain agrees to the Christmas game proposed by the Green Knight, so he can be knighted himself. The game is the same as the poem, a knight gives a blow to the Green Knight, and a year from that date, the knight will visit the Green Chapel so he can return the favor.
The year passes, and Gawain sets out on his quest. Mother gives him the gift of a green sash, that will protect him as he faces the journey and the Green Knight. He sets off on his trippy journey, encountering a scavenger (Barry Keoghan) along the way and is quickly delayed in his quest and left for dead, losing his green sash. After freeing himself, he sets out on his allegory-filled quest again, encountering St. Winifred (Erin Kellyman), giants, and is led by a fox to a castle near the Green Chapel.
The castle is where the film gets back on track with the poem. The Lord (Joel Egerton) shows kindness and hospitality, while his wife (Alicia Vikander), takes the role as temptress. Alicia Vikander plays both the Lady, and the prostitute that Gawain is in love with back home. It’s understandably confusing for Gawain. The same deal is struck between the Lord and Gawain, while the Lord is away on the hunt, he will give Gawain everything he catches, while Gawain promises to give the Lord anything he receives at the castle. Gawain does not end up keeping the agreement as he’s seduced by the Lady and gets the green sash back. He escapes the castle and goes to the Green Chapel to finish the Christmas game. The end was very interesting, would Gawain choose to be courageous and maintain his honor, accepting death? Or would he be a coward, running away to be knighted, then subsequently become King? The ending was scary good.
My first thought after the film ended was that we finally got a film that did an Arthurian legend justice. I happened to be really into Arthuriana, so this film was such a treat. Though, I am left with some questions. I’m not sure which sister Mother was supposed to be. Was Mother Morgaine or Morgause? I assume it was Morgause, but Mother was a little more witchy, so maybe Morgaine? I also don’t know if in the film, the Green Knight was the Lord. The characters were played by two different actors, but the Lord is definitely supposed to be the Green Knight.
Another thing I did like is that I don’t believe they ever called the King by his name, Arthur. This was a smart move, as the story was centralized on Sir Gawain, and not about Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
The one sore thumb for me was Alicia Vikander. Her accent when she was the prostitute, Essel, was horrid. I also think that character wasn’t really needed at all because she was just annoying. The whole brothel situation itself was kind of lame because Gawain was supposed to be pure and innocent. The innocence being lost at the Castle was a major part of the poem.
Dev Patel was excellent as Gawain; I was entranced by him, and he kept my attention the entire film. I know there were grumblings about his casting, but seriously, this is a fantasy story. It also is not impossible for people of a different race to be present all over Europe. There once was this empire called Rome, that encompassed a very large area, and enabled people to travel around and settle in areas.
I had been looking forward to this film since March of 2020, and it completely delivered. I hope we get more films like this, rather than the barrage of big dumb action and comic book films. I can’t wait to go see this film again!

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
Book
On May 1, 1915, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of...
Another smash hit by Jordan Peele
I am an avid horror fanatic. This being said, I have seen loads of horror/thriller movies and Us actually made me leave the theater feeling more creeped out than I have ever felt watching a movie in this genre.
The sound editing was on point. The song "I got 5 on it" by Luniz was used several times in the movie as the original song and sampled in various ways depending on the portion of the movie and it worked in all aspects. The slowed down version worked well during the heightened moments when it was needed to be sufficiently creepy.
Surprisingly there were a few funny moments in the movie. I wasn't expecting to be tickled in a horror movie but Mr Peele knows how to keep that balance between funny and scary. It had just enough to cut the tension in some moments but not so much that you felt like you were watching some garbage like Scary Movie or Paranormal Whacktivity.
Plotwise, it didn't feel like it was hard to get lost but, in the mark of a true horror director, just when you think you have things figured out. BAM!! Plot twist came out of left field and slapped me in the face making me realize that I had no idea what was even right in the first place.
The acting was well done for the main cast but I feel the secondary cast could have been portrayed better or even with better people. It wasn't bad but the minor characters were so one dimensional and lacked any kind of personality that made me care about them for the short time they were on screen multiple times.
Overall, really great movie. I give it a 9 inky because nothing is perfect, but that was very well done and I look forward to Jordan Peele helming the reboot of The Twilight Zone series later this year. If it's anything like his last 2 movies, we're in for a treat.
The sound editing was on point. The song "I got 5 on it" by Luniz was used several times in the movie as the original song and sampled in various ways depending on the portion of the movie and it worked in all aspects. The slowed down version worked well during the heightened moments when it was needed to be sufficiently creepy.
Surprisingly there were a few funny moments in the movie. I wasn't expecting to be tickled in a horror movie but Mr Peele knows how to keep that balance between funny and scary. It had just enough to cut the tension in some moments but not so much that you felt like you were watching some garbage like Scary Movie or Paranormal Whacktivity.
Plotwise, it didn't feel like it was hard to get lost but, in the mark of a true horror director, just when you think you have things figured out. BAM!! Plot twist came out of left field and slapped me in the face making me realize that I had no idea what was even right in the first place.
The acting was well done for the main cast but I feel the secondary cast could have been portrayed better or even with better people. It wasn't bad but the minor characters were so one dimensional and lacked any kind of personality that made me care about them for the short time they were on screen multiple times.
Overall, really great movie. I give it a 9 inky because nothing is perfect, but that was very well done and I look forward to Jordan Peele helming the reboot of The Twilight Zone series later this year. If it's anything like his last 2 movies, we're in for a treat.

Teenage Safari: A South African Conscript in the Border War in Angola and Namibia
Book
A wide-eyed South African conscript relates his small share of the war in Angola and Namibia in the...

Louise (64 KP) rated Thirteen Reasons Why in Books
Jul 2, 2018
Thirteen reason why is told from Clays perspective but mostly about Hannah, the girl who committed suicide 2 weeks ago. Hannah has sent out tapes to thirteen people who she believes contributed to her death some way or the other and Clay is one of them.
This book is set in chapters and each one is a side of the cassette is about a particular person and what they did or didn’t do. The audio tapes where Hannah is speaking is written in italics and intertwined with her dialogue we have Clay and what he is thinking or feeling at that particular time. The writing in this book is very easy to read and is a quick book to finish. I was hooked from the start and I read it in less than a day. I needed to find out how Clay was involved in the stories.
When I started reading the stories I was thinking that I don’t think that these reasons are really enough to warrant killing yourself over, but one reason leads to another and they get worse and you could see that these things that happened to Hannah could be plausible and that when all of these troubles and worries keep being added to the pile, it can be crushing and for some people just too much to cope with.
Hannah’s reason for killing her self is not clear-cut, because it wasn’t solely because she lost a loved one or was abused etc etc. But the forms of bullying that she received, the guilt that was heavy on her shoulders and being sexually targeted by her peers lead her to believe that no-one cared and she took her own life. This book really is an eye opener and proves to the reader no matter how small our actions are they can have a massive effect on others.
Clay is shocked when he finds a box of tapes on his doorstep, no-one uses this ancient format of audio anymore surely. When he hears Hannah’s voice telling him that she has reasons as to why she committed suicide and that he was involved some way or another sickens him. He has always loved Hannah from afar, never really having the guts to speak to her due to shyness. He is such a nice character and doesn’t really have anything bad to say about anybody. He is clearly traumatized about the reasons and always thinking how he could have prevented it from happening even though it’s too late.
Hannah blackmails the thirteen people involved, if they don’t listen to her reasons and forward the tapes onto the next person, there is a second set of tapes that will be sent to police/newspapers and there will be consequences. Hannah appears to be angry and somewhat morbid, however she is at the point of accepting that she is going to end her life.
This book is gripping, compelling and emotional read. To write a story about suicide and do it well is a hard feat, however Asher seems to have done it. It is a very realistic portrayal in suicide in teenagers and what they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Overall I rated this 4 out of stars
This book is set in chapters and each one is a side of the cassette is about a particular person and what they did or didn’t do. The audio tapes where Hannah is speaking is written in italics and intertwined with her dialogue we have Clay and what he is thinking or feeling at that particular time. The writing in this book is very easy to read and is a quick book to finish. I was hooked from the start and I read it in less than a day. I needed to find out how Clay was involved in the stories.
When I started reading the stories I was thinking that I don’t think that these reasons are really enough to warrant killing yourself over, but one reason leads to another and they get worse and you could see that these things that happened to Hannah could be plausible and that when all of these troubles and worries keep being added to the pile, it can be crushing and for some people just too much to cope with.
Hannah’s reason for killing her self is not clear-cut, because it wasn’t solely because she lost a loved one or was abused etc etc. But the forms of bullying that she received, the guilt that was heavy on her shoulders and being sexually targeted by her peers lead her to believe that no-one cared and she took her own life. This book really is an eye opener and proves to the reader no matter how small our actions are they can have a massive effect on others.
Clay is shocked when he finds a box of tapes on his doorstep, no-one uses this ancient format of audio anymore surely. When he hears Hannah’s voice telling him that she has reasons as to why she committed suicide and that he was involved some way or another sickens him. He has always loved Hannah from afar, never really having the guts to speak to her due to shyness. He is such a nice character and doesn’t really have anything bad to say about anybody. He is clearly traumatized about the reasons and always thinking how he could have prevented it from happening even though it’s too late.
Hannah blackmails the thirteen people involved, if they don’t listen to her reasons and forward the tapes onto the next person, there is a second set of tapes that will be sent to police/newspapers and there will be consequences. Hannah appears to be angry and somewhat morbid, however she is at the point of accepting that she is going to end her life.
This book is gripping, compelling and emotional read. To write a story about suicide and do it well is a hard feat, however Asher seems to have done it. It is a very realistic portrayal in suicide in teenagers and what they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Overall I rated this 4 out of stars

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated When Patty Went Away in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href=http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.
The blurb intrigued me a lot. This was a book I really wanted to read. However, I was a bit disappointed when I finally got a chance to read it.
The title definitely fits the book for at least the second half. (I'll go into more detail about that later). The title reminds me of someone who checks out of reality though.
I like the serene look of the cover. I don't really know how it ties into the book though. The cover made me think more of a holiday romance type.
I can't really fault the world building. I thought it was done rather well and very believable. From a historic viewpoint, the facts and events were all correct. It was interesting that Ms. Burt chose to narrate through the point of view of a man. She did a great job of making it work though. There was one or two times I felt a bit confused, but I put it down to just a personal thing like maybe I wasn't paying as much attention as I should've been. The only thing that bothered me was when the narrator of the book would suddenly start talking about a memory. It was too sudden, and I didn't know if it was happening in present time or if it was indeed a memory. I felt as if a memory could've had a better introduction so the audience was aware that it happened at another time in the book.
I felt that the pacing was too slow for about the first two-thirds of the book. It seemed to drone on and on about a topic I wasn't that interested in (farming). I realize that Ms. Burt was setting up a back story, but there was too much focus on the whole farming aspect of the book and not about Patty disappearing as the title and the blurb would suggest. Once the main character goes to Montreal, the pacing picks up decently, and it becomes a book that I had a hard time putting down.
The whole story line was a bit weak, I felt. First off, it reads like two books. The first two-thirds of the book is about a family who has lost their farm due to a bad storm. The reader then takes a journey into finding out how this family struggles to survive without their means of income. I found it a bit tedious because I don't really care about farming, and this book used a lot of farming terminology. The last third of the book is when Jack goes to Montreal to look for Patty. This explores the seedy side of Montreal (which could be just about anywhere) and prostitution involving runaways. I thought the story line was strong during this bit.
I felt that Jack was a well developed character and very likable. It was easy to feel what he was feeling and to feel sorry for him with all that he was going through. Molly is a strict God fearing woman. However, I felt that there was too much focus on her being overweight which was uncalled for. I didn't really like how Christianity was portrayed when it came to Molly. I'm sure there are people in the world like her, but there were times when I just felt a bit offended. I would've loved to know more about Patty and Edie as individuals. I just felt like they didn't get enough time throughout the book, Patty especially. I found it a bit hard to care about Edie and Patty especially as I felt like I didn't have enough information on them to care.
The dialogue fit this book very well. However, I think a lot of people will struggle with the farming terminology and have a hard time relating to the whole farm scenario. As I've said before, this book reads like two books in one. To further prove my point, even the dialogue is different. During the whole family losing their farm scenario, the language isn't vulgar nor is there any swearing (that I could remember). Once Jack gets to Montreal, the language turns a bit vulgar, and there is some swearing.
Overall, When Patty Went Away is just an alright read. The plot could've been better and the merging of ideas could've been smoother. Saying that, the main character is very likable and the world building was good.
I'd recommend this book to those 18+ who know something about farming or those who want a book that will last awhile.
<b>I'd give When Patty Went Away by Jeannie Burt a 2.5 out of 5.</b>
(I received a free paperback of this book from LibraryThing for free in exchange for a fair and honest review).
The blurb intrigued me a lot. This was a book I really wanted to read. However, I was a bit disappointed when I finally got a chance to read it.
The title definitely fits the book for at least the second half. (I'll go into more detail about that later). The title reminds me of someone who checks out of reality though.
I like the serene look of the cover. I don't really know how it ties into the book though. The cover made me think more of a holiday romance type.
I can't really fault the world building. I thought it was done rather well and very believable. From a historic viewpoint, the facts and events were all correct. It was interesting that Ms. Burt chose to narrate through the point of view of a man. She did a great job of making it work though. There was one or two times I felt a bit confused, but I put it down to just a personal thing like maybe I wasn't paying as much attention as I should've been. The only thing that bothered me was when the narrator of the book would suddenly start talking about a memory. It was too sudden, and I didn't know if it was happening in present time or if it was indeed a memory. I felt as if a memory could've had a better introduction so the audience was aware that it happened at another time in the book.
I felt that the pacing was too slow for about the first two-thirds of the book. It seemed to drone on and on about a topic I wasn't that interested in (farming). I realize that Ms. Burt was setting up a back story, but there was too much focus on the whole farming aspect of the book and not about Patty disappearing as the title and the blurb would suggest. Once the main character goes to Montreal, the pacing picks up decently, and it becomes a book that I had a hard time putting down.
The whole story line was a bit weak, I felt. First off, it reads like two books. The first two-thirds of the book is about a family who has lost their farm due to a bad storm. The reader then takes a journey into finding out how this family struggles to survive without their means of income. I found it a bit tedious because I don't really care about farming, and this book used a lot of farming terminology. The last third of the book is when Jack goes to Montreal to look for Patty. This explores the seedy side of Montreal (which could be just about anywhere) and prostitution involving runaways. I thought the story line was strong during this bit.
I felt that Jack was a well developed character and very likable. It was easy to feel what he was feeling and to feel sorry for him with all that he was going through. Molly is a strict God fearing woman. However, I felt that there was too much focus on her being overweight which was uncalled for. I didn't really like how Christianity was portrayed when it came to Molly. I'm sure there are people in the world like her, but there were times when I just felt a bit offended. I would've loved to know more about Patty and Edie as individuals. I just felt like they didn't get enough time throughout the book, Patty especially. I found it a bit hard to care about Edie and Patty especially as I felt like I didn't have enough information on them to care.
The dialogue fit this book very well. However, I think a lot of people will struggle with the farming terminology and have a hard time relating to the whole farm scenario. As I've said before, this book reads like two books in one. To further prove my point, even the dialogue is different. During the whole family losing their farm scenario, the language isn't vulgar nor is there any swearing (that I could remember). Once Jack gets to Montreal, the language turns a bit vulgar, and there is some swearing.
Overall, When Patty Went Away is just an alright read. The plot could've been better and the merging of ideas could've been smoother. Saying that, the main character is very likable and the world building was good.
I'd recommend this book to those 18+ who know something about farming or those who want a book that will last awhile.
<b>I'd give When Patty Went Away by Jeannie Burt a 2.5 out of 5.</b>
(I received a free paperback of this book from LibraryThing for free in exchange for a fair and honest review).

ArecRain (8 KP) rated Monster High (Monster High, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I am twenty years old and I loved this book more than I think an intelligent college student should. There were just way to many things that kept me from not turning the pages and walking away. In fact, I have only one negative thing to say about this book.
This is a book meant strictly for pleasure reading for fantasy and novels alike. While it kept true to the high school novel feel, it also had enough fantasy to make it that much more interesting than just high school girls worrying about losing their boy toys. It was similar to any other young adult novel I have read except for the one factor making it completely different: it revolves around the descendents of monsters. If it wasnt for that, I probably would have hated this book. I have always loved everything to do with fantast monsters and creatures. The fact that Mattel created a doll series about it was cute, but the book made it enjoyable for an audience older than seven years of age.
Quite honestly, I am tired of all the criticism of this book. It is meant to be a light-hearted, moral teaching novel meant for young adults, therefore, it is meant to relatable by teens. All the slang that the students use is how the real world is, people. I am sorry if you dont understand their lingo, but its how kids are, especially high schoolers. They invent words that they think are cool and some tend to catch on. Melodys family is from Beverly Hills. Why wouldnt they have designer clothes? Frankie was born 15 days ago. What else would she wear but what magazines and the media tell her to, which just happens to be designer clothing. As for the celebrity names dropped, this is not in the leagues of Lewis or Tolkien. Few people will read this in 50 years when the current generation doesnt know who Lady Gaga or Justin Beiber is. This was meant for the generation here and now.
This is not a deep novel people. There is no great mission by amazing warriors meant to save the world. The romance is just that: cute teen romance. No sex and no deep involved feeling that are too complicated. If this novel was not grown up for you, then you probably shouldnt be picking up books from the young adult section. Try some Lukyanenko novels and then talk to me. Thanks.
Moving on. The books two main female characters are Melody and Frankie Stein. The description is a bit misleading, however. Frankie and Melody actually dont even really talk to each until the end. Before tragedy strikes, bringing them together, the two are lost in their own little worlds, hardly even concerned with each other. Both girls are focused on making it a new community and high school, while dealing with major crushes and vicious students. Each makes their own friends. Ones are psychotic back-stabbers that need to have cell phone service banned and barred. The others are true and stand behind her even if they dont agree with her.
The characters were adorable, crazy, funny, and had so much well character. It was easy to tell one from another and I absolutely loved reading about them interacting with each other. Most of the novel had me either laughing, or setting the book aside until I could get over my empathetic embarrassment. I found myself sympathizing with all the characters points of view even though none of them know the whole picture like the reader does. Not to mention, sharing Frankies frustration. I was with her 100% even though I kept telling myself her parents way was the safest. How could you not feel frustrated when everyone was telling her to have pride in what she was and the forcing who to hide what she was? Hypocritical much? I thought so.
Now to the only negative thing I have to say about this book: I wanted to continuously shut Melody down. I found it down right annoying that she thought she knew how Jackson (Dr. Jekylls grandson) and Frankie (Frankensteins granddaughter) felt about being outcasts just because she had a nose she considered ugly. Are you kidding me? Really? I thought this was a poor attempt by Harrison to give Melody and Frankie some common ground. Being made fun of because of your nose is nowhere near the devastation of being hunted down because your grandfather was a chemical addict or a stitched together living doll. Oh, I am sure that it was tragic enough for Melody, but how dare she say she understood what it was like. Melody was never in mortal danger for her difference, so please, honey, get off your self-righteous horse.
The main reason I loved this book so much was because it was so distracting. It was such a light and fluffy book about the simplicity that is high school life. It was refreshing from all these novels nowadays where the protagonist is the only person capable of saving the world, their loved, blah blah blah, while the protagonist is some immensely powerful being. Note to writers: that scenario is getting old real quick.
This is a book meant strictly for pleasure reading for fantasy and novels alike. While it kept true to the high school novel feel, it also had enough fantasy to make it that much more interesting than just high school girls worrying about losing their boy toys. It was similar to any other young adult novel I have read except for the one factor making it completely different: it revolves around the descendents of monsters. If it wasnt for that, I probably would have hated this book. I have always loved everything to do with fantast monsters and creatures. The fact that Mattel created a doll series about it was cute, but the book made it enjoyable for an audience older than seven years of age.
Quite honestly, I am tired of all the criticism of this book. It is meant to be a light-hearted, moral teaching novel meant for young adults, therefore, it is meant to relatable by teens. All the slang that the students use is how the real world is, people. I am sorry if you dont understand their lingo, but its how kids are, especially high schoolers. They invent words that they think are cool and some tend to catch on. Melodys family is from Beverly Hills. Why wouldnt they have designer clothes? Frankie was born 15 days ago. What else would she wear but what magazines and the media tell her to, which just happens to be designer clothing. As for the celebrity names dropped, this is not in the leagues of Lewis or Tolkien. Few people will read this in 50 years when the current generation doesnt know who Lady Gaga or Justin Beiber is. This was meant for the generation here and now.
This is not a deep novel people. There is no great mission by amazing warriors meant to save the world. The romance is just that: cute teen romance. No sex and no deep involved feeling that are too complicated. If this novel was not grown up for you, then you probably shouldnt be picking up books from the young adult section. Try some Lukyanenko novels and then talk to me. Thanks.
Moving on. The books two main female characters are Melody and Frankie Stein. The description is a bit misleading, however. Frankie and Melody actually dont even really talk to each until the end. Before tragedy strikes, bringing them together, the two are lost in their own little worlds, hardly even concerned with each other. Both girls are focused on making it a new community and high school, while dealing with major crushes and vicious students. Each makes their own friends. Ones are psychotic back-stabbers that need to have cell phone service banned and barred. The others are true and stand behind her even if they dont agree with her.
The characters were adorable, crazy, funny, and had so much well character. It was easy to tell one from another and I absolutely loved reading about them interacting with each other. Most of the novel had me either laughing, or setting the book aside until I could get over my empathetic embarrassment. I found myself sympathizing with all the characters points of view even though none of them know the whole picture like the reader does. Not to mention, sharing Frankies frustration. I was with her 100% even though I kept telling myself her parents way was the safest. How could you not feel frustrated when everyone was telling her to have pride in what she was and the forcing who to hide what she was? Hypocritical much? I thought so.
Now to the only negative thing I have to say about this book: I wanted to continuously shut Melody down. I found it down right annoying that she thought she knew how Jackson (Dr. Jekylls grandson) and Frankie (Frankensteins granddaughter) felt about being outcasts just because she had a nose she considered ugly. Are you kidding me? Really? I thought this was a poor attempt by Harrison to give Melody and Frankie some common ground. Being made fun of because of your nose is nowhere near the devastation of being hunted down because your grandfather was a chemical addict or a stitched together living doll. Oh, I am sure that it was tragic enough for Melody, but how dare she say she understood what it was like. Melody was never in mortal danger for her difference, so please, honey, get off your self-righteous horse.
The main reason I loved this book so much was because it was so distracting. It was such a light and fluffy book about the simplicity that is high school life. It was refreshing from all these novels nowadays where the protagonist is the only person capable of saving the world, their loved, blah blah blah, while the protagonist is some immensely powerful being. Note to writers: that scenario is getting old real quick.
Great selection of TV and films (1 more)
Can download programmes
I have lost count of the amount of series I have binge watched on Netflix now.
I initially was just just going to use the one month free so I would be able to finish watching The Originals but, low and behold, almost two years in I'm still watching.
The selection of TV shows and films are great. They're often things I've meant to watch but haven't had a chance to yet but there they are.
Downloading programmes for on the go is definitely a plus. I like to have a few in my tablet in case I get stuck anywhere or the Internet where I'm staying isn't the greatest.
Only drawback is sometimes Netflix forgets exactly where you were in a programme of you switch between devices (start watching on the tablet and then resume on the TV later). It's such a trivial complaint however that it hasn't put me off.
I initially was just just going to use the one month free so I would be able to finish watching The Originals but, low and behold, almost two years in I'm still watching.
The selection of TV shows and films are great. They're often things I've meant to watch but haven't had a chance to yet but there they are.
Downloading programmes for on the go is definitely a plus. I like to have a few in my tablet in case I get stuck anywhere or the Internet where I'm staying isn't the greatest.
Only drawback is sometimes Netflix forgets exactly where you were in a programme of you switch between devices (start watching on the tablet and then resume on the TV later). It's such a trivial complaint however that it hasn't put me off.

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