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Merissa (11646 KP) rated Spark in Books
May 20, 2023
Francy is a 'normal' teenage girl, with nothing outstanding about her that she recognises. She is doing okay at school, has some good friends, and is on the Basketball team. So why would an alien entity decide to take up residence with her?
We stay with Francy as she enters a world of alien theories, collapsed fulcrums, mathematics, entropy and yoga. It is a whirlwind of theories that made my head spin at times. I loved Francy's dad's explanation of entropy, with analogies of having a 9-year-old child. Perfect!
There is intrigue and suspense in this book as Francy tries to figure out just what is going on, and more importantly, how she can help in any way. Then we also have a splash of romance as she and Owen become closer.
This is not your normal, run-of-the-mill Young Adult tale. It will intrigue and delight as the story takes you along. Different from anything I have read, I would not hesitate to recommend it.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 23, 2016
We stay with Francy as she enters a world of alien theories, collapsed fulcrums, mathematics, entropy and yoga. It is a whirlwind of theories that made my head spin at times. I loved Francy's dad's explanation of entropy, with analogies of having a 9-year-old child. Perfect!
There is intrigue and suspense in this book as Francy tries to figure out just what is going on, and more importantly, how she can help in any way. Then we also have a splash of romance as she and Owen become closer.
This is not your normal, run-of-the-mill Young Adult tale. It will intrigue and delight as the story takes you along. Different from anything I have read, I would not hesitate to recommend it.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 23, 2016
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Proof (2005) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
𝘋𝘶𝘮𝘣 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘏𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, a movie about advanced mathematics that couldn't possibly be more stupid. A quote on the back of the DVD case advertised this sappy drivel as "The kind of movie that's made for Oscar" - and I have to say, I couldn't agree more: in that it's overdramatized into ruin, sickeningly melodramatic to the point of near offense, talks a great deal but says nothing (has lengthy asides about conditioners and pointless math puns to pad out this pathetic non-story), everyone overacts, and it reeks of a pretentious stage production poorly translated to the screen with minimal effort. Overly literary for no reason whatsoever, despite the fact that it's nothing more than unnecessary, surface-level jargon which actively refuses to show even a hint of depth. What I'm sure would be at least *ever so slightly* more compelling on the stage absolutely falls apart on screen with no sense of what this should have kept/added/omitted/etc. to make it work. The only proof to come out of this is that John Madden remains one of the reigning kings of bad, intolerable Oscar bait. Glad he gave up this shit for worlds better stuff like 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘦. Lowpoint cringe cinema.
Lindsay (1693 KP) rated What Bug Am I? in Books
Nov 27, 2020
What Bug am I? is a well-written book. It uniquely teaches STEM. It combines nonfiction and fiction. It a cute and funny book. You learn about many different bugs while to find out what this new bug is trying to find out what he is.
You get some real facts about different bugs throughout the book. Those you get a funny story about the bug looking for someone like him. It like he just does not know who he is. Children will learn all about the different bugs. This is a neat idea and a clever way to teach children.
The pictures are well done and enjoyable. I was somewhat creeped out about the real pictures of some of the bugs. But not creeped out where I closed the book, the look of them had me wanting to turn the page. It is really good for all kinds of children that can learn about bugs and other things. If you are what STEM means well I will put the explanation in for you below.
STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach.
Parents will want this for their children if you like bugs or some teachable moment about nature. We get to learn about nature and the different bugs we have in our backyard and house. These kinds of books are enjoyable for young readers and school-age children. I love children's books and sometimes learning about the different bugs or learning something new about bugs I knew about them.
You get some real facts about different bugs throughout the book. Those you get a funny story about the bug looking for someone like him. It like he just does not know who he is. Children will learn all about the different bugs. This is a neat idea and a clever way to teach children.
The pictures are well done and enjoyable. I was somewhat creeped out about the real pictures of some of the bugs. But not creeped out where I closed the book, the look of them had me wanting to turn the page. It is really good for all kinds of children that can learn about bugs and other things. If you are what STEM means well I will put the explanation in for you below.
STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach.
Parents will want this for their children if you like bugs or some teachable moment about nature. We get to learn about nature and the different bugs we have in our backyard and house. These kinds of books are enjoyable for young readers and school-age children. I love children's books and sometimes learning about the different bugs or learning something new about bugs I knew about them.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace in Books
Apr 2, 2018
Enchantress of Numbers has been making the rounds lately - it seems there's been an interest in books about women in STEM, which is a good thing. Ada Lovelace is considered to be the first computer programmer, though "computers" as we know them didn't really exist at the time. What she wrote was an algorithm for making a machine spit out a specific result - a machine that was never actually built. Still, her contributions to the very early science of computing were invaluable and she is (rightly) revered for them. Sadly, she died in her 30s from ovarian cancer - a loss that undoubtedly slowed down the advancement of early computing.
The early parts of the book are told in third person, about her mother's marriage to Lord Byron, and Ada's own birth. From there, Ada tells the story in first person, as she grows up with her strict mother in English Aristocratic Society.
It is historical fiction, so the author has taken some liberties, though I was a bit confused that in the book she meets Mr. Babbage some time before meeting Mrs. Somerville; Wikipedia says Lady Lovelace was introduced to Mr. Babbage by her mentor, Mrs. Somerville. Odd that the author chose to change that up.
I've definitely read better historical fiction - Philippa Gregory is a personal favorite - but this wasn't bad. It was a little slow, and a little dry in spots, but it was overall good. If you weren't interested in Ada Lovelace or early computing and mathematics I don't think the book would be very enjoyable at all. But if you do like those things, and are willing to put up with a little bit of boredom, it's a decent book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The early parts of the book are told in third person, about her mother's marriage to Lord Byron, and Ada's own birth. From there, Ada tells the story in first person, as she grows up with her strict mother in English Aristocratic Society.
It is historical fiction, so the author has taken some liberties, though I was a bit confused that in the book she meets Mr. Babbage some time before meeting Mrs. Somerville; Wikipedia says Lady Lovelace was introduced to Mr. Babbage by her mentor, Mrs. Somerville. Odd that the author chose to change that up.
I've definitely read better historical fiction - Philippa Gregory is a personal favorite - but this wasn't bad. It was a little slow, and a little dry in spots, but it was overall good. If you weren't interested in Ada Lovelace or early computing and mathematics I don't think the book would be very enjoyable at all. But if you do like those things, and are willing to put up with a little bit of boredom, it's a decent book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Merissa (11646 KP) rated Servitude (Reagalos #1) in Books
Sep 2, 2021 (Updated Jul 14, 2023)
SERVITUDE is the first book in the Reagalos series and we are introduced to a fantasy world where para-dimensional mathematics and portals are known and utilised.
Lornyc is the heir to the High Lord of Reagalos although no one knows about it. Methian is the heir to the Xenetra realm and has a reputation as a playboy. Keeping their relationship secret is the norm for them, until magical contracts turn up out of the blue, ensuring Lornyc becomes Methian's valet, plus other contracts to other realms he can't get out of. And then there are the whole treachery and assassination attempts to contend with.
What you have is a book that will hold your interest. There are numerous characters for you to learn about, political situations, marriages, you name it. The beginning was a bit bumpy for me and I had to work at it as I felt I had arrived halfway through already. Once you get past that, it becomes intriguing and will get you turning the pages.
I hope to see more of Methian in future books as I feel he could be a really strong character in his own right, rather than 'just' a consort. He is also heir to his own realm so... yep, I'd like to see more of him. Vella is another great character - loyal to her family, dangerous to those who cross her or those she loves.
A great, solid start to the series and I look forward to moving on from here. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 2, 2021
Lornyc is the heir to the High Lord of Reagalos although no one knows about it. Methian is the heir to the Xenetra realm and has a reputation as a playboy. Keeping their relationship secret is the norm for them, until magical contracts turn up out of the blue, ensuring Lornyc becomes Methian's valet, plus other contracts to other realms he can't get out of. And then there are the whole treachery and assassination attempts to contend with.
What you have is a book that will hold your interest. There are numerous characters for you to learn about, political situations, marriages, you name it. The beginning was a bit bumpy for me and I had to work at it as I felt I had arrived halfway through already. Once you get past that, it becomes intriguing and will get you turning the pages.
I hope to see more of Methian in future books as I feel he could be a really strong character in his own right, rather than 'just' a consort. He is also heir to his own realm so... yep, I'd like to see more of him. Vella is another great character - loyal to her family, dangerous to those who cross her or those she loves.
A great, solid start to the series and I look forward to moving on from here. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 2, 2021
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Operation: Hail Storm in Books
Dec 22, 2017
Killing the Terrorists
I received this eBook for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
In the near distant future, terrorism is still a major problem throughout the world. Other things may have changed, such as a female president of the United States and cheaper method of producing energy, however, the world is still under threat, particularly from North Korea. After losing his wife and twin daughters in the biggest terrorist attack the world has seen, Physics Nobel Prize winner, Marshall Hail, an industrial billionaire, decides to take matters into his own hands.
Operation: Hail Storm is a work of science fiction, although, as the main character points out, he and his team only work with science and not fiction. With a selection of friends from his MIT days, and a pick of young gamers whose families had been killed in the terrorist attacks, aim to remove everyone listed on the FBI’s top ten terrorist list. After his drones successfully take out the leader of North Korea, Hail finds himself of interest to the CIA and US president.
Hail hopes the CIA would be pleased with him and supply a list and location of the remaining terrorists. Although they are impressed, the CIA is baffled over how Hail managed to assassinate someone in an extremely guarded country. To prove himself, Hail is given the task of blowing up a missile that is heading to North Korea with the potential to destroy half the world. He may do this however he wishes, however, he must have one member of the CIA with him. Enter Kara.
Kara, who is effectively the CIA’s courtesan, tries to use her skills to find out Hail’s secrets and report back to her boss. Naturally, Hail and his team are one step ahead and are monitoring all her phone calls. With a complicated relationship where both parties are pretending to trust each other, they must come together to successfully complete the mission before the CIA put their disastrous backup plan into place.
Although there are a handful of women in high positions, Operation: Hail Storm is more appropriate for the male population. With complicated mathematics and science, the story becomes similar to spy action novels, complete with an attractive woman: Kara. Physical description is reserved for Kara’s character, whose beauty is used to distract men, particularly villains.
Description is something the author, Brett Arquette, struggles with throughout the book. His choice of similes are questionable and may even upset some readers, for example, “It was like a blob of clay the size of a softball that had been worked by an angry mental patient wearing oven gloves.”
As well as scientific jargon, a number of foreign languages enter the narrative. Unfortunately, although it is possible to get the gist of what is being said, the actual phrases are never translated.
Operation: Hail Storm is a cleverly thought out novel with an impressive knowledge of science, drones and explosive devices. Whether these are wholly accurate is undetermined, however, there do not appear to be any discrepancies during throughout the narrative. As for the storyline, it is nothing spectacular or refreshing, instead, it is a typical male-oriented piece of sci-fi with a lot of blowing things up.
(less)
In the near distant future, terrorism is still a major problem throughout the world. Other things may have changed, such as a female president of the United States and cheaper method of producing energy, however, the world is still under threat, particularly from North Korea. After losing his wife and twin daughters in the biggest terrorist attack the world has seen, Physics Nobel Prize winner, Marshall Hail, an industrial billionaire, decides to take matters into his own hands.
Operation: Hail Storm is a work of science fiction, although, as the main character points out, he and his team only work with science and not fiction. With a selection of friends from his MIT days, and a pick of young gamers whose families had been killed in the terrorist attacks, aim to remove everyone listed on the FBI’s top ten terrorist list. After his drones successfully take out the leader of North Korea, Hail finds himself of interest to the CIA and US president.
Hail hopes the CIA would be pleased with him and supply a list and location of the remaining terrorists. Although they are impressed, the CIA is baffled over how Hail managed to assassinate someone in an extremely guarded country. To prove himself, Hail is given the task of blowing up a missile that is heading to North Korea with the potential to destroy half the world. He may do this however he wishes, however, he must have one member of the CIA with him. Enter Kara.
Kara, who is effectively the CIA’s courtesan, tries to use her skills to find out Hail’s secrets and report back to her boss. Naturally, Hail and his team are one step ahead and are monitoring all her phone calls. With a complicated relationship where both parties are pretending to trust each other, they must come together to successfully complete the mission before the CIA put their disastrous backup plan into place.
Although there are a handful of women in high positions, Operation: Hail Storm is more appropriate for the male population. With complicated mathematics and science, the story becomes similar to spy action novels, complete with an attractive woman: Kara. Physical description is reserved for Kara’s character, whose beauty is used to distract men, particularly villains.
Description is something the author, Brett Arquette, struggles with throughout the book. His choice of similes are questionable and may even upset some readers, for example, “It was like a blob of clay the size of a softball that had been worked by an angry mental patient wearing oven gloves.”
As well as scientific jargon, a number of foreign languages enter the narrative. Unfortunately, although it is possible to get the gist of what is being said, the actual phrases are never translated.
Operation: Hail Storm is a cleverly thought out novel with an impressive knowledge of science, drones and explosive devices. Whether these are wholly accurate is undetermined, however, there do not appear to be any discrepancies during throughout the narrative. As for the storyline, it is nothing spectacular or refreshing, instead, it is a typical male-oriented piece of sci-fi with a lot of blowing things up.
(less)
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Operation: Hail Storm in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this eBook for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.</i>
In the near distant future, terrorism is still a major problem throughout the world. Other things may have changed, such as a female president of the United States and cheaper method of producing energy, however, the world is still under threat, particularly from North Korea. After losing his wife and twin daughters in the biggest terrorist attack the world has seen, Physics Nobel Prize winner, Marshall Hail, an industrial billionaire, decides to take matters into his own hands.
<i>Operation: Hail Storm </i>is a work of science fiction, although, as the main character points out, he and his team only work with science and not fiction. With a selection of friends from his MIT days, and a pick of young gamers whose families had been killed in the terrorist attacks, aim to remove everyone listed on the FBI’s top ten terrorist list. After his drones successfully take out the leader of North Korea, Hail finds himself of interest to the CIA and US president.
Hail hopes the CIA would be pleased with him and supply a list and location of the remaining terrorists. Although they are impressed, the CIA is baffled over how Hail managed to assassinate someone in an extremely guarded country. To prove himself, Hail is given the task of blowing up a missile that is heading to North Korea with the potential to destroy half the world. He may do this however he wishes, however, he must have one member of the CIA with him. Enter Kara.
Kara, who is effectively the CIA’s courtesan, tries to use her skills to find out Hail’s secrets and report back to her boss. Naturally, Hail and his team are one step ahead and are monitoring all her phone calls. With a complicated relationship where both parties are pretending to trust each other, they must come together to successfully complete the mission before the CIA put their disastrous backup plan into place.
Although there are a handful of women in high positions, Operation: Hail Storm is more appropriate for the male population. With complicated mathematics and science, the story becomes similar to spy action novels, complete with an attractive woman: Kara. Physical description is reserved for Kara’s character, whose beauty is used to distract men, particularly villains.
Description is something the author, Brett Arquette, struggles with throughout the book. His choice of similes are questionable and may even upset some readers, for example, “It was like a blob of clay the size of a softball that had been worked by an angry mental patient wearing oven gloves.”
As well as scientific jargon, a number of foreign languages enter the narrative. Unfortunately, although it is possible to get the gist of what is being said, the actual phrases are never translated.
<i>Operation: Hail Storm</i> is a cleverly thought out novel with an impressive knowledge of science, drones and explosive devices. Whether these are wholly accurate is undetermined, however, there do not appear to be any discrepancies during throughout the narrative. As for the storyline, it is nothing spectacular or refreshing, instead, it is a typical male-oriented piece of sci-fi with a lot of blowing things up.
In the near distant future, terrorism is still a major problem throughout the world. Other things may have changed, such as a female president of the United States and cheaper method of producing energy, however, the world is still under threat, particularly from North Korea. After losing his wife and twin daughters in the biggest terrorist attack the world has seen, Physics Nobel Prize winner, Marshall Hail, an industrial billionaire, decides to take matters into his own hands.
<i>Operation: Hail Storm </i>is a work of science fiction, although, as the main character points out, he and his team only work with science and not fiction. With a selection of friends from his MIT days, and a pick of young gamers whose families had been killed in the terrorist attacks, aim to remove everyone listed on the FBI’s top ten terrorist list. After his drones successfully take out the leader of North Korea, Hail finds himself of interest to the CIA and US president.
Hail hopes the CIA would be pleased with him and supply a list and location of the remaining terrorists. Although they are impressed, the CIA is baffled over how Hail managed to assassinate someone in an extremely guarded country. To prove himself, Hail is given the task of blowing up a missile that is heading to North Korea with the potential to destroy half the world. He may do this however he wishes, however, he must have one member of the CIA with him. Enter Kara.
Kara, who is effectively the CIA’s courtesan, tries to use her skills to find out Hail’s secrets and report back to her boss. Naturally, Hail and his team are one step ahead and are monitoring all her phone calls. With a complicated relationship where both parties are pretending to trust each other, they must come together to successfully complete the mission before the CIA put their disastrous backup plan into place.
Although there are a handful of women in high positions, Operation: Hail Storm is more appropriate for the male population. With complicated mathematics and science, the story becomes similar to spy action novels, complete with an attractive woman: Kara. Physical description is reserved for Kara’s character, whose beauty is used to distract men, particularly villains.
Description is something the author, Brett Arquette, struggles with throughout the book. His choice of similes are questionable and may even upset some readers, for example, “It was like a blob of clay the size of a softball that had been worked by an angry mental patient wearing oven gloves.”
As well as scientific jargon, a number of foreign languages enter the narrative. Unfortunately, although it is possible to get the gist of what is being said, the actual phrases are never translated.
<i>Operation: Hail Storm</i> is a cleverly thought out novel with an impressive knowledge of science, drones and explosive devices. Whether these are wholly accurate is undetermined, however, there do not appear to be any discrepancies during throughout the narrative. As for the storyline, it is nothing spectacular or refreshing, instead, it is a typical male-oriented piece of sci-fi with a lot of blowing things up.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
In 1914, Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel) traveled from his poverty-stricken existence in Madras, India to Trinity College, Cambridge in the hope that he would have his theories published and be recognized for the mathematical genius he was. While there, despite facing racism, hostility and severe illness, he formed an important relationship with G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons) that would lead to breakthroughs in mathematics that are still relevant today.
It would be easy to prattle on about the tremendous talent onscreen in The Man Who Knew Infinity and with a supporting cast that features some of Britain’s best; we get exactly what we’d expect from the likes of Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones and Kevin McNally. All at the top of their game, they serve the story well with nuanced and well-rounded performances, and I’m certainly not going to take anything away from the exceptional jobs they’ve all done here. All the praise this film deserves however, needs to be directed at Dev Patel. In his role as Ramanujan, he’s completely stepped out of the shadow of his big-screen debut in Slumdog Millionaire and has proved his worth as a leading man capable of carrying the weight of an entire feature. Distancing himself also from the lovable, bumbling hotel owner in The Best Exotic Marigold movies, with Ramanujan he is allowed the room to display an incredible range, from quiet intensity to outspoken, unbridled passion and determination. Kudos also to the writers for not going The Big Short route (e.g. talking down to the uninitiated with ridiculous cutaways), but by using simple logic and examples to help convey complex information relevant to the plot.
For the performances alone, this is a solid entry in the biopic genre, but structurally speaking, it’s the editing that lets the film down. This very easily could have emerged as the next A Beautiful Mind, but between a bloated first act, a middling and wandering second act and a truncated final third, The Man Who Knew Infinity falls just short of greatness. Not only is no attention paid to Ramanujan’s achievements as a child, but too much time is given to details and subplots that are arguably inconsequential to the main narrative. This is especially evident in the inclusion of Bertrand Russell (who lived such a rich and fascinating life himself, it would take several films to do that story justice) and his being here feels like just a hollow excuse to include a cameo from another figure of historical importance. The biggest disservice though comes with the ending where we are denied a much needed catharsis and are left to suffer through a slap-dash, halfhearted montage. A restructuring from a more seasoned hand would have undoubtedly led to stronger word-of-mouth and perhaps a wider release. I also wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this is a case of “too many cooks” as the film has a staggering 43 credited producers. I get that independent features can be forced to source their funding from many places, but you can’t tell me that with all those opinions flying about that some of the original intent didn’t get lost in the noise.
As an aside, what Stephen Fry is doing here is beyond me. He’s given two scenes with perhaps a half a dozen lines, leaving his incomparable persona entirely wasted on a completely throwaway character. It’s a pity he wasn’t given a meatier role as one of Ramanujan’s antagonists.
It would be easy to prattle on about the tremendous talent onscreen in The Man Who Knew Infinity and with a supporting cast that features some of Britain’s best; we get exactly what we’d expect from the likes of Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones and Kevin McNally. All at the top of their game, they serve the story well with nuanced and well-rounded performances, and I’m certainly not going to take anything away from the exceptional jobs they’ve all done here. All the praise this film deserves however, needs to be directed at Dev Patel. In his role as Ramanujan, he’s completely stepped out of the shadow of his big-screen debut in Slumdog Millionaire and has proved his worth as a leading man capable of carrying the weight of an entire feature. Distancing himself also from the lovable, bumbling hotel owner in The Best Exotic Marigold movies, with Ramanujan he is allowed the room to display an incredible range, from quiet intensity to outspoken, unbridled passion and determination. Kudos also to the writers for not going The Big Short route (e.g. talking down to the uninitiated with ridiculous cutaways), but by using simple logic and examples to help convey complex information relevant to the plot.
For the performances alone, this is a solid entry in the biopic genre, but structurally speaking, it’s the editing that lets the film down. This very easily could have emerged as the next A Beautiful Mind, but between a bloated first act, a middling and wandering second act and a truncated final third, The Man Who Knew Infinity falls just short of greatness. Not only is no attention paid to Ramanujan’s achievements as a child, but too much time is given to details and subplots that are arguably inconsequential to the main narrative. This is especially evident in the inclusion of Bertrand Russell (who lived such a rich and fascinating life himself, it would take several films to do that story justice) and his being here feels like just a hollow excuse to include a cameo from another figure of historical importance. The biggest disservice though comes with the ending where we are denied a much needed catharsis and are left to suffer through a slap-dash, halfhearted montage. A restructuring from a more seasoned hand would have undoubtedly led to stronger word-of-mouth and perhaps a wider release. I also wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this is a case of “too many cooks” as the film has a staggering 43 credited producers. I get that independent features can be forced to source their funding from many places, but you can’t tell me that with all those opinions flying about that some of the original intent didn’t get lost in the noise.
As an aside, what Stephen Fry is doing here is beyond me. He’s given two scenes with perhaps a half a dozen lines, leaving his incomparable persona entirely wasted on a completely throwaway character. It’s a pity he wasn’t given a meatier role as one of Ramanujan’s antagonists.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated The Wendy (Tales of The Wendy #1) in Books
Dec 29, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
If I am being completely honest, Peter Pan has never been my favourite Disney film. Oh sure the lost boys and Michael were cute; Tink was sassy and Hook was a good villain but why did everyone moon over Peter so much? And Wendy was always a bit, well a bit wet!
Enter Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown with their Tales of Wendy series to prove me wrong! The Wendy is the first in this series but I am already desperate to finish the second book, The Navigator before their third is released at the end of this year.
The Wendy, as you may expect, centres around Wendy Darling. However, this is not the prissy, mother-idolising figure I love to roll my eyes at: oh no, this Wendy Darling is growing up in the late 1700s in a London orphanage. In a world where her sole career option seems to be to become a mother, this feisty ten-year-old would prefer to “marry Davy Jones than grow up and look after babies”. This Wendy Darling is the one I have been waiting for.
Wendy’s dream is to join the Navy and sail the world. Unlike the rest of 18th Century Britain, she doesn’t see why being a girl should prevent this.
Therefore, over the years she becomes adapt at mathematics, science, navigation, marksmanship and swordsmanship. Nevertheless, despite being just as good, if not better than her childhood friend Charlie, he earns the rank of Officer in the British Navy whilst Wendy is assigned to the Home Office as a Diviner, one who can detect the presence of magic: a post to be filled only by women and dogs.
It is here that the reader meets John and Michael: Wendy’s “brothers-in-arms but in no way related, despite what you may have heard”. They are all stationed in Dover Castle, along with the Brigade’s dog Nana (who else?!). Their mission: to protect Britain from a magical threat, the innisfay or “everlost”, whom are known to kidnap orphans. Sound familiar?
The Wendy is definitely the best retelling of Peter Pan I have read so far. Despite the presence of all our favourite names, the characters are a far cry from their animated counterparts. Michael and John are wonderfully dry and sarcastic; Hook is powerful and attractive; Tink is a shape shifter; Peter, despite possessing a pair of wings and armour, is essentially the same and Wendy is an ambitious, feisty, yet beautifully flawed protagonist.
There are many little nods to the film which are greatly appreciated. Wendy “moving out of the nursery” means leaving the orphanage and gaining an apprenticeship and “thinking happy thoughts” as a means of flight is a practical joke by Peter to make Wendy smile.
Sky and Brown’s conversationalist style of writing makes this a very easy read, despite Wendy galloping all over the South of England with a variety of characters. It also allows the reader to really bond with Wendy and empathise with her and her struggles to achieve the employment she has longed so for since childhood.
As you may have gathered, sexism plays a large part in Wendy’s uphill struggle: as the only main female character she is constantly undermined in her ambition to become a sailor. Even when she proves to be useful in her post within the Home Office she is removed to the country “for her own safety”. Those men whom do not undermine her moon after her romantically: it truly is infuriating.
In some situations, this ingrained attitude was slightly heart-breaking but equally a sign of the times in which this novel was set: Wendy’s thoughts often returned to the propriety of her actions and the danger she experiences just through wearing “men’s clothes” is powerful moment. However, Wendy never lets these attitudes halt her ambition, ending her first novel as a true inspiration to girls following in her footsteps: Navigator Darling.
I can’t wait to discover the next step in her journey which, conveniently, lays past the second star to the right and straight on till morning!
Enter Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown with their Tales of Wendy series to prove me wrong! The Wendy is the first in this series but I am already desperate to finish the second book, The Navigator before their third is released at the end of this year.
The Wendy, as you may expect, centres around Wendy Darling. However, this is not the prissy, mother-idolising figure I love to roll my eyes at: oh no, this Wendy Darling is growing up in the late 1700s in a London orphanage. In a world where her sole career option seems to be to become a mother, this feisty ten-year-old would prefer to “marry Davy Jones than grow up and look after babies”. This Wendy Darling is the one I have been waiting for.
Wendy’s dream is to join the Navy and sail the world. Unlike the rest of 18th Century Britain, she doesn’t see why being a girl should prevent this.
Therefore, over the years she becomes adapt at mathematics, science, navigation, marksmanship and swordsmanship. Nevertheless, despite being just as good, if not better than her childhood friend Charlie, he earns the rank of Officer in the British Navy whilst Wendy is assigned to the Home Office as a Diviner, one who can detect the presence of magic: a post to be filled only by women and dogs.
It is here that the reader meets John and Michael: Wendy’s “brothers-in-arms but in no way related, despite what you may have heard”. They are all stationed in Dover Castle, along with the Brigade’s dog Nana (who else?!). Their mission: to protect Britain from a magical threat, the innisfay or “everlost”, whom are known to kidnap orphans. Sound familiar?
The Wendy is definitely the best retelling of Peter Pan I have read so far. Despite the presence of all our favourite names, the characters are a far cry from their animated counterparts. Michael and John are wonderfully dry and sarcastic; Hook is powerful and attractive; Tink is a shape shifter; Peter, despite possessing a pair of wings and armour, is essentially the same and Wendy is an ambitious, feisty, yet beautifully flawed protagonist.
There are many little nods to the film which are greatly appreciated. Wendy “moving out of the nursery” means leaving the orphanage and gaining an apprenticeship and “thinking happy thoughts” as a means of flight is a practical joke by Peter to make Wendy smile.
Sky and Brown’s conversationalist style of writing makes this a very easy read, despite Wendy galloping all over the South of England with a variety of characters. It also allows the reader to really bond with Wendy and empathise with her and her struggles to achieve the employment she has longed so for since childhood.
As you may have gathered, sexism plays a large part in Wendy’s uphill struggle: as the only main female character she is constantly undermined in her ambition to become a sailor. Even when she proves to be useful in her post within the Home Office she is removed to the country “for her own safety”. Those men whom do not undermine her moon after her romantically: it truly is infuriating.
In some situations, this ingrained attitude was slightly heart-breaking but equally a sign of the times in which this novel was set: Wendy’s thoughts often returned to the propriety of her actions and the danger she experiences just through wearing “men’s clothes” is powerful moment. However, Wendy never lets these attitudes halt her ambition, ending her first novel as a true inspiration to girls following in her footsteps: Navigator Darling.
I can’t wait to discover the next step in her journey which, conveniently, lays past the second star to the right and straight on till morning!