You see I just finished the book I've been writing since grade seven.
*applause cue, please and thank you*
And I'm sad. But also happy. And proud. But also anxious. And a little lost, because like, this has been my primary project for four years and what on earth am I going to do during science class now?
Do you even understand the rollercoaster of emotional turmoil there is involved in writing the words "The End"? I can't even explain. There's just no metaphor that makes sense.
And every time I tell someone this accomplishment I get the question, "So what happens now? When you gonna publish it?" Etcetera, etcetera.
And the short answer is, not for a while, since the first half is crap, and the even shorter answer is WHO CARES? I just finished writing my second book in my whole life. Allow me to revel in the glory of it for a bit before I get back to work.
And believe me, the next part is the hard part. Ugh.
DON'T CARE. NOT THINKING ABOUT IT. I AM REVELLING. I AM REVELLING SO HARD RIGHT NOW. JUST LOOK AT ALL THIS FABULOUS REVELRY.
For those who really want to know something about the story, I'll drop a title okay that's it, stop begging me already geez you're coming off as needy.
It's called The Blessing of Aphrodite (as of, like, yesterday. It was called something else for the longest time but I like this title a hundred times better. Funny how things just come to you sometimes).
AND IT'S DONE
REVELLING
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
In the Heights: First Impressions
So, I'm in the musical theatre course at my school. Fun fun fun, right! And the production we're doing this year is In the Heights. It won a couple Tony awards a few years back, and it all in all seems like a very fun musical.
I've done a lot of research on this one and its story, and I've gotta say, I really like it. If you can imagine a musical that meshes rap and salsa.... this is it. And it ends up sounding super cool. Culturally, it's really interesting, as it's made up of characters who are all from different nationalities, from Dominican Republic to Cuba to whatever, but all connect with the common link of not quite belonging in America. It's really very interesting.
And the music is pretty much to die for.
Now, we've just got the cast list today, and I'm not going to lie - I pretty much have a nothing part. I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't a little disappointed - I was really into Abuela Claudia, this grandmotherly figure who has a couple solo songs and then dies halfway through - but it's still going to be lots of fun. I play one of the gossips in the hair salon, which means I get to take part in one of the funnest songs of the thing (No Me Diga) and I'm also one of the salsa girls (the cast is pretty much split into salsa and hip hop specialists. Apparently my hips don't lie).
But here's what I like about my musical theatre teacher, is that even though I didn't get a lead role, there really isn't such thing as a nothing part with her. She really subscribes to "There are no small parts, only small actors".
Because the thing is, every cast member gets a name and background for their character. I'm Monika, one of the gossips in the hair salon. What this does, is it ensures that everyone in the cast is always acting. If you're given a character, then you automatically have something to do. How would Monika react to hearing that someone in the barrio won $96 000? It stops us from being "of the chorus" and makes sure we're always doing something. This helps in a bunch of ways, so that A) the stage is never idle, there's always something to be watching, and B) keeps us lesser characters from feeling completely useless.
I really appreciate Ms. Roberge for that.
This is going to be a really fun semester.
Also, this is my current favourite song from In the Heights. I just love the way it switches styles all the time, I think that's super cool. Also, it's really fun to sing along to. I can rap along with Usnavi any day. I gots the skillz, homie.
Best part: the whole cast is in this song. Somehow or another, nothing character or not, I will be doing something in this song.
This is going to be so much fun.
I've done a lot of research on this one and its story, and I've gotta say, I really like it. If you can imagine a musical that meshes rap and salsa.... this is it. And it ends up sounding super cool. Culturally, it's really interesting, as it's made up of characters who are all from different nationalities, from Dominican Republic to Cuba to whatever, but all connect with the common link of not quite belonging in America. It's really very interesting.
And the music is pretty much to die for.
Now, we've just got the cast list today, and I'm not going to lie - I pretty much have a nothing part. I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't a little disappointed - I was really into Abuela Claudia, this grandmotherly figure who has a couple solo songs and then dies halfway through - but it's still going to be lots of fun. I play one of the gossips in the hair salon, which means I get to take part in one of the funnest songs of the thing (No Me Diga) and I'm also one of the salsa girls (the cast is pretty much split into salsa and hip hop specialists. Apparently my hips don't lie).
But here's what I like about my musical theatre teacher, is that even though I didn't get a lead role, there really isn't such thing as a nothing part with her. She really subscribes to "There are no small parts, only small actors".
Because the thing is, every cast member gets a name and background for their character. I'm Monika, one of the gossips in the hair salon. What this does, is it ensures that everyone in the cast is always acting. If you're given a character, then you automatically have something to do. How would Monika react to hearing that someone in the barrio won $96 000? It stops us from being "of the chorus" and makes sure we're always doing something. This helps in a bunch of ways, so that A) the stage is never idle, there's always something to be watching, and B) keeps us lesser characters from feeling completely useless.
I really appreciate Ms. Roberge for that.
This is going to be a really fun semester.
Also, this is my current favourite song from In the Heights. I just love the way it switches styles all the time, I think that's super cool. Also, it's really fun to sing along to. I can rap along with Usnavi any day. I gots the skillz, homie.
Best part: the whole cast is in this song. Somehow or another, nothing character or not, I will be doing something in this song.
This is going to be so much fun.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Another Rant About Childhood TV Because I Strive To Never Ever Grow Up
As mentioned in this last post, I have been watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. (Read the post for the whole context - it basically explains what that means).
It's just... such a gem. I'm in love. It's so good. Yes, it's a cartoon, and yes, especially in the first season, it can be rather childish at times, but it's so clever and fleshed out and rich and the characters are awesome and I adore it.
And even though some of it is a little childish, the thing about it is that it doesn't diminish the conflict and the stakes stay high. Like, that's artfully done, actually. I have been watching it while my mom pretends to ignore it while playing on her iPad (yeah, she says she doesn't like it, but let's be real here - she may not be as invested in the characters as I am, but she definitely knows what's going on) and I think, though my mother denies it, that we both find ourselves enjoying it. It's just a really good show. It's clever and witty and interesting and thought out and if I could ever have the capacity to create a world like the world of Avatar then I would be damn proud of myself because wow. In-depth history. Distinct, unique cultures. It's kind of incredible.
And also, let's just appreciate how freaking hilarious it is. It only gets funnier as the series continues. Like, there's some stupid stuff - like, when Sokka got high off the cactus water, and they see a mushroom cloud erupt in the distance...
Katara: What is that?
Sokka: It's a... giant mushroom. .... MAYBE IT'S FRIENDLY!!!!!!
But then there's also super clever, super witty, super snarky comedy, and that always makes me laugh too. Like, the character Toph, who is blind (except she sees through her feet, using earthbending - which means she can see great underground, but not so great if it's not, y'know, solid ground) is such a snarker. There's an episode where they've been flying in the desert looking for this ancient building, and they're starting to doubt it exists, and then:
Toph: There it is!
(All the characters get excited and look around, but don't see anything)
Toph: That's what it'll sound like when one of you spots it. (waves hand in front of her eyes)
Toph, you snarky brat, you.
And then there's just stupidly hilarious stuff that wouldn't be uncharacteristic coming from my brain full of crappy jokes, like:
(Team Avatar are at King Bumi's for dinner, then realize he doesn't intend to let them go)
Katara: Let us leave!
Bumi: (while eating salad) ... lettuce leaf?
It's so stupid, but I laughed really hard.
But mostly, just... the world building. They spent so much time thinking about this, I can't even imagine. Each element has its own distinctive culture that's different from the other cultures (Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Air Nomads) and each discipline of bending is different from the others (I looked this up. They actually based the bending on real martial arts. Water-bending is Tai Chi, fire-bending is Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, earth-bending is Hun Gar Kung Fu - except for Toph, who has a slightly different style due to her blindness, something called Southern Praying Mantis style Kung Fu? - and air-bending is something called Baguazhang. I just think that's super cool, because clearly they were thinking about this when they came up with it).
Actually, just as an example, look at this scene where some kid picks a fight with Aang. Notice how little fighting Aang actually does - he doesn't throw a single blow. That's because, as an Air Nomad monk, he's a pacifist, and as an airbender, he focuses more on evading than confronting. Which is why Baguazhang is such a perfect fit for airbending (there are most definitely some techniques from that in here, though it's subtler since Aang doesn't actually do any airbending in this scene).
It's just a really good story, and really, really well told. You could definitely take some good story-telling techniques from this story, and this is a Nickelodeon cartoon. That's one of the reasons I love it. It just kind of proves that something can rise so far above expectations.
Like, I've said this before, but I cannot exaggerate enough that the world building in this show is freaking incredible. If you're paying attention, you can see the Ba Gua when Aang (the last airbender) starts fighting - he starts circle-walking! You can see the different cultures and the different philosophies associated with each element. They gave each type of bending an origin story. It just seems like such a real world - it clearly was real enough to the creators - and I think that's amazing.
And - something I find admirable - they totally knew when to end their story. I think, especially for a show as popular as Avatar was, that that's a really good thing. It could have gone on for a long time, it could have stretched itself out and become thinner and thinner. Instead it chose to make three concrete, substantial seasons. It was sort of perfect. Left me wanting more, but also feeling really satisfied with how it ended.
And I love all the characters and every episode has substance and it's got a great balance of intriguing action sequences and light-hearted dialogue while keeping the story moving. But there is one thing that I find ultimately makes the show unique. Perhaps this is just me being under-educated in the realm of adventure stories (though I don't think I am), but I absolutely love that Aang, the most powerful bender on the face of the earth, is a pacifist.
I feel like we get a lot of adventure stories where the Chosen One/hero/whatever-it-is is really quick to jump into fight. You know, they have power and they know how to use it to their advantage, and God help the people who challenge them. Maybe I'm wrong about this, and if so I'm really sorry, but I think most heroes we get in adventure stories don't have many qualms about fighting, hurting, and possibly killing bad guys.
That's not a bad thing - it's just a common trope of the genre. And the fact that this trope is so common is what makes it so interesting to me that Aang is not that.
He's a monk. A kid monk, I might add, but that's not even the point. He respects all life (he's even a vegetarian!) and so there was this lovely moral dilemma where he was being told he had to kill the Fire Lord (the Big Bad), when, as a pacifist, he found the idea repulsive. And, if you ever watch him fighting, he very rarely throws any blows. Airbending is about evading, not confronting. I just think that's really refreshing, to have a hero who makes such an obvious effort to not cause any damage. That's not a huge concern in most adventure stories, and I think it makes Aang much more interesting as a protagonist.
I also love that he's a twelve year old kid. Obviously, kid heroes are not entirely new to the adventure genre either, but here's the thing. The difference is that, most of the time, we are acutely aware that Aang is a child. Because no matter how mature he has to get in order to save the world - and he does mature for that task, undoubtedly - it doesn't stop him from remaining a child at heart. For example, while hiding undercover in the Fire Nation, where no one would hesitate to kill him if he was discovered, he decides to throw a secret dance party for Fire Nation school kids because clearly the strict school rules are oppressive. He is such a kid, and I love him for it.
And the best part? This pacifist child is the most powerful bender on the face of the earth. I know I've mentioned this before, but I think that's so cool. Because, especially given the ignorance of youth and how he knows that he's the only one who can save the world, it would be very easy for him to become this power-driven Avatar. But it doesn't happen. He's just so purely innocent, but not naive (or at least, he grows out of his naivete), so inherently gentle, and compassionate, and sensitive, that his power doesn't corrupt him.
I love that. We get a lot of heroes that are all tough and commanding leaders and "Come at me, bro!" A lot of, look at how much I can handle. It's such a different thing to see such a powerful hero be so consistently gentle (which I do believe is probably one of the most accurate adjectives to describe Aang). And I really really like that. It's such a different (and, I think, underrated) style of heroism, and I love that it gets celebrated. It's my favourite thing about the show.
It's just a really, super cool show. It's hilarious and the fight scenes are awesome and the story is to die for and, for a Nickelodeon cartoon, it really took a lot of risks (such as, for instance, making one of the single most powerful characters in the series a blind little girl. Or, having a whole episode devoted to Aang's pet bison wandering around looking for him. There was other stuff too). And I think it's important that we appreciate that in spite of the fact that it aired on YTV and that every time I watch an episode on Netflix I have to sit through the Nickelodeon logo that seems so kiddy that it makes me question my life choices, in spite of this, it is undeniably a very good, intriguing, interesting and very well told story. It was clearly meticulously laid out and carefully planned and really thought through and there's just so much heart to it.
Most of this I never noticed for how remarkable it was when I watched it at the age of eight. Go figure.
It's just... such a gem. I'm in love. It's so good. Yes, it's a cartoon, and yes, especially in the first season, it can be rather childish at times, but it's so clever and fleshed out and rich and the characters are awesome and I adore it.
And even though some of it is a little childish, the thing about it is that it doesn't diminish the conflict and the stakes stay high. Like, that's artfully done, actually. I have been watching it while my mom pretends to ignore it while playing on her iPad (yeah, she says she doesn't like it, but let's be real here - she may not be as invested in the characters as I am, but she definitely knows what's going on) and I think, though my mother denies it, that we both find ourselves enjoying it. It's just a really good show. It's clever and witty and interesting and thought out and if I could ever have the capacity to create a world like the world of Avatar then I would be damn proud of myself because wow. In-depth history. Distinct, unique cultures. It's kind of incredible.
And also, let's just appreciate how freaking hilarious it is. It only gets funnier as the series continues. Like, there's some stupid stuff - like, when Sokka got high off the cactus water, and they see a mushroom cloud erupt in the distance...
Katara: What is that?
Sokka: It's a... giant mushroom. .... MAYBE IT'S FRIENDLY!!!!!!
But then there's also super clever, super witty, super snarky comedy, and that always makes me laugh too. Like, the character Toph, who is blind (except she sees through her feet, using earthbending - which means she can see great underground, but not so great if it's not, y'know, solid ground) is such a snarker. There's an episode where they've been flying in the desert looking for this ancient building, and they're starting to doubt it exists, and then:
Toph: There it is!
(All the characters get excited and look around, but don't see anything)
Toph: That's what it'll sound like when one of you spots it. (waves hand in front of her eyes)
Toph, you snarky brat, you.
And then there's just stupidly hilarious stuff that wouldn't be uncharacteristic coming from my brain full of crappy jokes, like:
(Team Avatar are at King Bumi's for dinner, then realize he doesn't intend to let them go)
Katara: Let us leave!
Bumi: (while eating salad) ... lettuce leaf?
It's so stupid, but I laughed really hard.
But mostly, just... the world building. They spent so much time thinking about this, I can't even imagine. Each element has its own distinctive culture that's different from the other cultures (Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Air Nomads) and each discipline of bending is different from the others (I looked this up. They actually based the bending on real martial arts. Water-bending is Tai Chi, fire-bending is Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, earth-bending is Hun Gar Kung Fu - except for Toph, who has a slightly different style due to her blindness, something called Southern Praying Mantis style Kung Fu? - and air-bending is something called Baguazhang. I just think that's super cool, because clearly they were thinking about this when they came up with it).
Actually, just as an example, look at this scene where some kid picks a fight with Aang. Notice how little fighting Aang actually does - he doesn't throw a single blow. That's because, as an Air Nomad monk, he's a pacifist, and as an airbender, he focuses more on evading than confronting. Which is why Baguazhang is such a perfect fit for airbending (there are most definitely some techniques from that in here, though it's subtler since Aang doesn't actually do any airbending in this scene).
It's just a really good story, and really, really well told. You could definitely take some good story-telling techniques from this story, and this is a Nickelodeon cartoon. That's one of the reasons I love it. It just kind of proves that something can rise so far above expectations.
Like, I've said this before, but I cannot exaggerate enough that the world building in this show is freaking incredible. If you're paying attention, you can see the Ba Gua when Aang (the last airbender) starts fighting - he starts circle-walking! You can see the different cultures and the different philosophies associated with each element. They gave each type of bending an origin story. It just seems like such a real world - it clearly was real enough to the creators - and I think that's amazing.
And - something I find admirable - they totally knew when to end their story. I think, especially for a show as popular as Avatar was, that that's a really good thing. It could have gone on for a long time, it could have stretched itself out and become thinner and thinner. Instead it chose to make three concrete, substantial seasons. It was sort of perfect. Left me wanting more, but also feeling really satisfied with how it ended.
And I love all the characters and every episode has substance and it's got a great balance of intriguing action sequences and light-hearted dialogue while keeping the story moving. But there is one thing that I find ultimately makes the show unique. Perhaps this is just me being under-educated in the realm of adventure stories (though I don't think I am), but I absolutely love that Aang, the most powerful bender on the face of the earth, is a pacifist.
I feel like we get a lot of adventure stories where the Chosen One/hero/whatever-it-is is really quick to jump into fight. You know, they have power and they know how to use it to their advantage, and God help the people who challenge them. Maybe I'm wrong about this, and if so I'm really sorry, but I think most heroes we get in adventure stories don't have many qualms about fighting, hurting, and possibly killing bad guys.
That's not a bad thing - it's just a common trope of the genre. And the fact that this trope is so common is what makes it so interesting to me that Aang is not that.
He's a monk. A kid monk, I might add, but that's not even the point. He respects all life (he's even a vegetarian!) and so there was this lovely moral dilemma where he was being told he had to kill the Fire Lord (the Big Bad), when, as a pacifist, he found the idea repulsive. And, if you ever watch him fighting, he very rarely throws any blows. Airbending is about evading, not confronting. I just think that's really refreshing, to have a hero who makes such an obvious effort to not cause any damage. That's not a huge concern in most adventure stories, and I think it makes Aang much more interesting as a protagonist.
I also love that he's a twelve year old kid. Obviously, kid heroes are not entirely new to the adventure genre either, but here's the thing. The difference is that, most of the time, we are acutely aware that Aang is a child. Because no matter how mature he has to get in order to save the world - and he does mature for that task, undoubtedly - it doesn't stop him from remaining a child at heart. For example, while hiding undercover in the Fire Nation, where no one would hesitate to kill him if he was discovered, he decides to throw a secret dance party for Fire Nation school kids because clearly the strict school rules are oppressive. He is such a kid, and I love him for it.
And the best part? This pacifist child is the most powerful bender on the face of the earth. I know I've mentioned this before, but I think that's so cool. Because, especially given the ignorance of youth and how he knows that he's the only one who can save the world, it would be very easy for him to become this power-driven Avatar. But it doesn't happen. He's just so purely innocent, but not naive (or at least, he grows out of his naivete), so inherently gentle, and compassionate, and sensitive, that his power doesn't corrupt him.
I love that. We get a lot of heroes that are all tough and commanding leaders and "Come at me, bro!" A lot of, look at how much I can handle. It's such a different thing to see such a powerful hero be so consistently gentle (which I do believe is probably one of the most accurate adjectives to describe Aang). And I really really like that. It's such a different (and, I think, underrated) style of heroism, and I love that it gets celebrated. It's my favourite thing about the show.
It's just a really, super cool show. It's hilarious and the fight scenes are awesome and the story is to die for and, for a Nickelodeon cartoon, it really took a lot of risks (such as, for instance, making one of the single most powerful characters in the series a blind little girl. Or, having a whole episode devoted to Aang's pet bison wandering around looking for him. There was other stuff too). And I think it's important that we appreciate that in spite of the fact that it aired on YTV and that every time I watch an episode on Netflix I have to sit through the Nickelodeon logo that seems so kiddy that it makes me question my life choices, in spite of this, it is undeniably a very good, intriguing, interesting and very well told story. It was clearly meticulously laid out and carefully planned and really thought through and there's just so much heart to it.
Most of this I never noticed for how remarkable it was when I watched it at the age of eight. Go figure.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Three Quickfire Book Reviews LET'S DO IT!
Because I've been reading endlessly, and I have things to say, but I don't feel like writing long-ass book reviews about all of them so I'm just gonna do a SPEED ROUND. You ready? Let's go!
Book #1: The Maze Runner
Okay, so I bought this book because the movie came out recently, and the movie looked really cool and exciting, so I decided to read the book before I watched the movie. Not just for the sake of being able to pretentiously say, "Ugh, the book was way better, neener-neener look how sophisticated I am," but because watching the movie colours how you imagine the book, and I like having the chance to experience it at least once without that kind of interference.
So, it's like teen-fiction, sci-fi, thriller, post-apocalyptic stuff. You know, the usual.
And I really wanted to like it. Really, really wanted to.
But the overall reaction was kinda more like, "Meh."
For a book that's supposed to be heart-pumping action and suspense and can't-put-it-down, there was a lot of talking. It was pretty much all talking. And usually I'm totally good with lots of dialogue, because characterization is my favourite thing, but dear god. Every character has to freaking vote about every single course of action they take, and every character has to state their opinion individually. It's amazing they ever make any decisions. And, like, the characters are not diverse enough, personality-wise, for the discussions to be really riveting. And then every five chapters or so, just to keep the appetite going, there's sort of a "he knew he was in danger.... and then nothing happened". And I'm not one of those people who need action and explosions all the time to hold my interest - I just said that I generally enjoy dialogue-heavy books - but it kinda felt like the action was only there for exposition for the scenes in which they're voting on what to do about it.
Also, Maze Runner Drinking Game: Take a shot every time the narrator says something like, "He was scared, but he still... [insert death wish here]" Take two if it's, "He was scared, but he still wanted to be a Maze Runner." You would become very intoxicated pretty quickly.
That being said, I can see how the rest of the series could be good. The end of the book was promising. I suspect that this first installment's main problem was that it was almost entirely devoted to setting up the rest of the series. I hold out hope.
The thing is, it was still relatively enjoyable. It just - and this is going to seem kind of abstract, but I can't really figure out a better way of putting it - it lacked heart. This resulted in me not really finding myself being particularly invested in the characters, and that's one of the most important things to me. So.... yeah. Anyways.... onward!
Book #2: An Abundance of Katherines
Yes, yes, I loves me some John Green.
So, as per usual, John Green writes teen-fiction, and it's set in the real world and he creates relatable, realistic teenage characters with relatively relatable problems. Also, it does not lack heart.
I'm starting to think that John Green has a thing with people sharing names. Between this book, which features nineteen Katherines and two Colins, he also co-wrote Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which features, get this, multiple Will Graysons.
Andbutso (to steal a John Green-ism) An Abundance of Katherines is really, really enjoyable. I will never stop talking about how John Green knows how to write intelligent teenagers who are comfortable with having identities, and I think that's awesome. Because that's most teenagers I've ever met, and it's such a refreshing bout of truth when you're always spoon-fed the conformist, materialistic, angsty and obnoxious teenagers everywhere else in media.
I just really love that everyone in this book had a really clear identity, and I especially appreciated that they don't necessarily intuitively mesh, since that description is more or less my friend group in a nutshell. Colin, the child prodigy who's obsessed with furthering his knowledge and with upping his status from "prodigy" to "genius", but can barely hold a normal conversation. Hassan, who defines himself by being funny, lazy and by his religion, Islam. Lindsey, who defines herself by being whoever the situation calls for her to be. And they all have amazing character growth. And I just really enjoyed this book.
This story is all about the characters. I like character-heavy things. If you also like character-heavy things, then I recommend it. I really really enjoyed it. Not as much as Will Grayson Will Grayson, which still holds the throne for my favourite John Green book, but it's up there - taking over second place from Looking For Alaska, which slips into third. It's just good. I promise.
And don't let the complicated maths intimidate you as Colin works out his Theorem of Dumpees/Dumpers. The math itself isn't all that important for understanding the story, but it is super cool that it's based on actual sound mathematics, since John Green happens to be good buddies with a well-respected mathematician. (There's an Appendix at the end that explains it, but I can't really be bothered to read it. But the formula it speaks of looks like this:
which looks really frightening, but also really super cool.)
Andbutso, yeah, it's a good book. Characters are enjoyable, realistic, and developed, and the ideas are cool. Recommend it. Now, onward!
Book #3: The Reluctant Assassin
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
Okay, so this book was a total gem that I completely found by accident. I was satisfied that I had all the books I wanted, so I was just waiting for my mom to find all the books she wanted, and I was glancing through the teen section to see what was what, and that's when I spotted the name Eoin Colfer.
For those who may not know, Eoin Colfer wrote the Artemis Fowl series, which I absolutely adore. I've posted a couple loving rants about that series on here. And so when I saw that name on a book in the teen section rather than the 8-12 section, (which is where I still get a good deal of my books), I barely had to glance at the back of the book before I resolved that I had to get it. And with a title like The Reluctant Assassin? I was pretty much already hooked.
Like most books by Eoin Colfer, the book is sort of this mixture of sci-fi and fantasy - though it falls harder on the side of sci-fi than Artemis Fowl ever did. Sci-fi/fantasy, of course, is where my heart will always lie, so it's no surprise that my love for this one is so much stronger than the other two.
So, this is the first book in the WARP series, (WARP being an acronym for Witness Anonymous Relocation Program, if I recall correctly?). Basically, the idea is that the FBI invented time travel, and so now they use it for witness protecting, only instead of hiding them in a different place, they hide them in a different time - specifically, Victorian London.
So I love the heroes of this book - between Riley, the fourteen-year-old Victorian urchin who was raised by a twisted sadistic assassin (and who also happens to be the reluctant assassin of the title), and Chevie, a seventeen-year-old female FBI agent - let's just say, they've both got a fair number of tricks up their sleeves, and the dialogue between them is always entertaining and interesting and they're both pretty awesome, though in different ways.
But as much as I love the heroes, what really shone in this book were the villains. The quality of the villains can make or break a story. Let me tell you, it really made The Reluctant Assassin.
The villains were plenty and fascinating. But of course, though a filthy rich power-hungry killer, and a mob-boss are fair challenges in and of themselves, the main villain was the one that struck the most fear, and that was Garrick, the assassin/magician who raised Riley. Garrick gets especially scary when he gets teleported to the the twenty-first century with super-powers and a detailed knowledge of the technology there.
Just - the villains are suitably scary and the heroes are lovable and have rich histories and the plot is thick and rich. It's just as witty as the Artemis Fowl series was, too, but so much more dark. And personally, I love dark.
It's one of those books that I never wanted to end, but that I also couldn't stop reading. I just really, immediately fell in love with it. It's such a good adventure.
It sure was a good thing that mom took a long time buying her books, or I probably never would have found it. So good.
So, yeah, that was the speed round. I'd say it went pretty well. Maybe I should try doing that more often. I dunno, we'll see.
In the meantime... thanks for reading, I guess. *awkward ending is awkward*
Book #1: The Maze Runner
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| The freaking cover always flips up. Like, you put it down 'cause you're done reading for now and it practically opens on its own. I kept it under like three hardcover, five-hundred-page books for like twelve hours at least, and it didn't even help. How annoying is that? |
So, it's like teen-fiction, sci-fi, thriller, post-apocalyptic stuff. You know, the usual.
And I really wanted to like it. Really, really wanted to.
But the overall reaction was kinda more like, "Meh."
For a book that's supposed to be heart-pumping action and suspense and can't-put-it-down, there was a lot of talking. It was pretty much all talking. And usually I'm totally good with lots of dialogue, because characterization is my favourite thing, but dear god. Every character has to freaking vote about every single course of action they take, and every character has to state their opinion individually. It's amazing they ever make any decisions. And, like, the characters are not diverse enough, personality-wise, for the discussions to be really riveting. And then every five chapters or so, just to keep the appetite going, there's sort of a "he knew he was in danger.... and then nothing happened". And I'm not one of those people who need action and explosions all the time to hold my interest - I just said that I generally enjoy dialogue-heavy books - but it kinda felt like the action was only there for exposition for the scenes in which they're voting on what to do about it.
Also, Maze Runner Drinking Game: Take a shot every time the narrator says something like, "He was scared, but he still... [insert death wish here]" Take two if it's, "He was scared, but he still wanted to be a Maze Runner." You would become very intoxicated pretty quickly.
That being said, I can see how the rest of the series could be good. The end of the book was promising. I suspect that this first installment's main problem was that it was almost entirely devoted to setting up the rest of the series. I hold out hope.
The thing is, it was still relatively enjoyable. It just - and this is going to seem kind of abstract, but I can't really figure out a better way of putting it - it lacked heart. This resulted in me not really finding myself being particularly invested in the characters, and that's one of the most important things to me. So.... yeah. Anyways.... onward!
Book #2: An Abundance of Katherines
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| Fun fact: the original cover was something entirely different. This cover, which is what is currently in stores, was designed by a 17-year-old Nerdfighter, and I think that's super rad. |
So, as per usual, John Green writes teen-fiction, and it's set in the real world and he creates relatable, realistic teenage characters with relatively relatable problems. Also, it does not lack heart.
I'm starting to think that John Green has a thing with people sharing names. Between this book, which features nineteen Katherines and two Colins, he also co-wrote Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which features, get this, multiple Will Graysons.
Andbutso (to steal a John Green-ism) An Abundance of Katherines is really, really enjoyable. I will never stop talking about how John Green knows how to write intelligent teenagers who are comfortable with having identities, and I think that's awesome. Because that's most teenagers I've ever met, and it's such a refreshing bout of truth when you're always spoon-fed the conformist, materialistic, angsty and obnoxious teenagers everywhere else in media.
I just really love that everyone in this book had a really clear identity, and I especially appreciated that they don't necessarily intuitively mesh, since that description is more or less my friend group in a nutshell. Colin, the child prodigy who's obsessed with furthering his knowledge and with upping his status from "prodigy" to "genius", but can barely hold a normal conversation. Hassan, who defines himself by being funny, lazy and by his religion, Islam. Lindsey, who defines herself by being whoever the situation calls for her to be. And they all have amazing character growth. And I just really enjoyed this book.
This story is all about the characters. I like character-heavy things. If you also like character-heavy things, then I recommend it. I really really enjoyed it. Not as much as Will Grayson Will Grayson, which still holds the throne for my favourite John Green book, but it's up there - taking over second place from Looking For Alaska, which slips into third. It's just good. I promise.
And don't let the complicated maths intimidate you as Colin works out his Theorem of Dumpees/Dumpers. The math itself isn't all that important for understanding the story, but it is super cool that it's based on actual sound mathematics, since John Green happens to be good buddies with a well-respected mathematician. (There's an Appendix at the end that explains it, but I can't really be bothered to read it. But the formula it speaks of looks like this:
Andbutso, yeah, it's a good book. Characters are enjoyable, realistic, and developed, and the ideas are cool. Recommend it. Now, onward!
Book #3: The Reluctant Assassin
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
Okay, so this book was a total gem that I completely found by accident. I was satisfied that I had all the books I wanted, so I was just waiting for my mom to find all the books she wanted, and I was glancing through the teen section to see what was what, and that's when I spotted the name Eoin Colfer.
For those who may not know, Eoin Colfer wrote the Artemis Fowl series, which I absolutely adore. I've posted a couple loving rants about that series on here. And so when I saw that name on a book in the teen section rather than the 8-12 section, (which is where I still get a good deal of my books), I barely had to glance at the back of the book before I resolved that I had to get it. And with a title like The Reluctant Assassin? I was pretty much already hooked.
Like most books by Eoin Colfer, the book is sort of this mixture of sci-fi and fantasy - though it falls harder on the side of sci-fi than Artemis Fowl ever did. Sci-fi/fantasy, of course, is where my heart will always lie, so it's no surprise that my love for this one is so much stronger than the other two.
So, this is the first book in the WARP series, (WARP being an acronym for Witness Anonymous Relocation Program, if I recall correctly?). Basically, the idea is that the FBI invented time travel, and so now they use it for witness protecting, only instead of hiding them in a different place, they hide them in a different time - specifically, Victorian London.
So I love the heroes of this book - between Riley, the fourteen-year-old Victorian urchin who was raised by a twisted sadistic assassin (and who also happens to be the reluctant assassin of the title), and Chevie, a seventeen-year-old female FBI agent - let's just say, they've both got a fair number of tricks up their sleeves, and the dialogue between them is always entertaining and interesting and they're both pretty awesome, though in different ways.
But as much as I love the heroes, what really shone in this book were the villains. The quality of the villains can make or break a story. Let me tell you, it really made The Reluctant Assassin.
The villains were plenty and fascinating. But of course, though a filthy rich power-hungry killer, and a mob-boss are fair challenges in and of themselves, the main villain was the one that struck the most fear, and that was Garrick, the assassin/magician who raised Riley. Garrick gets especially scary when he gets teleported to the the twenty-first century with super-powers and a detailed knowledge of the technology there.
Just - the villains are suitably scary and the heroes are lovable and have rich histories and the plot is thick and rich. It's just as witty as the Artemis Fowl series was, too, but so much more dark. And personally, I love dark.
It's one of those books that I never wanted to end, but that I also couldn't stop reading. I just really, immediately fell in love with it. It's such a good adventure.
It sure was a good thing that mom took a long time buying her books, or I probably never would have found it. So good.
So, yeah, that was the speed round. I'd say it went pretty well. Maybe I should try doing that more often. I dunno, we'll see.
In the meantime... thanks for reading, I guess. *awkward ending is awkward*
Percy Jackson Thirty Day Meme: Day 30
Day 30: Favourite Tartarus moment
Right, because Tartarus was just a laugh a minute, right?
I don't know. I liked that Percy went all dark when he was in Tartarus. You know, with the manipulating and the killing and the rage and everything. It was nice to see Percy go dark, because that's not a thing that happens to any characters, really, except for Nico, which then proceeded to become his entire character.
Which is irritating.
But back to Tartarus.
I liked the curses.
There was this part where Annabeth and Percy are getting attacked by a swarm of arai, which means curses. Basically, for every monster/bad guy/mythical evil that they killed in their careers - and they killed quite a lot - each mythical evil cursed them as they died. And the arai are the curses incarnate. And they're attacking Percy and Annabeth trying to kill them, so the only option is to fight back. Only they can't, because every time they kill one the curse manifests itself in them. So in the midst of the fight, Annabeth goes blind, Percy starts dying of poison, Annabeth is perpetually separated from Percy, Percy gets an arrow through the heart, and also, weirdly, gets a twitchy eye. Lots of other unspecified stuff as well.
They end up escaping with their lives, of course, but I still thought that was a cool fight, especially since they actually knew which monsters had cursed them with what. (Annabeth goes blind from the time she stabbed the Cyclopes Polyphemus in the eye - Percy suffers from poison because of the time he tricked the seer Phineas into drinking some - Annabeth gets separated from Percy because Percy left Calypso on her island forever - Percy gets an arrow through the heart because he shot Geryon with an arrow through his three hearts - etcetera, etcetera). I think it's cool because it opens the door for Percy's darkness, and also because it's the first really hopeless fight they have, and also because it's like, demanding Annabeth and Percy to justify endlessly killing things, even if they are monsters. It's also the first time Bob abandons them, because the arai convince him for a moment that Percy was never really his friend.
Basically, this scene opened up the door for a lot of interesting threads, and that's why I liked it.
And... I guess that's it for the thirty day meme.
Thanks for putting up with me. :)
Right, because Tartarus was just a laugh a minute, right?
I don't know. I liked that Percy went all dark when he was in Tartarus. You know, with the manipulating and the killing and the rage and everything. It was nice to see Percy go dark, because that's not a thing that happens to any characters, really, except for Nico, which then proceeded to become his entire character.
Which is irritating.
But back to Tartarus.
I liked the curses.
There was this part where Annabeth and Percy are getting attacked by a swarm of arai, which means curses. Basically, for every monster/bad guy/mythical evil that they killed in their careers - and they killed quite a lot - each mythical evil cursed them as they died. And the arai are the curses incarnate. And they're attacking Percy and Annabeth trying to kill them, so the only option is to fight back. Only they can't, because every time they kill one the curse manifests itself in them. So in the midst of the fight, Annabeth goes blind, Percy starts dying of poison, Annabeth is perpetually separated from Percy, Percy gets an arrow through the heart, and also, weirdly, gets a twitchy eye. Lots of other unspecified stuff as well.
They end up escaping with their lives, of course, but I still thought that was a cool fight, especially since they actually knew which monsters had cursed them with what. (Annabeth goes blind from the time she stabbed the Cyclopes Polyphemus in the eye - Percy suffers from poison because of the time he tricked the seer Phineas into drinking some - Annabeth gets separated from Percy because Percy left Calypso on her island forever - Percy gets an arrow through the heart because he shot Geryon with an arrow through his three hearts - etcetera, etcetera). I think it's cool because it opens the door for Percy's darkness, and also because it's the first really hopeless fight they have, and also because it's like, demanding Annabeth and Percy to justify endlessly killing things, even if they are monsters. It's also the first time Bob abandons them, because the arai convince him for a moment that Percy was never really his friend.
Basically, this scene opened up the door for a lot of interesting threads, and that's why I liked it.
And... I guess that's it for the thirty day meme.
Thanks for putting up with me. :)
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Percy Jackson Thirty Day Meme: Day 29
Day 29: Best Seaweed Brain moment
There's one thing that always makes me laugh because it's just so random.
It takes place in the second book of the Sea of Monsters. Percy, using his freakish Poseidon powers, has just rescued Annabeth from the Sirens, who in a fit of desperate curiosity decided that instead of putting earplugs in her ears like a normal person, she'd tie herself to the mast and listen to the Sirens song, because you only live once, right? Apparently the Sirens sing, like, truths about you, and that's part of the enchantment, and Annabeth wanted to hear what they had to say about her. So, surprise surprise, that went horribly awry, and Annabeth dived into the ocean to swim towards the Sirens, which is of course what happened in all the myths. Percy barely manages to save her by diving in after her and manipulating the ocean to keep her safe, and pulls her underwater where the sound is muffled and doesn't have any effect, and then brings her back to the ship.
Nothing Seaweed Brainy so far.
Then, when they're beyond the song of the Sirens, Annabeth starts to explain what it was that she heard, and that the Sirens had revealed to her that her fatal flaw (every hero has one) is hubris. The rest of the conversation goes like this:
Annabeth: My fatal flaw. That's what the Sirens showed me. My fatal flaw is hubris.
Percy: That brown stuff they spread on veggie sandwiches?
Annabeth: No, Seaweed Brain. That's hummus. Hubris is worse.
Percy: What could be worse than hummus?
Gotta say, that cracks me up.
Also, just for the record, Percy may not be totally book-smart, but he's definitely not incompetent. I just feel like people have this idea of Percy as this complete bonehead who stumbles head-first into every stupid situation, and the latter half of that is pretty true, but he's actually pretty smart. He just gets outshined all the time by having the smartest girlfriend at camp (although, during The Sea of Monsters, they aren't really together. Might as well be, though). He's got good instincts, good strategies, and he's very good at adapting - and my Conversations teacher M. Larrivee (qu'il repose en paix), would argue that the ability to adapt is true intelligence (that was one of the main things I took from that class, and it definitely isn't untrue).
But the hubris/hummus thing is still hilarious.
There's one thing that always makes me laugh because it's just so random.
It takes place in the second book of the Sea of Monsters. Percy, using his freakish Poseidon powers, has just rescued Annabeth from the Sirens, who in a fit of desperate curiosity decided that instead of putting earplugs in her ears like a normal person, she'd tie herself to the mast and listen to the Sirens song, because you only live once, right? Apparently the Sirens sing, like, truths about you, and that's part of the enchantment, and Annabeth wanted to hear what they had to say about her. So, surprise surprise, that went horribly awry, and Annabeth dived into the ocean to swim towards the Sirens, which is of course what happened in all the myths. Percy barely manages to save her by diving in after her and manipulating the ocean to keep her safe, and pulls her underwater where the sound is muffled and doesn't have any effect, and then brings her back to the ship.
Nothing Seaweed Brainy so far.
Then, when they're beyond the song of the Sirens, Annabeth starts to explain what it was that she heard, and that the Sirens had revealed to her that her fatal flaw (every hero has one) is hubris. The rest of the conversation goes like this:
Annabeth: My fatal flaw. That's what the Sirens showed me. My fatal flaw is hubris.
Percy: That brown stuff they spread on veggie sandwiches?
Annabeth: No, Seaweed Brain. That's hummus. Hubris is worse.
Percy: What could be worse than hummus?
Gotta say, that cracks me up.
Also, just for the record, Percy may not be totally book-smart, but he's definitely not incompetent. I just feel like people have this idea of Percy as this complete bonehead who stumbles head-first into every stupid situation, and the latter half of that is pretty true, but he's actually pretty smart. He just gets outshined all the time by having the smartest girlfriend at camp (although, during The Sea of Monsters, they aren't really together. Might as well be, though). He's got good instincts, good strategies, and he's very good at adapting - and my Conversations teacher M. Larrivee (qu'il repose en paix), would argue that the ability to adapt is true intelligence (that was one of the main things I took from that class, and it definitely isn't untrue).
But the hubris/hummus thing is still hilarious.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Percy Jackson Thirty Day Meme: Day 28
Day 28: Favourite location
From the way the books portrayed it? Rome, in the Mark of Athena. It helps that I've actually been there, seen the Colosseum and all that...
I mean, Percy and Jason got to fight a pair of giants in the Colosseum. That's a really great thing to be able to visualize. Also, I think Rome is basically the perfect locale for the Percy Jackson. Full of ancient relics and ruins, but at the same time so very modern. You can track history in Rome. It's really cool.
Which, being the total dork I am, is exactly what I spent most of the time doing.
"This used to be a temple to the Olympian gods, but then Christians moved in and used it as a crypt for so-and-so..." It's really very fascinating.
My favourite location from my own memories that they use in the books is Venice, which by the way I've also been to.
It really disappointed me that they barely did anything with Venice. There was so much that could have happened, but there was only like one chapter in Venice and it barely described it at all. Sorely under-utilized, especially since Venice is where magic is born.
But yeah.
From the way the books portrayed it? Rome, in the Mark of Athena. It helps that I've actually been there, seen the Colosseum and all that...
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| Me attempting to lift the Colosseum. The perspective didn't quite work out. Also, this is not a great picture due to me being a total dork. Also also, I am always a total dork and I would do it again. |
Which, being the total dork I am, is exactly what I spent most of the time doing.
"This used to be a temple to the Olympian gods, but then Christians moved in and used it as a crypt for so-and-so..." It's really very fascinating.
My favourite location from my own memories that they use in the books is Venice, which by the way I've also been to.
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| Sadly, this is one of the only Venice pictures with me in it. Sucks that it doesn't really capture the UTTER MAGIC AND BEAUTY that defines Venice. |
But yeah.
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