tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80135765545406119612024-03-13T10:09:07.889-07:00Reading RobynJessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-12849719593829791522015-01-02T10:03:00.000-08:002015-01-02T10:04:15.308-08:00Review: The Losers Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Andy Diggle, Art by Jock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Description:</b> The Company thought that it had taken care of the Losers. After they saw a little too much at the wrong place and time, their chopper went down in flames with no survivors and plenty of deniability—and the Losers went down in the records as just another team of black ops foot soldiers tragically lost to one of the C.I.A.'s shadow wars.<br />
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But the Losers were just playing dead—and now that they've seen what the Company is really up to, they're through with games. Now it's time to take the fight back to its source.<br />
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This omnibus introduces The Losers, formerly an elite U.S. Special Forces unit that served as the covert bloody hand of America until they stumbled across a C.I.A. secret they couldn't ignore.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Crime Graphic Novel, 304 pages, First 12 Issues Collection, Published by Vertigo, Fedruary 2010.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: 4 STARS</span></b><br />
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Crime is probably one of my favourite genres, if only because it takes a great amount of talent to get it right. I had very high expectations of The Losers, from all the good things I've heard I was pretty sure it wouldn't be nearly what I imagined it might be. However, am I happy with what I got!<br />
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<a href="https://dcomixologyssl.sslcs.cdngc.net/i/3759/2134/125110.jpg?h=a2c72fdb6d9047e5fc511fb2339986a4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://dcomixologyssl.sslcs.cdngc.net/i/3759/2134/125110.jpg?h=a2c72fdb6d9047e5fc511fb2339986a4" width="208" /></a>Before I can even talk about the story, let us talk about the art. It captures the tone and severity of the characters so perfectly that if it was a single shade darker or lighter it wouldn't have worked at all. There's so much action in a story like this one, it's full to the brim with quick scenes that take pages of expertly planned movements to pull off and yet where so many artists go wrong The Losers never missed a beat. I followed along with each character as they moved through the page, dodging bullets, and running fast to try and pull off the impossible. If not for the art this story would not have worked as well as it did. Also, if not for the vivid colouring it wouldn't look so pretty! There are so many pages that I want to hang on my wall and just look at them all the time.<br />
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What made it all this even better was that I wasn't expecting it to look this good. Beautiful is not a word you would expect to use about a book that has such a high body count!<br />
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309480839l/103546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="103546" border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309480839l/103546.jpg" width="213" /></a>The Losers was just amazing all around. The dialogue is fantastic and you can tell that this is a very well thought-out story. Although the characters didn't get a lot of time to get fleshed out with all the action going on you know who they are and what they do within seconds of meeting them. They all have the same mission, but each has their own motivations and that made them interesting. I rooted for them before I even knew what I was rooting for!<br />
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But honestly, what I was most worried about was Aisha. She's the <u>only female</u> on the team and that always concerns me, especially in a graphic novel. Graphic novels Thankfully, she's probably the scariest of the bunch. I'm so use to females being in the role of "femme fatales" in this genre that it is so nice to see a girl who isn't seductive, isn't cautious, and doesn't shy away from unapologetically killing people that get in her way. The guys may talk shit behind her back, but there is no way they'd say anything to her face unless they don't want it any more.<br />
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<a href="https://dcomixologyssl.sslcs.cdngc.net/i/3759/2138/125203.jpg?h=41644de5fd60b3240161e8ea2bca1a55" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://dcomixologyssl.sslcs.cdngc.net/i/3759/2138/125203.jpg?h=41644de5fd60b3240161e8ea2bca1a55" width="208" /></a>Then there's the plot that brings this bad boy together. When our team gets murdered by one of there own the good don't ever stay dead for long. Now their mission is to get back what's been taken from them.<br />
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In American fiction the idea of having to fight a corrupted government is a common concept (I can't imagine why), but I have never seen it done quite like this. The Losers is partly a story about the military and partly a heist story. I absolutely love a thought out, complex heist and this book is one after another. The Losers is so much fun and I'm incredibly excited to see where this takes us in volume two! For right now I'm content to read this book again and again.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-6362726853732223592014-07-07T02:41:00.000-07:002014-07-07T02:41:00.434-07:00Review: 101 Ways to Dance by Kathy Stinson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Description:</b> In this quirky collection, award-winning author for young people Kathy Stinson offers characters and plotlines that reflect the many ways teens learn about lust and love. From the first stirrings of same-sex desire on a lakeside beach to troubling paternity questions around a teen pregnancy, 101 Ways to Dance reflects the spectrum of teen sexuality from the very sweet to the very scary.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Young Adult Short Story Collection, Paperback, 150 pages, Published by Second Story Press, March 2007.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>My Rating: 2 STARS</b></span><br />
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Spoiler Alert: Involves no actual dancing. <i>wink.</i><br />
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101 Ways to Dance is a collection of short stories, sometimes as short as two pages long, that follow various teenagers as they first experience love and lust. With a topic as interesting and varied as that I expected a lot more from 101 Ways to Dance than I got.<br />
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While trying to come up with exactly what I should say about this book, I came up with only one comparison. It was a lot like taking a museum tour.<br />
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We got to walk through a situation, one of incredibly meaning in a young person's life, but you don't care about the characters. You've known this person for two pages and all you've got to work with is that they're horny. I just couldn't connect and one after another I felt like I was being shown something, something of emotional value, but really it's just a lifeless display behind a thick pane of glass with a sign that says: Warning: Teenagers like sex. To make matters worse, each story felt parred down, like the author was trying to teach me something more so than tell an interesting and in-depth story.<br />
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I don't want to be presumptuous and say that teen sexuality has changed all that much in six years, but this book felt like it was written for a different time. For a book written in 2007 it felt surprisingly dated. From the practice of "Call this number if you want a good time", to hitchhiking, to passing around a erotic book with all your friends in school. Although I'm sure these things still happen, for a book about relatability, it just wasn't that relatable when sexuality is so intertwined with the internet and practices like sexting.<br />
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It was just a very <i>meh</i> experience overall. The only thing that really clicked for me was the final story All You Need is a Song, which followed two teens who have down syndrome and their own experience with first love. I would have loved to see a novel surrounding just them, but as it was it left me wanting more.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-23063551313333300232014-07-04T05:50:00.000-07:002014-07-04T05:50:00.226-07:00Review: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320544762l/7100264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="7100264" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320544762l/7100264.jpg" /></a><br />
<b>Description:</b> Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they?<br />
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When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie—a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance—mysteriously appears, she has one request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, because Sadie cannot rest without it.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Contemporary Fiction, 435 pages, First Published by The Dial Press, July 2009.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: 3 STARS</span></b><br />
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Twenties Girl is a ghost story about Lara, a young struggling business women who just got dumped by both her boyfriend and her flaky business partner. Enter Sadie, a 1920's loving former 105 year old who just can't rest in peace without her beloved necklace.<br />
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Allow me to start by asking: Is there such thing as a reasonable ghost? I know that them being overly demanding is what make plots like this one work, but for once when the all seeing heroine is freaking out I would love to see a super-reasonable ghostie be all, "Don't worry about it and I'll just come back later when I wouldn't be inconveniencing your life. I'm dead so I have a little bit more perspective then I did when I was living, but If you could at some point save my immortal soul then that would be great too. kthxbye"<br />
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But I do love this kind of ghost story, so much so that I've been a little over saturated, but what sold this book for me was Kinsella's writing. Her dialogue and creating individual character voices was what kept me interested despite my former experience in this genre.<br />
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Unfortunately, this book wasn't all that it could have been for me. For 435 pages, it didn't feel like it's length matched it's content. The story has this comfortable familiarity to it, but sometimes it got to a point where I was just stuck waiting for the next plot point to come, already knowing what it is. I was just waiting for things to get to the punchline and waiting and waiting.<br />
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The characters suffered from this as well, even though they were all energetic and fun, it took till well into the third half of the book for me to start really wanting to root for them. I felt very sympathetic for Lara and Sadie, but I never had that moment where I connected with them. I would feel bad for the situation and then one of them would do something and I would just think, "Someone needs to smack this person. Why hasn't that happened yet?"<br />
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320544759l/6063187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Twenties Girl" border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320544759l/6063187.jpg" width="213" /></a>This frustration happened especially when it came to Lara's relationship with Josh. I know it was suppose to be frustrating, that's part of why I can applaud Kinsella's writing, but it was still there after some 200+ pages. Why? I have no idea.<br />
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There were a lot of moments like that one that pushed my buttons but still much to my surprise I found myself enjoying the story. I am a sucker for good dialogue and I absolutely loved the way things ended. This may not have been the most smooth introduction to Sophie Kinsella's writing, but I'm intrigued. This book reminded me just how much I love these sort of romance novels with their bold female leads and swoon worthy boys and shitty best friends. I definitely need to get back in the swing of reading these.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-68920081589343441472014-07-01T02:26:00.000-07:002014-07-01T02:26:00.224-07:00Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327918078l/10757771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shut Out" border="0" height="400" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327918078l/10757771.jpg" width="262" /></a><b>Description: </b>Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.<br />
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Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Young Adult Novel, 273 Pages, First Published by Poppy, 2011.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Rating: 3 STAR</span></b><br />
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Shut Out is about sex. And from page one it makes it very clear, this is not about subtlety or masking a message with a pretty package. This is about sex.<br />
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More specifically, Shut Out is about the views society has about girls having sex, compared to boys having sex. We've all noticed it at some point in our lives, when it comes to talking about the down and dirty girls are meant to be chaste. Talking about it, thinking about it, and even doing it is not something that most girls are open about. Somehow after centuries of closing the door on the sex-speak we've created our own little set of rules, which can be seen in everything from slut shaming to virgin bashing.<br />
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Shut Out takes the story of Lissa trying to end an inner school rivalry by banding together with her fellow girlfriends on a sex-strike (inspired by the Greek play Lysistrata) to question as many sex-based issues as possible. As I stated above, this was not veiled with any sort of subtlety, which for the most part I didn't mind. I could appreciate the message being said, even if it wasn't in the most crafty or clever of ways. However, this is something that I could easily see annoying some people. If you're not interested in the message you're probably not going to be all that thrilled with the story. This book very much has a target audience of younger girls going through the same experiences that the girls in the book are encountering.<br />
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<a href="https://p.gr-assets.com/200x200/scale/books/1401467303/13287047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Shut Out" border="0" src="https://p.gr-assets.com/200x200/scale/books/1401467303/13287047.jpg" /></a>But this book isn't just about a message, there's also a plot in there somewhere, and at its core it's very basic. There's a love triangle, there's a family plot line, there's female bonding, and there's the sex strike. That's about it. What sold this for me was the way the characters take this basic plot and try their darndest to add dimensions to it. Our main character Lissa was by far the best part of the book. Her personality and interactions were very entertaining. I could relate to her and actually invest in her plight. The other characters were alright, although they were not very original, each character had some excellent lines! The humor injected dialog was really top-notch. I could have only wished that the characters had more of a <i>something</i> to them because they felt very one-note. I would have liked to have seen more new ideas, instead of the basics tropes I expect from a contemporary YA romance.<br />
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What probably ended up making me enjoy this the most was that Shut Out was an easy read. I sat down and was surprised to see that a couple of hours had passed and that I was already finished. The writing was effortless to consume and that's where this really paid off. I could easily see myself reading another of Keplinger's books based off that experience alone.<br />
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Shut Out is a book that needs to be shoved in the faces of confused teen girls everywhere. It has ideas that needs to be shared and discussed, if only to balance out the amount of male dominant, slut shaming, virgin bashing, and abusive sexual relationships that are becoming increasingly common in the YA genre. I love this for its message, but can only like it because it lacked a complex story to host all those complex ideas.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-51012999046040732972014-06-30T00:15:00.000-07:002014-06-30T00:15:00.026-07:00Review: Shortcomings (Optic Nerve #9-11) by Adrian Tomine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Description:</b> Ben Tanaka, is a confused, obsessive Japanese American male in his late twenties, and on a cross-country search for contentment (or at least the perfect girl). Along the way, Tomine tackles modern culture, sexual mores, and racial politics with brutal honesty and lacerating, irreverent humor, while deftly bringing to life a cast of painfully real antihero characters. <i>- Source Goodreads</i><br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Adult Graphic Novel, Hardcover, 108 pages, Edition Published by Drawn and Quarterly, October 2007.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>My Rating: 1 STAR</b></span><br />
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I've spent a lot of time thinking about Shortcomings the graphic novel and trying to form a readable review. Turns out, I really didn't enjoy this. I actually wrote a review where I did a reasonably good job at explaining my dislike for what's done in Shortcomings in contrast with what the book was trying to achieve, but then it was accidentally deleted, so here I am back at square one with no interest in explaining myself again.<br />
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BUT I'm going to try!<br />
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<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me852cNywE1qz9b3ko1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me852cNywE1qz9b3ko1_1280.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a>Shortcomings is a character piece where you're not suppose to like any of the characters. You see, they're "painfully real" and that means they go around and act like dicks for the entirety of the story with no redemption or explanation as to their thinking aside from the fact that they're "flawed". There's also a lot of "brutal honesty and lacerating, irreverent humor" which means to say these unlikeable characters are unlikeable because they aren't afraid to push buttons and say things that are disrespectful in a flippant manner. Like that time where the lesbian character is cussing out a girl, who identifies herself as bi, by calling her a <i>"face sitter"</i> and a <i>"dabbler"</i>. Wow, how <i>edgy</i>! Totally not afraid to say what they want to say. That's what makes them <i>so real</i>, you know. The fact that there so <i>flawed</i>. Just look at how <i>flawed</i> they are! The main character even calls this one guy he doesn't like <i>"faggoty"</i> in a fit of rage. I mean, wow, it just got <b>REAL</b>! <b><i>Real and FLAWED!</i></b> Aren't FLAWS just so REAL?<br />
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In the last year I've grown to have a new appreciation for the anti-hero. When characters do have flaws and behave in a way that isn't always likable, it isn't about having a positive or a negative reaction, it's about how their behavior plays into an interesting and engaging plot. Shortcomings isn't interesting. The entire story is formed around the characters insulting each other and whining. This results in a lot of drama, but not a lot of examination of the issues and ideas it's trying to bring to the forefront of the story about racial identity, sexual attraction, and frankly, anger management issues. Anything it was trying to say was overwhelmed by the blatant negativity and boring relationship drama that was the equivalent of something you could see in an edgy episode of Gossip Girl.<br />
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Shortcomings was trying to be off-putting and it succeeded, but I don't think I could say it succeeded in communicating any of the other points it was so desperately trying to get across. The only plus side was the art, which was amazing. I would love to see it applied to a less frustrating story.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-87896339297380877372014-06-25T01:10:00.000-07:002014-06-25T01:10:00.955-07:00Review: Geek Girls Unite by Leslie Simon<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347776769l/11084825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="11084825" border="0" height="400" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347776769l/11084825.jpg" width="270" /></a><b>Description: </b>In recent years, male geeks have taken the world by storm. But what about their female counterparts? After all, fangirls are just like fanboys—they put on their Imperial Stormtrooper Lycra pants one leg at a time.<br />
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Geek Girls Unite is a call to arms for every girl who has ever obsessed over music, comics, film, comedy, books, crafts, fashion, or anything else under the Death Star. Music geek girl Leslie Simon offers an overview of the geek elite by covering groundbreaking women, hall-of-famers, ultimate love matches, and potential frenemies, along with her top picks for playlists, books, movies, and websites. This smart and hilarious tour through girl geekdom is a must-have for any woman who has ever wondered where her sassy rebel sisters have been hiding.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Non-fiction, 208 pages, First Published by It Books, October 2011.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Rating: 1 STAR</span></b><br />
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This did not go well. It certainly could have gone much worse, but it gets worse the more I think about it. Mildly offensive at best.<br />
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I'm sure Ms. Simon meant no harm. I'm sure she wasn't trying to insult me. But someone along the writing path needed to remind her of the sensitivity of her subject. How saying my jeans are <i>"probably second hand or from Target"</i> might be seen as an insult or how her humorous quips might be read more as jabs. How not all girls are the same and one geek is not like the others. We're not all unpopular, we're not all meek, we're not one thing. We don't all want beta boys because some of us don't even want boys to begin with. These obvious flaws could have been rectified by <i>acknowledging</i> the differences.<br />
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Part of what makes a geek a geek is that we don't fit a mold, we don't all have the same spots and stripes. Just because we like stuff doesn't mean it completely defines every aspect of who we are. This book makes some pretty bold assumptions and Simon backs them up by saying that she has created a community of geek girls called the "Geek Girl Guild" who she has interacted with.<br />
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<i>"Women of all ages, backgrounds, and areas of geek expertise wanted to joined the sisterhood, making the first pledge class over one hundred strong!" - Introduction, page 5</i><br />
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(And yes, "joined" is a spelling mistake found in the book.)<br />
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It makes me wonder how many of those 100 women read this book after it was published and went ...Hold on a second. I will say that the most interesting part of the book for me was the quotes in the margins, some of which attributed to the non-famous, which I assume were taken from this group of women. These geek girls were happy, strong, and proud. Another positive were the small biographical paragraphs about various geek girls who have succeeded in there in field, change perceptions, or influenced geek culture. Those small elements were great to read and brought a smile to my face midst the frowning.<br />
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With that said however, lets talk about the frowning, and the scoffing, and the sighing, and the raging.<br />
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I went into this book going off the title alone. I thought that anything geek girl oriented might be interesting to check out. I was wrong. I could only force myself to read so much and in the end, to be completely upfront, I only read the sections of this book that applied to me and as I identify myself as a geek. I couldn't force myself to read anymore.<br />
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I read:<br />
Introduction<br />
Section 1: Fangirl Geek<br />
Section 2: Literary Geek<br />
Section 7: Miscellaneous Geek (because being called "Miscellaneous" is a confidence boost)<br />
Conclusion: Geek Girls Unite<br />
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The other chapters are more in the same and I assure you were skimmed through diligently for the sake of this review. These are the sections that I will be going focusing on in depth.<br />
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<i>Brace yourselves</i>.<br />
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We are gathered here as the Geek Girls of the world. Those of us focused on in this book are labeled by interest: Fangirl Geek, Literary Geek, Film Geek, Music Geek, Funny-Girl Geek, Domestic Goddess Geek, and Miscellaneous Geeks, which are Tech Geeks, Fashionista Geeks, Political Geek, Retro Geek, and Athletic Geek.<br />
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The majority of this book, 99.9%, is about generalizing, quantifying, labeling, judging, assuming, and stereotyping who we are as people based off of a single interest. Now, this narrow-minded focus is bound to be exclusionary but things only get monumentally worse when Ms. Simon tries to apply humour to the situation. Her quips can easily be read as jabs, her silly throwaway pages easily read as insulting. At every turn there is another opportunity to judge and generalize, of course humourously. My glasses, my phone, everything is just another opportunity for a joke. To take one thing and boil it down to what that says about who I am.<br />
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Then there's is the FRENEMIES page near end of each and every section. Allow me to explain. Frenemies is a combination between "friend" and "enemy", or "frenemies". These pages are basically a list of people who you shouldn't like, or at least not hang out with, based on your geek cred. Because we're in middle school and these people are clearly not cool enough to be seen with.<br />
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Oh, you want some examples? Why, sure! Here some taken word-for-word from every section.<br />
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- Athletes.<br />
- House guests who see your Sony PlayStation and ask if you live with a ten-year old.<br />
- Anyone who cheated their way through high school and college English literature classes by relying solely on CliffsNotes.<br />
- Members of the illiterati.<br />
- Simpletons who are only familiar with the term "word-play" because it's the name of a Jason Mraz Song.<br />
- Cheeseballs who still quote Napoleon Dynamite, Borat, or Austin Powers on a regular basis.<br />
- Poseurs who admit to being "really into film" after seeing one Wes Anderson movie.<br />
- Investment bankers, stock brokers, and various other Wall street douche bags.<br />
- Girls who wear leggings instead of pants.<br />
- Women who wear fragrances by celebrities.<br />
- Know-it-alls who immediately launch into a "but is it art?" discussion after walking through a contemporary art exhibit.<br />
- Eccentrics who wear holiday or Cosby sweaters unironically.<br />
- Self-proclaimed artists who use paint-by-number kits.<br />
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My word! These people are clearly soooooo beneath us. Let us banish them from our cool table and make them sit with losers at lunch! Suddenly geek girls are exclusionary, mean, would rather judge then share our knowledge, rather jump to conclusions then laugh, and willing to completely shun a person based on a single trait.<br />
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This pisses me off! People like what they like! Why is it necessary to be mean to each other? Geek girls know better than anyone that people who don't accept others for who they are aren't worth being around. And the fact that Ms. Simon is encouraging this sort of behavior make me beyond angry.<br />
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Let us not forget the previously mentioned Geek Love Checklist section, which tells us traits to look for in the perfect geeky man for each section's assumed tastes. These pages manage to squeak by from my acceptance that I'm reading the same quality that can be found in your average $1.99 teen magazine. Till of course I saw this:<br />
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The Perfect Match For a Literary Geek Girl...<br />
<i>"Only reads one book at a time and thinks someone who's 'in the middle' of numerous titles displays commitment issues."</i><br />
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Which made me think this: Screw. You. Asshole.<br />
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... Remember how I told you that geek girls can be sensitive? The majority of us grow up being told what is normal, what is cool, what makes a girl desirable. If a guy said that to me, I'd get up and leave. Because I am a geek girl and I don't like elitism.<br />
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Then there was a bunch on small things that bugged me, which I will briefly list for your sake.<br />
- The mislabeling of Harry Potter fanatics as "Muggles".<br />
- The 18 Twilight references in the Fangirl section. (I loved Twilight when I was young, but this was a little much)<br />
- The section dedicated to Twilight called "The Twilight Zone", which never even mentions the actual Twilight Zone. You know, the cult classic.<br />
- Reading through the entire Fangirl section and not a single mention of "fandom", online communities, or Firefly.<br />
- Reading through the Literary Geek section and not a single mention of "Young Adult", varying tastes, or a little word called "genre".<br />
- The page title, "TAP THAT SASS". No thank you.<br />
- The fact that the book lacks focus in the audience it is trying to appeal to.<br />
- The way that the Literary Geek section list books/information about only adult fiction and some early juvenile fiction. I found this annoying because these were not the books that geek girls love universally. These books are books everyone should read eventually, but you have to hold an interest for them and they have to be at your reading level. When going through all the adult fiction it was like reading a list of books for a college course.<br />
- And the section on the Political Geek Girl has this lovely little snippet:<br />
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<i>"They strive to be advocates and activists; thus they often possess a pretty rigid set of values and ethics. (Some might call them stubborn or obstinate. Not me, of course, but some.) In an ideal world, everyone would see things their way." - page 172.</i><br />
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I'm just going to stop there.<br />
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I am a fangirl of epic giggly and badass proportions, fashion is my passion, music and film are my mistresses, and global politics is my dirty Sunday gal. But most importantly I am a literary geek who should warn all other such geeks to keep this book off their to-read lists. Not only is it not worth our time and money, but it is not worth the possible insult. As a girl, I refuse to be generalized. I am proud of who I am and that girl is not the geek that Ms. Simon thinks I should be.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-71346111821556686342014-06-25T00:33:00.000-07:002014-06-25T00:33:00.163-07:00Review: Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328617406l/12317349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="12317349" border="0" height="400" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328617406l/12317349.jpg" width="300" /></a><b>Description:</b> Meet Asterios Polyp: middle-aged, meagerly successful architect and teacher, aesthete and womanizer, whose life is wholly upended when his New York City apartment goes up in flames. In a tenacious daze, he leaves the city and relocates to a small town in the American heartland. But what is this “escape” really about?<br />
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As the story unfolds, moving between the present and the past, we begin to understand this confounding yet fascinating character, and how he’s gotten to where he is. And isn’t. And we meet Hana: a sweet, smart, first-generation Japanese American artist with whom he had made a blissful life. But now she’s gone.<br />
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<b>Stats: </b>Graphic Novel, 344 pages, Edition Published by Pantheon, July 2009.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>My Rating: 4 STARS</b></span><br />
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Asterios Polyp is a graphic novel that takes imaginative originality to a new high within the mundane life of a struggling, fifty year old architecture professor.<br />
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It's difficult for me to express just what exactly it is that makes this book work so well. David Mazzucchelli has an undeniable way with words and art and when they meld together they create something that is pretty damn fascinating to read.<br />
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I'll admit up front that sometimes I could actually hear the <i>whoosh</i> sound as sections of dialogue passed over my head, but as a testament to the book it made me want to understand it. My mind was working the entire time I was reading with gears turning. It was a mental work-out as it consistently and constantly asked me to question both Polyp's world and my own and I loved that.<br />
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The art is also so beautiful. The lines, details, shadows, reflections, settings, and colour palette were all wonderful. Part of what makes me praise this book so highly is the nature of how the art and speech design plays into the narrative. In the images above and below we see Polyp and Hana, even though I've taken these two images out of context the story in each moment is expressed through the art. The art isn't just a medium in which a story is told it is an integral part of that story itself. In Asterios Polyp characters personalities are often expressed in their design, which creates interesting visuals and fascinating commentary when characters interact on both a conversational level and a design level. <br />
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I want to come back to Asterios Polyp, and read it again and again, just to see how my perceptions of it change. This is definitely something I would recommend to anyone wanting a new experience in the realm of graphic novels.<br />
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I've got to give a big thank you to Anila for bringing this to my attention!Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-91162705633521153532014-06-22T00:46:00.000-07:002014-06-22T00:46:00.924-07:00Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Peregrine #1) by Ransom Riggs<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320564598l/9460487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="9460487" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320564598l/9460487.jpg" /></a><b>Description: </b>A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Young Adult Fiction Novel, 348 pages, First Published by Quirk Books, June 2011.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: 3 STARS</span></b><br />
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My opinions on this novel are somewhat of a mixed bag. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children succeeds in peculiarity, but doesn't do as well in its consistency.<br />
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To start with, the idea of old photographs being used to build and illustrate a story is a really interesting concept that I absolutely love. Looking at an old and fading snap shot it's hard not to stop and wonder. Who is this person? What are they thinking? Why this moment? That little bit of curiosity gives us the opportunity to create a story for ourselves about what their life was like and who they were in that single second of time. The photographs in this book are interesting pieces in themselves, but the problem with this is that you can't show someone an image and tell them what they are supposed to see.<br />
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This is however, exactly what this book is trying to do. Telling me that this is a character, this is a mystery, this is <i>real</i>. Sometimes this method worked and I could see exactly what the author wanted to convey, but other times the photographs just didn't mesh with the story and my own vision. Personally, I was able to overlook the times this didn't work and enjoy the times it did, but it does complicate what the reader can and cannot support. If an aspect of the plot relies on me seeing a photograph in a certain way then it can easily bring me out of the story if I just don't go along with it. I have to give some credit to Riggs though. This was a ballsy concept and he does do a good effort to make it all work! It just depends on the individual reader to judge whether or not he succeeded.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back cover</td></tr>
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The book started off really strong for me, I loved how we're introduced to our main man Jacob and his grandfather Abe. The story really stems from there relationship and propels the plot into the supernatural. The plot itself was very well paced with events constantly moving forward, but this sometimes made it harder to stop and get to know the characters. We don't get to know much about Jacob's personality beyond what is necessary for moving forward, but as a character he did a great job at keeping me invested in his journey. All the other characters had individual personalities and each added something different to the story. However, in a similar manner as Jacob, they weren't given a lot of time to get fleshed out as people instead of just plot points. I am pretty hopeful they'll come though better as the series progresses.<br />
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The supernatural elements of the story worked pretty well overall. I was able to follow the mechanics easily and as far as I can tell it all worked.<br />
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It was the ending of the book that lost a lot of steam. It didn't feel as serious of an event as it should have. Jacob had been doing such a good job emoting throughout the book that I didn't feel like he showed enough emotion when it really counted. As I started to see where things were going as more clues were revealed the storytelling seemed to suffer for it as it tried to bring drama to the final act. However, I still really liked where the story ended and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. A lot could be done with this story and I think it would be great to see where it goes!<br />
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So yes, my feelings are very mixed on this one and because of that I'm not sure I would just recommend it to anyone. I still liked it and Riggs's writing is quite good but it is a book I can see being a different experience depending on the reader.<br />
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To give a better sense of the story I encourage you to check out the book trailer and see for yourself whether this might be the book for you.<br />
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Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-22700164873480641152014-06-20T23:56:00.000-07:002014-06-20T23:56:00.464-07:00Review: Life Sucks by Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria & Warren Pleece<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327963187l/195688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Life Sucks" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327963187l/195688.jpg" /></a><b>Description: </b>Life sucks for Dave Marshall.<br />
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The girl he’s in love with doesn't know he exists, he hates his job, and ever since his boss turned him into a vampire, he can’t go out in daylight without starting to charbroil.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Paranormal Graphic Novel, 192 pages, First Published by First Second, April 2008.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: 2 STARS</span></b><br />
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Life Sucks is a graphic novel that sells itself as a possibly interesting take on another vampire tale of darkness. This story is all about removing vampire lore from its classic romanticism and into some form of reality where you need to pay rent and stuff.<br />
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All of the elements here are very workable concepts, and I went into this wanting to like it, but it just fell flat.<br />
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I don't really have much of a response to the book. No honest hate, no enjoyment, no emotional connection to the material, no interest in the art, and only mild interest in the plot. I can say that the characters were by far the best thing about the book, but even then they just weren't enough to carry the entire story.<br />
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<a href="http://www.readaboutcomics.com/images/2008/032108_lifesucks03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.readaboutcomics.com/images/2008/032108_lifesucks03.jpg" height="243" width="320" /></a>What can be seen as the biggest downfall of Life Sucks was that it didn't do anything new. Everything done here feels done before. Nothing stood out and said, THIS SETS ME APART! And I hate to say that, because in a way it feels unfair to the book that I have to compare it to vast vampire sub-genre where it doesn't stand much of a fighting chance. (If only because everything has been done to varying degrees.) There are just better, more engaging books out there that have the same overall idea about taking vampires out of the dark age and into the modern world in the least sparkly fashion possible. A very, very good example of this re-imagining being American Vampire, a historical graphic novel which I highly recommend to anyone even remotely interested, if only because the art in that is remarkable.<br />
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Speaking of art. That was definitely my low point, and very nearly made me dislike this completely. I'll start by saying the art has really good things about it: The colouring is vivid, there are a lot of small details, and it has some great panels. But these things can't save it entirely. The style does not convey movement well and I found myself getting bored with the limited array of facial expressions. Worst of all, the inability to have characters appear to be more than just stiff re-positioned figures, reminded me of barbie dolls. That is never a comparison you want to think, let alone read in a review, but it has to be written.<br />
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When rounding everything out, this turned out to be very "meh".Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-31920488146413357712014-06-20T02:08:00.000-07:002014-06-20T02:08:00.040-07:00Review: Whip It by Shauna Cross<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312020264l/5006205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5006205" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312020264l/5006205.jpg" /></a><b>Description:</b> Meet Bliss Cavendar, an indie-rock-loving misfit stuck in the tiny town of Bodeen, Texas. Her pageant-addicted mother expects her to compete for the coveted Miss Bluebonnet crown, but Bliss would rather feast on roaches than be subjected to such rhinestone tyranny.<br />
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Bliss's escape? Roller Derby.<br />
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When she discovers a league in nearby Austin, Bliss embarks on an epic journey full of hilarious tattooed girls, delicious boys in bands, and a few not-so-awesome realities even the most hard-core derby chick has to learn.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Young Adult Novel, 234 pages, Edition Published by Square Fish 2011, First Published as "Derby Girl" by Henry Holt and Co. 2007.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: 4 STARS</span></b><br />
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After picking up the another ill fated YA derby focused novel, I felt the need for some more derby action. Of course, Derby Girl/Whip It was just sitting so precariously on the library shelf that I just couldn't help myself.<br />
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This book manages to be a combination of a lot of things that I love dearly: Roller Derby, Austin, Texas, Quippy Misfit Girls, and YA Shenanigans. However, it also has a couple things I don't love so much: Bad YA Parenting, Bitchy Popular Girl, Music Hipsters, and The Boyfriend Bait and Switch. So maybe it's a bit of a surprise that I ended up enjoying this as much as I did. The positives about this book definitely won out over the what has annoyed me so much in the past. I found that following along with Bliss was a really entertaining ride.<br />
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Bliss is our main dame and she is fabulous. Her narration is honest and easy to relate. Her story really had a way of coming to life because she felt like complete character in every moment. Bliss had a great balance of wanting to just fuck it by going against the grain and yet still feeling like she doesn't want to let people down or lie to them. I could imagine a real teenager acting and thinking just like she does. This feeling also extended itself to all the side characters. Each of them was an exaggerated personality, but I could still imagine them as real people. They were over-the-top, but never crossed the invisible line of believability.<br />
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This feeling of realism was also carried by the setting of the story. I am of the opinion that anything can happen in Texas and Austin is like my own little Wonderland. Anything that is unbelievable can be believed if only it's in the vicinity of Austin, Texas. ...Well, that may not necessarily be true, but I've got nothing to prove otherwise! So there.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1287251698l/9523286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="9523286" border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1287251698l/9523286.jpg" width="210" /></a>Due to this book I was inspired to look into my local scene and almost everywhere has their own set up. Although I would never dream of slapping on a pair of skates myself because I have no sense of balance or coordination I am really interested in going to a bout and seeing what the room is really like.<br />
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But getting back on track, I didn't step away from this totally glowing. The story had an issue with flow. There was a couple of short snippet chapters about a third of the through that felt more like a montage of events then part of the continuous story. It was in these spots of "Quick! Move this along!" writing where Bliss's narration and characterization suffered.<br />
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My second problem was in the form of our boy meat, Oliver. I won't go into his plot line too heavily, as to avoid spoilers, but what happens there was a pretty obvious bait and switch. If this was the route that the story needed to take I only wish that it was done in a way that matched the clever tone of the book instead of making it so obvious.<br />
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There was also my list of general dislikes from above, where I also mentioned a few other things like the bad YA parenting, the mean girl, and the music hipster-ness, but I found these aspects of the story to have been handled quite well. They worked within the world that the book was presenting and actually made the plot better in some places. Although I still want to see these things stay out of my YA, if it works then it works.<br />
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Despite my complaints I enjoyed this book overall for what it was. It was light and fun, with a side of sarcasm, and I liked reading almost every minuet of it. Right now I'm on some sort of Roller Derby kick and reading this book made me wish that more YA would focus in on this special little world of girls kicking butt and taking names. If anyone has any roller girl recommendations be sure to let me know.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RQGPdXnb2Gg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Some general information about the book, Whip It is a special case where the novel was originally published under the name Derby Girl. In 2009, when the movie adaptation of this book was released, the title was changed to Whip It. Both books are exactly the same content wise, but sometimes the distinction can get confusing. However, now that I mentioned the movie I just have to include the trailer. Oh Ellen Page, will you never quit being so cute? I certainly hope not. <br />
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Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-90846165579751556462014-06-18T23:51:00.000-07:002014-06-18T23:51:00.385-07:00Review: Batman: Harley & Ivy by Paul Dini, Judd Winick, Bruce Timm & Joe Chiodo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Description: </b>The sexy, madcap super-villain duo of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy plan to take down Batman once and for all. But first, Harley has to convince Ivy that she has what it takes to be a villain in Gotham City! This volume features a 3-chapter story written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Bruce Timm, the award-winning producers of Batman: The Animated Series, plus a story by superstars talents Judd Winick and Joe Chiodo.<br />
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<b>Stats: </b>Superhero Graphic Novel, 136 pages, First Published by DC Comics, June 2004.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>My Rating: 1 STAR</b></span><br />
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The first thing you notice about this book is just how captivating the art is. The cartoon-y style grabbed me and the colouring made every page beautiful. Even when those pages were the equivalent of a wet dream, you know what I'm talking about. The suggestive poses, the spandex, the panties, the cat-fights, the cat-fights in panties, the naked shower cat-fights. You know, everything you want when it comes to the two sexiest characters in the Batman lexicon, Ivy and Harley.<br />
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<a href="http://www.littlestuffedbull.com/images/comics/harleytowel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.littlestuffedbull.com/images/comics/harleytowel2.jpg" height="400" width="275" /></a>Honestly, I love these two characters, they can almost do no wrong in my eyes. In the writer's and artist's eyes however, they can do a lot of <i>wrong</i>. (wink)<br />
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But you see, although I'm a girl who can appreciate other girls, I am also someone who loves strong female characters. This book however is not about strength or even strength in sexuality. Nope! This is about panties. That's it. No undertones, no story, just Harley and Ivy in various situations where they can disrobe. Batgirl even makes a brief appearance and gives us a great panel: knees together, ass up.<br />
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The terrible thing is, I could have really enjoyed reading an actual story about Ivy and Harley. I'm fine with sexy women, and I'm especially okay with my villains and heroes being sexy, BUT I draw the line between sexy and objectification, between sexy and substanceless. This is not how you treat women as complex and interesting as Ivy and Harley. They deserve better and so do I.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-73896529542351950842014-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:002014-06-17T00:00:09.827-07:00Review: 100 Years of Fashion Illustration by Cally Blackman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Description:</b> A visual feast of 400 dazzling images, this is a comprehensive survey of the genre over the last century. This book also offers an overview of the development of fashion, as seen through the eyes of the greatest illustrators of the day. Early in the century fashion illustration reflected new and liberating currents in art and culture, such as the exoticism of the Ballets Russes, while the postwar period saw inspiration from the great Parisian couturiers. After the dominance of the celebrity fashion photographer in the '60s, a new generation of illustrators emerged, embracing the medium of the computer, while many returned to more traditional techniques.<br />
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<b>Stats: </b>Art Non-Fiction, 384 pages, Published y Laurence King Publishers, April 2007.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Rating: 4 STARS</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61xrRFvDR3L.Image._.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61xrRFvDR3L.Image._.jpg" /></a>I just love looking at beautiful art! My love of fashion is directly influenced by my love of art. In my experience very little really separates the two and this book only cements that idea. It's this love of pretty things that has me addicted to websites like Pinterest, Style, and Etsy. While I'm among the few that are still clinging to my beloved fashion magazines trying to get past all the advertisements to the meaty bits for my couture cravings. Even with all the competition what has me loving 100 Years of Fashion Illustration is that here I got to see something entirely different then anything I've ever experienced with fashion. It's a trip through time and design as you're presented with all these amazing illustrations of beautiful women in beautiful dresses.<br />
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With each image there is also a little write up about the cloths, when it was drawn, by who, and for what purpose. It's great to see the illustration and then actually learn about the cloths being shown. It's more then what I expected! Attribution is one thing, but the research put into the cloths themselves is very interesting.<br />
There are also full 4 page essays throughout the book that talk about the time periods giving us readers a look at the production, history, and specific events that influenced fashion.<br />
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I'm not all raves about this book though. The formatting was completely wasteful of the space it had and frustratingly so! It could have easily been better formatted to fit more into less space. One example is where there are pages with an image that takes up the top 40-50% of the page and then below it is half a page of white space. I could fit my whole hand laid flat across the page and not cover anything but the white space. This is more than enough room to work with. You don't want a book like this to feel too crowded, giving such beautiful work space to breath is a good thing, but you also want it to be an immersive and stunning experience.<br />
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This leads into my biggest complaint: the price. This is the sort of book you want to own and absorb inspiration from. I could picture this on my table no problem, even with my frustrations with the white space, but with a $50 Canadian price tag that definitely won't ever happen. I know table books generally go for a lot, but I've seen other collections like this one produced better and for less.<br />
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It's disappointing because I really did love the content of this book. It's was amazing to see the artistry that goes fashion and see the illustrations that just bring the cloths to life in a whole new way! But unfortunately, the devil is in the details.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-15264352486193911782014-06-16T22:58:00.001-07:002014-06-16T23:00:41.611-07:00Wandering Son: Volume 01 by Shimura Takako, Traslated by Matt Thorn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Description:</b> The fifth grade. The threshold to puberty, and the beginning of the end of childhood innocence. Shuichi Nitori and his new friend Yoshino Takatsuki have happy homes, loving families, and are well-liked by their classmates. But they share a secret that further complicates a time of life that is awkward for anyone: Shuichi is a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino is a girl who wants to be a boy.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> School Manga, Volume 1, 208 Pages, English Publication by Fantagraphics, July 2011.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Rating: 4 STARS</span></b><br />
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Wandering Son is a beautifully drawn hardcover manga, that feels a lot like what you would normally expect from a graphic novel. Whenever I think "manga", I think of things like Inuyasha and Fruits Basket, but among all the shojo and action fantasy romps we also have books like this one. Wandering Son is a quiet book. It's a slice of life look into the lives of two main characters, Nitori and Takatsuki. What makes this book unique is that Takatsuki is a girl who wants to be a boy and Nitori is a boy who wants to be a girl. The pair become fast friends near the end of their fifth grade year when Nitori becomes a new student. They don't know each others secret, but when the truth is shared, together they begin on a journey of self discovery and friendship.<br />
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<a href="http://i6.mangareader.net/hourou-musuko/93/hourou-musuko-1766915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i6.mangareader.net/hourou-musuko/93/hourou-musuko-1766915.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a>I found this first volume really rather fascinating. The issues that face transgender people are complex and never before have I seen this complexity approached from the perspective of very young, young adults. Puberty is an awkward time for anyone, but what happens when you are experiencing all of those changes in a body that doesn't reflect who you are? Self discovery takes on even more weight when you're also reconstructing what gender really defines to who you are. What I really ended up enjoyed about Wandering Son is that this first volume didn't turn these events into huge melodramatic moments. As I said earlier, Wandering Son is very quiet, very restrained, and because of that these issues are presented in a very real and genuine way in moments of wanting, not dim the lights and play your violin sort of moments.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4d/H%C5%8Dr%C5%8D_Musuko_characters.jpg/300px-H%C5%8Dr%C5%8D_Musuko_characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4d/H%C5%8Dr%C5%8D_Musuko_characters.jpg/300px-H%C5%8Dr%C5%8D_Musuko_characters.jpg" height="172" width="200" /></a>I know that this is a manga that I will become more and more attached to as I read on. However, that doesn't mean it didn't have some issues right from the starting gate. Confusion was my primary emotion for the first 80 pages. It was hard for me to keep track of the characters. There aren't that many of them, but because of the art style a few characters look very similar to each other. This manga also chooses to honour the norm in Japan that characters are referred to by their last names, which I've seen done before and can normally follow pretty well, but here this only added confusion. Trying to figure out who was who was hard at first, but it did get easier the more the characters interact and the character info page at the front of the book certainly does help. Also, as someone who has already read volume two, let me say this problem does begin to fix itself as the series becomes more confident in its characters and who they are.<br />
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I am very happy that I found this series and am really interested in seeing how the characters progress on their journey.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-81471267446602356592013-10-12T17:35:00.000-07:002015-01-02T10:14:47.841-08:00Review: Dingo by Charles de Lint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Description: </b>High school senior Miguel's life is turned upside down when he meets new girl Lainey, whose family has just moved from Australia. With her tumbled red-gold hair, her instant understanding of who he is, and her unusual dog a real Australian dingo, she's unforgettable. And, as he quickly learns, she is on the run from an ancient bargain made by her ancestors. There's no question that Miguel will do whatever he can to help her, but what price will each of them have to pay?<br />
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<b>Stats: </b>Young Adult Fantasy, 213 pages, First Published by Firebird, March 2008.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: 1.5 STARS</span></b><br />
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I was surprised by this book, very negatively surprised. Charles de Lint is a writer that knows how to write for Young Adult readers without sacrificing good storytelling. He has years upon years of writing experience, his short stories are down right enchanting, and he is the author I deem responsible in making me into a reader again with his book The Blue Girl. But Dingo feels like an entirely different writer, which has me incredibly disappointed and a little angry with this book.<br />
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Right off the bat I was a little confused, you see Dingo is not set in Newford. This book is set in a town, as the description says, "close to his beloved, invented city of Newford." Confusing? Yes. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to setting it outside of Newford, but still counting it in the Newford universe.<br />
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The story centres around Miguel. He works at the comic book/record store his dad owns even though he isn't all that into comics or records. That's where he meets Lainey, an Australian girl, who has just moved to their sea-side town. However, things get complicated when Miguel learns the secret behind Lianey's oddness and gets tangled up in an ancient bargain that threatens his life and hers (and also her dog's.)<br />
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What bothers me the most is that de Lint can do so, so much better then this. The best word I can come up with to describe the level of writing in Dingo this is not masterful, or magical, or wonderful, but stumbling. There was no real flow to the events, there was info-dumping, insane amounts of insta-love, and two manic pixie dream girls.<br />
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I really tried to love this book. I tried so hard that I was willing to be in denial and just focus on the good, but I feel let down. When things started to go bad, I hoped that it would get turned around. Maybe, just maybe, it was possible for me to still find something to enjoy in this and then the worst of it hit me.<br />
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Miguel reminds me a little of Bella. Yes, Twilight's Bella, that Bella. Miguel started off pretty well, he felt like a real teenage boy, with a very promising foundation for his character. Then he falls head over heels for a girl and essentially promises to marry her after meeting with her just five times and actually considers it. He completely shuns common sense in favour of making out on the beach. I was shocked.<br />
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The most well developed character is Miguel's dad. He was awesome, I felt like I knew him. However, the rest of the characters, the ones you're actually suppose to care about, are incredibly underwritten and undeveloped. Miguel didn't even feel like the protagonist by the end of the book, instead it felt like Johnny had taken centre stage.<br />
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Even the magical elements didn't impress. The concept was very unique with a Australian mythology twist, but the execution made it feel empty. I can't even explain it in more detail without feeling like I'm spoiling the entire book and that is not a good thing. The reveal of magic isn't a solid central idea, it's the story of the magic, the consequence of magic that make urban fantasy books interesting and engaging.<br />
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Don't even get me started on how they get out of the deadly ancient bargain thing. It was one of those things where I wonder how NO ONE THOUGHT OF IT SOONER. Seriously, the big bad had been stuck in limbo for forever and a day and it just never crossed his mind this easy little fix. I mean, come on.<br />
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I think part of the reason I'm so disappointed in this is that I champion de Lint's writing. I recommend The Blue Girl any chance I get. Now when I recommend his work I'm going to have to tack on "except for Dingo". I'm just incredibly disappointed and I feel that anyone else who is familiar with his writing will be as well.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-87532533396848086642013-10-10T19:42:00.000-07:002013-10-10T19:53:34.491-07:00Review: Runaways, #1: Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Description: </b>All young people believe their parents are evil ... but what if they really are? Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico - whose lives are about to take an unexpected turn. When these six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains, the shocked teens find strength in one another. Together, they run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy.<br />
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<b>Stats: </b>Superhero Comic YA Series, Volume 1, 144 pages, First Published by Marvel, April 2004. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: 4 STARS</span></b><br />
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A lot of people these days cringe when they hear the words "origin story" and I can't blame them. There's only so many times you can be told about Superman's fall to earth or how Spider-Man gets those fancy web-slingers. When it comes to the guys that have been around longer then I've been around I think it's safe to say we get the point. Despite this though, I have always had a thing for origins, especially when something new finally comes along.<br />
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<a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/artslife/books/2010/08/runaways/runaways-4d056cab74aaf093478c5a07b654d39d46876cba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/artslife/books/2010/08/runaways/runaways-4d056cab74aaf093478c5a07b654d39d46876cba.jpg" width="320" /></a>Runaways has such an amazing story concept. Six kids find out that their parents are part of a very evil looking secret society and it turns out they've been keeping all sorts of secrets from their children, from superpowers to murder. Despite how awesome this all sounds, the odds that it would all work perfectly had me a little wary of Runaways. The success of an origin story has everything to do with establishing character and motive. What worried me initially was just how many introductions needed to be crammed into 144 pages. I mean, we're talking twelve parents and six kids in total. That's a lot of information on top of establishing the plot.<br />
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<a href="https://dcomixologyssl.sslcs.cdngc.net/i/1029/0648/37382.jpg?h=31bb5d3a9a9535dde3ed9abe04d7d7ec" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://dcomixologyssl.sslcs.cdngc.net/i/1029/0648/37382.jpg?h=31bb5d3a9a9535dde3ed9abe04d7d7ec" width="208" /></a>For the start of a series, this book actually surprised me. Not only did it manage to pull of the general introductions (although sometimes a little messily, which I can forgive) it also managed to create a sense of suspense and mystery that I wasn't expecting.<br />
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The way each teenager has their own distinct powers and personality made things really interesting. I mean, they've got it all in the stereotypical one from every click sort of way, yet they're not forcing their differences onto the reader. In this first volume the writing does a great job of making it clear that they're all in the same boat here. The only thing that bugged me about the characterization was the parents. Since they are the main antagonists I would have liked to have had more of an introduction to who they are so I could better understand their reaction to their teens going rogue. <br />
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My only other true complaint about the book would be the cover art on the paperback edition. Although I love the art inside, with it's vivid colouring and great character designs, the art on the cover makes me want to tack on a "I swear it's good.". It just doesn't do the art any sort of justice! I very much prefer the hardcover editions, which are a much better reflection of the characters and story. The paperback edition make them look more like cartoons meant for toy packaging.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paperback Edition Cover</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardcover Edition Cover</td></tr>
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Just look at the difference in tone and style! The cover on the right is much more like the art inside the book then the cover on the left. Which one would you be more likely to pick up off the shelf?<br />
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On the more positive side, and I almost hate to say this, but this is the book you should give to teenagers in their welcome to teenager-hood package. As a lot of reviewers have said before me, a large amount of the appeal is it's a question of "What would I do?" At the perfect time just when you're starting to doubt everything you've been told about life and where you fit in it, BOOM! Turns out it really was all lies! You don't only have hormones, but you have superpowers, you're parents really are evil, and now you have to deal with the consequences!<br />
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This volume one really was a promising start. I'm not only super excited to keep reading, but I want to know more about these characters, about just what is going to happen next and that note near the end filled me with glee. This is definitely going to be an interesting series!Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-27624161514003994692013-10-09T15:54:00.000-07:002013-10-09T16:02:55.201-07:00Review: Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks <div>
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317794304l/11389398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="11389398" border="0" height="400" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317794304l/11389398.jpg" width="283" /></a><b>Description:</b> After years of homeschooling, Maggie is starting high school. It's pretty terrifying. Maggie's big brothers are there to watch her back, but ever since Mom left it just hasn't been the same. Besides her brothers, Maggie's never had any real friends before. Lucy and Alistair don't have lots of friends either. But they eat lunch with her at school and bring her along on their small-town adventures. </div>
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Missing mothers...distant brothers...high school...new friends... It's a lot to deal with. But there's just one more thing.</div>
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<i>MAGGIE IS HAUNTED.</i></div>
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<b>Stats:</b> YA Graphic Novel, 220 pages, First Published by First Second, February 2012.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Rating: 5 STARS, A Reading Robyn Favourite. </span></b></div>
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If you're interested in reading Friends With Boys and would like a free preview you can read the first 20 pages on the <a href="http://www.friendswithboys.com/archives/" target="_blank">official website</a>.</div>
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I'll just come out and say it, Friends With Boys is my favourite graphic novel I've read this year. Every graphic novel I read after this will have some stiff competition for my love. I honestly don't know if it can be done. </div>
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Hick's is one hell of an interesting storyteller and a lot of that has to do with her artistic talent. The story itself is pretty simple. Maggie is about to make the big transition from homeschooling to her the first day of high school and with this she's going to have to get use to change. Also, there's this ghost women stalking her. All very straightforward, normal things. Where the story really comes to life is through the characters. The best sort of graphic novels are the ones where expressions say more than words. A look, a turn, a motion, all tell you everything you need to know and when paired with the perfect words it makes the story. It's a critical part of conversation and in the case of Friends With Boys it's the art that makes it stand out.</div>
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Needless to say, Hick's has quickly become my favourite person, so imagine my happiness when I realize she's done the art for Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong written by Prudence Shen. Like Friends With Boys, the praise for Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong caught my attention so much so that I've already put out a hold for it. I'm pretty sure I should just add everything First Second publishes to my to-read list. I don't normally have favourite publishers, but these people are super stars with everything from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9615347-anya-s-ghost?ac=1" target="_blank">Anya's Ghost</a> to everything <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/68959.Gene_Luen_Yang?from_search=true" target="_blank">Gene Luen Yang</a>. </div>
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In my search for everything Faith Erin Hicks I also discovered that she has a handful of webcomics, including the completed <a href="http://faith.rydia.net/101.html" target="_blank">Demonology 101</a> and the incomplete <a href="http://superherogirladventures.blogspot.ca/search?updated-max=2010-11-09T05:12:00-08:00&max-results=1" target="_blank">The Adventures of Superhero Girl</a>. You can see the full list on her <a href="http://www.faitherinhicks.com/webcomics/" target="_blank">official author website</a>.</div>
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Now with all this new material to read and things to add to my list I realize I haven't talked much about the actual book I'm gushing over. </div>
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Friends With Boys has this way of making a coming of age story both special (there's that mysterious ghost lady that I'm just going to continue to ignore) and yet also very grounded that it leaves you feeling like you know these people. You can feel the love Maggie has for her family and golly do you leave this story feeling the love. </div>
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Each character has a stand out moment in the book, which means I want to talk about every single one of them, so here goes nothing. Everyone has their own history, which means their story doesn't start the same day Maggie's does. There is an unspoken history that everyone is dealing with. It's the way the characters weave together that brings each one of them to the forefront in a meaningful way. Aside from that they're all just adorable. From hiding behind tree's in shame, to zombie Shakespeare, to manly hugs. All I wanted to do was snuggle them. </div>
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I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a lovely read with the best possible artwork. And yes, I'm going to finish this review not talking about the ghost because really this book isn't about her... although I do seriously love her hair. </div>
Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-59719549658552481142013-10-08T14:47:00.000-07:002013-10-08T14:47:30.767-07:00Review: Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312063006l/375960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea" border="0" height="400" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312063006l/375960.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<b>Description: </b>Famously referred to as one of the "Axis of Evil" countries, North Korea remains one of the most secretive and mysterious nations in the world today. In early 2001 cartoonist Guy Delisle became one of the few Westerners to be allowed access to the fortress-like country. While living in the nation's capital for two months on a work visa for a French film animation company, Delisle observed what he was allowed to see of the culture and lives of the few North Koreans he encountered; his findings form the basis of this graphic novel.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Non-Fiction Graphic Novel, 192 pages, Edition Published by Drawn and Quarterly, September 2005.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Rating: 3 STARS</span></b><br />
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When I think of North Korea I find it incredibly difficult to wrap my head around. There are a lot of How's? and Why's? attached to it and I always leave my search for answers with more questions. One being shown on the cover of Guy Delisle's, 'Pyongyang'. When I think of North Korea I think of a country staged for a performance to the entire outside world. Sometimes it's a performance of threat and danger and other times it's a performance of perfection. Either way, what I see is something rather confusing and scary even.<br />
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<a href="http://nomoreworkhorse.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/pyongyang-translator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="315" src="http://urchinmovement.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/blog-guy-delisle-pyongyang-a-journey-in-north-korea1.jpg" width="320" /></a>In Guy Delisle's graphic novel we get a look inside of North Korea unlike most others. As a foreigner, Guy is staying in Pyongyang for two months working as an animator for a French company. This alone was fascinating. When asking the question: "Who is traveling to North Korea?" Animators wasn't among the answers I was expecting. He is given a guide and a translator that follow his every move and spends most of his time working or seeing the tourist sights.<br />
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This graphic novel is very much about the bubble he lived in as someone visiting the country. We don't get a look at North Korea overall and we don't get to see much behind the curtain of the North Korean production as Guy walks within the strict perimeters he's given. It's a different perspective then what I was expecting, but a worthwhile read for the experience of Guy's day to day life in this unseen world. <br />
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The art in this book is a very important part of the narrative. The expressiveness and movement of the people tells you a lot about their individual character. From the foreigner friends Guy makes to the North Koreans who act as his co-workers and his guides. Although every person has an important part in the story of Guy's experiences, we don't get to know a whole lot about them. You have to rely a lot on the character design to tell you things that aren't shared in the narrative.<br />
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Speaking of character design the only let down in the art would be the design of Guy himself. This being a memoir of sorts, he has to have his own image in the story. Unfortunately, despite the fact that much of the graphic novel is about his reactions and opinions, his character was stark, simple, paired back compared to other characters, and most of the time drawn without a mouth taking away much of his facial expressions. This as a creative decision doesn't make sense to me considering the tone of the book. But the time and detail spent on the backgrounds and formatting still made the book very visually appealing.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327456168l/2189427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pyongyang" border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327456168l/2189427.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French edition cover</td></tr>
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What I appreciated most about Pyongyang was that as a graphic novel it was an easier read for me then if I were to sit down and attempt a 300 page novel about the country. Although it lacked the detail I hoped for about North Korea overall, it has inspired me to look into reading more about the country, especially paying consideration to the aid workers that are given more freedom and see more of the country then people in Guy's position.<br />
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Overall, I would recommend it for the curious. It was certainly an interesting introduction to the country and perfect for the graphic novel form. I'll definitely be looking to read more of Guy's travel graphic novels and maybe even more in the travel genre itself. <br />
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Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-18009303037548392682013-09-30T05:43:00.001-07:002013-09-30T05:43:40.569-07:004.50 from Paddington (Miss Marple #8) by Agatha Christie<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328051347l/1086365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1086365" border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328051347l/1086365.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<b>Description:</b> For an instant the two trains ran together, side by side. In that frozen moment, Elspeth witnessed a murder. Helplessly, she stared out of her carriage window as a man remorselessly tightened his grip around a woman's throat. The body crumpled. Then the other train drew away. But who, apart from Miss Marple, would take her story seriously? After all, there were no suspects, no other witnesses . . . and no corpse.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Historical Mystery, 351 pages, First Published in 1957, Edition Published by HarperCollins, March 2002.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>My Rating: 3.5 STARS</b></span><br />
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Sitting in the middle of an autumn thunder storm with the heat cranked up and a whodunit by the fantastic Agatha Christie really is the perfect scenario.<br />
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Although 4.50 from Paddington was a slow build the end result was just wonderfully murderous. By half way through I was thoroughly puzzled by who it could possibly be, both the murderer and the murdered. The hows and whys and who were simply fantastic as one unlikely scenario after another is brought to attention with no simple explanation in sight.<br />
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Something I've always loved about Agatha Christie, especially concerning Miss Marple is just how wonderfully unique it is. As a lover of crime-dramas and murder mysteries you've seen it all after some point. There are plenty of detectives out there and more often than not there's something undeniably special about them, like a superhero. But when it comes to Miss Marple and the people she ropes into her mysteries, there are no supernatural abilities here. She's just a intelligent older lady with an eye for murder. She could just as easily be your grandma and that's not something you could say about someone like a Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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The historical aspects of the book are also worth noting. There just something so quaintly sinister about the upper class English in this time period. This book takes us away from Miss Marple's village and to a manor, built on a snack food fortune, filled to the brim with resentment and family complexities.<br />
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What really brings it all together is Lucy. Lucy is Miss Marple's younger eyes and ears in as she works to help sleuth out a dead body. It was her character and her interactions with the family that really brought out the human and not so human side of each character. I was just as eager to know who she would be romantically involved with by the end of the book as I was figuring out who murdered the girl.<br />
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Now all I have to do is figure out which book in the series I should read next. I have a feeling I'll be reading a lot of Agatha this season. Autumn is just too perfect for mysteries.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-56012923790653303262013-09-24T03:33:00.001-07:002013-09-24T03:44:57.456-07:00Review: OCD, The Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362954674l/15721669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="OCD, the Dude, and Me" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362954674l/15721669.jpg" /></a><b>Description: </b>With frizzy orange hair, a plus-sized body, sarcastic demeanor, and "unique learning profile," Danielle Levine doesn't fit in even at her alternative high school. While navigating her doomed social life, she writes scathing, self-aware, and sometimes downright raunchy essays for English class. As a result of her unfiltered writing style, she is forced to see the school psychologist and enroll in a "social skills" class. But when she meets Daniel, another social misfit who is obsessed with the cult classic film The Big Lebowski, Danielle's resolve to keep everyone at arm's length starts to crumble.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Debut Young Adult Contemporary, 240 pages, First Published by Dail, March 2013<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Rating: 5 STARS - A Reading-Robyn Favourite!</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">“You are living far too much in the realms of your head. That is an ugly, mean, scary place to be. I am not just saying your head is nasty, everyone's head is. You need to vacate that premise immediately and start living in your heart. Your heart is a much nicer social venue.” - Page 75</span></b></blockquote>
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I'll admit that I had a very superficial idea of what I would be getting from a book with a cover and title like OCD, the Dude, and Me. I mean, the girl is holding up a bowling ball over her face and "DUDE" takes up at least a third of the entire cover. All those expectations were very wrong. I almost feel like I should apologize they were so wrong.<br />
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What I expected was a book like Sean Griswold's Head. It's cute, it's quirky, it's a contemporary romance that also has an emotional center, but is still comprised of all-american YA fluff. OCD, The Dude, and Me was not that. Instead it was an honest, sometimes heartbreaking look, at what it's like to be inside the mind of a teenage outcast as she hates herself and struggles to understand other people. Danielle is a lot like me. I don't have OCD, but I do have capital A, Anxiety. So reading her journals and assignments it all felt very familiar, which was very much a part of why I loved this book so much.<br />
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Danielle is over-weight and socially inept. She hates the color of her hair; She doesn't know how to accept her damaged self. She loves to read, and write, and journal every little bit of her life. However, I, Jessica-Robyn, am also all these things. I was surprised how emotionally connected I became to this book. It's like that one book that speaks directly to you in that weird, person to fictional person, sort of way.<br />
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A lot of the book is about emotions and high school. As Danielle experiences her last year of high school primarily though her English class we experience things with her. Danielle goes through a lot of normal high school experiences, like a class trip to England and a school car wash, but through her worry and obsessive nature she finds it difficult to cope among her classmates. She is a wall builder, a with-holder, and she has, as we learn, a pretty good reason to be that way. ... That I can't talk about.<br />
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There are so many aspects of the plot I want to discuss and so many things I want to say to try and make a case for this book, but the honest truth is that I can't talk about my favourite moments because it would spoil it. I'm not even willing to use spoiler tags because I know you people, you'll be too tempted.<br />
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I don't know how this book is going to fly for other people, but I ended up loving it. Will other people also love it? I really don't know.<br />
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So, here I am, between a rock and a hard place. I want to recommend this, but I don't know if I can. So let me just lay it all out there.<br />
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I woke up late today at 4PM (yes, PM) because I haven't been sleeping well. When I joined my mother in the living room I sat down and decided to read because nothing good was on TV. It's been a very long time since I read a good book, I didn't expect this one to break the losing streak. But then I started reading OCD, the Dude, and Me, and did not stop until I was finished.<br />
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As a word of warning this is written in journal format. There's a lot of emails, Grade 12 English essays, and letters that ramble, meander, and leaves things out. With that said, this is the sort of story that should be written that way. It didn't come across as stiff or withholding, it felt like a very real person was laying all out there in her personal, private, record keeping space, fueled by her OCD, that sometimes crossed over into more public spaces. It made sense for her character and for the characters around her, which made it all work it a strange and wonderful, not patch-worky, sort of way.<br />
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I would recommend this book to psychology lovers and people looking for a very "inside-the-mind" coming-of-age story that reveals itself gradually with a lot of humour and a lot of heartbreak. OCD, the Dude, and Me made me feel that contradictory happy/sad that just leaves me wanting to keep this book and not give it back to the library. No seriously, I know there would be a fine, but how much would that really be? ... guys?<br />
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Also, note to self, see what this <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">The Big Lebowski</a> is all about.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-57009375206551254332013-08-25T06:00:00.000-07:002013-10-08T15:17:14.211-07:00ONLINE: Princess Princess by Strangely Katie<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>charming<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>delightful<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>darling<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>thoughtful<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">winsome ...</span> </i></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’m trying to
come up with synonyms for “sweet”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Sweet” just doesn't sound right when
considering the webcomic <a href="http://strangelykatie.com/princessprincess/" target="_blank">Princess Princess</a>. The story is just so that saying too much
gives the whole dang thing away, but I would most definitely describe the
webcomic as charming and thoughtful. Two delightful Princesses, Sadie and Amira,
go off in search of adventure all in winsome shades of pink, purple, and burgundy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found this comic
through a lucky click on <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/" target="_blank">The Mary Sue</a><b> </b>in a post by <b>Isabella Kapur, Brooke Jaffe, and Susana Polo</b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> on </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><b><a href="http://www.themarysue.com/40-webcomics-you-need-to-read/2/" target="_blank">40 WEBCOMICS YOU NEED TO READ</a>.</b> Specifically, <a href="http://strangelykatie.com/princessprincess/" target="_blank">Princess Princess</a> came recommended
from </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Isabella
Kapur</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">I
have always loved Webcomics; right now I’m in the middle of reading the ongoing
<a href="http://strongfemaleprotagonist.com/" target="_blank">Strong Female Protagonist</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><strong>Brennan Lee Mulligan</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><strong>Molly Ostertag</strong>, (also on the The Mary Sue’s list) and the also
ongoing <a href="http://www.monsterpop.mayakern.com/index.php" target="_blank">Monster Pop!</a> By <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><b>Maya Kern</b></span>. And as I continue to explore the 40 new suggestions I
am guaranteed to have started many more by the end of tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you
think I’m about to send you off into the vortex of some webcomic that will
drain away your entire afternoon. (As many a webcomic are known to do) <a href="http://strangelykatie.com/princessprincess/" target="_blank">Princess Princess</a> is unique as it is a completed stand alone story that is only 44 pages
in length. Short & darling just doesn't have the same alliteration to it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The art of
<a href="http://strangelykatie.com/princessprincess/" target="_blank">Princess Princess</a> is probably what will get the most attention. From the
masterful colouring to the character designs that express everything unsaid in
just 44 pages. I could not have loved this more. It reminded me a lot of the graphic novel <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9615347-anya-s-ghost?ac=1" target="_blank">Anya’s Ghost</a><b> </b>by <b>Vera Brosgol</b> in that the art is very expressive and colourful. If you enjoyed that
tone of art and story you should check
out Princess Princess.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Packed with a
narrative punch and tons of blunt humor, <a href="http://strangelykatie.com/princessprincess/" target="_blank">Princess Princess</a> is so nice you will
most certainly read it twice!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-46728151470260689142013-08-02T18:02:00.000-07:002013-08-02T18:02:00.280-07:00Review: Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt<div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348385513l/10561515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sean Griswold's Head" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348385513l/10561515.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Description:</b> According to her guidance counsellor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.</div>
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The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own. </div>
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<b>Stats:</b> Young Adult Contemporary, 288 pages, First Published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, March 2011.</div>
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<b>My Rating:</b> 3 Stars</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>“I would be lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of the assignment. Here I am, a "troubled youth," and my self-chosen treatment is to become a stalker. Okay, not stalker. Research Analyst.”</b></span> </div>
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<i>Sean Griswold's Head</i> is more then what I expected it to be. I expected a cute, romantic, chick-lit, comedy about a quirky teen girl and the head of the boy who sits in front of her (all of which it undoubtedly was) but it was also much more then that. <i>Sean Griswold's Head</i> was about more then just a boy, but the experiences Payton goes through after tragic family news. </div>
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Payton is just starting high school, she has a colour coded highlighter system for English, is psyched to buy a premium day planner, and likes to keep things orderly. So when her life gets surprisingly derailed, things being orderly is the least of her problems. Needless to say, I loved Payton. Her voice was equal parts truthful and neurotic. I also appreciate a girl who can write a properly organized list. <b>Sisterhood!!</b></div>
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All the characters in this including Payton's family, her best friend Jac, and Sean Griswold himself were all well written and charming as hell. No one was perfect, but everyone had at least one really good giggle worthy line of dialogue. Incredibly cute I tell you!</div>
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However, what really got me hooked was how realistic the emotions were that Payton experienced throughout the story. She has the entire range of what a young girl trying to handle everything all at once experiences, from sadness, to anger, to defeat, to happiness. It's a bumpy ride and that made the core of the book feel very honest. One of my biggest book-peeves is when a character is experiencing something horrible but doesn't respond by getting angry, or crying, or having some sort of emotional outburst, like a perfectly normal human being does. Payton doesn't just grin and bare it, she is forced working at things and in doing so focus on something else. </div>
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Which brings us to the set up of the entire story. Firstly, multiple sclerosis and secondly, Sean Griswold's head.</div>
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Before reading this I didn't know a whole lot about MS. Right now I'm more of a cancer specialist and although I pride myself on being well informed on all things, MS is a bit of a downer. I was happy to see that this book doesn't go into pages of medical jargon or explanations. Instead, the characters spoke for the diagnose in how it affects daily life and how each case is different. Which is what I found so scary about MS, it doesn't just go away, it can't be cured and can't be fixed. I think the story really got across what it was and what it does to the body without being clinical. </div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349388615l/10802687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Sean Griswold's Head" border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349388615l/10802687.jpg" width="208" /></a>Moving on to Sean Griswold, I liked him more then I thought I would have as the story progressed. His blooming relationship with Payton was well paced. Although there were a few moments that didn't completely sell me I liked that he was a developed character and not just a head. </div>
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The only reason I can think of for why this book doesn't get a higher rating from me is that I don't see this as being something that sticks out. It's a great book in the moment, but I can clearly see this as something I won't totally remember this same time next week.</div>
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With that being said, this book was incredibly cute with some really unexpected heart warming moments. I also see this as some sort of odd fate that I read this now because I have been pining for a bicycle over the last few days. I really, really, really, really want one! Unfortunately, I don't have cute boys giving me free wheels so I'll have to keep looking in the non-fictional world. Did I mention how much I want one? I'm like a little girl wanting a pony, only this pony can get me to the nearest book store.</div>
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Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-5346250636402725672013-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-26T06:00:00.912-07:00Review: Saving Jane by Hannah Harrington<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327945149l/9672990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saving June" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327945149l/9672990.jpg" /></a><b>Description:</b> <span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15.19886302947998px;">Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15.19886302947998px;">When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going, California.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15.19886302947998px;">Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15.19886302947998px;">Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.</span></span><br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Young Adult Contemporary, 322 pages, First Published by Harlequin Teen, May 2011.<br />
<b>My Rating</b>: 3 Stars<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>"If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that."</b></span><br />
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Saving June follows a familiar tale of woe. We start at the beloved June's wake, the perfect student, the perfect daughter, who has committed suicide only days before. Now her younger sister Harper is left to pick up the pieces of her life and find where exactly she belongs in it now that June is gone.<br />
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Harper is a strong girl with a reputation as a disappointment compared to her sister. She's not particularly motivated, she only has one friend, she tries not to care about what people think of her, and loves photography and cigarettes. So, even if this is all about the common theme of learning to deal with grief, Harper's narrative was promising right off the bat. She constantly walked that line between being strong and weak, between angry and sad, between loving and losing. It's this variation in her emotions that made it so easy for me to connect with her. She wasn't picking one feeling and holding on to that. Instead, Harper is chaotic and confused in the best way possible.<br />
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It takes a little while, but eventually Saving June becomes the story of a road trip from Indiana to California. June always wanted to go to the beautiful California ocean so what could be better then escaping the depressing homestead and bringing June's ashes to where she really wanted to be?<br />
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This of course means that Harper must steal said ashes and run away from home, but she has two very willing accomplices to get her there!<br />
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First we have Laney, the best friend. She is lovable, loose, and full of enthusiasm. She wants to help her friend, even if she doesn't entirely know what's best. Often times she was hit or miss for me, not because of then character, but because of how the writing often misplaces her. She's there, along for the journey, but wanders off at the drop of a hat for no reason, with no further mention of where she was or what she did, except that she has now returned from her convenient misplacement. But when she was around, she was interesting.<br />
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Then we have the mysterious Jacob, better known as Jake, who blackmails his way into the girl's plans, but provides in exchange wheels and enough cash to actually get there. He has some connection to June, but whatever it is he's not about to just come out and say it. Jake was by far one of the biggest reasons for why I enjoyed this book. His passion for music is a very, very key component in the storytelling. (of which this book would be completely different without.) He also has this reluctant charm to him that played well against Harper's personality. They had a rhythm of bouncing things back and forth between them with both their humour and their grief.<br />
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Now, because this is a road trip book, of course there are a few very colourful characters along the way. (In one case, colourful should be taken literally.) Some of which were interesting and charming, but the majority fell into a category of stock characters that you would automaticly expect from a road trip. This was disappointing since my stance on road trips is judged by the effectiveness of these side characters and the random destinations. Sometimes the side characters and pit stops worked, other times they left something to be desired.<br />
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I did however have a lot of things I liked about Saving June. The music references are a plenty but they aren't annoying or contrived. There are definitely some great one liners and fun conversation. Harper kept me invested and as the story progressed I found myself really enjoying all the road trip elements, even the ones I expected to see from the genre.<br />
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By the end I decided on three stars because this does have it's flaws. The plot is predicable. A nice, comfortable sort of predicable, but when it came to the events and characters I was looking for something a little bit more exciting. The side characters have very vivid personalities, but this was the Jake and Harper show. I was hoping that friendship would play a bigger part then romance, but Laney got treated like a third wheel and her side story that happens near the end of the book was treated the same way her character was, one second it's there and the next it's really not, with no real gravity or focus on the events which had to have taken place in-between.<br />
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I came off of reading this book on a high, it was amazing in those moments right after I closed the book, but the more time passes the more I settled out of my buzzing state and into one of a more subtle appreciation.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-38616501431001010472013-07-19T06:30:00.000-07:002013-07-19T06:30:02.261-07:00Review: My Parents Are Sex Maniacs by Robyn Harding<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347616821l/6151003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="My Parents Are Sex Maniacs: A High School Horror Story" border="0" height="400" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347616821l/6151003.jpg" width="277" /></a><b>Description:</b> Louise Harrison's folks are destroying any chance she has of enjoying 11th grade... Sixteen-year-old Louise Harrison is insecure about a lot of things: her hair, her fashion sense and her "big-boned" build. At least her social status is secure because her BFF, Sienna Marshall, is a certified member of the mega-watt crowd. But all hell breaks loose when Louise's brother walks in on their father, Len, and her friend Sienna's mother, Sunny, in a flagrantly compromising position. Soon after, Len and Sunny move in together.<br />
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<b>Stats: </b>Young Adult Contemporary, 224 pages, First Published by Annick Press, February 2009.<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> 4 Stars<br />
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<i>My Parents Are Sex Maniacs: A High School Horror Story</i> is about what happens when you are forced without a doubt to acknowledge that adults, despite their paternal role in your life, also have sex. When Louise's father is caught in a compromising position doing something he shouldn't have, with someone he shouldn't have, her calm family life takes a turn for the worse and we get to join the chaos as she gets thrown into the deep end with a surprising amount of humour.<br />
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Louise is such a stand out main character. I rooted for her like you wouldn't believe! I loved the way the focus of her story wasn't just about her friendships, or just about her romantic entanglements, or just about her family, but all of those things all at once. It made her experiences all the more real and all the more interesting as her life gets rather complicated.<br />
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Robyn Harding has reminded me how awkward and uncomfortable high school is. The high school experience is portrayed in this novel so realistically that I saw some of my own experiences and old friends echoed in her characters.<br />
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High school is a bitch. As much as we turn our noises down at popular harpies and jerk boy, the halls of any educational establishment is just as filled with hormones and uncertainty as it is teenagers trying to make their way to class. That showed through in this without the melodrama I expected.<br />
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I'll be the first to admit this type of novel won't be for everyone. Although I enjoyed the writing, I was thrown off initially by the genre. It has been a long time since I've read a contemporary YA novel set in high school without much of a romantic focus for the main character. I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I ended up enjoying it, but now I would definitely recommend this one. (There is even a lgbtq sub-plot that had me harkening back to my "everyone's flawed" <i>Will Grayson, Will Grayson</i> experience.)<br />
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A common theme for my YA reading appears to be sex ed. First, <i>The Color of Earth</i> graphic novel series and now <i>My Parents Are Sex Maniacs</i>. Although these two stories are entirely different when it comes to tone and presentation there are some surprising parallels.<br />
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When it comes to sex we first learn by witnessing how our parents relationships. This is where we get our beginners glimpse into the world of sexuality (without any of the icky stuff), before we even have the opportunity to do anything ourselves. In <i>My Parents Are Sex Maniacs</i> how parents influence their children can be seen within each character, especially with Louise's and her best friend Sienna.<br />
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Overall, I was very happy with this book and definitely plan to read more of Harding's work. Seeing a book set close to home has made me appreciate home grown Canadian writers even more. <b>British Columbia represent! </b><br />
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<b>SPECIAL NOTE:</b> For a preview of the book you can read the first two chapters on <a href="http://www.robynharding.com/indexManiacs.htm" target="_blank">Harding's website</a>.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-24610385341475804792013-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-19T06:00:09.269-07:00Review: As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311704857l/9742401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="As I Wake" border="0" height="400" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311704857l/9742401.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<b>Description:</b> Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them - and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.<br />
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Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust.<br />
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<b>Stats:</b> Young Adult Dystopia, 269 pages, First Published by Dutton Juvenile, September 2011.<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> 3 Stars<br />
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I am surprised I enjoyed this.<br />
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Going into <i>As I Wake</i>, I had very low expectations. The overall ratings on Goodreads are little all over the place, but the cover is absolutely beautiful. As with most things in a pretty packages that convinced me to at least give it a go.<br />
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Our story follows Ava, a girl within a girl. After losing her memories Ava starts having visions of another life. With her mind fighting for answers, <i>As I Wake</i> is about her completely questioning everything and everyone she knows. If she can't remember the Ava she is supposed to be, then why is she remembering an Ava from another world? And what could possibly explain why she doesn't belong in the life she's living?<br />
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The answer to those questions is kind of trippy. Out of everything in this story the plot, although understandably confusing at points, was fantastic. However, this is where my main issue also emerges. The writing that accompanied this plot wasn't always up to par.<br />
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To start with, as many other reviews will state, the writing style here is not for everyone. It is first person based and for the initial part of the book is written very rigidly. My first thought was that it read like a first person video game, however eventually, I either adjusted to the style or it became more fluid. Either way, after that shift I actually found it enjoyable for it's unique style.<br />
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Unfortunately, the writing had other issues for me to find fault in. Its biggest flaw is that it doesn't give you a lot to work with. My imagination was responsible for filling in a lot of the smaller details that were left blank. And although that's interesting from a mystery stand point, it's makes the experience less immersive and a little tedious. This is especially prominent when it comes to setting.<br />
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Giving me two or three details doesn't flesh out an environment!<br />
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From what I've read I understand that the characters are at a bar, sitting in a dark corner. I don't know what the bar looks like, what their table looks like, what the other people in the bar are doing, what the characters look like in this setting. It's like a low budget movie where they couldn't afford a full set or extras so they can just focus on a single dark table.<br />
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Although the plot relies on keeping the reader in the dark, I don't think the storytelling would have suffered had it taken more time to flesh out these environments, the world building, and initial character introductions. I think adding a bit more detail would have made the story easier to follow and more fulfilling to read. Overall, the writing needed to show a little less restraint.<br />
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Something I did enjoy about the book is that it doesn't follow any sort of formula that I'm familiar with. The love story isn't the one I've read time and time again. Actually, this isn't even really about romance, it's more about the mystery. You would think, pessimistic YA reader, that the mystery of Ava's life is just a backdrop for something else, (like say lusting after a boy or something else to do with the sexy time) but this has some serious focus. The way that everything is weaved together the romance elements actually further the story in a meaningful way! Let me repeat that, IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. Let's all join hands and happy dance!<br />
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So, you've heard the negative and the positive. Let me tell ya about the so-so.<br />
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Ava. She kind of went back and forth for me. Sometimes, I was completely into her, her narrative was great, and she acts realistically for the personality she has and situation she's in. The depth of character is great! Then the coin flips and all of a sudden she losing some of her dimension. But then things flip back and she's having meaningful conversations, and is putting her observations to good use, and the plot is advancing!!<br />
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There is so much about this book that I like, but then there is a lot that I'm not to keen on. It is definitely a very strange book, but strange in a good way. I got really into the story being told. Although I didn't always love the writing I was able to read through this rather effortlessly.<br />
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<i>As I Wake</i> has its flaws, so I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way to read it. However, if the concept interests you I think the story is worth the bumpy ride.Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8013576554540611961.post-25028832519196485252013-07-17T07:30:00.000-07:002013-07-17T07:30:03.019-07:00Review: The Hunt of the Unicorn by C.C. Humphreys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320454979l/8927624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Hunt of the Unicorn" border="0" height="400" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320454979l/8927624.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
<b>Description:</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 15.19886302947998px;">Elayne thinks the old family story that one of her ancestors stepped through a tapestry into a world of mythical beasts makes a great fireside tale. But she lives in the real world. In New York City. And she's outgrown that kind of fantasy.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15.19886302947998px;">Until she finds herself in front of a unicorn tapestry at the Cloisters museum and sees her initials woven into the fabric. And hears a unicorn calling to her. And slips and falls—into that other world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15.19886302947998px;">Suddenly the line between fantasy and reality isn't so clear. But the danger is real enough.</span></span><br />
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<b>Stats: </b>Young Adult Fantasy, 341 pages, First Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, March 2011.<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> 2 Stars<br />
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<b>Is it possible to give unicorns a dark side? </b>I've come to the conclusion that unicorns are probably the hardest sell of all magical creatures. Sure, they are right up there with rainbows and butterflies on the popularity scale for most females under the age of fourteen (or at least they used to be before Edward came along), but the mythology of unicorns is pretty simple. In the same way vampires are an embodiment of darkness, unicorns are an embodiment of purity. A unicorn is a healing creature with a thing for virgin girl companions. I guess when I ask if unicorns can have a dark side what I'm really asking is: Is there an interesting story to be found within the mythology?<br />
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Unfortunately, I'm not totally convinced. Although The Hunt of the Unicorns is a perfect example of a really great attempt the story here was just too... tame for me.<br />
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This isn't the sort of thing I would normally choose to read, but I got this book after meeting C.C. Humphreys in 2011 and have put off reading it till now. Confined to my bed I had only the books in front of me to choose from and I wanted something I knew I could read through quickly. The Hunt of the Unicorns fit the bill, so I started reading, and got incredibly bored, incredibly quickly. If I was reading this under different circumstances I can almost guarantee that I would have set it down for a looooong time before continuing, but desperate for entertainment I pressed on.<br />
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To give the author credit, he put a lot of work into creating an interesting magical world for his story to take place in. The imagination and variety of beasts that he uses was oddly fascinating and I feel he succeeded in what he was trying to achieve in that world. However, it was also very touch and go. In some places I feel he didn't take things far enough, in others you can see the development of the world getting to broad and getting in the way of the development of the characters and the plot. For me, the characters are the most important part of any story. In the Hunt of the Unicorn it was more about the world building then it should have been.<br />
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Our protagonist Elayne is a great character in concept, but not in execution. It wasn't till I finished the book that I realized that she wasn't really a character, but a story device. I had no idea of who she really was. She had plenty of motivation, but very little substance. She's sort of just a teenage girl who gets swept up in a adventure, which is fine, but I ask for a little more.<br />
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On the other hand I was happy to see that the unicorn character, Moonspill, was a character in his own right and not just a horse with a horn. He had his own motivations and of all the characters in the story he stands out as one of the more rounded. Also very noteworthy is the character of Amphisbaena. A two-headed snake with mouths like no other. Amphisbaena is a surprisingly funny character gifted with all languages of man, beast, and magical creature alike.<br />
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Overall, everything was pretty good. There wasn't anything I hated and I finished the book without many complaints. Then of course I sat down to write this review and really thought about it. I realized two things.<br />
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First off, near the beginning of the book there is a scene that is central to the unicorns role in Goloth, Land of the Fabulous Beast. The role of the unicorn is to apparently purify the water so all the animals in and around Goloth can drink from the rivers because of course the humans have f-ed it all up. Normally, I would have considered mentioning this to be a spoiler because at the time it seemed like a pretty big deal. I thought that it was going to be part of the central plot of the story, but it isn't. It actually amounts to nothing. I can understand wanting to showcase the unicorns powers, however there are quite a few moments later in the book where this water-purification thing should be brought up again, but it isn't.<br />
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Then my second problem, the big, giant, plot hole problem. Later on in the book, when talking about the unicorns, it is mentioned by Moonspill that there is a place that is far away, over mountains yonder, where his children are safe from the dangers of Goloth. In this magical world, or at least in Goloth, Land of the Fabulous Beast all creatures are hunted, hunting is what everything is all about, the book is called The Hunt of the Unicorn. So if there is a place that is safe, why don't all the creatures just leave and go there? If the forest is on fire, you leave the forest.<br />
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I will say, before I put a cap on this review turned unexpected rant, that while I was reading The Hunt of the Unicorn it was an enjoyable experience, but the more thought I put into it the more I'm disappointed. For a book that I went into with very low expectations it did pretty well! Now however, I just find myself wanting to move on.<br />
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If I were to recommend this to someone it would be to younger YA readers. If I was just coming into the YA genre and I loved adventure fantasy then this would have blown me away!Jessica-Robynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14007392971796666827noreply@blogger.com0