"In Mary's world, there are three simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent."
Mary grew up in the village, surrounded by the fence which separates them from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. No one goes outside the fence because that is where the Unconsecrated roam. The Unconsecrated are undead that stumble around with only one goal - to feed on human flesh. They are zombies.
Mary had never really thought about her life, her fate, the rules that controlled her world, until a few months ago when her father went missing. Everyone said that he was dead or had been turned into an Unconsecrated. Her mother became obsessed with finding him and spends long hours searching for him in the crowds of zombies gathered around the fence. Mary's brother Jed patrols the fence as one of the Guardians, so it is Mary's responsibility to watch their mother and make sure she does not stray close enough to the fence to be attacked.
But today, Mary lingers to long by the river, when Harry approaches her and begins the ritual of courtship that will lead to a betrothal. Realizing that her mother has been left alone, Mary rushes back home only to find that she is too late: her mother has been bitten and will turn into an Unconsecrated. Mary watches her die and then Return, no longer human but a monster. Jed refuses to let Mary come home, blaming her for their mother's death, so Mary has no where else to turn - she is forced to live in the Cathedral and train with the Sisterhood.
At night in the Cathedral, Mary begins to hear things - discussion and secrets that she is not supposed to know. One night she sees a young girl her own age brought into the Cathedral and hidden from everyone else...a young girl from outside the village. Mary begins to realize that perhaps she should question their world, their way of life...
Carrie Ryan's tale is one parts zombie survival guide, one parts love triangle, and one parts M. Night's The Village. It is an action packed read that will appeal to both teen and adult audiences alike. Mary is strong-willed and perhaps a bit selfish (the way any young adult might be if they were torn between their first love, their dreams, and what society expects of them). Ryan's writing is consistent and well-paced, sucking you into the story right away making the book a quick read even at 310 pages.
The book has a sequel/companion slated for 2010 and the movie rights were just picked up so a feature film is on the way!
Mary grew up in the village, surrounded by the fence which separates them from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. No one goes outside the fence because that is where the Unconsecrated roam. The Unconsecrated are undead that stumble around with only one goal - to feed on human flesh. They are zombies.
Mary had never really thought about her life, her fate, the rules that controlled her world, until a few months ago when her father went missing. Everyone said that he was dead or had been turned into an Unconsecrated. Her mother became obsessed with finding him and spends long hours searching for him in the crowds of zombies gathered around the fence. Mary's brother Jed patrols the fence as one of the Guardians, so it is Mary's responsibility to watch their mother and make sure she does not stray close enough to the fence to be attacked.
But today, Mary lingers to long by the river, when Harry approaches her and begins the ritual of courtship that will lead to a betrothal. Realizing that her mother has been left alone, Mary rushes back home only to find that she is too late: her mother has been bitten and will turn into an Unconsecrated. Mary watches her die and then Return, no longer human but a monster. Jed refuses to let Mary come home, blaming her for their mother's death, so Mary has no where else to turn - she is forced to live in the Cathedral and train with the Sisterhood.
At night in the Cathedral, Mary begins to hear things - discussion and secrets that she is not supposed to know. One night she sees a young girl her own age brought into the Cathedral and hidden from everyone else...a young girl from outside the village. Mary begins to realize that perhaps she should question their world, their way of life...
Carrie Ryan's tale is one parts zombie survival guide, one parts love triangle, and one parts M. Night's The Village. It is an action packed read that will appeal to both teen and adult audiences alike. Mary is strong-willed and perhaps a bit selfish (the way any young adult might be if they were torn between their first love, their dreams, and what society expects of them). Ryan's writing is consistent and well-paced, sucking you into the story right away making the book a quick read even at 310 pages.
The book has a sequel/companion slated for 2010 and the movie rights were just picked up so a feature film is on the way!
Cody is not the smartest kid in his high school, and he's definitely not the richest. But he is the star quarterback and he does have an awesome girlfriend. Clea may live in a mansion, but she gets Cody and they enjoy each other's company. In fact, one day they are enjoying it a little *too* much and Clea's father walks in on them. The next time Clea talks to Cody, she tells him that her father is pulling her out of their school in Little Bend, Colorado and transferring her to a private school -- in Vermont.
Cody says a few unkind words, Clea is shipping across the country, and life goes on. But then Cody is tackled during a game and wrecks his knee so much that he is not allowed to play the rest of the season. Without football to motivate him, he drops out of high school and ends up working at the local lumber yard. It is on his way there one morning, that he sees the newspaper in local coffee shop - the front page has Clea's picture on it with a headline "MISSING GIRL".
Cody drops everything and drives to Vermont, hoping to find out what has happened to Clea. But when he gets there, he finds a whole new world; kids with money, a boarding school with its own history, and Clea's new boyfriend. But that doesn't stop Cody, he is determined to find out where Clea is and if she is still alive.
Reality Check is a quick read, a suspense/mystery book targeted towards teens but since Peter Abrahams is a talented writer, or at least, I feel like he just approaches writing like "hey I'm writing, we'll see who reads it" that this book would appeal to anyone who is in the mood for a mystery. I enjoyed following Cody around Dover Academy and watching him piece together all the clues, and slowly realize that maybe he was smarter than he gave himself credit for.
Cody says a few unkind words, Clea is shipping across the country, and life goes on. But then Cody is tackled during a game and wrecks his knee so much that he is not allowed to play the rest of the season. Without football to motivate him, he drops out of high school and ends up working at the local lumber yard. It is on his way there one morning, that he sees the newspaper in local coffee shop - the front page has Clea's picture on it with a headline "MISSING GIRL".
Cody drops everything and drives to Vermont, hoping to find out what has happened to Clea. But when he gets there, he finds a whole new world; kids with money, a boarding school with its own history, and Clea's new boyfriend. But that doesn't stop Cody, he is determined to find out where Clea is and if she is still alive.
Reality Check is a quick read, a suspense/mystery book targeted towards teens but since Peter Abrahams is a talented writer, or at least, I feel like he just approaches writing like "hey I'm writing, we'll see who reads it" that this book would appeal to anyone who is in the mood for a mystery. I enjoyed following Cody around Dover Academy and watching him piece together all the clues, and slowly realize that maybe he was smarter than he gave himself credit for.
Wow.
I mean, I knew it had received poor reviews, but nothing could have prepared me for how bad this movie was. It wasn't any of the actors' fault - they were trying their best - but the script and the editing was just all over the place.
The only reason I knew what was going on was because I had played the video game which, oddly enough, made a heck of a lot more sense and had a lot better pacing than the movie.
After Bryan Singer's X-Men and X2, the bar was set pretty high for this franchise. When the studio ditched Singer for X3, most of us were disappointed in the film we were given. I'm not sure who or what was behind the mess that is Wolverine, but as much as I didn't enjoy X3, at least it had a plot that I could follow, as stupid as it was.
What frustrates me the most when movies like this fail, is the knowledge that there are comic books out there, books with coherent plots that treat the characters with respect (and the continuity) that were completely ignored in the name of BLOW UP STUFF GUD! I wasn't feeling any love for the studio, all I saw was their equations of comic books + movie = easy money for studio. They always seem to forget that quality plays a part. *sigh*
And they should be ashamed for wasting Gambit, a character popular with so many fans. A story about Gambit and Wolverine would have made a lot of sense because they are very similar characters - walking the line between the good and the bad. But no, this movie brings Gambit in just long enough to feature him in the trailer, and that is it. WASTE!!!
On top of that, the other mutants they introduce as part of Stryker's team, they never properly explain their powers. You can almost hear the director chuckling about how cool it will be just to start the story in this random spot. Yeah, maybe it hits the ground running, but your audience wasn't ready yet, and they are still standing at the starting line.
The movie lacks any of the humor from the original films. And Wolverine is supposed to be a snarky badass, but he spends most of this film moping, an Angel wanna-be (seriously, I thought he was going to give a speech about atoning for the things he had done...he should have, he said every other cliche line in the book).
Yeah, I know this review is late...but if you haven't seen the movie yet...just don't bother.
I mean, I knew it had received poor reviews, but nothing could have prepared me for how bad this movie was. It wasn't any of the actors' fault - they were trying their best - but the script and the editing was just all over the place.
The only reason I knew what was going on was because I had played the video game which, oddly enough, made a heck of a lot more sense and had a lot better pacing than the movie.
After Bryan Singer's X-Men and X2, the bar was set pretty high for this franchise. When the studio ditched Singer for X3, most of us were disappointed in the film we were given. I'm not sure who or what was behind the mess that is Wolverine, but as much as I didn't enjoy X3, at least it had a plot that I could follow, as stupid as it was.
What frustrates me the most when movies like this fail, is the knowledge that there are comic books out there, books with coherent plots that treat the characters with respect (and the continuity) that were completely ignored in the name of BLOW UP STUFF GUD! I wasn't feeling any love for the studio, all I saw was their equations of comic books + movie = easy money for studio. They always seem to forget that quality plays a part. *sigh*
And they should be ashamed for wasting Gambit, a character popular with so many fans. A story about Gambit and Wolverine would have made a lot of sense because they are very similar characters - walking the line between the good and the bad. But no, this movie brings Gambit in just long enough to feature him in the trailer, and that is it. WASTE!!!
On top of that, the other mutants they introduce as part of Stryker's team, they never properly explain their powers. You can almost hear the director chuckling about how cool it will be just to start the story in this random spot. Yeah, maybe it hits the ground running, but your audience wasn't ready yet, and they are still standing at the starting line.
The movie lacks any of the humor from the original films. And Wolverine is supposed to be a snarky badass, but he spends most of this film moping, an Angel wanna-be (seriously, I thought he was going to give a speech about atoning for the things he had done...he should have, he said every other cliche line in the book).
Yeah, I know this review is late...but if you haven't seen the movie yet...just don't bother.
I really had no idea what this movie would be about. I only knew the basic facts - Woody Allen wrote & directed, Scarlet Johanssen was invovled, and I have no problem with Javier Bardem or Penelope Cruz.
There's probably a reason I knew nothing about it; attempting to describe it without telling someone the whole movie is pretty difficult!
Vicky and Cristina are friends who decide to spend a summer in Barcelona, both of them for different reasons: Vicky is working on her Masters degree while Cristina is bouncing back from the end of a relationship. While there, they happen to meet Juan Anotonio, a local painter. He invites them to come away with him for a weekend. Cristina is very excited about the idea, so Vicky tags along to watch out for her...and things just get more complicated from there.
It was an interesting movie to watch once. My biggest gripe was the narrator. I felt like this role was superfluous. I am not sure why Allen decided to do this. Was it to make the story seem like a fairy tale? Did he not think he was getting the information across fast enough? I think ever thing the narrator said was portrayed well enough on screen. I found it really distracting.
It's a visually stunning film - and the city isn't too bad either. *ba-ding* Thanks folks, I'm here all week.
The core of the film is about what love means and what love is for every person, and how it differs yet at the same time we all want the same thing (even if we don't know it).
It's worth watching (though I feel like Rebecca Hall got the shaft - she plays Vicky yet she's not even featured on the cover! Her role is pretty important. Oh well). A solid movie but not something I could sit through multiple times.
There's probably a reason I knew nothing about it; attempting to describe it without telling someone the whole movie is pretty difficult!
Vicky and Cristina are friends who decide to spend a summer in Barcelona, both of them for different reasons: Vicky is working on her Masters degree while Cristina is bouncing back from the end of a relationship. While there, they happen to meet Juan Anotonio, a local painter. He invites them to come away with him for a weekend. Cristina is very excited about the idea, so Vicky tags along to watch out for her...and things just get more complicated from there.
It was an interesting movie to watch once. My biggest gripe was the narrator. I felt like this role was superfluous. I am not sure why Allen decided to do this. Was it to make the story seem like a fairy tale? Did he not think he was getting the information across fast enough? I think ever thing the narrator said was portrayed well enough on screen. I found it really distracting.
It's a visually stunning film - and the city isn't too bad either. *ba-ding* Thanks folks, I'm here all week.
The core of the film is about what love means and what love is for every person, and how it differs yet at the same time we all want the same thing (even if we don't know it).
It's worth watching (though I feel like Rebecca Hall got the shaft - she plays Vicky yet she's not even featured on the cover! Her role is pretty important. Oh well). A solid movie but not something I could sit through multiple times.
I just happened to pick up both of these books at the same time, each of them recommended by two different friends for different reasons. But I found it interesting to read them one after the other, since they are connected in a few different ways.
'Barefoot Gen' is the story of a Japanese family living in Hiroshima during WWII (based on the actual life of author/artist Keiji Nakazawa). Their father does not agree with the war or Japan's part in it. My knowledge of the pacific front is very low - everyone tends to focus on the European front in school, books, movies etc. And even less do we hear about what life was like for the normal people living in Japan at the time. When Gen's father openly criticizes the Japanese government (and by doing that, insulting the Emperor), his family is shunned by the town. Abused even.
I found some of the violence a bit shocking, but then again, its a very militaristic culture. The father is constantly beating the boys when the misbehave, and other random people also smack them around! Not sure if this is just a convention of the manga medium or actually reflective of the time. Still, it happened a LOT.
The drawings are very simple, reminding me of Persepolis, where the point was for this man to tell his story, not make great leaps and bounds in the art and style of Manga.
I found this book fascinating and think it would be great to give to a teen who loves manga, slip a little history in there. I've only read volume 1 but I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing what happens after the bomb falls.
Berlin: City of Stones is about Germany before WWII. Again, the focus is on everyday people, their lives, and their reaction to what their government is doing (the rumor of weapons being stockpiled even though Germany wasn't supposed to be doing that). Again, I felt as though I learned a bit while reading through the stories, especially about the Communist party in Germany.
The art is a bit more advanced than Barefoot Gen, but not by much. A few times I had an issue with telling the female characters apart. If it hadn't been for their male counterparts, I might have had issues following the story.
If you're looking for a way to vicariously learn about history, these two books should fill that need and get you thinking about the other side that we don't really get to see in 'Band of Brothers' or 'Saving Private Ryan'...not that they were misunderstood, but just in general what was going on with the average person during those war years.
I found some of the violence a bit shocking, but then again, its a very militaristic culture. The father is constantly beating the boys when the misbehave, and other random people also smack them around! Not sure if this is just a convention of the manga medium or actually reflective of the time. Still, it happened a LOT.
The drawings are very simple, reminding me of Persepolis, where the point was for this man to tell his story, not make great leaps and bounds in the art and style of Manga.
I found this book fascinating and think it would be great to give to a teen who loves manga, slip a little history in there. I've only read volume 1 but I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing what happens after the bomb falls.
Berlin: City of Stones is about Germany before WWII. Again, the focus is on everyday people, their lives, and their reaction to what their government is doing (the rumor of weapons being stockpiled even though Germany wasn't supposed to be doing that). Again, I felt as though I learned a bit while reading through the stories, especially about the Communist party in Germany.
The art is a bit more advanced than Barefoot Gen, but not by much. A few times I had an issue with telling the female characters apart. If it hadn't been for their male counterparts, I might have had issues following the story.
If you're looking for a way to vicariously learn about history, these two books should fill that need and get you thinking about the other side that we don't really get to see in 'Band of Brothers' or 'Saving Private Ryan'...not that they were misunderstood, but just in general what was going on with the average person during those war years.
Bolt is the star of a tv series. Only he doesn't know its all make-believe. At the end of every shoot, he is whisked away to his trailer by his owner, Penny, and hidden from the cameras and crew, left to think it was all real. But one fateful day he managed to escape the trailer and he soon discovers the truth.
It's a cute movie, and truly a fun movie for the whole family...once. Something tells me that this predictable story will wear thin after multiple viewing by adults who are familiar with these story lines. I think kids will want to watch it over and over, but it lacks the rewatchability of such Pixar classics like WallE and Finding Nemo that makes adults want to sit down again. It doesn't work on the different levels that those films do.
But it's fun and a good movie for a night when you're not in the mood for deep thinking or violent battles. It's heart is in the right place and its hard not to laugh out loud at several of the animal antics (especially if you have pets).
Definitely worth a viewing, and the DVD looks stunning on an HD-TV (I imagine the Blu-Ray version will melt your screen).
It's a cute movie, and truly a fun movie for the whole family...once. Something tells me that this predictable story will wear thin after multiple viewing by adults who are familiar with these story lines. I think kids will want to watch it over and over, but it lacks the rewatchability of such Pixar classics like WallE and Finding Nemo that makes adults want to sit down again. It doesn't work on the different levels that those films do.
But it's fun and a good movie for a night when you're not in the mood for deep thinking or violent battles. It's heart is in the right place and its hard not to laugh out loud at several of the animal antics (especially if you have pets).
Definitely worth a viewing, and the DVD looks stunning on an HD-TV (I imagine the Blu-Ray version will melt your screen).
So, after seeing J.J. Abrams' reboot of the Star Trek franchise on the IMAX this afternoon, I understand why everyone has been so cryptic when they discuss it. There's so much to say, but too much that you don't want to spoil. Abrams manages to create a movie that works (convincing my yet again that he should only be allowed to make 2-hour films and not TV show...but that's a rant for another blog).
Just so you know where I am coming from, I'm not a hard-core Trek fan, but I grew up watching The Next Generation and have probably seen most of the original series, plus a handful of DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise. I've seen most of the movies (Wrath of Khan and First Contact are my favorites, though this one might now beat out First Contact...maybe). Anyway, I knew who all these characters were but I hadn't been immersed in the mythology of the series.
But that didn't matter. My knowledge was enough to help me get all the little throw away jokes (though Bones insulting Spock is funny whether you know their history-to-be or not) and the rest of the time the movie did it's own thing. The writers created the perfect plot, one that would allow people just wanting to see some sci-fi fun to enjoy themselves but also not belittling the fans who have loved this series their whole lives.
The actors manage to portray these characters in their own way, instead of just trying to impersonate the actors that came before. Chris Pine's over-confident Kirk really works, Zachary Quinto uses the skills he honed as Sylar to play it cool as Spock. Simon Pegg was clearly having more fun than he should have had. Karl Urban managed to utter the phrase "DAMMIT!" in just the write tone that you knew he would one day grow up to be our cranky old Doc McCoy. John Cho as Sulu worked better than I expcted, and who knew that Chekov was so adorable? Zoe Saldana's Uhura is a hottie with brains and attitude.
It has action, adventure, really wild things, it's sexy, and includes a plot twist that makes everything work out just right. This movie was made for summer and popcorn. It's just FUN!
Just so you know where I am coming from, I'm not a hard-core Trek fan, but I grew up watching The Next Generation and have probably seen most of the original series, plus a handful of DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise. I've seen most of the movies (Wrath of Khan and First Contact are my favorites, though this one might now beat out First Contact...maybe). Anyway, I knew who all these characters were but I hadn't been immersed in the mythology of the series.
But that didn't matter. My knowledge was enough to help me get all the little throw away jokes (though Bones insulting Spock is funny whether you know their history-to-be or not) and the rest of the time the movie did it's own thing. The writers created the perfect plot, one that would allow people just wanting to see some sci-fi fun to enjoy themselves but also not belittling the fans who have loved this series their whole lives.
The actors manage to portray these characters in their own way, instead of just trying to impersonate the actors that came before. Chris Pine's over-confident Kirk really works, Zachary Quinto uses the skills he honed as Sylar to play it cool as Spock. Simon Pegg was clearly having more fun than he should have had. Karl Urban managed to utter the phrase "DAMMIT!" in just the write tone that you knew he would one day grow up to be our cranky old Doc McCoy. John Cho as Sulu worked better than I expcted, and who knew that Chekov was so adorable? Zoe Saldana's Uhura is a hottie with brains and attitude.
It has action, adventure, really wild things, it's sexy, and includes a plot twist that makes everything work out just right. This movie was made for summer and popcorn. It's just FUN!
So, did text books pretty much ruin history for you? All those boring pages and pages of names and dates, with the same old bits repeated year after year (found American, Revolt, Repeat) until you got out of high school? Well, what if those history lessons had a bit more intrigue to them?
Rick Geary's Graphic Novels are devoid of superheroes or dream masters. Instead, Geary uses his talents as a writer and as an artist to tell the stories from history. His main series - Treasury of Victorian Murder - covers such classics as the Assasination of Abraham Lincoln, Jack the Ripper, The Lindbergh Kidnapping and Lizzie Borden.
Researched and readable, these books are great primers for
I for one had no interest in reading about Jack the Ripper, but Geary's book (which uses the primary source of a London citizen's diary from the time to frame the story) was so easy to read, that I did find myself wondering about the mystery afterwards.
So next time you're struggling to find a book, ask a librarian for one of Rick Geary's graphic novels. You'll be able to finish the thing in one sitting and afterwards you'll have some extra bits of knowledge floating around in your brain. And who knows, you might ignite a passion for history that you didn't even know you had.
Janie is a "dream catcher". Since discovering this ability in Wake, she has spent a bit of time training herself to control her power. Fade is the next step in that story.
While I enjoyed Wake, I think I expected more from Fade. Like Wake, McMann uses her very quick and readable style to move the story along, and the reader can tear through the book in a matter of hours. I felt like she had some interesting ideas, but the ending was a little over the top. Even after you get over the idea that a person's dreams will some how lead to the solving of a crime, the last few chapters just ended up in a very weird place.
It feels like McMann is probably setting up a third book (or more?) for this series because of what is revealed at the end of this book.
While I enjoyed Wake, I think I expected more from Fade. Like Wake, McMann uses her very quick and readable style to move the story along, and the reader can tear through the book in a matter of hours. I felt like she had some interesting ideas, but the ending was a little over the top. Even after you get over the idea that a person's dreams will some how lead to the solving of a crime, the last few chapters just ended up in a very weird place.
It feels like McMann is probably setting up a third book (or more?) for this series because of what is revealed at the end of this book.
Pete (Paul Rudd) gets engaged to his girlfriend of eight months and slowly realizes that he has no close male friends. Yeah, he knows lots of guys - the other real estate agent at the office, his fencing team...but none of them are really friends. In an attempt to even things out, he goes in search of a friend. But what he gets is a true Bromance. Segel's Sydney is a free spirit who doesn't feel compelled to do what is expected of him while Rudd's Pete likes to please other people and has spent his whole life trying to be good enough.
Warning: you must love Paul Rudd and Jason Segel for this movie to work because it is all about the two of them. The writers manage to walk a fine line between too much and not believable when it comes to the interactions. What could easily have become a movie about Pete becoming a "real man", we find the "real men" (sport watchers, beer drinkers, hyper-competitive, muscle-bound) are portrayed as annoying (Jon Favreau is hilarious as the poker playing, beer drinking alpha male). They are not evil people, but definitely not anything to aspire to. And Syndey doesn't try to change Rudd, but does work to give him more confidence. And Rudd plays Pete with just the right amount of naivete that you can go along with some of his mistakes - mistakes that must happen to move the plot along but if played incorrectly could have been unforgivable. Instead, you just shake your head and laugh.
This movie is a great date movie, for every kind of relationship. It's nice to see a movie that portrays a friendship between two men without making them seem weak or that something is wrong with them. They share their thoughts and feelings, and while it pokes fun at the conventions of the romantic comedy, it also shows that male relationships can have just as many layers as the more frequently portrayed female relationships.
Go grab a friend or two, get some popcorn, and see this movie with a group so you can laugh out loud together. At roughly 90 minutes, this movie gets everything right.
(And while I have no desire to see a sequel, I do want to see more movies with Rudd and Segel teamed up together. They compliment each other in more than just physical height).
