Book Review | 'Wildefire'

Wildefire
Karsten Knight
Simon and Schuster
400 pgs., PulseIt eBook
5/5 Stars



This book is such a mythology mammoth. It incorporates Norse, Polynesian, and other mythologies into one book about a girl who finds out she is the body for the ********** ******* goddess! Wait, why did I block out what goddess she is? BECAUSE THAT'S A SPOILER! It grips you from beginning to end and there is a really fascinating ending to the book that I really enjoyed and THAT ENDING. Karsten Knight needs to put out the sequel, Embers and Echoes. The ending is such an I'm-going-to-kill-the-author type one. If you're looking for an amazing battle, too, then this is the book for you. You do need to keep track of the characters for things to make sense in the end, but that shouldn't be a problem. Also, keep track of events that take place. Events in this book were like boomerangs: they leave you for a while and then come back to hit you in the face. I definitely recommend this book and it is out NOW. Go buy it.

Review | 'Divergent'

Divergent
Veronica Roth
Katherine Tegen Books
496 pg., U.S. Hardcover
5/5 Stars



This book is a mix of Harry Potter and Hunger Games and anyone who hasn't read it needs to...NOW! The book is being made into a movie and I am incredibly psyched! The book is about a dystopian Chicago split into five factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), Erudite (the intellectual), and Candor (the honest).
Okay, onto the review:
This book was very hyped up before I read it and I was a little worried I would be underwhelmed. I was not. This book has you gripped within 50 pages and you already know the meaning of the title almost as soon as you start the book. Or at least you think you do. The book unfolds itself as you progress through and meet new characters.
CAN I TALK ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS?
Character perfection is what this book is. Oh, and plot-being-awesome perfection. The characters were so wonderfully developed. My favorites were Tris, the main character, and Peter, a member of Candor who joins Dauntless on Choosing Day (where teenagers pick their final Faction, where they will live forever). Tris is such a flawed, yet beautiful character and her decisions are very plot-changing. Peter is a sadistic but jaw-dropping character.
I could talk about this book forever, but there should be a discussion of it on the podcast soon. Its sequel, Insurgent, is expected to be released around May of next year.

Review | 'The Adoration of Jenna Fox'

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Mary E. Pearson

Henry Holt

288 pgs., U.S. Paperback

4/5 Stars

This book was one that was brought to my attention in the middle of this past school year. I was told by a friend that it was really good so I decided to pick it up. I am SO glad that I did. 

This book is such an emotionally charged one that you can't help but feel for the main character (Jenna Fox) as she rediscovers her life that was broken after a tragic car accident.

The basic plot is that Jenna is being brought back secrets and memories of her life before 'The Accident'. Ones that her happy, ones of past friends, ones of her family which is quite dysfunctional in this novel. 

There are a lot of twists and turns in this novel, but one thing I didn't really like was the relationship between Jenna and her mother. Jenna is constantly angry with her mother, and I sort of understand, but at the same time I feel like she should give her a chance since she is rebuilding her life. 

The sequel to this book, The Fox Inheritance, is released August 30th of this year.

Exclusive Interview | Rae Carson, Author of 'The Girl of Fire and Thorns'!

We are so excited to have Rae Carson on the blog! She is the author of the upcoming YA novel The Girl of Fire and Thorns which is released September 20th!                                                            _____________

1. What kind of books did you read in your childhood versus ones that you read now?

I read everything I possibly could when I was a kid. I would sneak-read under the covers with a flashlight rather than put a story down! I still read just as widely, but the one big change is time. There is not enough of it in a day, and now I must be more selective about my reading choices. Otherwise, my TBR pile would gain sentience and take over the world.

2. Were there any books that inspired the concept of The Girl of Fire and Thorns?

Not really. It’s more accurate to say that several books inspired what The Girl of Fire and Thorns would not be. I read a ton of books that featured improbably beautiful girls with improbable skills. And as much as I loved those books, I decided I wanted to write about a young woman who would accomplish amazing things without being perfect.

3. If you were stranded on an island and you only had one book, what would it be?

This is the future, am I right? So I’d have my e-reader (and a solar-powered battery charger) so I could have my whole library with me.

4. Did you plan out the series before you wrote Fire and Thorns, or did you fly by the seat of your pants?

Both. I knew the major character and plot arcs from the beginning, but I’m filling in all the details as I go and discovering all sorts of great stuff about my story and characters. It’s like finding buried treasure!

5.  How long had the idea for Fire and Thorns been in your head before you began writing it?

Years. I always poke at ideas for a long time before they’re formed enough to go on the page.

6. What defining characteristics would you use for your book, and for Elisa, to describe to someone who hasn’t read the book?

At the beginning of the story, Elisa is a frightened young girl with a poor self-esteem and an unhealthy relationship with food. But she decides to take charge of her self and her fate, and then gets an opportunity to do just that. So I’d say the book’s defining characteristic is transformation.

7. What do you want your readers to take away from the book?

More than anything, I want them to have a satisfying reading experience. But if there is any “message” in this book, I hope it is this:  You don’t have to be perfect to be extraordinary.

8. Do you have anything in the works besides finishing up The Crown of Embers and The Bitter Kingdom?

Yes! I always have several projects cooking at once. The one I’m most excited about is a standalone middle-grade adventure. And that’s all I can say about it for now. 

Thank you so much to Rae Carson; it was a complete honor to have her on the blog! Make sure to check out The Girl of Fire and Thorns on September 20th and follow @raecarson on Twitter and visit raecarson.com for more info!

As of today 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' has pulled in over 1 billion dollars!

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' has made over $900 million dollars at the global box office! Things are looking phenomenal for the final film!

First Look of Gale and Peeta

Entertainment Weekly published their most recent magazine with a cover that revealed the first look at Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) in action on the movie set of The Hunger Games.

Riley's Thoughts

Gale and Peeta didn't look exactly how I envisioned them in the books. However, it's not really fair to make any judgments as of yet. I'll have more to base my thoughts on once the movie is actually released.

Isaac's Thoughts

I thought the characters replicated fairly close to what I imagined them to look in the books. I agree with Riley that their can't be many opinions made pertaining the movie at this point. 

What are your thoughts on this? Share in the comments section. 

-Isaac and Riley

Review: 'Blood Red Road'

Blood Red Road
Moira Young
460 pg., PulseIt eBook
Margaret K. McElderry
4/5 Stars



This book was a great journey for the characters. The main character is Saba, and her brother Lugh has been kidnapped after her village is ransacked by a gang. Saba decides to find Lugh, but is annoyingly accompanied by her small sister, Emmi. Along the way she is brought into the world of cage-fighting, the Free Hawks, and an intense battle between the young and the old.
Saba has always admired her Lugh and has always grudged Emmi, thinking it was her fault for the death of her mother, which occurred after giving birth to Emmi. But Saba and Emmi's relationship develops beautifully throughout the course of this novel. There's this nice moment where Emmi asks Saba if she could give her a piggyback ride. Saba thinks of denying, mostly because she's not one to play around, but she decides to oblige.
Saba befriends fellow cage-fighters, the Free Hawks. She also makes friends with Jack, Tommo, and Ike. The former of those three becomes a romantic interest for Saba, and they kiss multiple times throughout this novel. That was one thing that was disappointing about this novel; I was really hoping that there wouldn't be romance, unfortunately there was. It wasn't incredibly sappy, but Saba does describe the feeling, and I didn't really need it. If I wanted to know how it felt for the heroine to be kissed, I would just go read Twilight.
Saba's dialect is very unique. This book is a dystopian, but it feels very old-Western. Saba speaks with a twang and pronounces words like "and" as "an" and contracts a lot of words, like saying "more than", which becomes "more'n". This was very interesting to read.
There was a point in the book where it was going quite slow, which was around the middle, but then it definitely picked up again at the end and finished off nicely and with a bit of closure.
This is part of the Dustlands series, and the sequel should be released around May or June of next year.

On the Shelf (1)

On the Shelf is something we're starting where we list books that are yet to be released and talk about why we want to read them and just provide some new book ideas to readers!

1. Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi, HarperTeen, released November 15th, 2011
The book is about Juliette, a girl who has been locked away in a prison due to the fact that she has a touch that allegedly murders people, and her journey to find herself in a world where politics are even more corrupt than they are now and she has the choice of being a weapon or a warrior.
2. Carrier of the Mark, Leigh Fallon, HarperTeen, released October 4th, 2011
This novel is about a girl named Megan, a girl who meets a new boy and his family that has information on Megan and a part of her that even she doesn't know.
3. The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Rae Carson, Greenwillow/Harper, released September 20th, 2011
This book is about Elisa. Elisa is a princess who is brought into the life of secret marriage, and finds out that dark magicians are after her and that her life is at stake.
4. Beautiful Chaos, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Little, Brown, released October 18th, 2011
The third in the Caster Chronicles series, a plague or sorts is spreading over the town of Gatlin, and Ethan and Lena must figure out more about Lena's Claiming and people who will affect the city and its safety. But the problem is that Ethan is beginning to lose bits and pieces of his memory...

Tahereh Mafi, Leigh Fallon, Rae Carson, and the authors of the Caster Chronicles have all agreed to make an appearance on the podcast!
Tahereh's interview will be recorded August 3rd.
Rae's interview will be in words and on the blog soon.
Leigh's interview will either be similar to earlier spoken ones, or like Rae's.
Kami and Margie's interview is still to be discussed, the duo are busy finishing up the series, and they will get back with us.

Emma Watson To Star As a Lead In 'Beauty'

Emma Watson, our Hermione Granger, who has also filmed My Week With Marilyn and (one of my most-anticipated films) The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is now going to be in a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, as the lead female who is taken by a prince. I'm so happy for Emma!

New Pottermore Q&A

The Pottermore Insider has provided a list of questions and answers related to the site and being a part of it. You can read the list here.

In 3 Days, 'Deathly Hallows: Part II' Reaches Almost Half of a Billion

In the course of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II has earned a record-destroying $475.5 million! It has reached almost half of a billion dollars in just three days! Imagine what will happen over the course of the next couple of weeks!

Film Review | Hogwarts Will ALWAYS Be There To Welcome You Home

In which Riley Peek and Isaac Knopf discuss their thoughts on the eighth and final Harry Potter film. You can download here.

'Deathly Hallows: Part II' Tops Opening Weekends

Deathly Hallows: Part II beats out The Dark Knight by over 10 million dollars, pulling in $168,550,000 just from Friday and Saturday, and the money from today (Sunday) is still yet to come.

We Are a Pottermore Fansite

MAJOR ANNOUNCMENT:


We are incredibly proud to announce that the Potter People fansite and its podcasting feature are now Pottermore-based. What this is means is that, though we will still provide main Potter/book news and author interviews, podcast episodes and blog posts and discussions will be tightly revolved around Pottermore news and topics. For instance, once the website is kicked into gear, each piece of backstory will be thoroughly covered on the podcast and in blog posts on the site. We hope that this takes the podcast and fansite in a whole new, positive direction and hope it pleases many.

'Deathly Hallows: Part II' Sets Record For Opening Day

Deathly Hallows: Part II freaking shoved New Moon off the map, garnering in $92,100,000 just on the 15th, whereas New Moon earned $72,703,754 in its first day back in 2009, Eclipse following behind. A major congratulations to DH!

'Deathly Hallows: Part II' Breaks Midnight Record

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II earned a whopping $43.5 million dollars just at midnight showings of the final film, putting it on the fast track to the highest-grossing film of all time. You can expect our review of the final film soon!

Source : Hollywood Reporter

Third 'Paranormalcy' Title Revealed

The title of the third book in the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White has been revealed. It is entitled...

Pottermore Launches Blog

It's called The Pottermore Insider, and you can see it here. The blog is providing news about Pottermore, and will be updated regularly!

'Deathly Hallows: Part II' Sets Record For Most Ticket Sales

For a long time, Twilight Saga: Eclipse held the record for the most ticket sales, racking up $30 million. Yesterday, Deathly Hallows: Part II was in the running with 24 or 25 million dollars, but today it has officially surpassed Eclipse and now has 32 million dollars in advance ticket sales!

Source : Hypable

Let the Potter Games Begin!

For a while now, a mysterious new fansite has loomed around that amalgamates Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. It's called "The Potter Games".
Basically what it is prefaced with is a little note stating that children will be given as slaves to Lord Voldemort, who is now in rule, just as Tributes are given to the Capitol for the Hunger Games. So far, you can play as Ginny and Fred, and it is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure kind of game. Other characters that will be unlocked include:
-The Trio
-The Patil Twins
-Luna
-Neville
-Lavender Brown
-Hannah Abbott
-Draco
-Pansy
-and more.
So make sure you check that out if it's something you'd be interested in!

'The Giver' Book Review

The Giver
Lois Lowry
179 pg., U.S. Paperback
Bantam
4/5 Stars



From Goodreads:

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

One thing I love so much about this book is that it starts out as a utopian society, but as the story goes on, we can see the flaws in it, and the society becomes dystopian. 
The characters in this book are very different than most others. At the beginning, they all start out the same: blissfully ignorant and adapted to life in Utopia. At the end of the story, the Giver had given the main character, Jonas, so many memories that he can see what life is really like and what it's like to experience love, pain, happiness, etc.
The book is a really quick read, but it was such a great, moving journey to take with the characters and I'm glad that I picked it up.
The Giver has two companion novels: Gathering Blue and Messenger.

Two New Pottermore Previews, One Featuring Peek At Exclusive Content

Pottermore has released two more previews at the site. The first one, which you can see here, features the Hogwarts Express, and what the page looks like once you've unlocked exclusive content from Jo. The second preview, which you can see here, features a sneak peek at exclusive content on the history of the Hogwarts Express.

'A Million Suns' Cover Reveal

The official Facebook page for the novel Across the Universe has released the cover of the sequel, A Million Suns. You can find the cover here.

Pottermore Proposals | McKinnon and MacDougal

We used to have "Questions For the Canon", but now that we have Pottermore, we have changed it to "Pottermore Proposals".

Recently, I have adopted an interest in Marlene McKinnon and her family, and with Morag MacDougal. A little bit of back-story on these characters:

Marlene McKinnon was a member of the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War. She was killed in 1981, and Karkaroff believes she was killed at the hand of the Death Eater Travers. Rubeus Hagrid stated that the McKinnons were one of the most powerful magical families.

Morag MacDougal was a Ravenclaw student who began classes at Hogwarts the same year as Harry Potter. She was seen on Jo Rowling's list of characters in Harry's year in the feature Harry Potter and Me. In the feature, her name is listed as Isabel.

Marlene fascinates me primarily because she was one of the most powerful witches of her time. I am fascinated with all of the members of the Order, but mostly the ones that were killed like the Prewetts and Emmeline Vance and Dorcas Meadowes. I see her as friends with the Potters, and someone very reliable to the Wizarding World. I hope that Jo includes a passage about her in Pottermore.

As for Morag, I just love her name and that she's a Ravenclaw, like me. We don't see her at all in the series besides for when she gets Sorted at the beginning of Philosopher's Stone. Jo Rowling, please incorporate Morag in Pottermore!

New J.K. Rowling Interview On 'Deathly Hallows: Part II'

In a new interview, Jo spoke specifically about the final Potter film, and what she thought on it. She talked about the "Big Seven" (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Draco) and how they all have their moments in the film. She spoke of how heart-wrenching it was watching everything being destroyed, and watching the actors grow and develop and mold into their characters. You can watch it at that link at the beginning of this post.

Source : http://www.snitchseeker.com/

7 Series Pegged As the Next Harry/Twilight

A new article listed six series that they believe will have some type of the same commercial success as Harry Potter, but I highly doubt it. I have read all of these series except for the Wake series and the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, but I am familiar with the latter. The series that are listed are:
-Hunger Games
-Caster Chronicles
-The Mortal Instruments
-Wolves of Mercy Falls
-Wake
-Matched


The article lists why they think each series will be big. We have covered THG and TMI, but I am actually incredibly pumped for the 'Caster' film because it is being directed by Richard LaGravenese, the director of the newest Narnia film, which was my favorite Narnia film. It was a great book-to-film adaption and I am excited for his take on the Caster Chronicles.

New 'Deathly Hallows: Part II' Clip Featuring...Wait For It...LUNA!

All right, Lovegood fans, it's finally here. A clip that features Harry and Luna! I know that I've been blabbing about how I wish they would include her in their promos, but now that I am not watching clips: I am sadly avoiding this new peek at Harry and Luna. But you can watch the clip here.

You can also watch this clip of the Trio after jumping off of the Gringotts dragon. (Not watching, sorry WB.)

My View On Warner Bros. Releasing All These Spoiler-filled Clips

Today I was reading a column on Warner Bros. revealing too much in the new clips and featurettes that they are putting out. I was informed that the under-wraps 'King's Cross' scene is no longer "under wraps". I had no clue King's Cross has been spoiled! I'm so glad I haven't been watching the promos. The problem with this issue, though, is that people have a right to watch what they want to watch. Complaining about what is in the featurette/clip after having seen it is hypocritical because you can read headlines! If the headline of one of our news posts is "New Clip Features Ron and Hermione In the Chamber of Secrets" DON'T WATCH IT if you don't want to see RON AND HERMIONE IN THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. It's that simple. Warner Bros., though, does have the responsibility of handling what is in this clips and what I think would be a wise marketing choice is to choose a select handful of non-spoilery scenes and tease those. For example, seeing the trio on the dragon never really infuriated me, so they should definitely angle on that, which they've done a great job on, or choose interlude scenes of dialogue between Harry and minor characters. DON'T choose 'The Prince's Tale' or 'The Forest Again' or 'King's Cross' to tease! Sure, every single sane fan is still gonna go see the movie! It's going to be fantastic and phenomenal and mind-blowing and emotional! But Warner Bros. shouldn't take advantage of the fandom, like some believe they are doing, and show this much. If you're showing Molly Weasley and Voldemort casting the big AK, that's kind of going to give away what's about to happen. Some people, mostly non-HP-book-readers, may think it is just a tease, but to be completely honest: YES Molly is using the Killing Curse on Bellatrix in the film, and YES Voldemort is using the Killing Curse on Harry in the film. One other thing I may make a whole other post on is that David Yates said that the reason he changed the setting of Voldemort's and Harry's duel from the Great Hall to the courtyard was because he wanted "more of a fight"...WHAT?! WHAT?! Is it me or does that sound completely and utterly arrogant beyond belief! The whole point of it being in the Great Hall and being the way it was was not only because the Great Hall is such a plot-centric setting, but because Harry was teaching Voldemort a lesson. NOT chasing him around the castle like Yates said he will be doing. I have nothing against David or Warner Bros. whatsoever. They have done a freaking fantastic job at these films, but the marketing has been off lately. I hope the next clip is a five-second one entitled "Harry Spots Cho". Sorry about this rant being so big...I just felt the need to get that out there.

Two New 'Deathly Hallows: Part II' Featurettes

Two more featurettes were released that I, once again, am not viewing. They are entitled "The Epic Conclusion" and "Room of Requirement".

Room of Requirement

The Epic Conclusion

'Battle of Hogwarts' Featurette

If you don't want to be spoiled on the contents of the final film, this featurette isn't for you. I, once again, am not watching the featurette to avoid tarnishing my experience of watching the final film, but you can watch it here.

Bring On the Waterworks! A New Featurette--"Last Days"--Featuring the Cast Saying Goodbye To Potter

By clicking here, you'll watch a very emotional, very bittersweet featurette of the cast of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II on their last days of filming, reflecting on the franchise and how they interacted on the last days. It is a very raw and tear-jerking thing to watch, and one thing that made me tear up the most was *SPOILER(if there can be a spoiler for a behind-the-scenes featurette)* seeing Rupert cry.

Stay Tuned To Our U-Stream

If you visit this link, you'll be taken to our U-Stream where we will do live shows, one of which we are planning. We hope to do a live show sometime around the beginning of August, to discuss the Pottermore beta, and talk to anyone included in it. Make sure you follow our Twitter (@thepotterpeople) for more updates on the live show!

Box Office Mojo Predicts 'Deathly Hallows: Part II' At the Box Office

Box Office Mojo, a popular film website that records gross revenues for films, has made its predictions for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II and things are looking...well...magical

Evanna Lynch Talks Luna's Role In New Interview

Evanna Lynch Tweeted about being in Belgium where she and Jason Isaacs (the actor who played Lucius Malfoy) were promoting Deathly Hallows: Part II. In the interview, the pair talked about their characters and their roles in the final film.
When asked about Luna's involvement (thank you Belgium-TV-show interviewer!), Evanna said:

"She's there, she's bobbing about. All the characters are there, but none of the individuals have big roles. There's a bit with Harry, where she knows something about the Horcruxes...and she has to step up and shout at Harry"

Jason on Lucius:

"Lucius Malfoy has had an amazing journey. He started out as a  vicious, arrogant, racist pig but now he's a crushed, shambling, alcoholic shell of a eunuch"

You can check out the full interview here.

Source | MuggleNet

Second Comcast 'Deathly Hallows' Featurette | "Disguises"

Last night, the second Comcast featurette was released, but the quality was poor so I decided to wait until an official post from Comcast Xfinity. They released their second featurette on DH, the first being "The Story", called "Disguises" which features behind-the-scenes looks at the Invisibility Cloak and Hermione as Bellatrix in Gringotts. You can view that here.

New 'Deathly Hallows: Part II' Clip Featuring the Trio and Griphook inside Bellatrix's Vault

Another clip has surfaced from Warner Bros., this time featuring Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook searching inside of Bellatrix's vault. Once again, I'm not watching the clip because I don't want the full effect to be tarnished. If Warner Bros. decides to release a clip that is very minor I will watch it. But for your viewing pleasure, click here to watch the clip and ruin your viewing experience! I'm just kidding...it's your decision.