Rumored: 'Sea of Monsters' release date pushed back!

According to Hypable, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Sea of Monsters has been pushed back from releasing March 2013 to August 2013--giving it that back-to-school release date, and also--interestingly enough--a few months before The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is set to be released. The film will be released August 16, 2013.

What are your thoughts on the back-to-school approach? Honestly, we think that it may be a bad move, because a lot of hectic things occur in that time period, and not everyone invests in attending films. Big films recently have not been opening during that time slot.

Review | 'Cinder'

Cinder
Marissa Meyer
386 pg., U.S. hardcover
Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan
5 stars | A+



From Goodreads:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.


I was pleasantly, incredibly pleasantly, surprised by Cinder--to the point where it's definitely become one of my favorite books of the year, and maybe of all time. I had no expectations going into this, but I was aware of its great reviews, but I think that people even with high expectations will be satisfied by this book. I loved the writing, the characterization, the world-building, the pacing, the plot, all of it.
So let's delve into the review.
As far as plot goes, basically the story takes place in the Eastern Commonwealth, a post-war formation of Asia, and its relationship with Luna, which is essentially a civilization on the moon. The citizens of Luna, called Lunars, have special abilities that worry the people of Earth; they believe the Lunars want to take over their planet, which is, in a sense, very true. They are ruled by Queen Levana, but the Eastern Commonwealth is ruled by soon-to-be-Emperor Kai. Cinder is as you think she would be, a girl living with a step-mother and her two daughters, but she is a cyborg, and works as a mechanic in New Beijing. Cinder's friendly step-sister, Peony, is infected with the plague spreading throughout the commonwealth, and Cinder is recruited for volunteer work in order to find an antidote. She discovers plot-affecting secrets about herself, and puts them into affect when Levana arrives on Earth in hopes to marry Kai and become empress. I was really pleased by the world-building, you get a lot of back-story, and some of which is actually on Marissa Meyer's website, and you're immersed in this world where you just feel like all those futuristic elements are normal. Meyer doesn't draw attention to their peculiarity, because in the characters' sense, they aren't peculiar at all. I love the building of the animosity between the Lunars and the Earthen, and it made it incredibly suspenseful when the Lunars came to infiltrate the Eastern Commonwealth. I knew instantly *SPOILER [highlight to read]* when the whole conspiracy theories about Princess Selene were brought up that she was alive, but I had no idea that she would turn out to be Cinder, and that TOTALLY flipped me out, and pumped me up for the next book. *END SPOILER* Everything was totally building up to the ending, but I never saw the specific ending coming, so I really liked that. I also liked the usage of the quarantine, the androids, the comms, and all the different ways they went about life in the new world. It was really fascinating, and intriguing to see the way people responded to cyborgs and different political systems. I loved how *SPOILER [highlight to read] Cinder essentially became the catalyst for a war. It really added a lot to the story, and made everything come together in an astounding way! *END SPOILER* 
The characterization in this book was probably the best I've read in a while. I love how, at the beginning of the story, Cinder was practically a dull, worn-out mechanic, and by the end of the story, she was this intelligent, cunning woman who both knew what she was doing, and had no clue. I am so glad that Marissa Meyer made one of the step-sisters nice, because--although it is conventional to have them both be mean--I think it was a great refreshment to have Peony be a friend to Cinder, and it made it all the more tragic when she was affected with the plague. The step-mother, Adri, was very violent, and I was surprised at her loathing behavior towards Cinder. I thought it was a huge step-up from the usual Disney version, and I quite liked it. I loved how Kai was basically the reluctant prince who didn't want to assume the throne, yet his final decision in the book was for the greater good of his nation. I feel like, if it was Edward Cullen or some other fictional character, they would have chosen the more selfish route, probably because the author didn't weigh the characterization pros and cons, but I could tell that Meyer did. I also, of course, liked Doctor Erland, and how he was always just like, "Oh, and by the way..." It made for an interesting character. I also appreciated the antagonists, and I'm very glad that Queen Levana's behavior was explained in the end, and I'm looking forward to seeing her come back in the later books.

The writing in Cinder was very unique in the sense that I felt like the book was written how a book would be written in the future. I didn't actually feel, though, like I was reading a book, but that--and I know this is cliche--I was with Cinder as she experienced everything. At some points, I had forgotten the story was third person, and I felt as though Cinder was telling the story firsthand. I loved the alternating perspectives; it boosted the characterization ten times, and really clarified a lot in the plot. Kudos to Meyer for including that and using it in a proper sense. The pacing was quick, except for a brief period before Cinder goes to the ball, but I still dished the book off in two days, so it was worth it. 

Cinder is just a phenomenon, and I can already tell it's going to go far, and that it deserves every positive review and word that it gets.

Cinder is the first book in The Lunar Chronicles. The sequel, Scarlet, will be released February 5, 2013, and will focus on both Cinder, and a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The following two books will be released in the following two years.

Jenna-Louise Coleman starts 'Doctor Who' filming

The Doctor's new companion, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, has started filming for her role on Doctor Who.

Her filming is currently taking place at a church/manor called Plas Llanmihangel, which gives it a very eerie, medieval feel to it, and boosts the theory of Coleman's premiere being a ghost story. Although Coleman has not been seen in costume, it has been speculated that her companion is from the past.

Thanks to Doctor Who TV, where you can find pictures from filming.

Book-to-Film Update | 5.23.12

Although this is old news to some, author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs, wrote on his blog saying that the New York Times best-selling novel will be made into a film. The best of part of this announcement, to me, is the director of the film. Tim Burton, the film director and producer famous for his quirky-themed movies (like Edward Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland, and Dark Shadows), will be the director. The announced screenwriter is Jane Goldman, who lead the script writing of The Woman in Black.


In other book-to-film news, Michael Grant posted on Facebook earlier today, "And going to Hollywood to meet with potential producers of a GONE movie. No news, sorry. But there is some definite interest from several people who can make things like that happen." So could a GONE film finally become a reality? It looks as though we'll find out soon.


-Isaac

Review | 'Why We Broke Up'

Why We Broke Up
Daniel Handler
354 pg., U.S. hardcover
Little, Brown
4 stars | B+



From Goodreads:

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.


I was really pumped to read this book, but was ultimately a bit disappointed. Not entirely disappointed to the point that I would give this book a negative review, but my expectations just fell short, especially considering this book was written by the man who created A Series of Unfortunate Events, which was my favorite book series when I was about 7, up until I was 9 or 10. The writing from Handler in this book wasn't as quirky as it was in the aforementioned series, which was kind of a let-down when I picked this book up. I was really looking forward to revisiting his satirically dark writing style, but I feel like that wasn't present that much in this novel.
If you've read my reviews before, you'd know that what I look for most in any book is exceedingly tremendous characterization, and that also fell flat in this book. I was so confused and misguided by the character Min, as well as the character the title is referring to, Ed. At the beginning, I liked Min and hated Ed, but by the end of the book, I actually liked Ed and hated Min. I don't understand why, if all these "terrible" things occurred in their relationship, why did Min let it last as long as it did? I felt like, if she was going to end up writing this big long thing to Ed, why not just stop the relationship when it was going wrong? I think Ed started off as a bad guy, but he really became more likable, and more of a well-rounded character, whereas Min just became misleading, flat, and annoying. She was always bitching and bitching about what Ed was doing wrong, but never taking action. She was a very weak character, which turned me off from her. I actually didn't think a lot of the things Ed did were that big of a deal, and I was just completely disturbed by Min's overreacting to his actions. I thought, and I suppose this was kind of a spoiler, that the torn 'sensitive' condom illustration at the end of the book was implying that Ed had knocked Min up, and I think that would have merited Min's breaking up with Ed, but it is never revealed if that ever occurred, so the whole sex thing was just completely pointless to me. Min complains about it beforehand, but it isn't even reflected on after it occurs.
So I've spent this entire review bashing on this book, and I've given a 4-star rating, haven't I? I suppose I'm giving it that high of a rating because, although Handler's writing was far removed from my expectations, it was still pretty top-notch writing, and the pacing was quick (not always a good thing in this book, though), and I did like the supporting characters and how they took away from Min's pain-in-the-ass-ness. There was nothing physically wrong with this book, but some internal things that really needed to be altered. 
If you like Daniel Handler no matter what, then read this book. If you like interesting illustrations that correlate to the plot (like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children), then read this book. If you like fast-pacing, witty writing, then read this book. But if you like fully-developed characters (like me), a striking and hard-hitting plot, and familiarity, then avoid this one.

Review | 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children'

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs
Quirk Books
eBook
4 stars | B



From Goodreads:

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.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

My experience with this book did not go as planned.

I've been wanting to get to this book since before it was even released, and it wasn't until Isaac, who also posts on this site, got his hands on the book that I actually pursued my interest. I got the book via my local library's eBook checkout system. When I first opened the novel up, I was interested in about the first 10% (eBook-wise). I liked the Tim Burton-ness of the story, but it started to go downhill from there for me. Then, I decided to abandon it about mid-May, only 35% through the book. The character's weren't pleasing me, the plot was going nowhere fast, and I had more important books to read. Today, though, I picked it up at 8 o'clock and finished it an hour later. The book's pacing grew impeccably quick and engrossing, and I was so fascinated by the intrigue and whimsy of the story. 

I began to really appreciate the characters and the roles they each played. I felt so bad for Emma, and I don't even know if I was supposed to. There was this tragic story behind her about how Abe, the protagonist's grandfather, was sort of the one that got away for her, and he ended up starting a family of his own with another woman, and I felt like Emma tried to find Abe in his grandson, Jacob, the story's protagonist. I sort of imagined her like Jenny from the film Big Fish (another Tim Burton reference for you), and how she was briefly romantically involved with this larger-than-life fellow, but it was just a brief affair. I was constantly connecting the concept of time loops to Peter Pan (which the characters also refer to) and The Chronicles of Narnia, as far as the whole never-growing-up thing goes, as well as the separate time-streams existing at once. It really was a fascinating world that was built. I, of course, also really liked Jacob, and I saw a bit of him in me, which made him really easy to relate to. I liked the way he dealt with situations, but I often forgot that he considered Emma a Siren, and I was perplexed as to why he would pursue a relationship with Emma so often and then regret it. I felt like that whole aspect was emphasized in a very odd  way. 

The plot of the story was very slow at the beginning, and was the reason I initially abandoned it. I advise anyone who picks this book up to plow through the first hundred pages or so, because it does pay off! I was so interested in the whole back-story of Miss Peregrine and the type of people she was housing, and I liked learning about the characters' different abilities. It was definitely a unique type of story, and I would describe it as a sci-fi historical fiction, which I can honestly say--at least I don't recall--I have never called a book that before. The pacing was slow at first, but that was obviously just to set things up, for it quickened later on. 

The writing was very darkly humorous and almost satirical, which I liked the lot. It worked very well with the pacing and the intensity of the plot, and I'm glad that it was told from 1st person; I'm sure it wouldn't have been as good told from 3rd. I thought Riggs did a great job of weaving his writing persona into the actual story.

Peculiar Children is truly a defining, unprecedented, peculiar novel that is book-ended by layers upon layers of exposition that left me hanging around despite some bumps in the road.

A sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is expected to be released next year.

'Perks of Being a Wallflower' trailer to premiere during the MTV Movie Awards!

Finally, at long last, the trailer for Perks of Being a Wallflower will debut during the pre-show of MTV's annual Movie Awards.

The cast of the film will be there to help present the trailer. Emma Watson, though, will not attend the trailer's presentation.

The MTV Movie Awards will air Sunday, June 3, at 9/8CT on MTV.


What do you guys hope to see from the trailer? Perks is my favorite standalone novel of all time (along with TFiOs, of course), and you can find my review in the "Book Reviews" section of this site.

Review | 'Ashes, Ashes'

Ashes, Ashes
Jo Treggiari
Scholastic Press
340 pg., U.S. hardcover
4 stars | A-



From Goodreads:

A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.

I don't have very heavy feelings for/towards this book, so this review may be short and sweet. Emphasis on the 'may.'

Ashes, Ashes is a post-apocalyptic tale of a young girl named Lucy who is taken into a group of catastrophe-survivors as they try to escape the government-linked (sort of) Sweepers. Lucy meets Aidan, Sammy, Del, among others, and they fight to survive in a world full of natural competition smack in the heart of New York. 

I think the highlight of this book was the writing from Jo Treggiari. It was fast-paced (very much so), clean, crisp, and made it easy to relate to the story's protagonist, Lucy. This was a very different kind of dystopian novel, and I really appreciated the direction that the author went with it; the romance was not the center of the story, the journey the characters underwent was relatable, and the world was very fascinatingly built.

As far as the world-building goes, I feel like Treggiari spent too much time honing in on specific aspects, and not enough time describing and developing other areas, giving us information on the apocalyptic events, giving us information on the society and the government, etc.

The character development in this novel was pretty dull. I don't think any of the characters in this book really changed from start to finish. Lucy was kind of a bland, weird character whom I didn't really understand. Sure, it was easy to see inside her mind, but I never really got all of her motives. I kinda paid no mind to secondary characters, and pretty much lost track of who was who, except for Grammalie Rose, Aidan, and Del. 

The fact that this book wasn't the first in the series really irked me. I think the author left the ending unnecessarily open for a standalone. I didn't feel like there was a lot of closure with the story and the characters, and that closure was very vital and needed. 

Overall, I think the book was definitely fast-paced and delightful, but the crevices of the book became crumbly and unstable, which prevented it from getting that fifth star in my review. 

Pottermore adds new content from J.K. Rowling

The library in Pottermore has added five new books (1 in Chapter 12, moment one; 1 in Chapter 14, and 3 in Chapter 15).

We won't spoil anything for you, so go check them out yourselves!

'Doctor Who' Series 7 filming updates ("Cubed") | Spoilers

Today, Doctor Who TV revealed some new spoilers regarding the fourth episode in the seventh series of Doctor Who.

The mysterious black cubes will apparently be carriers of a disease that release themselves upon a timer reaching the end of its countdown. The cubes will infect the Doctor and one of his hearts, for they seem to be immensely strong.

We also reported that part of the episode would be in the hospital seen in "The Eleventh Hour". Apparently this sequence will contain a young girl who has knowledge on the cubes, which sounds a lot similar to "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead."

Reportedly, there will be a brief sequence featuring King Henry VIII's residence, and DWT speculates that it is a pre-credit sequence, for most of the episode takes place in Rory and Amy's modern Earth.

As previously reported, UNIT is returning. While Martha may not be in this episode, a new UNIT character will be introduced. Her name is Kate Stewart.

Doctor Who returns in August.

'How I Met Your Mother' Recap | 'The Magician's Code'

Yeah. So. Um.

Okay.

Can I even write a cohesive post about the season finale of HIMYM?

Let's try.

Major spoilers, everyone. MAJOR SPOILERS. ("Major spoilers" -- salute)

So basically a quick summary for context and blah. Blah-biddy blah. So Lily's going into labor, but Marshall's stuck trying to find a way home from Atlantic City. Robin and Ted tell Lily a whole array of stories, a couple for each member of the gang. Meanwhile, Barney and Marshall eventually hail a...bus...and end up persuading the seniors on the charter bus to convince the driver that they were ALL having heart attacks and they had to be dropped off at the hospital that Lily was having her baby at. Robin attempts to birth the baby, but faints. Lily's OBGYN, Doctor Sonya, takes control and delivers the baby just as Marshall arrives. The couple decide to name the baby Marvin Waitforit Eriksen (the Waitforit thing comes from Barney's attempt to help Marshall escape Atlantic City--I don't feel like summing up that plot point). In the second part, Robin convinces Ted to get ahold of Victoria (yeah, I know), and Lily and Marshall stress about becoming parents, and blah. Barney returns to Quinn and they make up, and decide to fly out to Hawaii to celebrate their rekindling. Whilst passing through security, the couple is pulled aside. A strange box is found inside Barney's suitcase, and we learn all about how it contains a magic trick that he can only reveal to other magicians. Ted meets up with Victoria, who has run away from her wedding to be with Ted again. Ted agrees to run away with her, but then tells her that he wouldn't feel right taking another man's woman since that is what Tony did with Stella. He tells Victoria that he's going to take her back to her church. Lily and Marshall continue to attempt to bring Marvin into the world in a positive way, but ultimately fail, but it was a funny attempt. As Ted and Victoria are driving, Ted passes Victoria's church and she comments on it, but Ted finally settles on running away with her, slipping his fingers into hers. Back at airport security, Quinn is asked for her job, to which she replies, "Unemployed." Barney tells her that she is just trying to avoid embarrassment, but Quinn tells him that she quit her job for him. Barney succumbs and presents his magic trick, which is an explosion, followed by a plant that grew a beautiful rose. Inside the rose?
An engagement ring.
Yep.
BUT THEN. Okay, so rewind, at the beginning of the episode, Future Ted says that Barney's wedding went bad (or something of that regard). So anyway. That was just...a tidbit. Quinn and Barney inform the gang of their engagement. Then we flashforward to the wedding, and Ted is called into the bride's room, and he finds none other than...

Robin Scherbatsky standing in front of a full body mirror, gowned in a wedding dress, and breathing heavily, tears in her eyes.

SO HERE ARE MY THEORIES:

• Part of me believes that Robin is Quinn's maid-of-honor, and that Ted walked in at the wrong time. I mean, we HAVE learned throughout the series that timing is everything, haven't we? So perhaps Robin was upset about her own relationship troubles, or dealing with letting Barney go. 
• Perhaps Robin and Barney--if they do marry--will realize their decision was very impulsive and they won't go through with it, and Barney may return to Quinn. 
• I think Ted and Victoria will actually go on for a while, but will be frowned upon by Lily and Marshall, but encouraged by Robin and Barney. But I think that Victoria's presence will cause Robin to drift away, and if Robin REALLY is the bride (what will happen between Barney and Quinn?!), Barney may drift away, as well.
• Seriously, though, if Robin is the bride, what is going to cause the problem(s) between Barney and Quinn? After all Quinn's done for Barney, and vice-versa, why would they NOT get married? It's JUST SO FRUSTRATING.
• If Robin is the bride, perhaps it was a scam the whole time between Barney and Quinn. Perhaps something happened that night--maybe the first night they met, maybe the night Quinn...served Barney at her work, maybe the night they tricked the rest of the gang that Quinn was a controlling, neurotic dominatrix? Maybe the whole entire time it was just a scam, but that wouldn't explain for the reasons we see Barney and Quinn share emotional moments AWAY from the rest of the gang. But then again, the story is told from Ted's point of view, and he has (on record) gotten information wrong, so maybe he just came up with some story to support reasons why Quinn moved out, etc. Maybe Quinn moved out because she didn't want to live with Barney since they weren't in a real relationship, but Ted played it up as because she was being patronized by Barney. I JUST DON'T KNOW.

I'm pretty sure I had a whole bunch of other theories, but I forgot them. Which pisses me off.

SO WHAT DID YOU THINK OF TONIGHT'S EPISODE? Was the ending a teaser? Is Barney really going to marry Robin, or will he stick with Quinn?

Veronica Roth speculates the release date of 'Divergent' book three

Divergent author, Veronica Roth, semi-formally announced via her blog that the third book in the Divergent trilogy will be released in the Autumn of 2013, as opposed to the expected Spring of 2013. Veronica Roth states her reasoning as being able to "polish" the book, which does heighten our hopes for Detergent's outcome!

You guys DO know Detergent isn't the book's ACTUAL title, right?

The full post.

Review | 'Under the Never Sky'

Under the Never Sky
Veronica Rossi
374 pg., U.S. Hardcover
HarperCollins
4 stars | A-



From Goodreads:

 Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.


This book was totally different than I expected it would be. It was a very intense, unique, but sometimes dull novel. I was expecting a lot more darkness coming from Aria, since she was banished from Reverie. Sure, there was some darkness surrounding her, but I feel like she moved on a bit too quickly. I didn't understand hardly any of her motivations, and thought that the development of the story's MAIN character could definitely have been improved upon.
The pacing of this book was incredibly slow, it really bugged me. I was so annoyed by the way things were just so intricately described, it became so unrealistic and unnecessary. It was redundant and unneeded, and I was disappointed by that aspect.
Certain characters in this book wear electronic eyepatches (Smarteyes), and they reminded me of the Eye-drives from Doctor Who. So, really, I was picturing members of the Silence/Madame Kovarian herself walking around. Yeah. It was pretty creepy.
So basically the story is just about Aria looking for a way to return to Reverie, and a way to reach contact with her mother. Peregrine's plot revolves around looking for his nephew. I just thought there could have been a lot more insight on Aria's life in Reverie, and a lot more scenes that developed the relationship between the protagonists, if there was going to be one. Why would Veronica Rossi make a relationship and then just render it underdeveloped? 
Veronica Rossi's writing style was very nice, though. I liked the way that everything was nicely placed and structured finely, but, like I said, the pacing really needed to have been quickened.


This book's sequel, Through the Ever Night, is due out early next year.