Review | 'BZRK'

BZRK 
Michael Grant
390 pg., U.S. hardcover
Egmont USA
4 stars | B



From Goodreads:

Love The Hunger Games?  Action-adventure thrillers with a dystopian twist? BZRK (Berserk) by Michael Grant, New York Times best-selling author of the GONE series, ramps up the action and suspense to a whole new level of excitement.
 
Set in the near future, BZRK is the story of a war for control of the human mind.  Charles and Benjamin Armstrong, conjoined twins and owners of the Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation, have a goal:  to turn the world into their vision of utopia.  No wars, no conflict, no hunger.  And no free will.  Opposing them is a guerrilla group of teens, code name BZRK, who are fighting to protect the right to be messed up, to be human.  This is no ordinary war, though.  Weapons are deployed on the nano-level. The battleground is the human brain.  And there are no stalemates here:  It’s victory . . . or madness.
 
BZRK unfolds with hurricane force around core themes of conspiracy and mystery, insanity and changing realities, engagement and empowerment, and the larger impact of personal choice. Which side would you choose?  How far would you go to win?


In March of 2011, Isaac Knopf (Footy Chronicles, The Distributor) and I interviewed Michael Grant, New York Times-bestselling author of the Gone series, and we asked him about one of this then-upcoming novels, BZRK to which he said he couldn't say much. A year later, the novel was released, and three months after that, I'm finally reading it. And, of course you know this, here's my review.
Kicking right off with the writing of the novel, the reason I didn't give this book five stars that it obviously deserves since Michael's worked so hard on it is because the writing was very much so different than the Gone series, which threw me off quite a bit. The first hundred-200 pages were very gripping and easy-to-follow if you were paying attention, but once I passed the 200-page mark, things started to become too fast-paced and complex, and those two things don't go hand-in-hand. I was getting pretty impatient and irritated with the pacing of the story, and it really--in my opinion--should have been slowed down just a notch, but what does my opinion matter? I also didn't really like the heavy usages of sexuality and profanity. Listen, I love the crap of Michael Grant and his books, but I think a sense of credibility and realism are taken away with this adult-related aspect to his books. Sure, in the fifth Gone book, Fear, *spoiler* multiple couples have sex and almost all characters cuss, but this novel wasn't afraid to make somewhat objective comments about the opposite sex, and drop an f-bomb. I mean it didn't really bug me personally, but I'm sure it will bug some readers, as well as starting to get redundant and overused.
The number one thing that this book has going is its plot. The story is about two different organisations (BZRK and the Armstrong family) and their respective goals and ways of going about said goals. The story revolves around Sadie and Noah, who are given pseudonyms in order to become apart of BZRK. The Armstrong family's objective is to create a utopia, but BZRK's goal is to avoid that route and live free lives, for the utopia that the Armstrongs want to build could be perceived as more of a dystopia. The plot had a very interesting arc, and while it wasn't entirely strong, it was very grabbing. The book kicks off with a jet crashing into a stadium, which sparks the attention of BZRK towards Sadie. We follow the plot through many characters, not unlike Grant's Gone books, and it does get quite hard to keep up with, so I definitely recommend reading the book slowly. I also recommend, obviously, reading with caution for profanity and sexual references and aspects. So overall with the plot, it isn't very moving or strong, but it is interesting and so eerily realistic, in a sense.
Topping off the review is, as usual, discussion on the novel's character development and arcs. I didn't really feel emotionally connected to any of the characters at all, but perhaps that's simply because this is because this book is the first in a series. I think a lot of the characters were very similar as far as voice, motivations, and development go. The thing with books with multiple perspectives is that it's very hard to have ample character development, and I think BZRK both proved that wrong and also sort of, sort of, sort of, succumbed to it. I think Sadie did change a bit, and I don't really know all that much about Noah changing, I'll have to go back through and reread his introductory scene(s). So...yeah. The characters in this book were neither lovable nor hate-worthy, so I think--on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being amazing)--the character development in BZRK falls in at a 6 or 7, which is still pretty good, especially considering the circumstances of the novel.
All in all, the book was better than I thought it would be, and I read it within a 24-hour period. It's a very complex, intricate, fascinating read that definitely appeals to fans of technological stories involving scientific developments and such. If you are a Gone fan, as I am (and a massive one at that), I do want to tell you not to go into this book expecting those books. I kind of made that mistake, and I regret it, and believe it altered my perception of the book. 


The sequel to BZRK, BZRK 2 (as it's currently titled--whether it'll change or not is unbeknownst to me), is set to be released February 26, 2013.

[UPDATED] Garrett Hedlund takes to Facebook to confirm that he will NOT be playing Finnick

Great news to many, bad news to some, Garrett Hedlund (Country Strong, Tron: Legacy, On the Road) has taken to his official Facebook page to debunk any and all rumours--and fan-castings--that he will be playing Finnick Odair in Catching Fire.

"Contrary to recent media reports I am not, and never have been in discussions to star in  The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire"

So what does this mean? Does it mean that *my personal pick* Armie Hammer could possibly be playing Finnick? Or were those top three (Armie, Garrett, and Taylor Kitsch) just a fluke? Both Hedlund and Kitsch have denied the part, so does it now go to Hammer?

Let's hope so.

UPDATE: I've been informed by multiple people on Twitter that this Facebook account is not really Garrett Hedlund. I hear this all the time, though, and sometimes it works vice versa--fans, and sometimes even celebrities, will think that a star had an official account, but it turned out to be a poser. Unless Hedlund's people confirm this isn't his account, take this report with a bit of wariness, and just know that it's now a rumor until confirmation of Garrett Hedlund's media outlets.

So what are your guys' opinions on this shocking announcement? A lot of fans wanted Garrett to portray the heartthrob. Let me know in the comments below!

Cover for Veronica Rossi's 'Through the Ever Night' revealed!

Today, Veronica Rossi revealed the cover for Through the Ever Night, the sequel to her debut novel, Under the Never Sky.



The book's cover features one protagonist, Peregrine, with a tagline similarly formatted to that of its predecessor. The book is expected to have 400 pages, and is slated for a released date of January 8, 2013.

Opinion: Cato's speech in 'The Hunger Games' is NOT a defining moment

Most people seem to think that Cato’s monologue at the end of the Hunger Games film was a redeeming moment of characterisation for Cato, and that it showed a lot of the ‘pain and torture’ the Careers went through growing up in a lifestyle where they are forced to volunteer for the Games.

I’m hear to prove them wrong.

A. If one were to grow up in a lifestyle where they are forced to volunteer for the Games, as Cato is, one would never have the intellectual capacity to begin to “consider themselves dead,” as Cato does at the end of the film. From birth, they’re trained to reach a level of brutality unprecedented in Panem’s history, all for the pleasing of the Capitol. The Career Districts are the Capitol’s little minks that it’s got wrapped around its neck. Cato’s mind has been drained of any purity and innocence and replaced with anger and hatred to be used in the Arena. He doesn’t have compassion, he doesn’t have sympathy, and he especially does not have the ability to acknowledge that he was ‘already dead.’ He cannot be already dead, because that would imply that some past incarnation of Cato had been killed, when Cato had never been anyone else prior to the murderous boar he was in the first book. Had he wanted to, he could have refused that lifestyle. Sure, the repercussions would have been extremely detrimental, but he most definitely could have run away or rebel. 

B. For all we know, this could have been a guilt-trick towards Katniss. Obviously Suzanne Collins had to approve of this for the film, being a screenwriter, but does that mean that she approved of it for the sake of making Cato turn into a good guy? No, not precisely. She could have chosen to keep the scene for the purposes of adding a layer of cunning intellect to Cato’s character, very similar to Foxface. Foxface died as a result of an internal choice, but Cato makes a lot of external choices, and I think that Collins wanted to make that contrast, but also etch in a bit of comparison between the two. You’ve got to have a hint of intelligence to be from the Career Districts, so maybe—just maybe—this scene is Cato’s way of displaying it. 

C. We don’t know enough of Cato to judge whether or not this is a “defining character moment for him!” It’s a major difference between, say, Hermione leaving Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Cato’s film-only speech in The Hunger Games. For instance, by the time Hermione makes the decision to drop out of school, we have known her for six full books—not to mention six LONG books. Hermione’s defining characteristic is that she’s bookish; she needs logic to make decisions. Cato makes impulsive, comfortable decisions that he is familiar with from growing up. It’s more of a ‘defining’ moment for Hermione because we know of her life before the books, her life during the books, and we even know her life after the books—working for the Ministry, etc. We only really know Cato for a bout 200 pages by the time his death comes around, and he isn’t even in a large majority of the pages. This translates oddly to film, because Lionsgate plays Cato up as the main antagonist of the film, even though the book-readers know that the Capitol is the main enemy. It’s very hard to discern ‘shining scenes’ for Cato, because we really know barely anything about him. Come on, we don’t even know the guy’s last name, which is made obvious in the film when Caesar Flickerman’s reading the Tributes’ names, goes through the first 22 without a last name, and then reads the last names of only two tributes—Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen. Silly Caesar.

So I know a lot of the fangirls love to swoon over Alexander Ludwig’s tears at the end of Gary Ross’s masterpiece, but I, on the other hand, do not. The scene means nothing to me, I felt nothing for Cato, and I hope this piece provided some insight on my opinion.

Casting 'Catching': Two actors in talks to play Brutus

Shockya is reporting that they were directly emailed inforation that Victor Gojcaj (The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) is "in negotiations" to portray Brutus, the self-explaining Tribute in the Third Quarter Quell in Catching Fire. Shockya also says that he is up against Kevin Durand (Lost, Robin Hood, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I Am Number Four, Real Steel). Personally, my pick is Durand. He looks the part for me, and he seems to be more seasoned in action films. I've seen him in Real Steel, Lost, and I Am Number Four, all of which are very action-packed.

So casting seems to be picking up for Catching Fire; we recently reported that Jena Malone is in talks for the role of Johanna Mason, Philip Seymour Hoffman is reportedly sought after for the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, and even Lil' Romeo is 'conversing' with Lionsgate about a role. No word on any casting advancements for Finnick, or any other Tributes for that matter, but you can bet we'll report on them if they come around.

'Doctor Who' series 7 opener title announced!

Doctor Who TV is reporting that the seventh series of Doctor Who will open with ASYLUM OF THE DALEKS, which seems to be the episode in which The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are in an arctic-type location.

The title is confirmed by the British Film Institute, who will be screening the episode on August 14.

Yet to be confirmed, the new series is set to debut in late August.

[UPDATED]Zoe Aggeliki and Mia Wasikowska being considered to play Johanna Mason in 'Catching Fire'

Interesting news! The Playlist is reporting that Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are Alright, Jane Eyre) and Zoe Aggeliki (Silena Beauregard in Sea of Monsters) are being considered to play Johanna Mason, Katniss's sort-of-rival, in the film adaptation of Catching Fire. Both casting choices have gone unnoticed by fans, and we really like them! The problem with Zoe being cast, though, is that she's already starring in another big franchise (Percy Jackson), so filming for Catching Fire may conflict with Sea of Monsters, and maybe even a clash between Mockingjay and Titan's Curse.

UPDATE: Mia Wasikowska has denied all rumors that she'd be playing Johanna Mason (sadly), saying that she had made prior commitments to other projects, and that she would be breaching those commitments by working on Catching Fire. Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Jena Malone (Sucker Punch, Pride and Prejudice) is in the running now.

What are your guys' thoughts?

Cover for Tahereh Mafi's 'Unravel Me' uncovered!

This morning, MTV Hollywood Crush unveiled the cover for Unravel Me, the sequel to Tahereh Mafi's debut novel, Shatter Me. The covers got a redesign (but what covers haven't) and the new design features a silvery-blue eye with a frozen teardrop spilling out. Check out the cover below.



You can read my review of Shatter Me in the 'Book Reviews' section, and my interview with Tahereh Mafi in the 'Author Interviews' section of the blog!

Review | 'Crossed'

Crossed
Ally Condie
365 pg., U.S. hardcover
Dutton
5 stars | A+



From Goodreads:

Rules Are Different Outside The Society

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.
Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.

Crossed is the sequel to Matched, and if you have not read the latter, I suggest you do so before reading this review. The entirety of this review will be spoiler-free for Crossed.

Ally Condie has noticeably improved as a writer. While reading Matched, I remember having felt like her writing was rather juvenile and youthful, and while Crossed is still a very easy book to read and provides no challenge whatsoever, it's definitely an improvement upon what her writing was during Matched. If there were any flaws in my rating of this book, they would be towards the writing, just because it is so simple and easy to follow, and I know that some readers will not be able to find the complexity in the plot because of the writing. I happened to appreciate her style about fifty pages into the book, and I read the whole novel at my sister's softball game. It was...pretty amazing.

The plot of this book is centered around Ky, who's now living in the Outer Provinces, and Cassia, who finds herself there, and their attempts to decode a poem about a 'Pilot,' decipher information about the Rising, and make life-altering decisions regarding all those details and more. As far as an arc goes, I feel like maybe the story arc wasn't a full arc, but that it sort of dropped a bit, just because the ending wasn't really leading to the end for me. It wasn't until 200-some-odd pages in that I began to realize what they were planning to do, who was planning to do it, and why they planned on doing it. Don't get me wrong, though, the plot wasn't difficult to keep up with, but I suppose I just missed certain important aspects. I felt like the usage of the poem was interesting, as well as all of the references to the pills. It was interesting to find out who the 'Pilot' is/was, and I look forward to seeing more of that in Reached.

This book was the book for characterization--as far as the Matched world goes. Cassia really grows up and comes into her own in this installment, making so many bold choices, and breaking the mold of a stereotypical YA heroine in love. I wasn't expecting a lot going into this book, so I was blown away when we saw so many sides of Cassia; the needy girl, the courageous girl, the reluctant girl, the friendly girl. I never knew there were so many sides to Cassia Reyes. Ky also had a lot of characterization in this book, and I don't know whether or not it would've existed if we had not seen part of the story from his perspective. I'm not sure where I stood on the whole Ky vs. Xander situation in the first book, but I was shocked to find a lot of new information about both of them in this book. I don't really know if I can say that Ky developed, but he definitely did a lot of things and chose a lot of things that were very mature of him. 

The third, and final, book in the Matched trilogy, Reached will be released November 13, 2012.

Review | 'Pandemonium'

Pandemonium
Lauren Oliver
375 pg., U.S. hardcover
Harper
4 stars | A-



From Goodreads:

I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Pandemonium is the sequel to Delirium. If you haven't read Delirium, I recommend you do so before reading the entirety of this review. This review will remain entirely spoiler-free, apart from a subsequent paragraph at the end, which will be marked with a spoiler-warning.

The writing in Pandemonium was not unlike that of its predecessor; dull, slow-paced, and attention-losing. It's the think that I hate most about this series, and what drives me away from them so often. Lauren Oliver does not do a great job, in my opinion, bringing a respective voice and life to her narrator, and that is essential in a book series like this! The books could be truly appealing if the writing just added more flavor and more life to itself, and lifted some of the depression and intensity from a book that deserves happiness and moments of relief. I have troubles getting through these books because her writing will grab me at certain points, but lose me at most others. The thing with Delirium was that I thought Lena was such a great character, but that wasn't linguistically expressed, and I would really appreciate more emotion from all across the board from Lauren Oliver when she's writing this series. I understand Lena's emotions, but they aren't portrayed the way I believe they ought to. I know that this book is obviously Oliver's interpretation of the situation, and my opinion shouldn't universally matter, but I just thought I'd contribute my two cents to that aspect of the novel.

The plot of this book, and of the series, is the highlight for me. It's such a creative world that Lauren Oliver has created, and I really think that it's at the top of my list for favorite worlds and societies created, because she really takes a scenario that every person in history has ever felt and turns it into something that they never should have felt, and there are the people who vie for its integrity, and there are the people who kill those who do the former, and there are the Cureds, the Invalids, and the sympathizers. There are so many interesting sides to this series, and I think they get watered down a bit by Lauren Oliver's boring writing. I appreciate what she already does to inspect certain points of interest in the society, but I wish she did delve more into the government and the propaganda and the rebellion. I know we're seeing most of it from Lena's perspective, but I think that she could get a more diverse outlook on things. As far as structure and arc go, it's definitely there, and obviously the 'then' perspective of Lena's life was meant to provide background exposition for the 'now' perspective, which I wasn't totally against.

The characterization for Pandemonium really just revolves around Lena's growth from being a stick in the mud to a liberated, free girl who's on the run from governmental grasps. I appreciate Lena's character and the fact that Lauren Oliver has paid so much attention to her, but I feel like so many characters go without anything happening to them. For instance, Alex seems to be the character whose sole purpose was to introduce both Lena and the reader to the Wilds and life as a rebel. Julian seems to be the character who introduces Lena and the reader to life inside the people responsible for the Cure, but how people who are important are treated. Raven seems to be the character who shows the reader what life is like in the Wilds firsthand, since Lena is also being introduced to it alongside us. So many of the characters are just plot devices, and that goes unappreciated on my behalf. I hope that we can see a lot more development in the next book.

The third, and final, book in this trilogy, Requiem, is to be released March 2013.


You can watch my video review of Pandemonium here.

Jemima West cast as Isabelle Lightwood in 'City of Bones'

Cassandra Clare, author of The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, and the upcoming The Dark Artifices, has announced via her Tumblr that Jemima West has been cast as Isabelle Lightwood in the film adaptation of her bestselling novel, City of Bones. Clare also announced that Alec Lightwood, Isabelle's brother, has also been cast, but that he is an extremely well-known British actor, but has to be kept secret for a while. Clare says that West really captured Isabelle's 'toughness' in her audition, so we're glad to see that's presumably got both the personality and the looks down!

What are your guys' thoughts on Jemima West? We've never heard of her before, so we're glad that we're getting this fresh talent in; no prior judgments or criticisms towards her whatsoever! Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for Alec's casting choice!

Review | 'Hallowed'

Hallowed 
Cynthia Hand
eBook (Kindle Fire)
HarperTeen
3 stars | C



From Goodreads:

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.


You have no idea how disappointed I am that this book turned out to be a very poor book. I really liked Unearthly and I was ultimately, completely, utterly let down with this one, and I was so excited to read this installment in the series, and it really turned me off from progressing with the next book. 
Alright, so let's start off with the writing. When I first started the book, I was liking it pretty good, and I thought that Cynthia Hand's writing was doing pretty well and refreshing. I was reading it on my Kindle Fire, so about 40% through, I lost interest. I feel like her writing became very dull, unimpressive, and quite annoying. I just wasn't feeling it, and that's all there is to this portion of the review.
Next up is plot. The plot of this is essentially that Clara is having these dreams that she's at a funeral, but Tucker's missing, so she assumes that he's the one who's dead. Turns out (minor spoiler) it's her mother, since angels die about 120 years into their lives, and the reason Tucker isn't there is because Clara broke up with him. As far as that whole aspect goes, I liked it fine. Things started to wobble a little bit in certain areas of the book, but I definitely think the plot is what the book has going for. It was a smooth transition between the first and second book, but I feel like there were definitely some things that Cynthia Hand should have kept in, and my expectations were not met. I wish there was this massive threat in this series; it would really perfect it, but, alas, there isn't.
Now on to the characterization area of this review. There really isn't a whole lot of it in this book. I'm just so pissed that so many YA paranormal romance books are trying to add a sense of 'reality' to the 'fantasy' idea, but they end up being sexy scenes, which are worthless, pointless, and just plain stupid. There's no difference in this book. I was honestly disappointed in Clara and Tucker, and I do not believe in the slightest that their characters have grown and matured. 
Compared to my more recent reviews, this one was definitely very short. The reason is that I do not have a lot of good things to say about this book, and it really saddens me! I don't have very passionate feelings towards Hallowed, and I'm really upset that the series is heading in this direction. I didn't like the Spiderman-mixed-with-Woman in Black element at the end, and I just...urgh. 
The third, and final, book in this series, Boundless, is due out January 22, 2013. That, unfortunately, is my birthday. Perhaps I'll get it just to see how the story ends, and hey, maybe this was just a rough patch for the books! I'll probably re-read it once I get some other books out of the way and see if my review changes; I was feeling really rushed with this one.

Review | 'City of Fallen Angels'

City of Fallen Angels
Cassandra Clare
424 pg., U.S. hardcover
Simon & Schuster
4.5 stars | A



From Goodreads:

The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most important of all—Clary can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.


The following review will contain spoilers for the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series. The entirety of this review will be free of CoFA spoilers, apart from a paragraph at the end set aside specifically for said spoilers. 

Let's just start with the writing, shall we? Yes. That 'Yes' was both a confirmation of my question and a praise to Cassandra Clare's writing. Although I'm not that big of a fan of its slow-pacing in her Infernal Devices series, I forgot how much I loved it in the Mortal Instruments books. She has so many more plots in this series that she can focus around; especially at the end. I loved Isabelle's perspective the most, probably because I was getting a bit tired of Simon's voice, and Clary had just started to become the norm for this series, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Isabelle tell the story a bit. Although I was able to tell that each perspective was written by a person, they did their own respective unique qualities. Obviously, every single subplot led into the overarching climax, and Clare definitely did a phenomenal job of dropping hints and foreshadowing to the big reveal at the end, which I LOVED. Just a disclaimer, Cassandra Clare's writing is not for everyone. Back in 2009, Bones took me a months to read, Ashes took me two days, Glass took me a month, and--long story short--Fallen Angels took me a few hours. I definitely think that her writing has improved since the first book, and I really recommend sticking with it through the rest of the series.

Second thing on the agenda is the plot. The plot in this book is just...beyond any other plot in the series, although I think Ashes may still be my personal favorite. This book definitely had an advantage on the other books because there were more characters and scenarios for Cassandra Clare to write about. I'm glad that there wasn't an overload of romance (although when there was romance, it was heavy), and, admittedly, there were some dull parts around the middle, but I urge you get over that bump. I believe that Fallen Angels has an unbelievably complex, unpredictable plot, and Cassandra Clare has truly mastered the art of disguising plot points within other plot points. There were some things that I started to theorize about, and got correct, but other than those two or three things, I was thrown through a loop. Her series is definitely original, and I even laughed once or twice, which I hardly ever do while reading. The plot centers around a series of killings occurring in New York, and Clary and Jace have to track them down, as well as figure out what's causing some strange behavior occurring in different characters. The ending of the book definitely affects the rest of the series, although I have not read Lost Souls yet. It had an absolute, definite plot arc and structure, and I praise Clare for that.

The last thing, and most important thing to me, is character development. The weird thing about this series is that the first book takes place in 2007, and so does the second book...and the third book...and the fourth book...and apparently the fifth one does as well. The thing that bugs me about this is how intense the romance is, and how unrealistic it is that all the characters have come so close in a matter of months. What I am looking at, though, is how much Clary has changed from the first book to this one. She's definitely grown into her own as a character, a woman, and a Shadowhunter. She's very independent, snide, and bold in this book, and not in the annoying, stereotypical, YA-heroine way that many authors are striving for these days. Jace, in my opinion, is still quite a bit of a predictable guy for me, and I definitely think that he and Will Herondale (from The Infernal Devices) are mirror images of one another. I love Maia's character arc, I really ended up liking Jordan, and I loved the tension going on between Alec, Magnus, and Camille there at the end. This book's character development definitely shone through.

THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS TO CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS

So, can we TALK about Lilith? I loved her as a character, but definitely not as a human being. She's vile, and in my opinion, even worse that Valentine will ever be. I've got a feeling that she isn't done; that she isn't gone. I mentioned some of my theories coming true, and one of those was that Simon's "band promoter" would end up being someone in disguise, and indeed she did. As far as Sebastian goes, and I think this may be a stupid theory, but I think that--and maybe this is just a crackpot theory, hey, I'm from the Harry Potter fandom; some people though Ginny Weasley was a cat Animagus just because she was cat-like--all the references to his hair being like seaweed might have some references to the lake he was killed by, and maybe symbolic for the horror of being suspended underwater. Maybe, also, there may be some climactic scene in Heavenly Fire involving Jace and Sebastian, or Clary and Sebastian, by a lake/in a lake. I don't know. It's a wild theory. I'm excited to see how Alec and Magnus's relationship pans out in the next book, and pumped to see more of Isabelle. I've just got to wait to get my hands on a copy...#firstworldprobz.

City of Lost Souls is now out in bookstores, and City of Heavenly Fire, the story's finale (this time for real) is expected for a release date of March 19, 2014.

Potter People Podcast #3 - "The One with Marissa Meyer"

In which Isaac and Riley interview Marissa Meyer, New York Times-bestselling author of the Lunar Chronicles, and discuss the latest fandom news, including:

• Beautiful Creatures filming
• Sea of Monsters filming
• Catching Fire casting
• Doctor Who filming
• Poking fun at Twilight, but what else is new?

You can download that episode here!

'DOCTOR WHO': New information revealed on Jenna-Louise Coleman's companion

Doctor Who TV is reporting that Steven Moffat, the showrunner and head-writer for Doctor Who, has released a few tidbits of information regarding Jenna-Louise Coleman's character (allegedly named Clara) in the second half of the seventh series of Who.

According to Doctor Who TV:

• Coleman will play a modern, human girl--despite rumors that she would be from Victorian times, and that she would be alien.
• She's very unique in the way she ends up with the Doctor
• She's got no connections to previous companions OR characters
• "The Doctor has never met anyone quite like her before"
• She's very effective on the Doctor/companion relationship, and her experience in the TARDIS is reportedly life-changing for the Doctor.

We're definitely discussing this on the next episode of the show! What are your thoughts? 

Review | 'Arise'

Arise 
Tara Hudson
eBook (Kindle Fire)
HarperTeen
Four stars | B+



From Goodreads:

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.


The first part of this review will be absolutely spoiler-free, but I will designate a paragraph at the very end for spoiler-filled goodness. Sound good to you? Sounds good to me. Arise is the sequel to Hereafter, so I recommend you have read the first book in order to read, and comprehend, this review. 
We'll start right off with the writing, because frankly, that's what's on my mind most about this book. I thought that Hudson's writing really improved from the last book, and I was not a huge fan of her writing in Hereafter at all. I thought that she was able to keep my attention better in this book better than she was able to in the first book. That said, I still think Tara Hudson needs to improve on her writing the most out of anything. It's very loose and I'm easily distracted from her writing, which is really sad, because I want to love this series, but I can't. The book was fast-paced, and I started it at 9pm Monday night and finished it at 11am the next morning, obviously with a break for sleeping in there.
Have you been aching to reread New Moon? Well, look no further, because here it is. The plot of this book was very New Moon-ish, but with the gender roles reversed, which I'll discuss more in the spoiler section. I think the fast-pacing really affected my perception of what was going on, because I feel like so many different things were happening without any warning, and it got a bit confusing. The plot centers around Amelia and Joshua traveling to Nola in order to meet the latter's Seer family, and then Amelia is conflicted about her future with Joshua and his safety, and this is where I think the plot trips up on itself. Amelia made a lot of weird, non-backed up decisions that I felt had no place in the book. The plot lacked originality, and I was tired of the whole graveyard feel of everything, and it was way too predictable. Some things I liked about the plot would include a lot of Amelia's internal thinking, even though I didn't get it, I thought it was very realistic to Amelia's character and to the plot development. I thought the plot developed well, but not nearly as good as I had hoped for, and not as poorly as Hereafter. It really need a lot more fluency and cohesiveness.
As far as characterization goes in this book, I think Amelia grows a lot in this book (for her character), which I really appreciated. The scenario that Amelia is placed in requires a lot of growth and change, and we didn't get that in Hereafter, but we did get it in Arise. She definitely went from being the timid, socially secluded girl she was at the beginning of Hereafter, to this curious, bold (perhaps not courageous, but bold) lady in Arise. I didn't see a lot of development from Joshua, who is practically the only other character in this book. There was Gabrielle and Alex, but there wasn't much development from them (especially since this was their first appearance) as their was exposition being revealed on their characters, and I think that their characters can develop from start to finish in the next book now that we know many characters' true colors. 

THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ARISE

When the first chapter came around, I was really beginning to notice the drastic change in Tara Hudson's writing, and I was really pleased. And then I got to the second chapter. BAM! Sex scene. Okay, so it wasn't a sex scene, but a heavy makeout session, and Amelia constantly refers to her dress going to an "inappropriate height" on her thighs. It did nothing to the plot besides contrast to the ending, when Amelia can no longer touch Joshua. I mean they never even touch again in the story, so it was just so random and awkwardly intense. I hate to say this, but Tara Hudson could learn from Stephenie Meyer when it comes to adding subtlety to your characters' intimate scenes--see Breaking Dawn's honeymoon scene (Meyer doesn't describe the scene, only its aftermath). I mentioned that I would bring up the New Moon-ity of this book, and I will do so now. If you've read, or seen, the second Twilight installment, you'll know that Edward  Cullen leaves Bella Swan "for her safety." In this book, Amelia (in my opinion, very suddenly) leaves Joshua "for his safety." The difference between Twilight and this book, though, is that we do not see inside Edward's thought process, so we are left to infer that he had been contemplating this thought for a while. However, in Arise, where we do see the protagonists's thoughts, I didn't see her leaving of Joshua coming, and there's no excuse for that. There should have been more internal conflict with Amelia's decisions, but there wasn't, so when she left him, I was so confused. I mean, they were just getting it on at the beginning of the book, and her motivations for leaving (which were basically to "think things over" about her offer by Gabrielle) were stupid and pointless. BOO, AMELIA, BOO. I can't even put my anger for that section of the book into a coherent thought. I don't like Twilight, but Edward had good reasons for leaving, but Amelia didn't. Hudson did not provide enough internal struggles and NO thinking-over of the idea. Ugh. As far as predictability goes, I just knew that one of the new kids that Amelia meets would have to be a villain, otherwise there wasn't going to be a villain, which I actually would have preferred. 

I'm being very generous giving this book a four stars, and I suppose it's just because most of my nitpicks were just issues with the logic and common sense of the book, so...it's just so frustrating. The third, and final, book in this series, Elegy, will be released next year. 

Rumor: Philip Seymour Hoffman offered role as Plutarch Heavensbee in 'Catching Fire'

According to Hypable, a rumor is floating around that Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski, Moneyball) has been offered the role as the new Head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee, who later becomes the leader of the anti-Capitol rebellion in the third book. Hypable reports that a man called Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) tweeted about the news, but there is no confirmation from Lionsgate.

What do you guys think about the possibility of Hoffman portraying Heavensbee? I, personally, am not a big fan of the idea, for I pictured Plutarch very Finnick-y in the sense of being tall, slightly less muscular than Finnick, but still handsome and charming. Let us know in the comments below!

Review | 'Clockwork Prince'

Clockwork Prince
Cassandra Clare
502 pg., U.S. hardcover
Simon & Schuster
Four stars | B+



From Goodreads:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

This review will be spoiler-free, and you won't really have to have read Clockwork Angel to get this review. There may be bits of spoilers, but I will drop warnings along the way.

I'll dive right in with Cassandra Clare's writing, which I wasn't that big of a fan of in this book. I feel like she took way too much time to pull apart such trivial events and describe them in depth, which wasn't really needed. I feel like certain vital scenes rushed by my eyes, and I had to go back and re-read those specific aspects, and I also feel like Cassandra Clare could have--should have--cut them down if she intended for emphasis to be drawn to these scenes. For these reasons, the pacing of the book was really slow, and I was tempted to begin skipping over certain parts of the book, but I know that would have been detrimental on my part.

The story line in this book doesn't coincide with the title as much as its predecessor did. I feel like it revolved a lot around the aspects of Mortmain and his existence and what he was up to rather than building the tensions between Tessa and Jem, and Tessa and Will, which obviously were supposed to have this big pay-off in the end. I also thought the plot was kind of all over the place, in the sense that at some parts, it was calm and they were training, and at some parts there were scenes discussing certain people's betrayals. I did like, however, how a lot of things were foreshadowed, and how a lot of new plot points were introduced in order to factor into later plot points, and also to bridge to the next book. I feel like this book was one big segue into Clockwork Princess.

The characterization in this review wasn't all that appealing to me; I felt like Will and Jem were both equally annoying, and that they didn't grow or change from the characters they were in Clockwork Angel. I thought that, since we get this huge bombshell on Will, he would be more likable and that his motives would be merited for, but I still was irked by him. As far as characters that I like go, I still love Magnus Bane, and I liked Camille's return. I also liked the leader of the werewolf back, Woolsey Scott, and I thought he lightened things up a bit, which I appreciated. I'm glad that Clare added a lot of variety and flavor to this dark book. 

I think the only reason I'm really rewarding this book four stars out of five is because I think it was a pleasing sequel to an otherwise amazing first book, so I was pretty satisfied overall.

The sequel, Clockwork Princess is due out March 2013. 

Fan Casting: My choices for Finnick and Wiress in 'Catching Fire'

The past few weeks have been studded with news and rumors about who's playing who in the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is obviously the film adaptation of the book, Catching Fire. The second book in Suzanne Collins's beloved Hunger Games trilogy introduces many new, pivotal characters, two of which being Finnick Odair, the handsome Capitol-favorite from District Four, and Wiress, the zany, eerily silent Ravenclaw-type from District Three.

Seemingly the hottest franchise in Hollywood, Catching Fire is the sequel to this year's blockbuster, The Hunger Games, and will be directed by Francis Lawrence, has a completed script by Simon Beaufoy, and will feature the returning roles of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. But perhaps the most highly sought-after role in the film industry right now is that of the green-eyed, sugar-cube hunk, Finnick Odair.

For almost years now, fans have been hitting social networking websites, namely Tumblr, with who they think should play the fictional heartthrob, and so I am going to try my best and provide my analysis on who I think should play Finnick Odair, and I'll even pipe in on my personal choice for the wacky Wiress.

The main three contenders for the seductive sailor were Taylor Kitsch, Garrett Hedlund, and Armie Hammer, for they were, and in some cases still are, believed to be the lead three actors being auditioned by Lionsgate. Kitsch, though, debunked and and all rumors that he'd be playing Finnick, leaving Hedlund and Hammer as the fan-favorites, among other actors.

My choice is:

• Garrett Hedlund
• Armie Hammer

For a while, I was beginning to like the idea of Hedlund (whom I've seen in Tron: Legacy and Country Strong), but then I found Hammer, and Garrett immediately became a shaggy, scrawny guy to me compared to Armie Hammer. 

Hammer, who can be seen in The Social Network, J. Edgar, Mirror Mirror, and the upcoming The Lone Ranger, really personifies my visualization of this beefy, tall, nice-smiled guy who also had this element of classiness, femininity, and real charm to him that Finnick has. I haven't actually seen any of his films, but he really looks the part in my opinion. When I read the book, I always pictured Finnick with the type of up-swept hairstyle that Armie Hammer has, and even that bright smile that Hammer comes close to possessing! I also constantly think of that iconic scene when Finnick is draped in ropes, but is fully nude, and you really have to remember that he's this built, athletic guy, and I've seen Hedlund with no shirt on in Country Strong, and he isn't quite as structured as I'd expect Hammer to be. Sure, Garret Hedlund could hit the gym like Taylor Lautner did, but I'm honestly just really starting to find myself incredibly fascinated by the possibility of Armie portraying my personal favorite Hunger Games character! I mean I was never really able to put a face to my interpretation of Finnick, and Hammer cuts close. I think with a little bit of glisten added to his hair, a heck-lot of teeth whitening, and that tan I know we all have associated with Odair, Armie Hammer could be the perfect Finnick.

I also wanted to bring up my choice for some casting that hasn't really been speculating, and that's for Wiress from District Three. I'm going to kind of jump to the chase here and say that I'm recently picturing...

Rooney Mara as Wiress.

I know, I know, many people are instantly picturing Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (and, admittedly, I also would like to see Mara as Cressida, the tatted reporter in Mockingjay), but when Rooney Mara isn't sporting multiple piercings and tight leather clothes, she's got this really soft, delicate look about her that I envision with Wiress. Sure, Wiress is obviously older than Rooney Mara is, but that's what the makeup department is for. I mean, it's really all about the acting, and Mara is undoubtedly an astounding actress, and she would bring a level of eeriness and emotional attachment to the role of Wiress, in my opinion.

Let me know what you guys think of my casting and my reasoning for my choices in the comments section below! Who do YOU want to see play Finnick, Wiress, and even other CF characters like Plutarch Heavensbee, Beetee, Johanna Mason, and Enobaria!

'Snow White and the Huntsman' sequel in works

Hypable, as well as Deadline, is reporting that the current blockbuster Snow White and the Huntsman is garnering a script for a sequel that has been in talks since prior to the film's release! The film, which I've seen twice now, stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron as the lead trio, but it is unknown if any of them will reveal in the second film, although *SPOILER* [highlight to read] Charlize Theron's character, Queen Ravenna, is killed at the end of the film *END SPOILER*.

What are your thoughts on the first film as well as a development into a series?

'Perks of Being a Wallflower' trailer finally released!

During tonight's MTV Movie Awards pre-show, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller presented the trailer for the highly-anticipated film, Perks of Being a Wallflower. You can see the trailer here. It features an added scene when Logan (Charlie) stands up in a pickup truck, as well as the book's renowned quote, "We are infinite."