The Woman In Black Review

Hey, Stefanie here!
Okay, so Riley and I went to see "The Woman in Black" last night. And let me just say, my head was in my hands for most of the movie. But that's okay, because I still heard everything that was going on (also Riley gave me the Cliff's Notes later)!
For all you die-hard horror flick fans out there, this movie will probably be about a seven on your thrill-meter. It's got lots of freaky stuff, like cemeteries, creepy old houses, and high tides that are really good for drowning in.
But for the DanRad fans that don't like horror and just want to see him wearing his oh-so-hawt 1800's garb (like me!), this movie probably isn't for you. Sorry to say it guys, but every time there's a good three minutes of silence, something will pop out. Just like every other horror movie. Eet eez (Phlegm!) gonna make you spill your soda everywhere if you're not careful.
Wikipedia reports, "The Woman in Black is about a menacing spectre that haunts a small English town, foreshadowing the death of children." Very true. But it's a bit more than just that.
In terms of the plot, it was about as good as any scary flick can get: something bad is happening, our protagonist doesn't realize it, then goes to figure out what happens. A few scary things go down, and BAM! Our protaggy figures it out. They attempt to calm whatever is happening/solve for the problem. Then some more freaky-deaky stuff, and the thing stares at us eerily so they can make a sequel. The end! The actual substance of the plot was very well-developed, though. I had a thorough understanding of town of Crythin Gifford, as well as eerie Eel Marsh House. The history that they portrayed was very rich, and I had to write down my address multiple times so that I could remind myself that I lived nowhere near that town. Maybe I'm just being dramatic, but it kind of made me feel like I should never do some kind of reenactment of that time period. Ever. It might bring that creepy Woman back. *shiver* The acting was also fabulous, and it really does achieve it's intended purpose: it makes you afraid of the dark.
Unfortunately, I can't give out much more without you guys screaming spoilers. *sigh*
Overall, Riley liked it, and I just liked DanRad (c'mon people, he holds a child. What's more adorable than your favorite Boy Wizard holding a child?). It's a lukewarm horror story, but still good for a fun night out. My rec for those of you that only do romcoms? Skip the theatre, and get it on DVD so you can fast-forward the scary stuff and pause on Dan's close-ups.

The Stiefvater Secret Project Is...

For a while, New York Times-bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater has been teasing a new project, besides The Scorpio Races. On February 2, 2012, Stiefvater took to her blog to announce The Raven Boys, a new fantasy story taking place centered around two characters called Blue Sargent and Richard Campbell Gansey III. The synopsis Stiefvater provides states:

Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong.

Stiefvater also provided the cover for the book.



Are you going to check out the book when it hits shelves September 18?

New 'Hunger Games' Trailer Released

Yesterday, Yahoo! Movies surprised the internet with the new Hunger Games trailer that was expected to premiere during the Super Bowl. (Sorry for the late post) Watch the new clip after the jump.

Academy Award Nominations -- Full List

Whilst Harry Potter was only nominated in only three different categories, the Academy Award nominees promise an interesting show this year.

The full list of nominees are here.

Book Review | 'Looking For Alaska'

Looking for Alaska
John Green
223 pg., U.S. Hardcover
Dutton
5/5 Stars



Alaska is the third book by John Green that I've read (first being Paper Towns and second being An Abundance of Katherines) and his next book, The Fault in Our Stars is released January 10! Thought I'd just...you know...get that out there.
OKAY.
Looking For Alaska was probably the most emotional book I read in the second half of 2011 (Perks of Being a Wallflower was the most emotional in the FIRST half) and it was definitely something I'd been looking forward to reading since I began to watch John and Hank Green's videos on YouTube. For those who don't know what the book's about, it's about AWESOME and more AWESOME and then some TEARS thrown in their to make things interesting. I literally sat curled up in bed with a soft fleece blanket and read this book in three hours. John Green never ceases to amaze me with his perfect character creation and the themes buried in the nooks of his plots. I fell in love with Alaska Young and felt what Miles was feeling and hated what he hated and loved what he loved.
This book is just...gah.
The next six days of my life will consist of anxiously awaiting the release of The Fault in Our Stars.

Book Review | 'Variant'

Variant 
Robison Wells
HarperTeen
373 pg., U.S. Hardcover
4/5 Stars



Variant is the story of Benson Fisher, a boy who moves to Maxfield Academy and learns the secrets hidden in its walls. The book is a very fast-paced quick read that isn't very emotionally powerful but has a strong plot that almost makes up for it. I don't know exactly what to expect going into Variant, but I'm happy I picked it up.
The characters in this book were all very similar, something that factored into the four-star rating. What I mean when I say this is that all the characters seemed to have one goal or one thought on their mind or one opinion, which I didn't see as very realistic. All the kids thought the same way about one another, and there was never any room given to develop these characters' relationships. I did like, however, the plot and its progression as the story went along, and it was a very gripping tale. The ending definitely made me want to return for more.

The sequel, Feedback, does not yet have a release date.

A quick apology

On behalf of everyone here at Potter People, I would like to apologize for some false information that we relayed the other day. The 'tweet' we informed you of turned out to be one tweeted by an imposter J.K. Rowling. Once again, we apologize, and will continue to post new information from the real Jo Rowling when it comes!

Riley Peek