Christopher C. Payne's Blog, page 27

Mourning Sun (Highland Home 1)

Mourning Sun

By:  Shari Richardson

ISBN:  9781460983263

Published March 24, 2011 by CreateSpace

Available Format:  Paperback, ebook

My Rating:  ★★★★☆

Mairin Cote is accustomed to weird.  Her mother and her angelic partner run a metaphysical store, she has dreams full of premonition, and now she is seeing auras around everyone.  Her world is still rocked when the gorgeous, charming Mathias walks into her life.  Soon she realizes the world is full of all sorts of monsters, besides the ones she faces every day in the halls of her hometown high school.

I received an electronic copy of Mourning Sun for review.  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised!  Although quite short, the story was fantastic.  It didn't take long for me to be completely absorbed in Mairin's life.  It isn't an entirely original concept, but the way Richardson writes it, with the little twists and turns, makes it fresh and exciting.  I love the way she so cleverly worked certain real-life issues into the story, such as homosexuality and bullying.  Even the decision Mairin must make regarding Mathias could be applied metaphorically to so many other situations in real life.

There were a few instances where I caught a little error here and there, or where I felt a little bit of editing could have cleaned something up a tiny bit.  Overall, however, it was a very well written work.  The plot was solid and everything flowed perfectly.  The characters all had good chemistry even if the situations were rather awkward.

I appreciate the conciseness of the book, but I can see where the author could have really expanded and probably made it at least twice as long.  I cannot really complain, however.  It truly was a nice fluffy little read for me to devour on this dark, rainy day.  I almost cried when it ended; I wanted to know so much more!   I am enthusiastically looking forward to the next installment.

I definitely recommend Mourning Sun, and I want to thank Shari for being so generous and giving me the opportunity to review her book!

 

Review by Cassie McCown

Far-Seer

Far – Seer

by Robert J. Sawyer

Tor reprint edition, May 2004

ISBN 0-765-30974-2

Trade paperback

A planet inhabited by sentient dinosaurs whose society is analogous to Europe during the Renaissance. Afsan, the apprentice astrologer, embarks on an ocean pilgrimage to see the Face of God. But this voyage is different from everyone else's. Afsan has with him a new invention: a far-seer (a telescope), and he does something with it no other Quintaglio has ever done before. He looks at the Face of God. Then he turns the far-seer to the rest of the sky, and concludes his people are not worshipping God at all. God is a planet.

Originally published in 1992 and finally back in print, the first book of Sawyer's Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy takes place on an alien world entirely from the point of view of the aliens themselves. These aliens happen to be sentient Tyrannosaurus-rexes.

Sawyer's skill as a writer comes through perfectly. Everything about this book is superbly executed. Sawyer doesn't just tell a story, he builds a society. For example, the Quintaglios are fiercely territorial. In their society, merely stepping too close to another person is an act of aggression and can accelerate into a fight to the death (dagamant).

Afsan is an active main character. Sawyer does not fall into the trap of telling the story from a passive, observant perspective. Afsan is active. He goes on a ritual hunt and is the one to make the kill in the most spectacular way possible. Not only is he an intellectual, he's a fighter, but Afsan is not the exception. He's not the best at everything simply because he's the main character. He is actually normal for a Quintaglio. Their entire species lives this way. They are fighters. They are territorial. They are killers. And they believe in God.

That's the focus of this novel. Their religion. Sawyer builds it up very well, creating religious practices inspired by their environment and their own nature. Sure, at first it's easy to dismiss it as a disguised Catholic church, but because it makes sense in the context of the society Sawyer creates, it's easy to accept as their unique religion.

For example, one of their religious practices is called the "culling." Each Quintaglio female lays a clutch of 8 eggs. Because their landmass is so small and their territorial aggression so extreme, overpopulation is a great concern. So it became a ritual tradition for one Quintaglio called a "bloodpriest" to eat all but one hatchling after the eggs hatch. Generally, the one that is spared is the one that runs away fastest.

It makes sense for a species of dinosaurs, so it is acceptable on their terms. Sawyer presents it so logically and his world-building is so superb I understood this culture it as though I lived it myself.

During Afsan's pilgrimage to the Face of God, he makes an astonishing discovery. It is not God at all. It is a planet. Specifically, their world orbits a gas giant. The "eyes" that move along God's face are actually other moons. Afasn deduces this by observing the heavens with the new invention of the far-seer.

But he doesn't stop there. He sets out to prove that they are living on a planet just like the ones he observed in the heavens by asking the ship's captain to sail around the world. He's willing to risk his life to prove he's right. It's not easy getting the rest of the ship to go along with it, but he prevails.

After his pilgrimage, Afasn meets the inventor of the far-seer, and they compare notes. Their time together leads them to yet another astonishing revelation. The end of the world is coming. Afsan expects people to listen to him, but to his surprise, his discoveries are met with criticism and anger.

The church does not like what he has to say either. The church thinks it knows everything already, and will do anything to punish the one who speaks blasphemy. Even crippling Afsan. We recognize this story–the book even calls itself an allegory of Galileo.

The church is supposed to stand for truth, and yet it is trying to silence the one person who knows the truth. This puts the reader on Afsan's side the whole way. We all believe we know the truth, and everyone in the world is trying to keep us quiet because they don't want to face what it means. Like Galileo, this is literally true for Afsan, so everyone can empathize with him a great deal.

The scope of the story is enormous. It's about Afsan. It's about their species. It's about their whole planet! The world-building is top-notch and well thought out, and the characters are memorable and likeable. It's easy to slip into this culture of dinosaurs and understand it as if it were your own.

Review written by James Steele

Wither (Chemical Garden #1)

Wither (Chemical Garden #1)

By:  Lauren DeStefano

ISBN:  9781442409057

Published March 22, 2011 by Simon & Schuster

Available format:  Hardback, ebook

 

My Rating:  ★★★★★

 

When science began controlling the exact heredities of all of nature's proliferation, a horrific side-effect was soon discovered.  Because of a mysterious genetic virus, children no longer lived to old age.  Females perished at age twenty and males only outlived them by five years.  Young girls began to be kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to insure that the population carried on while the "first-generation" doctors and geneticists worked to develop some sort of remedy for the apocalyptic virus.

Sixteen-year-old Rhine is one of those kidnapped girls.  Ripped from her orphaned life in Manhattan, Rhine is deposited into a life of wealth and privilege with her new husband, Linden.  She develops a true bond with Linden as well as love and companionship with her sister-wives, but there is nothing she longs for more than to escape and be reunited with her twin brother, Rowan.

It soon becomes evident to her that everyone in the household is held captive by her first-generation father-in-law, Housemaster Vaughn, including his own son.  Bent on discovering an antidote and saving his lineage, Vaughn will stop at nothing to carry out his experiments.  Rhine must find a way to escape before she, too, becomes part of his research.

Lauren DeStefano knows how to write.  Her down-to-earth young adult style is perfectly interwoven with the beautiful and poetic as seamlessly as the romantic and suspenseful.  The world she creates is so amazing, yet so tragic, it left me breathless.  She deals with somber and mature themes with perfect balance and grace.  Wither is an absorbing page-turner that manages to entertain while encouraging deep thought on subjects such as genetic engineering and polygamy.

All throughout the book, I could not help but be overwhelmed with a sense of tragic sadness.  I mourned for the world that these characters live in—a world that had been destroyed by greed and science.  I could not imagine a lifespan only reaching young adulthood.  They are still children, yet they have to face all the difficulties of a hundred year life.  They are forced to grow up far too soon, to carry the burdens of losing their friends and loved ones, to shoulder the responsibility of creating new life to give the tiniest shred of hope for the future.

Rhine is a faultless heroine—feminine, elegant, clever, spirited, strong, and determined.  I loved the way she was juxtaposed with her two sister-wives and even her new husband.  It is really the complexities of all the characters combined that make this book what it is, compelling and emotional.  Rhine seems to be what holds everything together, so it will be interesting to find out what happens if she successfully escapes.

There's only one bad thing about reading a book shortly after it is published.  I have to actually WAIT for the other installments of the series to be released!!!  Still, I encourage you to grab a copy of Wither and join me in the wait!

 

Review by Cassie McCown

 

Wereworld – Rise of the Wolf

Wereworld – Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling

Penguin 2011

ISBN: 9780670013302

Available Sept 2011 in hard cover

 

Tragedy, romance, flying fur, and sharpened, pointy teeth tearing through flesh…to top it all off werewolves were not the only things shifting in this book.

This is the realm of the Werelords. The noble families are all of different were descent. Fox, wolf, bear, and even boar are all represented in the land of Lyssia. Drew and his brother, Trent grew up on a farm with their mother and father, not unlike many other poor farming families in the kingdom. One night, as Drew and his mother awaited the remainder of the family to come back from town, a storm blew in the window of their home along with it the hopes of any normal future Drew had. A hulking monster attacked Drew, slays his mother, and flees after Drew manages to injure the terrifying beast. Upon Mark's (Drew's father) return, he attacks Drew thinking he is responsible for his beautiful wife's murder.

After running Drew through with his sword, the most extraordinary thing happened. Drew not only managed to keep his footing, but he was able to flee.

From here Drew seems to alter the lives of everyone he comes into contact with. Prophecies have been written about a change soon to come. Could Drew be the one foretold in the ancient prophecies? This young lad, who isn't even quite sure what he is, has the innate ability to reach out and help those in their most dire hour. The kingdom is being controlled by the werelion, who has used his power to keep the people downtrodden and looking for a brighter future. Drew may be their only shining hope.

I devoured this novel. I had to force myself on several occasions to put this book down so I could not only work, but get my school work in as well. The scenes were described in great detail, but not to where it bored the reader and stopping the flow and action in the story. I have a tendency to "tune out" when the descriptions are too narrative and puts a halt to the adventures of the characters. The descriptions were done mainly through the viewpoints of the characters, which I always find more interesting than a page narrative about the environment.

The characters are enchanting. Some you love, some you are weary of, some you admire. By the end of the story, I remembered each of their names(which is an accomplishment for me), and am actually invested in their futures. This is not a short story, and we have plenty of time to get to know them intimately.

Some of the parts were predictable in the story, but I think that was still one of the charms of the book. We always know in these stories that we will have the one character, at least, that we will get to see grow, mature, change, and become the person we knew he or she could be. That provided me with the familiar comfort that I long for in certain stories. But there was enough action and twists in the story that I was always wanting to turn the page to see where our heroes and antagonists would take us next. Heroes and enemies popped up where we least expected, and death was not saved for the villains.

This books is set to be published in September of this year. Please, reserve your copy of this book, and put it on your to-read-list. It was an amazing adventure, and it was one I was reluctant to leave behind. Five stars to Wereworld and Curtis Jobling.

 

Shifting Fate (The Chronicles of Fate 1)

Shifting Fate (The Chronicles of Fate 1)

By:  Alexis Leno

AISN:  B004PLNQ4C

Available Format:  ebook

Published February 25, 2011

 

My Rating:  ★★★☆☆

 

Shifting Fate by Alexis Leno introduces us to the world of the heroine, Brynn.  As the princess of the kingdom of Alii in the mystic realm of Lizon, Brynn lives a rather ordinary and uneventful life with her parents and two brothers.  When a man from her past resurfaces with new and dangerous power, her familiar world is turned upside down.  A once certain and literally predestined fate is suddenly thrown off balance, and Brynn finds herself on a journey to discover just how extraordinary she truly is.

I luckily snagged a complimentary copy of Shifting Fate in a book giveaway.  I truly appreciate the opportunity to read and review new books!

Overall, I believe the core story of the book is really great.  I was drawn in by the characters and what they could do from the very beginning.  Leno unquestionably has a tremendous amount of creativity and imagination.  I most certainly never had any trouble visualizing the setting or any of the characters.  The chemistry between Brynn and Cyrus was believable and entertaining without going overboard.  I also appreciated the dynamics of the royal family and the people of the village Brynn later visits.

At times I felt that the writing was a bit too wordy.  I think Leno tended to "over-describe" everything a little.  She also used the same words several times in a paragraph quite often.  I cannot criticize too harshly, because I know I do the same (having been told so by someone else)!  What I really feel that this book needed was a great editor.  The content is there; it just needs to be cleaned up!

Back to the pleasant stuff:  I would really love to see Alexis go back and write more about the Great War of the past.  I felt a lot of the events in Shifting Fate would have made a lot more sense if she had started the story a little further back or dedicated some more of this book to clearly explaining past events.  I think she has a great deal of fabulous material to carry this narrative on for at least another volume or two, and I encourage her to work on that!

Review by Cassie McCown

 

THOR

Chris Hemsworth as Thor

THOR

Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Directed by Kennith Branagh

Rated PG-13

*

The first Big Superhero Movie of 2011 is out, making my geeky little superhero-loving heart soar. I was especially excited to see Thor after the huge volume of positive reviews.

Basic story: Thor (Chris Hemsworth), god of thunder and heir to the throne of Asgard, is exiled to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) for his arrogance and violent temper. There he meets scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and struggles to get by; at the same time in Asgard, Odin falls ill, leaving Thor's brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) on the throne. When Thor's friends try to clear his name, they uncover a secret: someone has been plotting to get Thor out of the way for a long time, and now plans to kill him while his body is mortal. Thor is helpless on Earth with no powers and no awareness that he's a target.

Thor, Odin, Loki

First, the good. The visuals, including the CGI, were awesome, with spectacular sets, costumes and images. Great acting, too; everyone was perfectly cast, and no one gave a bad performance. The script had a lot of humor and kept me laughing through most of the picture. Sibling rivalry between Thor and Loki powered much of the story, and I liked the way Loki's personality and motivation slowly came to light. He's much more interesting than most supervillains.

However, Thor suffered from too many storylines, all of which started out really interesting and never got to go anywhere. On Earth, Thor is humbled and made to see the error of his arrogance, but it happened so fast I didn't believe the transformation, though Hemsworth acted it well. He began a cute romance with Jane, but they leapt from "oh, you're hot" to "MADLY IN LOVE" in no time when the plot jumped forwards, so I again had trouble believing in the depth of their feelings. A war between the Asgardians and their old enemies the Frost Giants is introduced, but then the Frost Giants just sort of show up when the plot demands them, so I didn't know why I should care.

Some of the action scenes were also a bit cheesy. I think making fun of superhero action might have been the point,

Thor, Jane, Loki, Odin and Heimdall

but it didn't work, and I just felt silly watching some of it.

Overall, it seemed like Thor wanted to be a romance/family drama/consequences of war tragedy/comedy/superhero movie, and it couldn't combine them all. It started out so well on all fronts that if the writers had taken out just one of the subplots, I think the movie might have been able to juggle everything. As it was, many elements were left underdeveloped.

Thor is still a decent movie with a lot going for it. It's not the great movie it wanted to be, but it's a fun way to kill an afternoon. I look forward to seeing how the sequels turn out.

*

Review by Elizabeth Reuter

Wicked Lovely

Wicked Lovely

By Meliss[image error] Marr

Publish Date: April 29, 2008

Publisher: Harper Collins

Formats Available: Hardback, Paperback, Audio CD,

Audible Audio Edition, and E-book

ISBN-10: 0061214671

Age Demographic: Young Adult

 

 

 

 

"All teenagers have problems they're dealing with, and Aislynn is no exception, the only difference with her is that she can see faeries, something she's not at all that crazy about. She sort of wishes she could be a little more normal and oblivious to them like her friends, but Keenan just won't let that happen. He's convinced that she is the Summer Queen and the answer to restoring him to his full power as Summer King, so he sets out on a mission to convince her to take harness of her power, to join him, and reign as together as they should. Aislynn, is not at all interested and she would rather be mortal and choose to be with Seth, one of her best friends that she's in love with. So, the age old question becomes, what's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see?"

About a year and a half ago, I picked up a copy of Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr because it was recommended by one of the girls who works at the local bookstore in the next town over. She reads a lot of the same genre books that I like and enjoy, and most of the time her recommendations are always pretty amazing. So, why wouldn't I trust her with this one, right?

Sounds like it's going to be an amazing read, right from the start huh?

Let me get into the cover of this book and how it is absolutely beautiful; I love the girl with frozen fingers holding a pretty flower with ice crystals all over it. It seemed to signify the overall feel of what the book might encompass. The blueish-purple tint seemed to draw me in, so I took a chance on this not really knowing what I was getting myself into. Even the font on the cover, was pretty and had a way of lending itself to the imagery Melissa Marr created in her novel. I kind of like how there were what seemed like vines and leaves sort of coming off the words in the title and it was even that way on the spine.

So, why then, did it take a year and a half to read this book? It's simple, really. The pacing of this book a little bit slower than I was used to; and it seemed stagnated in some parts. Plus I found it harder to connect with the main character in the series, Aislynn. I liked her, don't get me wrong, but it just seemed hard to identify with her at certain times throughout the novel. Though, in the end, I was pleased with how she was strong enough to be able to save herself, knew exactly what she wanted, and made the decision that this is how it would be.

The more I read, the more I found myself becoming drawn to other characters such as Seth who was amazingly loyal and would risk anything for Aislynn. Donia, whom, I sympathized with as far as her love and loyalty to Keenan goes. The Winter Queen was that villain that you were supposed to hate and I ended up loving because she was so very well developed and written as far as her purpose for being there. And of course there was Niall, Keenan's sort of advisor and sometimes confidante.

The imagery and prose in which this book was written, introduced me to another world that was completely original and magnificently beautiful. For that, I can be grateful, even if it was a hard book for me to get through. It wasn't until around the last 70+ pages or so, that I found myself fully immersed and finally absorbed into the story. I think, maybe I was afraid that it was going to be your basic cookie-cutter standard love story triangle where Aislynn would bow to Keenan and be at his side, choosing him over Seth and both Seth and Donia would be literally and figuratively left out in the cold. I'm very pleased to see that the novel didn't turn out like that at all, and that Aislynn, after searching herself and realizing exactly what she had to do (that there really wasn't any other choice for her), would end up making the best decision that would work out for all of them in general.

I didn't want to be team anything as far as this series goes, because I wanted to be able to enjoy all of the characters for whatever reasons or flaws they may have. But, I can't help but be inspired by and drawn to Donia, as I felt like she was the most realistic, relatable character in the book aside from Seth. I was truly able to feel with and for her at the same time. Her sadness was my sadness, her burden was my own, and it was easy to see how she could arrive at the decisions she made.

There were good things about this book definitely and, of course, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories involving faeries and otherworldly realms. I have to say that I did find myself enjoying the melding of the modern expectations and the clash of the ancient rules that seemed to be in constant conflict of one another a great deal. With that being said, there were also a couple of drawbacks when reading the book for me personally.

What I am saying to you, is read it for yourself and figure out how you feel about it, where you stand as far as certain aspects and elements of the book goes for yourself. I certainly can't speak for anyone else, but at the end of the day when it's all said and done, I did enjoy the book. It just took me a really long time to get to that point – much longer than I would have liked – honestly. So, for that reason I struggle with how to rate this book.

There were more good qualities that I felt the book possessed than drawbacks, and I did enjoy Melissa Marr's unique writing style, beautiful prose and imagery the book presented, so I can be okay with giving it a three star rating easily.

I will be reading and reviewing the next book in the series, so obviously there is something about this world that has me intrigued to find out what happens next.

*This review was written by: Susan Haugland

Book Review: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

 

Wicked Lovely

By Melissa Marr

Book Review Written By: Susan Haugland

Publish Date: April 29, 2008

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format: Paperback, pp 352

Age Demographic: Young Adult

 

"All teenagers have problems they're dealing with, and Aislynn is no exception, the only difference with her is that she can see faeries, something she's not at all that crazy about. She sort of wishes she could be a little more normal and oblivious to them like her friends, but Keenan just won't let that happen. He's convinced that she is the Summer Queen and the answer to restoring him to his full power as Summer King, so he sets out on a mission to convince her to take harness of her power, to join him, and reign as together as they should. Aislynn, is not at all interested and she would rather be mortal and choose to be with Seth, one of her best friends that she's in love with. So, the age old question becomes, what's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see?"

About a year and a half ago, I picked up a copy of Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr because it was recommended by one of the girls who works at the local bookstore in the next town over. She reads a lot of the same genre books that I like and enjoy, and most of the time her recommendations are always pretty amazing. So, why wouldn't I trust her with this one, right?

Sounds like it's going to be an amazing read, right from the start huh?

Let me get into the cover of this book and how it is absolutely beautiful; I love the girl with frozen fingers holding a pretty flower with ice crystals all over it. It seemed to signify the overall feel of what the book might encompass. The blueish-purple tint seemed to draw me in, so I took a chance on this not really knowing what I was getting myself into. Even the font on the cover, was pretty and had a way of lending itself to the imagery Melissa Marr created in her novel. I kind of like how there were what seemed like vines and leaves sort of coming off the words in the title and it was even that way on the spine.

So, why then, did it take a year and a half to read this book? It's simple, really. The pacing of this book a little bit slower than I was used to; and it seemed stagnated in some parts. Plus I found it harder to connect with the main character in the series, Aislynn. I liked her, don't get me wrong, but it just seemed hard to identify with her at certain times throughout the novel. Though, in the end, I was pleased with how she was strong enough to be able to save herself, knew exactly what she wanted, and made the decision that this is how it would be.

The more I read, the more I found myself becoming drawn to other characters such as Seth who was amazingly loyal and would risk anything for Aislynn. Donia, whom, I sympathized with as far as her love and loyalty to Keenan goes. The Winter Queen was that villain that you were supposed to hate and I ended up loving because she was so very well developed and written as far as her purpose for being there. And of course there was Niall, Keenan's sort of advisor and sometimes confidante.

The imagery and prose in which this book was written, introduced me to another world that was completely original and magnificently beautiful. For that, I can be grateful, even if it was a hard book for me to get through. It wasn't until around the last 70+ pages or so, that I found myself fully immersed and finally absorbed into the story. I think, maybe I was afraid that it was going to be your basic cookie-cutter standard love story triangle where Aislynn would bow to Keenan and be at his side, choosing him over Seth and both Seth and Donia would be literally and figuratively left out in the cold. I'm very pleased to see that the novel didn't turn out like that at all, and that Aislynn, after searching herself and realizing exactly what she had to do (that there really wasn't any other choice for her), would end up making the best decision that would work out for all of them in general.

I didn't want to be team anything as far as this series goes, because I wanted to be able to enjoy all of the characters for whatever reasons or flaws they may have. But, I can't help but be inspired by and drawn to Donia, as I felt like she was the most realistic, relatable character in the book aside from Seth. I was truly able to feel with and for her at the same time. Her sadness was my sadness, her burden was my own, and it was easy to see how she could arrive at the decisions she made.

There were good things about this book definitely and, of course, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories involving faeries and otherworldly realms. I have to say that I did find myself enjoying the melding of the modern expectations and the clash of the ancient rules that seemed to be in constant conflict of one another a great deal. With that being said, there were also a couple of drawbacks when reading the book for me personally.

What I am saying to you, is read it for yourself and figure out how you feel about it, where you stand as far as certain aspects and elements of the book goes for yourself. I certainly can't speak for anyone else, but at the end of the day when it's all said and done, I did enjoy the book. It just took me a really long time to get to that point – much longer than I would have liked – honestly. So, for that reason I struggle with how to rate this book.

There were more good qualities that I felt the book possessed than drawbacks, and I did enjoy Melissa Marr's unique writing style, beautiful prose and imagery the book presented, so I can be okay with giving it a three star rating easily.

I will be reading and reviewing the next book in the series, so obviously there is something about this world that has me intrigued to find out what happens next.

*This review was written by: Susan Haugland

 

Wisdom (My Blood Approves #4)

Wisdom (My Blood Approves #4)

By:  Amanda Hocking

ISBN:  978-1453816981

Available Format:  Paperback, ebook

 

My Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Wisdom is the fourth book of Amanda Hocking's My Blood Approves series.  As the title implies, Alice seems to be growing up a bit and coming into her own wisdom.  Alice and Milo take a trip to visit Mae and Peter in their new Australian home where they are living with Mae's recently turned five-year-old granddaughter.  To say the least, Mae is a complete wreck at this point, and poor Peter is just trying to hold things together.  When tragic news reaches Alice, she and Milo are forced to return to the States.  In the midst of all this, Alice starts to realize what being a vampire, being immortal, really means for her.

As Alice starts to become a young woman, Hocking's series takes on a deeper, more serious tone.  Alice starts trying to look toward the future, make some sense of things, and make difficult choices that show a new level of maturity.  In this installation, more than ever, I start to feel maybe Alice is going to outgrow Jack, whose maturity level essentially stays the same throughout.  I am indeed, to the end, shamelessly on Peter's team!

Bobby, Milo's human love interest, quickly becomes one of my new favorite characters.  I still love Milo, but the dynamic that grows between Alice and Bobby is so relatable and comforting.  He turns out to be just incredibly likable!

Daisy, Mae's granddaughter, honestly scared the stuff out of me!  She reminded me of those demon possessed children in horror/suspense movies that I DO NOT watch for the simple fact that they have freaky demon kids in them!  I have kids, and I love them.  I can see how Mae would be compelled to try to save the little girl's life, but I was immediately ready for someone to rip that kid's head off and be done with her.  Yikes!  The evolution of Mae's character through this subplot really turned me off.  Mae was so wonderful at the beginning of the series—warm and motherly.  I was terribly sorry to lose my high opinion of her in the last two books.

There seemed to be a lot more content to this story.  It was on a bit of a different level than the previous books, and I appreciated that.  Now I am looking forward to the fifth and I believe final in the series, Swear, which should be published later this year.

 

Review by Cassie McCown

 

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Rated PG-13 for moments of intense violence and sexual content

My Rating: ★★★★★

 

I made sure to read Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants before the film adaptation was released because there is nothing I despise more than a movie absolutely ruining the book, especially before I am able to read it.  Last night, when I slipped out after the kids' bedtime (leaving my husband home to man the fort, of course), I was thrilled to find that the big screen version did not disappoint!

Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) is about to sit his final exams at Cornell University before becoming a licensed veterinarian.  When tragedy strikes his family, all his dreams are suddenly shattered.  Jacob is left orphaned and homeless with no one to turn to.  While walking to Albany, he comes upon a train and on a whim decides to jump into a passing rail car.  There he meets Camel (Jim Norton) who gets him work with the Benzini Brothers Circus, who he soon discovers owns the train he jumped.  Told from the elderly Jankowski's (Hal Holbrook) memorable viewpoint, the colorful story of loss, friendship, self-discovery, and love completely enraptures the audience.

The cinematography in Water for Elephants is simply breathtaking.  The costumes and settings are colorful and striking and portray the depression era circus atmosphere impeccably.  The menagerie of animals was amazing much like the diversity of the many characters.

Although I don't think it was his best performance, Robert Pattinson was a great choice for the role of the young Jacob.  Reese Witherspoon, who plays Marlena, is beautiful and charming as always, but I didn't think the chemistry between she and Pattinson was exactly dead-on.  Christoph Waltz's portrayal of August, the bi-polar owner of the circus and Marlena's husband, was nothing short of spectacular.  He gave the perfect amount of depth and intrigue to the highly complex role.  It could not have been cast any better!  My absolute FAVORITE character of the movie was Rosie the Elephant, played by Tai.   What a gorgeous and talented animal!

This version of Gruen's beautifully written story did not stray far at all from the original.  All the changes that were made were minor and completely logical.  I missed having more of the elderly Jacob present much like Gruen writes in her novel, but it would have broken the film up in a way that most likely would have taken away from its poignancy and beauty.

Fellas, don't be fooled into believing it is a chick flick.

Water for Elephants was simply magical.  Please do not deny yourself this magnificent experience for any reason!

 

 

 

Review by Cassie McCown