Molly Looby's Blog, page 17
July 29, 2014
The Fall of Us and CampNaNoWriMo
As most of you know, I'm addicted to NaNoWriMo and for the past three years I have participated in writing 50,000 words in November and I have won! In 2011 it was ZA which is available on Amazon's Kindle for only 77p if you love a good zombie novel.Then in 2012 it was I Dare You which was shortlisted for the Sony Young Movellist of the Year competition!And last year it was Just a Pair of Abominations which I blogged about in detail as I was writing it.
So I've been thinking of my next story for about a year now and it came to June and I still hadn't made a move to write it. I needed a push, and that push was CampNaNoWriMo.CampNaNoWriMo is like NaNoWriMo but a lot more lenient. You set your own word goal and it doesn't have to be a novel but of course mine is. So on July 1st I found myself writing 1,000 words a day to reach my 30,000 word count goal by the 31st of July, but more importantly, I'd have the bulk of a novel by the end of July and before my birthday in September I will have finished book number nine, well on track for my goal of having written ten books in my five years writing.
The first week of Camp I was quite happy sitting there writing away but just like its November counterpart, CampNaNoWriMo threw me week two which was a hard slog and it seemed to take forever for me to do my words. But then week three, beloved week three, came along and I was on fire again. On the 26th of July I reached my 30,000 word goal and won CampNaNoWriMo. Winning wasn't the important part for me this time, falling in love with my story was and that definitely happened.I'm more excited about my novel, 30,000 words in than I was at the very beginning and that's amazing. Now's about the time to tell you all about it.
'The Fall of Us' follows thirteen year old Tye and Eeli who have left their childhood home in search of their dreams.
Here's what I wrote for the blurb on Movellas: Enter the world of Tye. The Fall has devastated much of the world as we know it but Tye knows nothing else. He and his best friend Eeli are ready to leave their home as soon as they reach thirteen years so that they can be off on their own and be who they want to be and do what they want to do. At last.
Tye and Eeli could never have imagined how dangerous the real world was going to be.
I first thought up the characters of Tye and Eeli in August last year and between then and now I've been working out what exactly happened in my apocalypse and how the world would work. Once I figured that out the rest seemed to come easy, but in a random order. There's a lot of people for them to meet and a lot of places for them to explore. I've never written an adventure story like this before and I'm loving it. But as usual, I know too much about everyone's backstory (saying that, I can never know too much about my characters) and the hardest part is deciding what to include and what to leave out.
While you wait for me to finish this story, here's about half of what exists so far.
I'll leave you with a quote from my protagonist:
"It’s wrong. The feelin of bein the happiest you’ve ever bin an the saddest you’ve ever bin all at once. I’ve never had a feelin like it. Bittersweet, Nat called it. I reckon there’s never bin a more perfect word." - Tye, The Fall of Us
Molly LoobyAuthor/Wrimo/Editor/Ghostwriter/Blogger/Reviewer/Movellian/ZA ReadyContact me if you have any questions about books or writing or anything here: molly.looby@hotmail.com
July 24, 2014
Heaven - Christoph Marzi
A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book
David, a runaway from Cardiff desperately trying to find his way in the world stumbles across Heaven, a girl who's heart has just been cut out. Together they must discover what is really going on with Heaven and the man pursuing her, trying to finish what he started.
My Review
At the beginning, I really enjoyed this book. I found it easy to read big chunks of it at once as the information was given in such a way that I could take it in. However, as I read on, I got increasingly more bored of the characters and their plot line and didn't really want to pick the book up. Once I did, I read quite a lot but I didn't feel motivated to pick it up. It was also way too long. It felt like it took me forever to read. I would just look at my bookshelf and all the wonderful books there waiting to be read but I was stuck with 'Heaven'.
Saying this, however, it was a great decision to have David as the narrator rather than Heaven because it made it much more mysterious, even though the book was really about her. It makes a change from all the female protagonists I've read about recently.
There was also a line I loved that I feel was put there solely for other authors to read: "he'd never known how the stories would end when he began them - but who did?".
However, to counter this, there was the most redundant sentence I've ever read: "Then, after a pause that was neither long nor short". I mean, what is the point of that? What's wrong with just saying "Then, after a pause"? Or maybe just take the sentence out all together. I just wasted valuable seconds of my life on that sentence. More so in fact because I had to share it with my house it was so ridiculous and now I'm sharing it with you.
I haven't had this problem for a long time but there were also far too many adverbs all over the place. E.g. "she asked bluntly" which was a completely superfluous phrase as the dialogue made it very clear she was being blunt. I just cannot get over how many published authors get away with using so many pointless adverbs. It drives me mad.
Another problem I had with 'Heaven' which I've never had before was the information about London streets. Every time David moved from street to street we were told about it. Which street he was on, which way he turned, which tube station he was in and which tube station he ended up at and on which line. It was far too much. And the descriptions of London seemed to go on forever. There were three separate descriptions of Canary Wharf even though I know exactly what it looks like. I looked it up and it turns out that Marzi is German which explain all the description but the street names, really? Does it matter where he is and where he's turning. No. It does not.
There was nothing particularly special about this story or the writing itself. Nothing about it took my breath away.
Evaluation
Plot - 7/10 - It was a bit weird
Way Plot Was Pursued - 7/10 - the chapters were too long and the explanation took a long time coming
Characters - 7/10 - I grew bored of them and didn't care about what happened to them
Style - 6/10 - there were a few nice phrases in there
Pace - 6/10 - the whole thing lasted too long
Would I recommend it? - No. There was nothing special about this book at all.
Would I look up the author? -No, for the same reason.
'Heaven' was just too long and non-spectacular.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA ReadyContact me about books, writing, and all things awesome here: molly.looby@hotmail.com
David, a runaway from Cardiff desperately trying to find his way in the world stumbles across Heaven, a girl who's heart has just been cut out. Together they must discover what is really going on with Heaven and the man pursuing her, trying to finish what he started.
My Review
At the beginning, I really enjoyed this book. I found it easy to read big chunks of it at once as the information was given in such a way that I could take it in. However, as I read on, I got increasingly more bored of the characters and their plot line and didn't really want to pick the book up. Once I did, I read quite a lot but I didn't feel motivated to pick it up. It was also way too long. It felt like it took me forever to read. I would just look at my bookshelf and all the wonderful books there waiting to be read but I was stuck with 'Heaven'.
Saying this, however, it was a great decision to have David as the narrator rather than Heaven because it made it much more mysterious, even though the book was really about her. It makes a change from all the female protagonists I've read about recently.
There was also a line I loved that I feel was put there solely for other authors to read: "he'd never known how the stories would end when he began them - but who did?".
However, to counter this, there was the most redundant sentence I've ever read: "Then, after a pause that was neither long nor short". I mean, what is the point of that? What's wrong with just saying "Then, after a pause"? Or maybe just take the sentence out all together. I just wasted valuable seconds of my life on that sentence. More so in fact because I had to share it with my house it was so ridiculous and now I'm sharing it with you.
I haven't had this problem for a long time but there were also far too many adverbs all over the place. E.g. "she asked bluntly" which was a completely superfluous phrase as the dialogue made it very clear she was being blunt. I just cannot get over how many published authors get away with using so many pointless adverbs. It drives me mad.
Another problem I had with 'Heaven' which I've never had before was the information about London streets. Every time David moved from street to street we were told about it. Which street he was on, which way he turned, which tube station he was in and which tube station he ended up at and on which line. It was far too much. And the descriptions of London seemed to go on forever. There were three separate descriptions of Canary Wharf even though I know exactly what it looks like. I looked it up and it turns out that Marzi is German which explain all the description but the street names, really? Does it matter where he is and where he's turning. No. It does not.
There was nothing particularly special about this story or the writing itself. Nothing about it took my breath away.
Evaluation
Plot - 7/10 - It was a bit weird
Way Plot Was Pursued - 7/10 - the chapters were too long and the explanation took a long time coming
Characters - 7/10 - I grew bored of them and didn't care about what happened to them
Style - 6/10 - there were a few nice phrases in there
Pace - 6/10 - the whole thing lasted too long
Would I recommend it? - No. There was nothing special about this book at all.
Would I look up the author? -No, for the same reason.
'Heaven' was just too long and non-spectacular.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA ReadyContact me about books, writing, and all things awesome here: molly.looby@hotmail.com
July 19, 2014
The Symbol, The Dream
So it's been a while since I wrote a blog post about me, hi! I thought this was too important not to share.
This week I quit my part time job to throw myself into writing full time.
Yes, I know! I couldn't be more excited! Now I can't wait to get up in the morning and I'm smiling and I'm happy.
I wrote about my freelance ghostwriting job a few posts back - quite a few if I remember rightly. And now I've got a freelance editing job too! I worked out that if I did more ghostwriting and editing - as much as I can - I will make more money than at my part time job. Millie's Cookies if anyone was wondering.
So as of this time next week I'll be living the dream! I'll no longer come home sweaty, smelling like cookies and hot and bothered. I won't have to listen to customers who have five brain cells. I won't have to clean an entire shop ever again.
Instead I'll be here, at my laptop, where I want to be at all hours.
And, even better, now I won't be so exhausted and I'll be able to write my own novels more, because I'll already be in the writing zone. I'll be in it all day!
Everything's turning out okay. Five years of writing has done me good and as I suspected, no matter what my teachers told me, I didn't need a degree to do what I love. After only a few days of writing I knew that was what I wanted to do. It just took a while to become reality. But I'm okay with waiting. I waited for this and I'll wait for a publishing contract.
But never am I in any doubt. It's coming. I can almost feel it.
Wait, there's more. Just to make this occasion even more special, on the day I handed in my notice at Millie's I also booked my tattoo. They happened to have an opening the next day which I took. It was meant to be.
So here it is, the symbol I've been thinking about for two years now. The symbol of my writing. The symbol of my dreams.
A huge thanks to James Terry, my ever amazing cover designer for the design. I could never have done anything half that beautiful. And also to Immortal Ink in Chelmsford who made the whole thing a wonderful experience.
I'm ready for anything now. Bring it on.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Ghostwriter / Editormolly.looby@hotmail.com
This week I quit my part time job to throw myself into writing full time.
Yes, I know! I couldn't be more excited! Now I can't wait to get up in the morning and I'm smiling and I'm happy.
I wrote about my freelance ghostwriting job a few posts back - quite a few if I remember rightly. And now I've got a freelance editing job too! I worked out that if I did more ghostwriting and editing - as much as I can - I will make more money than at my part time job. Millie's Cookies if anyone was wondering.
So as of this time next week I'll be living the dream! I'll no longer come home sweaty, smelling like cookies and hot and bothered. I won't have to listen to customers who have five brain cells. I won't have to clean an entire shop ever again.
Instead I'll be here, at my laptop, where I want to be at all hours.
And, even better, now I won't be so exhausted and I'll be able to write my own novels more, because I'll already be in the writing zone. I'll be in it all day!
Everything's turning out okay. Five years of writing has done me good and as I suspected, no matter what my teachers told me, I didn't need a degree to do what I love. After only a few days of writing I knew that was what I wanted to do. It just took a while to become reality. But I'm okay with waiting. I waited for this and I'll wait for a publishing contract.
But never am I in any doubt. It's coming. I can almost feel it.
Wait, there's more. Just to make this occasion even more special, on the day I handed in my notice at Millie's I also booked my tattoo. They happened to have an opening the next day which I took. It was meant to be.
So here it is, the symbol I've been thinking about for two years now. The symbol of my writing. The symbol of my dreams.
A huge thanks to James Terry, my ever amazing cover designer for the design. I could never have done anything half that beautiful. And also to Immortal Ink in Chelmsford who made the whole thing a wonderful experience.
I'm ready for anything now. Bring it on.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Ghostwriter / Editormolly.looby@hotmail.com
July 10, 2014
July 5, 2014
To An Author
To An Author,
I know what you're thinking, I'm not an author. Well, that's strictly true but it won't be much longer. Soon something will happen and the drive to tell a story will be so great that you'll want nothing more. You'll create diagrams and pages upon pages of notes to stay ahead of yourself, to tame the beast in your head you didn't even realise existed until you let it out.
Before you even know it you will have written your first novel.
Well, that's what it was like for me, fellow author. The first novel was a rocket I struggled to hold on to the desire to get it all down was so great. It was the single greatest experience I'd ever had.
Which leads to more.
Without even thinking much about it, a new idea will be forming in your head and characters will be strolling around like your head's a London street. But don't be afraid, be amazed. The strange workings of your mind could be genius. Learn to write everything down, even if it doesn't seem relevant. Knowing your complicated brain, it's important. Believe me.
So you continue to write, and let me tell you, you adore every minute of it perhaps more now because now you've realised this is exactly what you want to do. Now your actions have meaning because now you see yourself as an author. Before it was just child's play, seeing if you had the stamina for a whole story. Now you're writing something much more complicated. This book is going to change you as an author.
They all do.
During the writing of every novel you realise what you were doing wrong last time. You learn new rules about grammar and punctuation you didn't even know existed and you try and learn the difference between 'affect' and 'effect' but just end up writing which is which in your note book for when you need to double check.
Around here the editor in your head wakes up and tries to gain your attention. If you're anything like me, fellow author, you'll just bat it away, doing the most minimal of editing to quiet the noise. You'll just make it technically correct. I hate to tell you that you have a lot to learn.
But that doesn't matter, it doesn't take long for your editor to explode out of you. All of a sudden you're cutting whole paragraphs and yes, fellow author, you did just cut and entire chapter. Well done! You don't tell yourself that enough and you should.
Your inner editor is quite like your inner author because neither can leave you once they've shown themselves.
Now you understand how to write and perfect a story. Now you feel indestructible. You try agents again. You dread it. Of course you do. These people are the next step in getting you your dream, getting published. But don't be naive, fellow author, they're not the only ones. You need an editor in a publishing house interested and then a team of people have to back it. Then you'll have to edit according to them and you'll stress about cover design and what you're trying to achieve and at some point you might think back to that enthusiastic writer you were before and how you wish it was that simple again.
Publishing a book doesn't make you an author, writing a book does. I can't stress that enough. Already, fellow author, you're living your dream. Forget the big publishers for now, they'll come around. After all, the people who get published are the people too stupid too give up.
You're one of those wonderful people and you will live your dream. And you're okay with waiting. And you'll never stop writing.
That's what makes you an author.
So listen to criticism if it's constructive and let everyone share their ideas with you. Listen, watch and learn. And most importantly of all, never stop writing.
One day, fellow author, one day, we will rule the world.
Your Future Writer.
Molly LoobyBecame an author five years ago today.molly.looby@hotmail.com
June 24, 2014
The Reapers are the Angels - Alden Bell
A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book ( A Little Bit of Blurb)
"Older than her years and completely alone, Temple is just trying to live one day at a time in a post-apocalyptic world, where the undead roam endlessly, and the remnant of mankind who have survived, at times, seem to retain little humanity themselves."
My Review
This book is covered in amazing reviews on the inside pages and I read every single one of them. Instead of making me want to pick the book up and see what all the fuss was about, it actually made me nervous about reading it because I couldn't imagine it could ever live up to its reviews.
I was wrong. This book was beautiful, articulate, sophisticated, poignant, sad, wonderful and haunting.
I was pulled in by the first paragraph, it was excellent. So excellent I want to share it.
"God is a slick god. Temple knows. She knows because of all the crackerjack miracles still to be seen on this ruined globe."
The style was very heavy, long sentences and long words flowing together so beautifully it was hard to get my head round it. I think this was because the last book I read was written so simply that it made it very difficult for me to get into. But once I was in, I was completely immersed.
The Reapers are the Angels is written in the third person, which allows the beautiful articulate flow of narrative while Temple, our protagonist can't read or write and often speaks very poorly. This contrasted in the most gorgeous way to the narrative and made it even more beautiful and sophisticated. The words flowed together as though taking a single one out would disrupt the rhythm. As I read, I was enchanted by it.
The description was something to behold. Every notion made me think. Through Temple, The Reapers are the Angels muses about life, death, good and evil without the reader even noticing.
I adored Temple as the protagonist because she was strong, independent and unashamed. She was so convinced of her own evil that her only agenda at the start of the novel is to survive. As the novel continues and she meets different people, the struggle within her is obvious as she wants to undo all the wrongs in her past although she doesn't believe that anything can reverse her evil. When the truth about her past it fed to us, little bit by little bit, we feel for her as we wouldn't have done if given the truth at the beginning of the novel.
The ending was haunting and I still can't stop thinking about it days later. It was just incredible. And I can't believe it, but it lived up to its reviews.
Evaluation
Plot - 9/10 - post-apocalyptic journey, gotta love 'em
Way Plot Was Pursued - 9/10 - standard
Characters - 8/10 - Temple I adored and a few others but I felt I wanted a little more time with each character
Style - 10/10 - I can't praise the beauty of this novel enough
Pace - 9/10 - great, but I felt it started a little slow
Would I recommend it? Yes, I have nothing bad to say about this novel
Would I look up the author? Yes, I need to see what else Alden Bell's written for sure!
The Reapers are the Angels was crafted and shaped like the most delicate piece of jewellery or the most beautiful song.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Readymolly.looby@hotmail.com
"Older than her years and completely alone, Temple is just trying to live one day at a time in a post-apocalyptic world, where the undead roam endlessly, and the remnant of mankind who have survived, at times, seem to retain little humanity themselves."
My Review
This book is covered in amazing reviews on the inside pages and I read every single one of them. Instead of making me want to pick the book up and see what all the fuss was about, it actually made me nervous about reading it because I couldn't imagine it could ever live up to its reviews.
I was wrong. This book was beautiful, articulate, sophisticated, poignant, sad, wonderful and haunting.
I was pulled in by the first paragraph, it was excellent. So excellent I want to share it.
"God is a slick god. Temple knows. She knows because of all the crackerjack miracles still to be seen on this ruined globe."
The style was very heavy, long sentences and long words flowing together so beautifully it was hard to get my head round it. I think this was because the last book I read was written so simply that it made it very difficult for me to get into. But once I was in, I was completely immersed.
The Reapers are the Angels is written in the third person, which allows the beautiful articulate flow of narrative while Temple, our protagonist can't read or write and often speaks very poorly. This contrasted in the most gorgeous way to the narrative and made it even more beautiful and sophisticated. The words flowed together as though taking a single one out would disrupt the rhythm. As I read, I was enchanted by it.
The description was something to behold. Every notion made me think. Through Temple, The Reapers are the Angels muses about life, death, good and evil without the reader even noticing.
I adored Temple as the protagonist because she was strong, independent and unashamed. She was so convinced of her own evil that her only agenda at the start of the novel is to survive. As the novel continues and she meets different people, the struggle within her is obvious as she wants to undo all the wrongs in her past although she doesn't believe that anything can reverse her evil. When the truth about her past it fed to us, little bit by little bit, we feel for her as we wouldn't have done if given the truth at the beginning of the novel.
The ending was haunting and I still can't stop thinking about it days later. It was just incredible. And I can't believe it, but it lived up to its reviews.
Evaluation
Plot - 9/10 - post-apocalyptic journey, gotta love 'em
Way Plot Was Pursued - 9/10 - standard
Characters - 8/10 - Temple I adored and a few others but I felt I wanted a little more time with each character
Style - 10/10 - I can't praise the beauty of this novel enough
Pace - 9/10 - great, but I felt it started a little slow
Would I recommend it? Yes, I have nothing bad to say about this novel
Would I look up the author? Yes, I need to see what else Alden Bell's written for sure!
The Reapers are the Angels was crafted and shaped like the most delicate piece of jewellery or the most beautiful song.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Readymolly.looby@hotmail.com
June 19, 2014
Some Films are Greater Than Other Films . . .
And this one about tops them all.
What you want to know is whether this film ruined the book - Twilight - did it justice but only just and there were plenty of things wrong with it - Harry Potter - was satisfying and you can live with it - Divergent - or completely perfect to watch as a huge fan - The Hunger Games.
All I'm thinking about now is whether you agree with my analysis of the films listed above, but I digress.
Before I get into this I don't pretend to be a movie expert. I don't know what makes a film good or bad. My knowledge is pretty much whether the acting was good or not, whether the plot was good or not (or made sense) and I'm pretty sharp on my dialogue thanks to reading all day.
Well The Fault in Our Stars film had terrific acting. It was outstanding especially Laura Dern as Hazel's mother and Ansel Elgort as Augustus Waters. He was my perfect Gus I am telling you. He played the part exactly as I needed it to be played.
And we don't need to talk about the plot or the dialogue because all that was covered by John Green when writing TFIOS and it remained just as perfect as in the books. Every time there was a direct quote I couldn't help the smile on my face.
There was also this cool detail that texts and emails would pop up onto the screen for the audience to read as Hazel does which made it more fun for the viewer and more realistic than Hazel just reading everything aloud.
Of course, what everyone is interested in is what they missed out of the film that was in the book and the more I think about it, the more I remember that wasn't included but while I was watching it, these things didn't really occur to me because I was so mesmerised by the film. After thinking about it, the things they cut weren't vital to the plot just dustings of character here and there that a film can portray much quicker than a book can anyway so it was fine. I didn't shout out that it was all wrong so that was good.
I don't want to give anything away because I think watching it for the first time is an experience like no other but what I will tell you is Oranjee is beautiful and the entire Amsterdam part made me want to go there myself. And the film made me want to read the book over and over again, which was the exact feeling I had after finishing the book, so they must've done something right.
Now, you will cry, there is no doubt about it. If you've read the book you will cry when you know something is coming up. You may even cry at the very beginning because you can't believe you're living this. It's very emotional. It's spot on. The perfect mix of light and heavy just like the book. I cried in all the parts I cried at during the book, starting when I realised that part was coming up. I even prepared myself, not wanting to disturb the entire room. There was one occasion that I had to hold back my sobs and do that stupid quiet breathing not to explode and weep over Shailene and Ansel's lines and ruin it for the people (if there were any in the room) that hadn't read the book. Because I was holding it back, I cried silently for most of the film. But I assure you, if I had been at home, you would've thought I was losing it.
All in all, I adored the film, start to finish and could watch it again and again and again. I just have one more thing to say before you should go and book your tickets (and stock up on tissues).
If John Green thinks it's perfect, who am I to say otherwise?
What you want to know is whether this film ruined the book - Twilight - did it justice but only just and there were plenty of things wrong with it - Harry Potter - was satisfying and you can live with it - Divergent - or completely perfect to watch as a huge fan - The Hunger Games.
All I'm thinking about now is whether you agree with my analysis of the films listed above, but I digress.
Before I get into this I don't pretend to be a movie expert. I don't know what makes a film good or bad. My knowledge is pretty much whether the acting was good or not, whether the plot was good or not (or made sense) and I'm pretty sharp on my dialogue thanks to reading all day.
Well The Fault in Our Stars film had terrific acting. It was outstanding especially Laura Dern as Hazel's mother and Ansel Elgort as Augustus Waters. He was my perfect Gus I am telling you. He played the part exactly as I needed it to be played.
And we don't need to talk about the plot or the dialogue because all that was covered by John Green when writing TFIOS and it remained just as perfect as in the books. Every time there was a direct quote I couldn't help the smile on my face.
There was also this cool detail that texts and emails would pop up onto the screen for the audience to read as Hazel does which made it more fun for the viewer and more realistic than Hazel just reading everything aloud.
Of course, what everyone is interested in is what they missed out of the film that was in the book and the more I think about it, the more I remember that wasn't included but while I was watching it, these things didn't really occur to me because I was so mesmerised by the film. After thinking about it, the things they cut weren't vital to the plot just dustings of character here and there that a film can portray much quicker than a book can anyway so it was fine. I didn't shout out that it was all wrong so that was good.
I don't want to give anything away because I think watching it for the first time is an experience like no other but what I will tell you is Oranjee is beautiful and the entire Amsterdam part made me want to go there myself. And the film made me want to read the book over and over again, which was the exact feeling I had after finishing the book, so they must've done something right.
Now, you will cry, there is no doubt about it. If you've read the book you will cry when you know something is coming up. You may even cry at the very beginning because you can't believe you're living this. It's very emotional. It's spot on. The perfect mix of light and heavy just like the book. I cried in all the parts I cried at during the book, starting when I realised that part was coming up. I even prepared myself, not wanting to disturb the entire room. There was one occasion that I had to hold back my sobs and do that stupid quiet breathing not to explode and weep over Shailene and Ansel's lines and ruin it for the people (if there were any in the room) that hadn't read the book. Because I was holding it back, I cried silently for most of the film. But I assure you, if I had been at home, you would've thought I was losing it.
All in all, I adored the film, start to finish and could watch it again and again and again. I just have one more thing to say before you should go and book your tickets (and stock up on tissues).
If John Green thinks it's perfect, who am I to say otherwise?
June 10, 2014
0.4 - Mike Lancaster
A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book
'MY NAME IS KYLE STRAKER AND I DON'T EXIST ANY MORE.'
The Kyle Straker tapes have caused much controversy, are they a true account of a past world or are they just a hoax?
My Review
0.4 had a brilliant opening from the editor, who is really the author, Mike Lancaster. The tapes are history and our author has simply written them up as prose. This was an excellent approach that made me dive straight into the novel.
The terrible air of foreboding throughout the novel made me keep on reading. I needed to know what had happened to the world because the world as Kyle was telling it was our world, so what had happened since? I could hardly put it down. The short chapters also added to this. I read the entire thing in two days I believe. I just couldn't stop reading it. It was a very quick and engaging read.
The little notes all the way through explaining what reality TV and such like were to the reader, gave me a great impression of what the 'future' was like, even though the future is never talked about directly. It was very clever.
0.4 made me think and wonder. I have never read anything quite like this before. It was a Sci-Fi I could get into as it wasn't too heavy and it was set in our own universe. I know this review it short and a little lacking but what else can I say? I really enjoyed this book!
Evaluation
Plot - 7/10 - kept me guessing
Way Plot Was Pursued - 10/10 - I've never read a book where the entire thing is a tape recording
Characters - 6/10 - they weren't anything special
Style - 10/10 - Kyle with his honest voice was the perfect narrator
Pace - 9/10 - almost too quick
Would I recommend it? - Yes, especially if you don't usually like Sci-Fi novels but want to give one a go.
Would I look up the author? - No, I loved 0.4 but it hasn't motivated me to look up Mike Lancaster.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Readymolly.looby@hotmail.com
'MY NAME IS KYLE STRAKER AND I DON'T EXIST ANY MORE.'
The Kyle Straker tapes have caused much controversy, are they a true account of a past world or are they just a hoax?
My Review
0.4 had a brilliant opening from the editor, who is really the author, Mike Lancaster. The tapes are history and our author has simply written them up as prose. This was an excellent approach that made me dive straight into the novel.
The terrible air of foreboding throughout the novel made me keep on reading. I needed to know what had happened to the world because the world as Kyle was telling it was our world, so what had happened since? I could hardly put it down. The short chapters also added to this. I read the entire thing in two days I believe. I just couldn't stop reading it. It was a very quick and engaging read.
The little notes all the way through explaining what reality TV and such like were to the reader, gave me a great impression of what the 'future' was like, even though the future is never talked about directly. It was very clever.
0.4 made me think and wonder. I have never read anything quite like this before. It was a Sci-Fi I could get into as it wasn't too heavy and it was set in our own universe. I know this review it short and a little lacking but what else can I say? I really enjoyed this book!
Evaluation
Plot - 7/10 - kept me guessing
Way Plot Was Pursued - 10/10 - I've never read a book where the entire thing is a tape recording
Characters - 6/10 - they weren't anything special
Style - 10/10 - Kyle with his honest voice was the perfect narrator
Pace - 9/10 - almost too quick
Would I recommend it? - Yes, especially if you don't usually like Sci-Fi novels but want to give one a go.
Would I look up the author? - No, I loved 0.4 but it hasn't motivated me to look up Mike Lancaster.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Readymolly.looby@hotmail.com
June 3, 2014
Brilliant Week Featuring The #MovellasMeetUp
Last week I had a very interesting week. Interesting enough that I can write a whole post about it!
First of of all on Wednesday, I was offered the ghostwriting position I'd been interviewed for! This really kicked off the awesome week I had. I had finally been noticed as a writer, as a good writer and now I have a freelance position to prove it. I am, at long last, being paid to do what I love. It may not be writing my own books, but this is almost as fun because it's writing without any of the writers' block! I am so thrilled. I really can't get that across in a blog post but I am. I am so happy. Things are looking up for my writing career. I told you 2014 was going to be good.
Then on Thursday I found myself in London near the old Movellas headquarters to have coffee with an agent I've been emailing and sending work for . . . I don't know, well over a year that's for sure. He recognised my interest in the publishing industry and wanted to tell me about being an agent and explain the publishing industry from his perspective. It was a very interesting conversation though I mainly listened. It was very eye opening and I walked away with a copy of The Bookseller, The Author (Journal of the Society of Authors) and From Pitch to Publication by Carole Blake so I was more than happy.
The next day I found myself in London again. My incredibly talented arty boyfriend took me to the Tate Modern, amazed that I'd never been to an art gallery before. I mostly walked around making incredibly unsophisticated comments, having no idea what I was looking at, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
There we are outside the Globe. I'd never seen that before either!
After the Tate Modern, we made our way to Soho for the Movellas Meet Up. Unfortunately, my internet service disappeared and we had no way of knowing how to get there. I had to phone my dad who had to instruct us over the phone. I don't know how, but we got there.
I had a great chat with the lovely Eva and Yvonne and I also met Joe for the first time. The new Soho office was beautiful and in an amazing location. There was so much going on just outside the windows, the hustle and bustle of London never stops.
I got to see some of the users in real life which was bizarre. The best part, of course, was the table filled with books! We each got to take a Movellas tote bag and whatever books took our fancy. Of course, almost all of them took my fancy.
Everyone else seemed to take maybe three or four but I had no shame filling my bag all the way to the top. I couldn't be happier with my spoils!
I can't wait to read them all! Although it might take me a long time to get round to it. My bookshelf is getting pretty full, as my #Shelfie for Movellas showed everyone!
I also can't wait for all the cool new stuff Movellas is going to be up to. Or putting my new agent knowledge to use when I next send a submission out. Or my new job as a freelance ghostwriter!
What a week!
Molly Looby
Author / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready
First of of all on Wednesday, I was offered the ghostwriting position I'd been interviewed for! This really kicked off the awesome week I had. I had finally been noticed as a writer, as a good writer and now I have a freelance position to prove it. I am, at long last, being paid to do what I love. It may not be writing my own books, but this is almost as fun because it's writing without any of the writers' block! I am so thrilled. I really can't get that across in a blog post but I am. I am so happy. Things are looking up for my writing career. I told you 2014 was going to be good.
Then on Thursday I found myself in London near the old Movellas headquarters to have coffee with an agent I've been emailing and sending work for . . . I don't know, well over a year that's for sure. He recognised my interest in the publishing industry and wanted to tell me about being an agent and explain the publishing industry from his perspective. It was a very interesting conversation though I mainly listened. It was very eye opening and I walked away with a copy of The Bookseller, The Author (Journal of the Society of Authors) and From Pitch to Publication by Carole Blake so I was more than happy.
The next day I found myself in London again. My incredibly talented arty boyfriend took me to the Tate Modern, amazed that I'd never been to an art gallery before. I mostly walked around making incredibly unsophisticated comments, having no idea what I was looking at, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
There we are outside the Globe. I'd never seen that before either!
After the Tate Modern, we made our way to Soho for the Movellas Meet Up. Unfortunately, my internet service disappeared and we had no way of knowing how to get there. I had to phone my dad who had to instruct us over the phone. I don't know how, but we got there.
I had a great chat with the lovely Eva and Yvonne and I also met Joe for the first time. The new Soho office was beautiful and in an amazing location. There was so much going on just outside the windows, the hustle and bustle of London never stops.
I got to see some of the users in real life which was bizarre. The best part, of course, was the table filled with books! We each got to take a Movellas tote bag and whatever books took our fancy. Of course, almost all of them took my fancy.
Everyone else seemed to take maybe three or four but I had no shame filling my bag all the way to the top. I couldn't be happier with my spoils!
I can't wait to read them all! Although it might take me a long time to get round to it. My bookshelf is getting pretty full, as my #Shelfie for Movellas showed everyone!
I also can't wait for all the cool new stuff Movellas is going to be up to. Or putting my new agent knowledge to use when I next send a submission out. Or my new job as a freelance ghostwriter!
What a week!
Molly Looby
Author / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready
May 28, 2014
Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book
If you got to live your last day again, what would you do with it?
My Review
I was excited to pick up this book having read a teaser for it in the back of Delirium. But I was also cautious because I loved Delirium but didn't really care for the rest of the trilogy. Brace yourselves, I may have loved Before I Fall even more than I loved Delirium.
Before I Fall starts of with Sam's typical day at school and we learn that her and her friends Lindsay, Ally and Elody aren't very nice people. They're your average popular bitches you hated at school. Think Mean Girls. Sam and her friends were the plastics. But even though I was reading about these people I didn't like, I wanted to follow them - much like the other characters in the book. I don't know whether this is because I never saw the popular side of school and it was amazing to me.
Of course, as you can imagine, as the book went on, I liked Sam, our protagonist, more and more as she realised that she wasn't good person. Sam stepped up and wanted to make sure people remembered her as a good person, even if she's only got that one day to turn it around. I forgave her as she hadn't realised before what she'd been doing to people. Her best friend Lindsay on the other hand, I hated more and more and more. She was cruel and a liar and I didn't want to read another sentence about her by the end of the novel. But as a contrast to Sam's character it was done beautifully. It was brilliant how much I hated her.
The actual plot itself was outstanding. When I realised it was like the film Groundhog Day I got stupidly excited. Oliver managed to find the perfect balance because amazingly, replaying this day over and over never got repetitive - well not in a bad way. If anything I got increasingly breathless with each repeat, the feeling of dread growing more and more intense. There were different details each time so I was constantly building up a picture of all the threads of this one day. It was incredible to think about all the different things happening at any given moment. It really made me stop and think. I was completely blown away by the description of how a person can feel in a moment. I've always admired Oliver's perfect description.
Evaluation
Plot - 10/10 - the most amazing idea
Way Plot Was Pursued - 10/10 - day by day was the perfect way to do this
Characters - 8/10 - realistic
Style - 10/10 - I always love Oliver's description
Pace - 9/10 - chapters were a little long sometimes
Would I recommend it? - It was just awesome. Yes.
Would I look up the author? - Yes. I already have done but I've added another Oliver book, Panic, to my wish list!
Before I Fall was beautiful, thought-provoking, heart-warming and heart-breaking all at once.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Readymolly.looby@hotmail.com
If you got to live your last day again, what would you do with it?
My Review
I was excited to pick up this book having read a teaser for it in the back of Delirium. But I was also cautious because I loved Delirium but didn't really care for the rest of the trilogy. Brace yourselves, I may have loved Before I Fall even more than I loved Delirium.
Before I Fall starts of with Sam's typical day at school and we learn that her and her friends Lindsay, Ally and Elody aren't very nice people. They're your average popular bitches you hated at school. Think Mean Girls. Sam and her friends were the plastics. But even though I was reading about these people I didn't like, I wanted to follow them - much like the other characters in the book. I don't know whether this is because I never saw the popular side of school and it was amazing to me.
Of course, as you can imagine, as the book went on, I liked Sam, our protagonist, more and more as she realised that she wasn't good person. Sam stepped up and wanted to make sure people remembered her as a good person, even if she's only got that one day to turn it around. I forgave her as she hadn't realised before what she'd been doing to people. Her best friend Lindsay on the other hand, I hated more and more and more. She was cruel and a liar and I didn't want to read another sentence about her by the end of the novel. But as a contrast to Sam's character it was done beautifully. It was brilliant how much I hated her.
The actual plot itself was outstanding. When I realised it was like the film Groundhog Day I got stupidly excited. Oliver managed to find the perfect balance because amazingly, replaying this day over and over never got repetitive - well not in a bad way. If anything I got increasingly breathless with each repeat, the feeling of dread growing more and more intense. There were different details each time so I was constantly building up a picture of all the threads of this one day. It was incredible to think about all the different things happening at any given moment. It really made me stop and think. I was completely blown away by the description of how a person can feel in a moment. I've always admired Oliver's perfect description.
Evaluation
Plot - 10/10 - the most amazing idea
Way Plot Was Pursued - 10/10 - day by day was the perfect way to do this
Characters - 8/10 - realistic
Style - 10/10 - I always love Oliver's description
Pace - 9/10 - chapters were a little long sometimes
Would I recommend it? - It was just awesome. Yes.
Would I look up the author? - Yes. I already have done but I've added another Oliver book, Panic, to my wish list!
Before I Fall was beautiful, thought-provoking, heart-warming and heart-breaking all at once.
Molly LoobyAuthor / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Readymolly.looby@hotmail.com
