Tuesday, July 20, 2010

In My Mailbox (10) + Updates

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie.

Even though this is a bit late In My Mailbox, I didn't have the chance to go to the library before until after my internship. (And I know...reading this book right now is pretty late)
Borrowed from Library (Reading)
Updates: 

As you can tell, I changed the background for my blog. I LOVE it and I seriously wish I could use it but the readability of the text under the black color was a little hurtful to the eyes, so I'm asking one of my fellow friends to create a beautiful layout. She will be done with by tomorrow (really hopeful) and I absolutely cannot wait to see it :). I'll have that up and running and change the layout with a review policy, a list of reviews, and such.

Also, because I haven't been posting a lot of stuff up (because I've been waiting for a new layout for a start and I've finished Heist Society, but still trying to mull over how to write the review), I've decided to extend the CSN contest a bit. (More info to come).

And finally, I will be on a two week semi-hiatus in the beginning of August because my family's going to EUROPE!!! (More to come!)




 

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Waiting on Wednesdays (10)

Waiting On Wednesdays is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights highly anticipated releases.

Title: Falling Under
Author: Gwen Hayes
Publishing Date: March 2011
Synopsis:

In her dreams he’s irresistible—seductive, charming, and undoubtedly dangerous. But when he appears to her when she’s awake—and captivates her just the same—she’s not sure which way is up and which is down.

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life, not allowed the same freedoms as the rest of the teenagers in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, she feels every urge she’s ever denied burning through her at the slightest glance from Haden Black. Theia knows she’s seen Haden before—not around town, but in her dreams.


Theia doesn’t understand how she dreamed of Haden before they ever met, but every night has them joined in a haunting world of eerie fantasy. And as the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her forward one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And as she slowly discovers what Haden truly is, Theia’s not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul. 


My Thoughts: 

Dang. The synopsis seems intense! Again, it sounds like another spin-off of Twilight, but I always loved the handsome, dangerous boy book so I cannot wait for this to come out.  If the cover, which is beautiful with the forbidden aura of the high contrast between the black and red and her innocent blonde hair, is any indication of the book's quality, I'm going to have to rush to stores to buy it. I think I've already grown a soft spot of Haden :) 

Monday, July 5, 2010

Eclipse Movie Review

With an even a hotter cast, steamier kissing scenes, and beautifully executed action, there were only a few moments of cringing while watching Eclipse (and of course, more ogling).

The introduction scene really set the somber tone of the movie. I loved the tense and scary atmosphere Riley's transformation scene created. I loved the expansion on Riley’s role in the movie, since it helped play on the viewer’s sympathy and his past, which sadly, the book didn’t. (Lol, and I have to admit, Xavier Samuel was another reason I loved seeing Riley more. Sorry Edward, Riley just stole my heart :)).

The acting again done by Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattison was bleh. I won’t go into a rant about how I hated the main casting from the start, but there were parts when the scenes were just awkward (such as the one between Bella telling Jacob about her imminent transformation), I had to cover my eyes. However, I loved some of the humorous parts (funniest part: Edward muttering about Jacob’s abs “Doesn’t he have a shirt?”) and the relation between Bella and Charlie’s dad.

There were a lot of steamy kissing scenes that you might not want young children to see (there was a mom covering a child’s eyes next to me during those scenes), but the chemistry was done beautifully, with Bella/Edward and Bella/Jacob.

I loved loved the action scene. It was intense and epic, especially the practice scene. The action was horrifying like it was supposed to be and realistic, even Victoria’s head being beheaded.

A big complaint I have is the ending. After Bella rejects Jacob officially, it ended with her and Edward in a beautiful prairie with flowers, even though the book ended with Jacob’s dejected feelings.

Minor Points:
  • Please, please, I hope they get Nikki Reed to dye her eyebrows or something. She looked way too much like Lady Gaga.
  • Loved the flashbacks
  • Boo Boo Stewart (Seth) and Xavier Samuel (Riley) just made the movie shine more!
Now, I'm in my "Twilight obsession" phase. (Time to reserve on Breaking Dawn again.) So how did you think Eclipse was?

Sunday, July 4, 2010

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie.

 Borrowed from Library (Reading)
I think my library is ordering a book one at a time :) But either way, I'm already halfway through Heist Society and I love the James Bond plotline. Loving the book. 

What books did everyone else get?

On another note, Happy 4th of July to all! I hope eveyrone goes out and sees the fireworks or just have a fun time with family. 

What are you doing on the 4th of July?


Saturday, July 3, 2010

Incarceron Review

Title: Incarceron
Author: Catherine Fisher
Publisher: Dial
Published Date: January 2010
Price: Amazon ($12.23)
Synopsis:

Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ... 

Review: 

Fisher spins a dystopia of a paradise driven to shambles into a prison of poverty, theft, and hatred. Finn, a prisoner of Incarceron, perseveres with his hopes of a past outside of the lies and deceit he lives by as he and his friends attempt to discover the passageway to paradise, Outside. What he doesn’t know is Outside isn’t paradise.

Claudia, the Warden of Incarceron’s daughter, hopes to rekindle the past in attempts to escape an arranged marriage. As she uncovers the secrets and atrocities of Incarceron through the Key, she realizes the world she thought she lived in was hidden by disguises, pretenses, and lies.

The originality of Incarceron, its feelings, its loneliness and also of Outside, another prison going back in time and inhibiting technology, caused the dystopia to shine amongst all the Hunger Game books and The Maze Runner. I thought the characterization of Incarceron as another character just made the dystopia feeling hit home.

The action of the first page and the mystery in uncovering the secrets created the tense and excited environment I love in books. Even though there weren’t any big fights, there were a few but they didn’t stand out as much as the intense moment when Fisher leaves an unknown discovery hanging by switching to a new perspective.

I loved the development of the characters, Finn, Keiro, Jared, Attia, and even Evian. There was just one character that it was either just me and my personal feelings or just a lack of development, but Claudia bothered me throughout the book. Claudia’s want to search for Incarceron and help release Finn and the other inmates just gave me a vibe that she was doing this for her own selfish reasons, to live a perfect and happy life and not have to have an arranged marriage. There were some parts when she was talking with Finn, it seemed liked Claudia just wanted Finn out and pose him as Giles. On the other hand, I absolutely love Finn because he is a human, instead of a hero. Even though Finn is portrayed as a deceitful and also a thief, he also has a conscious and regret to counteract it. I’m also intrigued by Kiero because he has so many personalities and facets that I don’t know which one to believe. He acts selfish and cruel but there were instances, a glimmer of kindness and loyalty that he exhibits. I also absolutely adored Jared, and actually hope for a Jared/Claudia pairing, rather than Claudia/Finn.

The different perspectives also just added another twist to the character development. The perspectives not only juxtaposed the Outside and Inside, but also helped portray each character’s motives and tantalizing hints of the development.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Cover: 4/5

I loved the intricate designs on the cover and the dark color scheme, portraying the feeling of being caged up in a prison. I also thought the Key’s design was done well with the eagle. I love the metals and the moving motors because that’s essentially what Incarceron is made of, which is decorated by floating leaves, the symbol of Outside.

Overall: 4/5

Dystopias take a twist as Fisher creates a page-turning prison full of secrets, hatred, and greed. Outside is a prison, disguised by trees and flowers, as Protocol inhibits freedom, selfish wants leading to murder. The characters’ complexities and the secrets unfolding a mystery made me flip through the book too quickly to realize I finished and needed to wait another half-year for the sequel, Sapphique.

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