Book Review: Silas Marner

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Rating: PG

Recommended for: Ages 15 and up (interest level)

Embittered by a false accusation, disappointed in friendship and love, the weaver Silas Marner retreats into a long twilight life alone with his loom. . . and his gold. Silas hoards a treasure that kills his spirit until fate steals it from him and replaces it with a golden-haired founding child. Where she came from, who her parents were, and who really stole the gold are the secrets that permeate this moving tale of guilt and innocence. A moral allegory of the redemptive power of love, it is also a finely drawn picture of early nineteenth-century England in the days when spinning wheels hummed busily in the farmhouses, and of a simple way of life that was soon to disappear.

When I read this book for school I didn't really know what it was about or what to expect. The descriptions don't really tell what the story is about, so I waited for more than half the book for the child to come into the story. I really liked it and there were some times where I wanted to keep reading.

Technical: 4/5

It did not have as much wordiness as many classics do and it was easy to find the story within the book. There was one chapter that was boring for a good portion of it, but it was the only chapter like that. They were not the easiest characters to connect to, but you could still feel for them. It did jump to some backstory and then several years later, but the timeline was easy to keep track of.

Setting: 4/5

The story is set in the town of Raveloe, where the people do not really like strangers. Silas is from a city but I don't remember it ever being named. There was nothing that seemed to be out of place in the setting and the setting worked well for the story.

Plot: 4.5/ 5

It does not have the most unique plot, but it is done in an interesting way. A good portion of the story follows Godfrey, who is the son of the Squire. Godfrey is being threatened by his brother with blackmail. Godfrey causes himself trouble by trying to live two lives and to keep others from knowing about a secret marriage. From the reader's point of view, there is not much mystery as to where the child came from.

Characters: 5/5

The characters are flawed. Silas becomes obsessed with his money after he has lost everything else. Godfrey tries to avoid dishonor and focuses on what he wants then and not thinking of how he might regret it later. There are other characters too, one in particular having a lot of problems. The characters grow in the story and they are different at the end than how they were at the beginning of the story. There was one thing that I'm a little confused on how it came about, since one character involved was opposed to the matter and then it skips and the thing has then happened.

This book has a mostly happy ending, though some things are left unanswered in the characters' lives but it was mostly concluded. I would recommend this book especially if you like classics.

Movie Review: Nanny McPhee

Nanny McPhee

Recommended For: All Ages

Rating: PG

Mr. Cedric Brown has just lost his wife and is now left with his seven children who misbehave so much that all the nannies have run away. A magical, but fearfully ugly Nanny McPhee shows up and claims she can tame the rowdy children.

This movie was so cute! The other day we watched this because we hadn't been using our Netflix in a while, and oh my gosh, it was adorable! I certainly did not expect Colin Firth to be in it. So weird. But he did a really good job.

Technical: 5/5
This movie was done really well. The CG, the acting, the costumes, all done well and aesthetically pleasing.

Settings: 4/5
The settings were...interesting. I couldn't tell what the time frame was supposed to be, though. The house was painted such weird colors! Probably as a result of the kids somehow.

Plot: 5/5
The plot was very...just wow. It was so magical. And it had a happy ending! (Of course it had a happy ending, it's a kids' movie. Still, though, I was wondering for a bit.)

Character Development: 5/5
The characters were so amazing. Nanny McPhee is very interesting. I really liked the kid that Thomas Brodie-Sangster played. I can't believe he was fifteen when that movie was made! That kid looks so young!

Does he look fifteen in that picture? No? Well, he was! That kid just amazes me. I just can't fathom how much younger he looks than he actually is.

The other characters were really good, too. I really liked Mr. Brown, and felt so sorry for him! Yes, he almost married a nasty woman, but he was doing it to keep his kids out of the workhouse. Poor guy. I liked the kids, too, though they were bratty, and Aunt Adelaide...well, I just can't believe she was Angela Lansbury!

This was a very good movie that I would recommend to everyone, especially naughty children. :)

Book Review: This Quiet Sky

This Quiet Sky by Joanne Bischof

Recommended for: Ages 15 to Adult

Rating: PG (for romance)

There is nothing extraordinary about Tucker O’Shay’s dreams. Go to college. Become president. Fall in love. And pretend like he has enough time to get it all done.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Miller doesn’t expect anything out of the ordinary when she begins her first day at the one-room-school house in her new hometown of Rocky Knob. But when she meets seventeen-year-old Tucker O’Shay—the boy with the fatal illness who volunteers to tutor her in algebra—she finds herself swept up in a friendship that changes the way she sees the world and a love that changes her life.

 I cried. Just a little, the only book that made me bawl is Bridge to Terebithia, but I, the one who almost never cries over books, cried.

The setting didn't feel quite as authentic to me as Little House (yes, I compared as I read for awhile), but it still felt pretty historically accurate. And once I got into the story, I didn't notice little things that felt slightly modern anymore.

Oh my word, the pain. I'm not quite sure what it was I connected to so much, but this story, short though it is, crushed my heart. I was there. I felt the pain and the sorrow. I feel like crying whenever I think of it.

Tucker. Sarah. Always meant to be. Never meant to be. But it doesn't really matter how much time you have in this world. What matters is what you do with it. Even if you never become President. Even if you never marry the one you love. As long as you do the most you can, you will have done enough.

Now excuse me while I go cry again.

Book Review: Defy

The Blades of Acktar: Defy by Tricia Mingerink

Recommended for: Ages 13 to Adult

Rating: PG-13 (for violence, intense torture scenes, and intense epic battle sequences)

The war for Acktar has begun. 

With his betrayal revealed, former Blade Leith Torren flees into the Sheered Rock Hills, pursued by King Respen’s vengeful Blades. 

Left behind at Nalgar Castle, Renna Faythe tries to find her purpose, yet that purpose isn’t what she expected. 

Brandi Faythe has been torn from her sister, and that isn’t all right. If Leith can’t rescue Renna, Brandi will take matters into her own hands. 

War demands sacrifice. Courage falters. Who will find the strength to defy King Respen?

Acktar rests on one hope: 

The Leader is ready.  

 

*Incoherent screaming* Okay, okay, I'm calm, I'm calm. (Not really, but who cares?) Oh my goodness, wow, that was an AMAZING book. I was literally shaking during some intense scenes of the book. And I, who have only ever been brought to tears by one piece of fiction in my life (Star Wars Episode VII: the Force Awakens), had a tear in my eye because of this book. Somehow, without me realizing it, this book series became my second favorite ever, only topped by the ever amazing Ilyon Chronicles (because while Leith Torren is one of the most amazing fictional characters I have ever read about, he has not and can never pass up Jace). This book was simply amazing. After I finished it, I had to scream into my pillow because I couldn't hold it in and didn't want to scream in front of my sister.

 

I received this book free as a result of winning the Name That Character contest, and was simply ecstatic when the email with the book arrived on my kindle on May 25 (when I was struggling to hold my eyes open because of exhaustion from the election the night before plus Benadryl). Due to some problems with my email, I wasn't able to send it to my kindle and actually read it until that night, when I was halfway through Brothers-In-Arms, which I preordered on kindle. I finished Brothers-In-Arms late last night, and early this morning, when I couldn't sleep because my stomach was in knots because of pollen allergies, I picked up the book and barely put it down until I finished it. Just...wow. Please excuse all the fangirling bound to end up in this post, but IT WAS JUST SO GOOD!

 

Writing: 5/5

I think I noticed a couple typos or something...I'm not sure...if there were some, they weren't enough to detract from the story. The three main POVs were perfect, and Tricia included just the right number of scenes, with no extraneous ones and no essential ones left out. Poor Leith can never fully recover from what he went through... What happened to him ripped my heart out, but also satisfied me as an author's promise to her readers finally fulfilled. (So many authors break the promises they make to the readers. So glad Tricia isn't one of them.)

 

Setting: 5/5

Great. I loved Eagle Heights. It was so interesting. And I liked seeing more of Nalgar Castle. Mostly, it was good enough to let the characters move around in and add to the plot without getting undue attention.

 

Plot: 5/5

Oh my goodness. This is how authors get inducted into the evil author society. SPOILER Tricia can't pretend for one minute she didn't enjoy torturing Leith. END SPOILER All the things they went through, it's amazing more people aren't dead. The plot was well-paced and exciting and gripping and...oh, for Pete's sake, just go read the book!

 

Character Development: 5/5

Why are you still standing here? Oh, right, I have to finish the review. Leith was amazing, and so strong in his faith, the dear boy! Renna has grown so much, she's so strong and full of courage and kindness! She was only made stronger by what she went through. And Brandi, poor, dear, innocent, light-hearted Brandi had to grow up completely.

 

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I feel just like Mushu watching Brandi, though. The other characters were great, too, and OH MY GOODNESS I just remembered, I was not expecting that plot twist in the middle when that certain character showed up and was alive and started hating on Leith (how dare he!)

 

Don't nobody go hatin' on my babies.





 

But I guess he's okay now, since he's finally started to forgive Leith. SPOILER So sad that Respen never converted before he died! But Martyn is starting to see the light, as well as the other Blade, so I guess that makes up for it. END SPOILER

 

So anyway, now that I have that off my chest, I can go do something productive! Au revoir!

 

Oh, and by the way, check out Defy's BLOG TOUR!!!!

Movie Review: Walt Before Mickey

Walt Before Mickey

Recommended For: Ages 10 to Adult

 

Rating: PG for period smoking throughout, mild thematic elements, and language

 

(From the Amazon description of the book)

 

For ten years before the creation of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney struggled with, failed at, and eventually mastered the art and business of animation. Most biographies of his career begin in 1928, when Steamboat Willie was released. That first Disney Studio cartoon with synchronized sound made its main character―Mickey Mouse―an icon for generations.

But Steamboat Willie was neither Disney’s first cartoon nor Mickey Mouse’s first appearance. Prior to this groundbreaking achievement, Walt Disney worked in a variety of venues and studios, refining what would become known as the Disney style. In Walt before Mickey: Disney’s Early Years, 1919–1928, Timothy Susanin creates a portrait of the artist from age seventeen to the cusp of his international renown.

After serving in the Red Cross in France after World War I, Walt Disney worked for advertising and commercial art in Kansas City. Walt used these experiences to create four studios―Kaycee Studios, Laugh-O-gram Films, Disney Brothers Studio, and Walt Disney Studio. Using company documents, private correspondence between Walt and his brother Roy, contemporary newspaper accounts, and new interviews with Disney’s associates, Susanin traces Disney’s path. The author shows Disney to be a complicated, resourceful man, especially during his early career. Walt before Mickey, a critical biography of a man at a crucial juncture, provides the “missing decade” that started Walt Disney’s career and gave him the skills to become a name known worldwide.

As life-long Disney lovers, of course our family jumped at the chance of watching this when it was on Netflix. While it wasn't made very well, it accurately portrayed the struggles Walt Disney went through to get to writing Mickey and was a very enjoyable movie.

Technical: 3/5
The actors...couldn't act. At least most of them couldn't. the most blatant bad actor was Roy Disney.  Thankfully, the others weren't half as bad as Roy and I got used to them. Roy, however...ouch.The dialogue also could have been better written, and the beginning was slow, and there was a little too much showing rather than telling. But other than that, it seemed well made.

Setting: 5/5
From what I know, it seemed very accurate to the times. The settings are well fleshed out and vibrant, but not more prominent than the characters and plot.

Plot: 4/5
It was mainly from Walt's years trying to jumpstart a studio right to his first Mickey cartoon. The plot was well-spaced and well thought out, although again, told a little too much rather than shown. All in all, a good plot that could have been better executed.

Character Development: 4.5/5
Since I never knew any of the people in this movie, I can't know for sure if the movie makers got their characters right, but I think they were well-done, all except Walt himself. He didn't have quite the fun and imagination shining through him that I've seen in the videos of the older Walt. Maybe that was just the actor not quite being able to pull Walt off completely. I don't know. I just wasn't completely satisfied with the seriousness of Walt.

This was a good movie despite technical problems that I would recommend for any Disney lover.

Book Review: Samara's Peril

Samara's Peril by Jaye L. Knight

Recommended for: Ages 14 to Adult

Rating: PG-13 (for violence and references to rape; one woman was attacked by a ryrik in the past and a young man tries to drag off a young woman. He is prevented from doing anything, but later accuses another of the same act. All very well handled.)

When news arrives that Emperor Daican has been in contact with his chief war strategist, it signals potential doom for the country of Samara. Determined to intervene, the resistance in Landale, headed by Lady Anne, embark on a covert mission in hopes of unearthing further information. However, a shocking discovery leads to complications no one could have foreseen.

Armed with their newfound knowledge, they set out for Samara to warn the king. War is inevitable, and they must face two desperate battles—one on the walls of Samara’s great stronghold, and the other on the battlefield of Jace’s heart, where victory might only be achievable through great sacrifice.

Available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks!

Samara's Peril. Book three of the amazing Ilyon Chronicles. Each book in Ilyon just gets better. I loved this book, every bit of it. It's intense and heartbreaking, but has such happy moments as well. There were parts where my whole body was tense, and there were parts where I'm pretty sure I was probably grinning like a silly idiot. Parts that I've reread many times, parts that make me very happy, parts that make me sad, parts that fill me with hope. I'm just going to go ahead and say that I highly recommend it.

Writing: 5/5

Yep, the writing is just as good as in previous installments. I really felt the intensity and sorrow, the happiness and hope. Jaye really gets into her characters' heads. I felt all of Jace's struggles, experienced his trials and successes, resonated with Kyrin's emotions. I look at the way Jaye does things to figure out how to write deep character point of view.

Setting: 5/5

And the new stuff. Because the old settings are consistent with previous books. We visit Ashwood, the home of Sir Rothas. It's kind of like a clean version of Downton Abbey, but it fits perfectly within the Arcacian worldbuilding. We also visit the country of Samara in this book. It's got a different feel from Arcacia, but it works very well. And the Biblical parallels. One after another stood out to me as I was reading. I don't want to give too much away, but the allegorical side of the story is very powerful, in my opinion. I thought it was very well done.

Plot: 5/5

The storyline includes finding out Jace's backstory as well as significant progress in Jace and Kyrin's relationship. Of course it's amazing. :) Jace finds out his backstory and it has both positive and negative effects. That part of the story is definitely packed with conflict, and is kind of stressful, but never dull. Then they go to Samara as Jace is on a downward spiral. Battles ensue, both on a spiritual level and on a physical level. I thought the plot was well constructed, flowed well, and made sense. There was a perfect balance of external conflict, internal turmoil, and sweet squeal-worthy moments. Loved it all.

Character Development: 5/5

Jace and Kyrin. <3 I love those two. Their relationship does take some stress in this book, but they come out better than they were before. I just love how three dimensional the characters are. I met my most hated Ilyon villain in this book. I cannot stand Rothas. I want him to die. Please, Jaye? ;) But Elanor is so sweet, Charles is awesome, and so is Rachel, James needs a good mentor, Balen is a great king...all the new characters add so much to the story. We get plenty of Kyrin's family, we see Rayad, some of Trask...oh, and Anne was fantastic in this book. Definitely some "Go, Anne!" moments. Leetra is softening ever so slightly, Timothy and Aaron have some roles. And there's Elon. I wasn't exactly expecting it in this book, but I can't see it happening any other way. He was exactly what Jace needed, and it was powerful.

So good. Because of some Ashwood details, I'd recommend it for mid teens and up, but definitely recommended.

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author
Jaye L. Knight is an award-winning author, homeschool graduate, and shameless tea addict with a passion for Christian fantasy. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Etsy.

Shameless backward plug:

To all you fellow Ilyon fans, my sister and I made Tyra plushies that we have for sale on Etsy. :) Go check them out.

Giveaway
Share in the excitement of the release and enter to win a themed giveaway pack! Prizes include an autographed copy of Samara’s Peril, a John 3:16 necklace by FaithWearDesigns, and a green wire dragon bookmark by Wirelings! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)

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Book Review: The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre

The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre by Ann Rinaldi

Rating: PG

Recommended for: Ages 13 and up

 “Carefully researched and lovingly written, Rinaldi’s latest presents a girl indentured to John and Abigail Adams during the tense period surrounding the 1770 Massacre. . . . Fortuitously timed, a novel that illuminates a moment from our past that has strong parallels to recent events. Bibliography.”--Kirkus Reviews

 This is the fourth Ann Rinaldi book that I have read, and it is one of the best of the four. I love that in her books she takes people who were real and the events of the time and makes an interesting story out of it.

Writing: 4/5

 The writing is interesting and puts you into the story. She was good about how she put the history into the story and if it dragged a little, it wasn't very much. You get into the main character's head and the story is told by her. I don't know what reading level it was, but I do think that it probably should have been a little higher.

Setting: 5/5

 All of this book takes place in Boston. It starts out before the Boston Massacre by at least a year, maybe more, and ends after the soldiers' trial. I think that it was pretty accurate, there were the mobs that would go through the streets and the soldiers that came to Boston. There were also some famous people like John and Abigail Adams. At the end of the book there is an author's note that says what is real and what she made up.

Plot: 4/5

 The story was about an indentured servant to the Adams living in colonial America. The story follows how she wants to learn and decides what kind of person she wants to be. She also becomes friends with a British soldier. The soldier wants to be more than just friends while the main girl just wants to be friends. There is kissing once and some insinuations that some people want and think that something more will happen. Her uncle also says that her mother was pregnant before she got married.

Characters: 4/5

 The main girl starts out unsure of herself and slowly grows throughout the course of the book. She does make mistakes and doesn't always listen. There were a couple things about Abigail Adams that I didn't think would be completely accurate but for the most part the Adams seemed to be like the people I learned about. There are some other characters that are all different, like a soldier who is upset about his past, Jane who is friends with some people in the mob, and Henry Knox the friendly bookseller.

 I enjoyed this story and I would recommend this especially if you love this time period.

Movie Review: The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid

Rating: PG (language)

Recommended for: Ages 10 to Adult

There is more to karate than fighting. This is the lesson that Daniel (Macchio), a San Fernando Valley teenager, is about to learn from a most unexpected teacher: Mr.Miyagi (Morita), an elderly handyman who also happens to be a master of the martial arts. So when he rescues Daniel from the Cobra Kai, a vicious gang of karate school bullies, Miyagi instills in his young friend the importance of honor and confidence as well as skills in self-defense, vital lessons that will be called into play when a hopelessly outclassed Daniel faces Johnny, the sadistic leader of the Cobra Kai, in a no-holds-barred karate tournament for the championship of the Valley.

"Wax on, wax off." There's a lot about this movie that is iconic. It's one of the good movies that came out of the 80's. There were some really great films, and then...there are those "PG" films you have to turn off because the content is just THAT bad. Fortunately, this is one of those good ones. Aside from some language in a scene or two, there's not even much to warn about. Even the relationship drama isn't over the top. (Now I have some significant complaints about the girlfriend situation in 2 and 3, but that's another story.) We rewatched this recently when a friend spent the night, and I really enjoyed it.

Technical: 4.5/5

It's a pretty well made movie. It's well written, well acted, and the guy who created it actually knew karate, so I'm pretty confident the karate is even accurate. Now, Sensei does at times seem a little too evil and mean, but that's probably the point. And the ending might be a bit predictable, but SPOILER who doesn't expect the hero to win in the end against all odds? END SPOILER

Setting: 5/5

I wasn't alive in the 80's, but it was contemporary fiction for the time, and I've never heard my parents complain about it being inaccurate. Yet it's still a setting that feels applicable to this day and age. Because whatever the time period, a high school where a boy gets constantly bullied and has to do what he can to stop it is relevant.

Plot: 4.5/5

Daniel has to move to a new city where he has no friends and is a prime target for the bullies. And his solution is to run away from a fight. He wants someone to get him out of his problems, but Mr. Miyagi finds him a different solution. Much of the plot centers around Daniel learning karate--in a very unconventional way. This is where "wax on, wax off" comes in. Daniel doesn't get what's going on, and he gets mad about it (that's the scene with the language). 

But in spite of being a movie about a teenager learning karate to fight in a tournament, it's very much a movie about people. About human problems that people face. About bullying. About doing the right thing. About friendship. And even though I've never been to public school or taken karate, it's still a story that I can enjoy.

Character Development: 5/5

Really, all the characters in this movie are well developed. And well acted. They all feel very real. While Daniel's attitude keeps him from being one of my favorite characters, I still feel like I know him well. Sometimes I might want to smack him, but he eventually gets it all right. Mr. Miyagi. He's kind of eccentric, sort of Yoda-ish, but a good teacher and the perfect person to fill in the father figure space that's left empty in Daniel's life. They don't give much of a reason for why Sensei is such an evil jerk, but since Johnny is more of the direct antagonist, I guess it doesn't matter.

The Karate Kid is a good movie. It's not perfect, but it is good. I very much enjoy it.

Movie Review: Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

Rating: PG (for thematic material involving slavery and some mild language)

Recommended for: Ages 13 to Adult

From the makers of Ray and acclaimed director Michael Apted, comes the inspiring story of how one man's passion and perseverance changed the world. Based on the true story of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), Amazing Grace follows his courageous quest to end the British slave trade. John Newton (Albert Finney), a reformed slave ship captain who penned the beloved hymn "Amazing Grace," urges him to see the cause through.

This movie. It needs to be watched. William Wilberforce was an amazing man. This movie is historical, it's political, it's Christian. It's a powerful story.

Technical: 4.5/5

This is a well made movie. The timeline can get a bit confusing if you don't pay close attention, but I don't really have any other complaints. I don't know all the exact historical details, so I can't say exactly how accurate it is, but it seems pretty accurate. It's well-written and well-acted. And I recognize more cast members every time I watch it. It's got Ioan Gruffudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Albert Finney, Toby Jones...

Setting: 5/5

Amazing Grace is set in England at the end of the 1700s. Obviously, I've never been to England at the end of the 1700s, but it was quite consistent with my knowledge of the time period. It felt very realistic as well, not like it was filmed on a sound stage or in modern areas, but like it was really filmed where and when the movie is set. There's a lot about Parliament. I don't fully understand the British government, but I do understand politics. Politics is important. It affects so many lives in so many ways.

Plot: 5/5

This is the story of William Wilberforce and his fight to end the slave trade. It's told as a flashback as he gets to know the woman who, within about a week of meeting, would become his wife. When Wilberforce became a Christian, he wanted to leave Parliament to do the Lord's work, but John Newton convinced him that he could do both. That's something that's lacking today. Christians have this idea that the only way to serve God is in the church and foreign missions. We forget or don't realize that Christians need to be in every aspect of life. In education, in business, in entertainment, and yes, in politics. Wilberforce dedicated 15 years of his life to abolishing the slave trade. He had to learn that there is more than one way of accomplishing a task, something else that I wish more people would realize.

Character Development: 4.5/5

The characters felt like real people. After all, they all are real people. Sure, there are characters I know better, but that doesn't matter. It's all very real. You can see Wilberforce's passion for stopping the slave trade, his quirks, his strengths and weaknesses. I also loved seeing him and Barbara together. While I think their relationship went way too fast (that's how it really happened, though), you really can see two people who have a lot in common, who are on the same side of practically every issue, who genuinely care about each other.

Amazing Grace is a must watch. It's not a light and fun movie. It's deep and meaningful. But that only makes it even more worth watching.

Movie Review: The Poseidon Adventure

The Poseidon Adventure (2005 TV Movie)

Recommended For: Ages 13 to Adult

Rating: NR (I would rate it PG-13 for Intense Disaster Sequences, Disturbing Images, Some Violence, and Brief Sexual Content)

A cruise ship succumbs to a terrorist act and capsizes on New Year's eve. A rag-tag group of survivors, spearheaded by a priest and a homeland security agent, must journey through the upside down vessel and attempt an escape.

One day many years ago, there was a movie on TV called Poseidon. In the brief description on TV, it said something about a ship capsizing, so my dad turned it on during dinner just to see the ship flip over and then he planned on turning something else on.

We got hooked on the movie. My mom made us turn it off before we saw the ending, and we've wanted to finish the movie ever since. Apparently, there are three versions of the movie (who knew?) and my mom found this version at Goodwill and gave it to me for my birthday. While we were watching it, we found out it wasn't the one that we had watched those many years ago. I enjoyed this version somewhat, but it's definitely not as good as the movie I remember watching.

Technical: 3.5/5

For a movie made by Hallmark, I'm seriously impressed. Any other company... Ouch. To start off, a ship with a hole in the stern wouldn't have flipped over like that. It would have sunk much like the Titanic did, although the Titanic had no huge hole, just a bunch of popped rivets. Second, the CG for the most part looked like it was from the 80's, not two years after The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King came out. The shots of the ship at sea were obviously fake. One instance where a lady sends off an email in an already-capsized ship seemed very unrealistic. Also, the stretching out of the drama really bugged me. I mean, hello, the ship is going under in five minutes or less, we don't have time for heartfelt words by the dad who's cheating on his wife to his entire family. And could they have slowed down the crossing of the catwalk over a bunch of flames a bit more? Not to mention sending the terrorist over before the twelve-year-old boy. Sheesh. People in movies have no sense of time. The characters dawdled way too much at the ending. The acting, however, was pretty good, especially considering the cheesy script they had to work with at times. The background music, while certainly not going into the record books, was also pretty good, and the scene switches were done well.

Setting: 4/5

A cruise ship, obviously. I have never been on a cruise, so I wouldn't know how accurate it is, but the fact that the twelve-year-old boy can wander around practically anywhere on the ship just because the cook said it was okay seems pretty unrealistic to me. And where were all the lights for port, starboard, etc.? Maybe I'm missing something, but I've seen plenty of pictures of cruise ships sailing at night to know there should be more lights on than just the cabin lights.

Plot: 4.5/5

It's pretty simple, really, not much where you can go wrong. Although it probably would have been best to cut the terrorists and stick to the 90-foot tidal wave. It wouldn't have dragged the beginning so unnecessarily long and would have been a bit more believable in capsizing the ship. All in all, though, it was pretty good. There was one part, a random murder on board ship, that didn't connect to the plot whatsoever except for causing the Homeland Security agent to trail one of the terrorists and end up stopping him.

Character Development: 4/5

Not spectacular, but could have been much worse. I think their problem was they tried to deal with too many characters and develop them all in depth. The most developed would probably be the jerk that was cheating on his wife and the old widow. I liked most of the "good" characters, except for the jerk dad, and I had some reservations about the young nurse trainee who fell in love with a guy that looked older than her father. Other than that, though, with their limitations, I think they did a good job developing the characters, but none of them will live long in my memory, except for the lady played by Alex Kingston, and that solely for the reason that she played River Song.

All this makes it sound like I didn't enjoy this movie. I did, sort of, I just...it certainly wasn't spectacular. Especially considering the content with the adulterous man, I wouldn't really recommend this movie. I would go for the 2006 movie instead (which naturally I can't endorse whole-heartedly, since I haven't seen it in years and it was the TV version, but I don't think there was much bad content in it). So, I'm off, and hopefully soon, I'll be able to finish the movie we started many years ago.

Book Review: The Lunar Chronicles

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Rating: PG-13 (violence, medical, and romance)

Recommended for: Ages 15 to Adult

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Now that we have Stars Above, it's a good time to review The Lunar Chronicles. It's like fairy tale meets Star Wars, which is pretty cool, and while the kissing is rather more than what I prefer, I still loved the series.

Cinder

Cinderella is a cyborg. She meets the prince, Kai, when he comes to her mechanic stand with an android he needs to be repaired. He wants to find the lost, supposedly dead, Lunar princess Selene and restore her to the throne, and avert a marriage alliance with evil and manipulative Lunar queen Levana. But Levana is the only one with the cure for letumosis, a deadly and very contagious disease spreading across Earth, a disease the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth has contracted.

Lunars have the ability to manipulate people's minds and make them see things that aren't really there and make them do things that they don't intend to do. Most Lunars use their glamour to make themselves look more beautiful, but some, like Levana, use their glamour to force people to kill themselves, among other things.

I found Cinder to be a bit predictable, but I still loved it. It was probably the cleanest of the series, less kissing, though I think there was one instance of d---.

Scarlet

Scarlet is Red Riding Hood. She lives on her grandmother's farm in France, but her grandmother is missing. She meets a street fighter called Wolf who turns out to be a bio-engineered wolf soldier of Levana's. Only he doesn't really want to be one.

Cinder is a wanted criminal, on the run with thief Carswell Thorne. She's determined not to let Kai marry Levana, but what can she do?

While I still really enjoyed this book, and most definitely had to continue the series, I think it's my least favorite. Scarlet and Wolf fell for each other way too fast, and some of the kissing was just way too descriptive and way too long. :P They are quite devoted to each other, though. And this one was far less predictable. Scarlet is more violent than Cinder. The wolf soldiers are kind of creepy. I mean, they took normal Lunars and crossed their genetics with wolves so they're like half people, half wolves.

Cress

Cress is Rapunzel. She's also an expert hacker and a shell, a Lunar with no gift with bioelectricity. Not only can she not use a glamour, she can't be controlled by one. She's also lived alone on a satellite orbiting Earth since she was a child.

Cinder's group is still trying to overthrow Levana and save Kai. They take a detour to rescue Cress, but things don't exactly go as planned.

Levana will stop at nothing to make the marriage alliance happen, but Cinder will do anything to stop it.

Thorne is Cress's "prince." He's not my favorite of the guys, he likes the ladies way too much, but he grows quite a bit throughout his relationship with Cress. I do love his sense of humor. And we finally get to see Cinder and Kai together again! But the ending is quite the cliffhanger in the Scarlet/Wolf story line. There's still kissing, but I don't think it was quite as descriptive as in Scarlet.

I skipped Fairest. I was warned to read the reviews first, and it didn't really look like it was clean. Levana's backstory.

Winter

This book is massive. But it's SOOOOO good. Winter is Snow White. She loves her guard Jacin, but Levana, her aunt, wants to marry her off to someone else, a more advantageous match that would keep her out of the way. By the way, Winter is kind of crazy because she refuses to use her Lunar gift.

Cinder's group is ready to get rid of Levana. But there are some necessary rescues ahead, and their plan is very risky. As in they have to let some things they were trying to prevent happen in order to win. And they're around Lunars, so that's dangerous as well.

It's an epic conclusion to The Lunar Chronicles. There are many new stories, more backstory, many old storylines to tie off. In spite of its size, it's still completely action packed. There are a few too descriptive kisses, so warning there. But it's a fairly satisfying conclusion.

Stars Above

And here we have our bonus features. It's a short story collection. Some of them have been released previously, but certainly not all. We get backstory on all the main characters. Well, Kai we just get his first meeting with Cinder from his point of view, but we get to see Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Jacin, and Winter as kids.

And then the best one of the collection: Something Old, Something New. This is Scarlet and Wolf's wedding, but we get it from Cinder's point of view. The group is back together, and Cinder and Kai are ready to take the next step in their relationship. While I don't agree with all of Meyer's morals (Scarlet and Wolf are already both living at the farm and Cress and Thorne are traveling the world in the Rampion together even though they're not married), this was a sweet story and I loved it. The perfect epilogue to the series...though I still wish I could see Cinder and Kai's wedding.

Though I don't agree with everything in The Lunar Chronicles, it's a fantastic fairy tale retelling series with plenty of politics. I would recommend it for older teens. I'm just hoping the studio with the movie rights actually goes forward with making them into movies. :D

Book Review: Adela's Curse

Adela's Curse by Claire M. Banschbach

Rating: PG (magic and mild violence)

Recommended for: Ages 10 to Adult

A curse. A murderous scheme. A choice.

A witch and her master capture a young faery and command her to kill their enemy. Adela has no choice but to obey. If she does not, they will force the location of her people’s mountain home from her and kill her. To make matters even worse, the person she is to kill is only a man struggling to save his dying land and mend a broken heart.

Count Stefan is a man simply trying to forget the woman he loves and save a land crippled by drought. When a mysterious woman arrives at his castle claiming to be a seamstress, he knows she is more than she seems.

Adela enlists the help of Damian, another faery, to try and delay the inevitable. He insists she has a choice. But with the witch controlling her every move, does she?

I read this book in one day. I enjoyed it very much, the fairy-tale quality of the story, the characters, the tough decisions they had to make...

Writing: 4.5/5

Claire's writing has greatly improved since her last book. She's gotten better at letting the readers in on her characters' thoughts and feelings. I was truly absorbed in the story. There's still some "head-hopping," but it was fairly minor.

Setting: 5/5

Myrnius is a well developed world. Despite having a definite fairy-tale feel, it still managed to feel real. The world of the faeries and the work they do was very interesting. The world of the humans is distinct from where the faeries dwell and just as well developed. It's a world that would be neat to visit.

Plot: 4.5/5

Adela is in a tough situation. She's controlled by a witch who is trying to get her to kill a man, but not only are faeries not allowed to kill humans, Adela naturally doesn't want to. As her target begins to fall in love with her, things only get more complicated, especially as Adela is finding herself to be in love with fellow faery Damian. Things escalate. I was honestly afraid for some of the characters' lives at times, especially since I know Claire is not above killing her characters.

Character Development: 5/5

I really liked these characters. I felt that I could understand Adela and relate to her. I also liked Damian. In the short time I was with them, they became friends, and I was invested in their lives.

I would definitely recommend Adela's Curse.

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 Author Bio:
Claire Banschbach was born and raised in Midland, TX, the fourth of eight children. She was homeschooled through high school and is now a proud member of the Texas A&M University class of 2014. She is currently working on her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Texas Tech University Health Science Center. She continues to write in her spare time (and often when she doesn’t have spare time). She hopes her strong foundation in God will help to guide her writing.

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