Thursday, September 30, 2010

[Novel Status] Oh I think I miss Peter Pan....

READING:
Peter & the Starcatchers by Barry and Pearson (54 of 451)

TO CONTINUE:
The Tapestry #1: The Hound of Rowan by Henry H. Neff (52 of 414)

NEXT:
Chronicles of Narnia #5: Voyage of the Dawn Trader by C.S. Lewis

TO REVIEW:
Vampirates #1: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper
Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

TO READ FROM THE START AGAIN (previously on-hold):
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Sussana Clark


Finally managed to finish Demon's Lexicon after a long while, ehehe. It was actually good, but it gave me some headaches =_=
I'm liking Peter and the Starcatchers so far. For a prequel of Peter Pan, it's quite dark. Sweet~ =3
After finishing those novels on-hold, I aim to read the 5th Narnia novel already before the movie premieres. It will be quite a motivation for me to finish those novels as soon as possible, hehe.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Fangurling: The Hunger Games Trilogy


THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY
by Suzanne Collins

~ Click here for the unbiased and spoiler-free review ~

I was already familiar with the Hunger Games popularity even before the second book was released. Its popularity made me curious so when I spotted it in the bookstore oneday, I read the plot at the back. It sounded so much like Battle Royale, which I didn't appreciate much because of the sexually mature themes. Though I am certain a YA novel won't ever go that far, I still don't think I could appreciate it because of the reality TV thing. I never appreciated reality TV series with the likes of Survivor and Amazing Race, so my interest in the novel's story became even lesser. What made me more convinced that I won't ever appreciate it is because I see a certain author's name among the reviews saying that she's so obsessed with it. Why? I just can't imagine getting hooked to a series that is loved by an author I disliked. I don't care if Stephen King, an author that I like, had praised it despite that. Not all the books that my favorite authors like are what I like anyway. Because of that I've been ignoring this trilogy and paid more attention to other novels (and my other fandom).

During the month of the third book's release, I found out that a close friend of mine is actually hooked to it. Since we have similar tastes, I thought that I might end up loving the series after all because my friend did. It took me a while before I decided to buy the first book already.

I didn't read it at once though. I just left it on a shelf then continued with my daily life. The one night, when I finished a certain novel, I thought of giving Hunger Games a chapter or two.

The next thing I knew was that I was already at chapter 5 in the middle of the night!

Unlike the other YA novels I've read before it, its first chapter was already so terrific that reading it felt like it was saying to me, "Put me down and you'll regret it!". In other words, it's such a page turner... really difficult to put it down because knowing what will happen next has been exciting and seeing the world through Katniss had been interesting.

I think the choice of a novel's narrator is very crucial.... because how he/she narrates the story matters a lot. I mean, it's seriously difficult to appreciate the story if the one telling it is freakin' annoying. Thank goodness Katniss is a likeable character. She uses her brain; she analyzes and observes, formulates strategies and considers multiple options. She's no close-minded idiot who only relies on the others to do the thinking. She also doesn't waste paragraphs in decribing how beautiful things/people are and in agonizing about how unfortunate she is.

Katniss has not only been a decent heroine, but also lovable and admirable. Sure, she may be a little extra special among the other characters.... but at least it's because of her own efforts, even if she did them unkowingly, not out of pure luck or coincidence. She acts stupid at times, but at least she's aware of it... and she faces the consequences and she actually improves herself. I love her skills and limitations, her strengths and weaknesses. I love this girl.

Actually, there's no character that I absolutely abhor in the series, because I find none of them annoying. All of them had been interesting in their own way, whether they're major or minor characters. Yes, even the main villain who's absolutely heartless. I find it better if villains do their role well.... and also those that only hold back for a good reason.

A terrific leading character and a marvelous main villain.... actually that's already enough to make a decent series because they're seriously rare. What's even rarer is that this series managed to give enough character development to most of the characters in this series. I firmly believe that we could've learned even more about the progress and the backgrounds of the other characters if we didn't need to rely on Katniss's point of view. But well, even if we're limited to only seeing what Katniss does, what we get to know about the others is already satisfactory.

Speaking of satisfaction, one of the things that made me so pleased with this series is how it represented love. For one, it didn't focus only on romantic love. I was so relieved that it also puts great emphasis on the love for family, friends, and countrymen. The saying "love conquers all" isn't only applicable to romantic love, you know. I'm so happy that the characters here aren't absolutely blinded with erotic passion.

Another is that the love stories here are heartwarming, sometimes tragic, but overall absolutely beautiful. It's so amazing when he characters express their love, because it's something that you call true love, not to mention it's pretty realistic. They love everything of their other half, no matter what his/her flaws are. There's a reason on why opposites attract. It also showed that sometimes romance is somethng practical: you pick the one you need the most.

The most popular love story here is none other than the main love triangle, which is one of the most decent love triangles in literary history. Neither of the boys had a "forever one-sided love" because Katniss gave love to both Gale and Peeta equally; what she had done one is most likely what she would also have done to the other one if the same thing happened; if ever she didn't, there's usually a good reason/excuse for it... not because she's just being biased to the one she favors more. The boys, on the other hand, showed their undying love for her in absolute obviousness. They were straight to the point. They don't hide their jealousy, but jealousy didn't make them forget about their love nor make themselves angry with the other guy. In fact, they get along well and there had been times where they tell each other that the other will be the winner, not himself. They have a peaceful rivalry, and neither are forcing their feelings on Katniss. I wish other love triangles are like this.

I didn't seriously mind much on who Katniss ends up with, but I admit that I favored Peeta over Gale... simply because he's ranked higher in my favorite characters list compare to Gale, haha! I find Peeta's romance more romantic because he was in love with Katniss much longer than Gale had. I also find find it difficult to compare Peeta's sacrifices for Katniss' sake compare to Gale's.... because Peeta really did a lot more! What I find most remarkable with Peeta is that he managed to protect the girl he loves.... even though he's no fighter type.

He's in fact the peace-loving boy and the artist type. He's such a nice guy and really terrific with words. I don't know how many times i had called him genius! Haha! It made me so sad when I read about the parts when he's in pain. I feel even sadder when I see Finnick and Cinna in pain, because those are the only two characters whom I like more than Peeta.

At first I thought Finnick was just a playboy, but when I found out that he isn't what he seems and is actually a pretty nice guy, I changed my opinion of him. Much more when I found out that he's also awesome and adorable 24/7. Haha! I find it pretty romantic that he's in love with someone.... not mentally stable. I mean, he treasures someone who's very vulnerable... and practically useless. I'm not saying that a kickass dude x helpless girl is my ideal romance.... but the way Finnick loved her... and knowing that this girl used to be a survivor of the Hunger Games... I'm sure there's something more in their relationship. Unfortunately we just weren't able to know more details about it. Ehehe.

Now as for Cinna, he may not have much role in the trilogy, but his little acts and words already gave me so much impact. This guy is BRILLIANT and really LOVABLE in whatever he does. It's like how Katniss got captivated with him.... this guy is just difficult to hate no matter how little he says. He's a stylist, and what he designs aren't just pretty and very creative.... but they also have meanings and purposes. In his own way, he fought for what he thought is right and helped those he had loved.

When something tragic happened to Cinna, however, I didn't cry.... because I already expected it. I honestly didn't cry at all as I read the books.

Why? Simply because I didn't want to make the books wet because... I just borrowed them! Haha! Another reason is because I finished the novels after midnight... and I need to sleep as soon as possible because I need to be early the next day. Crying would only delay my sleep. Only then I realized how good my self-control had been when it comes to that.

But the tears started the next morning, when I was recalling what I've read as I left home. It's embarassing to cry in public so I advise you not to think of the sad scenes of the Hunger Games while outside, okay? Ehehehe.

Anyway, I haven't been this hooked to a novel series since the Harry Potter phenomenon. I highly look forward to its upcoming movie. Hopefully it would be able to live up to the book's glory!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

[Novel Batch Review] The Hunger Games Trilogy


THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY
#1: The Hunger Games
#2: Catching Fire
#3: Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins
Katniss Evergreen: Our country, Panem, is ruled by the Capitol, which controls the twelve ditrcits surrounding it. I live in District 12... and everyday I try to save me and my family from starving to death.
Gale: The Capitol is evil. Forcing each district to send 2 children to fight to the death on live TV every year is wrong!
Effie Trinket: Happy Hunger Games! The girl selected to be this year's tribute is.... Primrose Evergreen!
Katniss Evergreen: PRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM! I volunteer as tribute!
The idea of forcing a group of young people to kill each other until only one of them is left is not something new. Such a harsh phenomenon can be traced back in history. It's sad but it's a reality that humans really have the ability to find enjoyment in watching others bathe themselves in another's blood. In the past, these could only be seen in one area, but thanks to modern technology even those who are far away can witness such horror.

Since the Hunger Games also uses this idea of people fighting to the death, naturally its story would be filled with tragedy and hardships. Moments of peace and happiness are rare; feelings of pain and loss are uncountable and unforgettable. Bloodshed isn't the only horror to be faced in this trilogy for there are also a number of psychological horrors to be encountered. There are things that could be far worse than death and torture.

But even though the main plot is meant to be depressing, it won't be a surprise if you'll be finding yourself laughing or giggling at times as you read these books. Despite the dark themes, the series has a great sense of humor. Its various elements are blended so well that it didn't ruin the main story.

The story is much deeper and more complex than it seems. Not everything that the narrator witnesses is the truth, and neither are everything on the surface is as it appears. A certain action could cause or imply so many things; a certain thing could be defined and used in many ways.

I'm very impressed that forms of entertainment that are considered pretty harmless and wasteful in modern times had been used in important matters in the story. Music saved lives, television has brought inspiration, and fashion sparked a revolution! Not only those who are capable of battle can fight, but also those who can bake, invent, and design clothes!

The trilogy has a dynamic and interesting cast. The characters are different from each other in various ways yet in their own way they could shine even with the simple things that they have done. A lot of them got enough development... and even if some of them seem too skillful to be real, their backgrounds make their capabilities believable enough. Despite of the many amazing things that they could do, I love it that the author hasn't forgotten about their imperfection and limitations; there are times where they would fail or would need to step back. There are times where they rely on others... and how these relationships are formed are beautiful.

I believe it's safe to assume that the trilogy supports the saying "Love conquers all". But fortunately, unlike other novels that talk about love, the Hunger Games trilogy acknowledges that romantic or eros love isn't the only form of love in the world. There's love for family, friends, companions, country, and oneself as well.

Aside from love, the trilogy also teaches the value of other things such as patience, resourcefulness, wits, and guts. Being able to attack others and defend oneself isn't the only way to survive in a deadly arena, but knowing the ways of mother nature is just as important. Mental and emotional strength.... how you'll manage to keep yourself together and retain your positive sides... are also very essential. True victory doesn't just mean managing to breathe for a long period of time in chaos.... what you did matters more than what you won.

The Hunger Games trilogy is a brilliant narrative filled with action, suspense, mystery, romance, and even comedy! It involves discipline, justice, politics, revolution, strategies, war, and survival! Opposite sides of the spectrum are blended well in this as well, such as mother nature and advanced technology, and a city filled with luxury and a city filled with almost nothing, and despair and hope!

The novels are such page-turners that it's so difficult to put it down because of the hunger of knowing what will happen next. If the first book is already incredibly captivating, the succeeding books are even better. It improves and gets more serious in each succeeding novel, yet the excitement and intensity aren't any less.

Like any other novel that has existed, there's no way for this trilogy not to have any flaws. But since it's well-written and has so many fantastic aspects, it's absolutely not difficult to ignore those minor flaws. This is the best Young Adult trilogy I've read so far! It's highly recommended to everyone because finding something this good is seriously rare!


A+ (TOTALLY BRILLIANT! *worships*)
It has been amazing in so many ways. It totally deserves its fame.
5 Hearts ---> OBSESSION
This is my top favorite YA trilogy so far~ I was very very very hooked to it!

Monday, September 20, 2010

[New Books] Sept 11 to Sept 20 2010

== BOOKS/NOVELS/MANGA BOUGHT:
  • 07-Ghost Vol. # 2 by Amemiya Yuki and Ichihara Yukino
    I can't not complete the english version of one of my top favorite manga~

  • 07-Ghost Vol. # 3 by Amemiya Yuki and Ichihara Yukino
    This is the latest volume published by CY that I know of. Gotta have 'em all~

  • Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Peter and the Starcatchers, #2) by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
    The prequel seemed good in its first few pages; it would be nice to grab this one which is on sale =D

  • Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms, #1) by Kristin Cashore
    wingstodust strongly recommends it so... I can't ignore

  • The Encyclopedia of Useless Information by William Roland Hartston
    Epic title with epic contents. It's very interesting!

  • A Wrinkle in Time (Time, #1) by Madeleine L'Engle
    Based on recommendation again~ The other series attracted me more actually (blame the unicorn) but this is the series which got an award so better try this first~

  • Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years, #1) by Gregory Maguire
    I often saw the sequel and it got me interested... but I can't read it without reading the rpequel... and this one hard to find! But I finally found it! YAY!

  • Tide of Terror (Vampirates, #2) by Justin Somper
    I liked the first book~ And I want more Lorcan~

  • The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy, #1) by Jonathan Stroud
    It seemed interesting and friends strongly recommend it. Gotta get xD

  • The Golem's Eye (Bartimaeus Trilogy, #2) by Jonathan Stroud
    It was on sale! I have a strong feeling I'll like the prequel anywayz, better grab it before I regret~


== BOOKS/NOVELS/MANGA BORROWED:
  • Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins
    My predition of being hooked to this series had occurred, ahahahaha!

  • Mockingjay (Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins
    In a way I'm quite thankful I'm late to the fandom, at least I don't have to wait. Teehee.


I bought almost all the novels that my online friends dedicated to me xD Yay! But now reading list has become long... eep.
Now I should ban myself from buying too much novels again ^^; Ahahahaha...

Sunday, September 19, 2010

[Novel Review] Shadow of the Wind


Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Daniel Sempere: When I was young... my father brought me to a labyrinth filled with a lot of books....
Mr. Sempere: This is the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Choose the book you desire and you must protect it.
Daniel Sempere: I chose the Shadow of the Wind... I was so in love with the book that I wanted to find the other novels written by Julian Carax but....
Julian Carax: All of the novels that I've written are burned....
Daniel Sempere: I shall protect the book with my life and get to the bottom of this mystery...
My discovery of this novel felt similar to the way its main character found a novel of the same title.... I couldn't let it go! I fell under its spell instantly and reading the plot already made me so attached to it, much more when I started reading it! It was irresistably good that it was really difficult to put it down due to time contraints....

Overall, it was simply brilliant~ I was so intrigued to its many mysteries.... they involve tragic pasts, destructive wars, inhumane tortures, dark secrets, and so on. Despite its gothic theme, it manages to make me chuckle a lot because of its witty humor! It also shared a lot of insightful thoughts related to politics, society, philosophy, and religion (even the occult). It also made me so pleased that this novel is also about love for books and literature.... and sure knows a lot about it!

The author does beautiful storytelling which kept me so engrossed to the book. It's difficult not to fall in love with its story and characters~

I admit that I wasn't that impressed with its love stories though.... those involving the protagonists give us examples of "geniuses turning into idiots because of being too passionately in love". Ahahahaha.... but well, that's "youth"? Hehe. It's a coming-of-age story after all. At least they develop. The idiotc protagonists could be compelling characters if they want to be.

The most interesting main protagonist for me is Julian.... mainly because of his habit of telling frightening tales related to the supernatural... also because of his guts to insult a noble and befriending weirdos. As for the other main protagonist, he's a darling but sometimes I find him too idiotic. But well, that's part of growing up. Haha! He's a nice character.... my only problem with Daniel that on many ocassions he seems to be.... too lucky. How he gets away and gets saved.... they're mostly thanks to coincidence.

Nonetheless, many of the supporting characters have been really remarkable (and even those who don't get much of a role are nicely developed), especially my favorites~ Mr. Sempere had been such a nice man, who truly loved his wife and his son. He's such a caring father that can be considered as one of the best fathers in the literary world~ I would also want to award Julian's and Daniel's best friends as the "best best friends in the literary world"~

Both Miguel and Fermin, who are Julian's and Daniel's best friends repsectively, are friends that a lot of people would wish to have for their selfless love and fierce loyalty. They aren't only like that to the protagonist that they adore, but to the woman that they love as well. Aside from that, they also have great minds and fun personality. I love learning about Fermin's opinions about various matters (from food to war to women to sanity).... and I absolutely adore Miguel's Freudian obsession~ It's also difficult not to giggle at their jokes... especially Fermin... he's so hilarious~~

I'll never forget how I madly fell in love with my favorite characters, especially Miguel. This book is worth treasuring.... for being so incredible and amazing~


A (EPIC AWESOME! So addicting I cannot get enough!)
It's GENIUS but I just can't make it A+ because the erotic romance kinda turned me off... ehehehe.
5 Hearts ---> OBSESSION
I'm really a sucker for books dealing with various topics related to religion, philosophy, psychology, politics, sociology, and the like. And it just had to add some crime and book loving stuff. I also absolutely adore stoies with mystery and comedy xD Lastly, Miguel, I love you~

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Double Dozen Prequels I'm Thinking of Checking Out...

Here's a list of novels that I remember being interested in in the bookstore or jsut spotted on the net recently:
I want to buy all of these but that would be financial suicide x_x Hopefully I can have these narrowed down soon....

[Novel Status] Vampirates, Hunger Games, and RUSHING x_x

READING:
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (78 of 374)

TO TRY:
Sacrifice by Sarah Singleton
Charlie Bones by Jenny Nimo
Mirrorscape by Mike Wilks
Dirty Magic by Carol Hughes
Peter & the Starcatchers by Bradley nd Pearson
The Merlin Conspiracy by Dianne Wyne Jones

TO CONTINUE:
Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (205 of 322)

ON-HOLD:
The Tapestry #1: The Hound of Rowan by Henry H. Neff (52 of 414)

TO REVIEW:
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Vampirates #1: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper

FOR RE-READING:
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Sussana Clark


Vampirates wasn't as terrific as I anticipated but nonetheless I love it~ Lorcan's my favorite. He's the "handsome saint who can kick ass" type. Squee~
I'm now reading Hunger Games. I never appreciated reality TV shows so I never imagined getting hooked to this. I only checked it out because I'm curious on what made it so popular.... but now I understand! Haha! I'm really pleased with its strong heroine~ I'm now at chapter 6 and I'm sure I'll love it. Fortunately a friend has the next 2 books so I don't need to worry about getting my hands on those~ Wheee~
I'll be attending the book fair on Saturday and I want to know which sequels or other novels I shall get... so I need to check the part 1's or the samples of some of the novels I have. About those under the "To Try" section of this post, I'll just test around less than a hundred pages of each to see if I get hooked or not. If I do, I'll buy another book from the same author, hehe. If not, then I won't let myself risk in wasting money on something I'm pretty certain I won't enjoy. I know that list is incomplete... and that's just the YA novels! Gah! There are so many novels I want to try x_x I should've done this sooner! But now I have to rush x_x
Or maybe instead of sequels I should focus on checking out new books by unfamiliar authors? Gah! The problem of wanting so many @_@

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Heroes of Olympus Debuting Soon!


Announced at Publishers Weekly, to be released on October 12 is the first book, entitled "The Lost Hero", which is a part Percy Jackson Spinoff series called "Heroes of Olympus".

Friday, September 10, 2010

[ Novel Status ] I think I'm gonna be hooked to Vampirates....

READING:
Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (205 of 322)

TO CONTINUE:
Vampirates #1: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper (53 of 330)

ON-HOLD:
The Tapestry #1: The Hound of Rowan by Henry H. Neff (52 of 414)

NEXT:
Septimus Heap 2: Flyte by Angie Sage

TO REVIEW:
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

FOR RE-READING:
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Sussana Clark

NEW MANGA:
Gimmick! by Youzaburou Kanari and Kuroko Yabuguchi


Supposedly I'll just focus on finishing Demon's Lexicon. But today there was a possibility that we might drop by a bookstore today... what if Vampirates turned out to be addicting? I thought of reading some chapters on it to have an idea whether I'll be hooked to it or not. Because if I did, I would want to grab the later installments as soon as possible xD

So anywayz, we didn't drop by at a bookstore in the end but I did fall in love with Vampirates~ Well, it's too fast paced for me though.... but things might turn out to be better than I hoped for in later chapters, hehe. What I like about it so far is the sibling love (Daaaw~ Those twins) and there are FEMALE pirates! Hooray to no gender stereotypes! =D

With Demon's Lexicon.... I like the bro complex fanservice but.... it's starting to overflow that it's becoming... sickening o_O I'm not that pleased with the story so far either. Only the humor is making me go on. So yeah, I feel like I'm jsut forcing myself to finish this. I don't think I'll be anticipating for its sequel ^^;

Lastly, I'm actually in "no book buying until the international book fair" mode... and having good control on that so far. However, I couldn't resist getting Gimmick volume 1 ^^; Ehehehe.... I see the later volumes often, but the first volume's hard to find. So I didn't have second thoughts when I miraculously spotted this one. Hehe. Hopefully it's as good as it seemed. If it is, I'll no longer have second thoughts in buying the later volumes~

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

[ Novel Review ] This Book is Not Good For You (Secret Series #3)


This Book is Not Good for You (Secret Series #3)
by Pseudonymous Bosch
Bosch: I'm really busy eating chocolate right now but I might as well tell you about the further adventures of our young heroes....
Yo-Yoji: Yo, I'm starving. Got a chocolate milkshake?
Bosch: The mission's dangerous, deadly, and.. delicious! Watch out for the evil chef and, of course, the always-upto-no-good Midnight Sun!
Cass: I don't care about the danger. I want to know who I am!!!
Bosch: They're going to be eating chocolate, then learning chocolate trivia, then eating chocolate, then visiting a chocolate plantation, and then.... did I mention that they're going to eat chocolate?
Max-Ernest: But I'm allergic to chocolate!!!
The third installment of the Secret Series did not disappoint! It was a very enjoyable read, as usual. It had been really hilarious and the part with Yo-Yoji going samurai mode was seriously awesome! Haha!

It didn't have as much codes or puzzles like the previous books, but it still makes you think and analyze. I find it exciting that it had been using different languages like French, Japanese, Italian, and you even have a glossary of "Hello" in a hundred languages! It even shares trivia related to animals and places. It was like the series went international and is acting like a tour guide for you~

And of course, what you'll learn most from this book would be stuff related to none other than CHOCOLATE! It really shows how the author loves it... and how knowledgeable he is of it! Interestingly, this book makes you see how much chocolate is connected to alchemy, which is one of the main themes of this series' story.

But no matter how much I adore this book, I've got to admit that there are several things that didn't seem right to me. One of them is the Japanese part. We were taught of what a haiku is. We got a translation of a haiku and it has the correct number of syllables BUT the character who said that line spoke in Japanese. Isn't it more appropriate that it's the Japanese lines that were in correct format, not the English translation? I mean, I pretty much doubt that the Japanese version of the haiku in the book would be in the same number of syllables as the English translation. Or was it because the author wasn't able (or got lazy) to do the Japanese version of a haiku? Come to think of it, not all of the lines that were supposedly uttered in Japanese are written in their original form.

Another thing that bothers me is that Cass has become... too special. It all began with the second book where she turned out to be a descendant of someone important. And what happened to her "prophetic abilities" from the previous book? Only applicable to the homonculus then? What the.... anyway, my point is, the more special Cass's background and role is becoming, the more special abilities she possesses. And that's quite..... boring. Super special characters are so boring.

But at least, in this book, Cass's mother has become involved in her adventures. It promises to me that this won't be your usual "parents don't know anything" adventure any longer. I'm also happy that we learned more about Mr. Wallace in this book. Hopefully the other older characters in the series get a chance to shine. I'm especially interested with Yo-Yoji's teacher, whose background was promised to be revealed sometime in the future. And Owen should do more awesome stuff, seriously.

Overall, I honestly think that this third book still can't beat the first book, it's certainly hell better than the second one! Hopefully the fourth book has a pleasant surprise for everyone~


B (COOL! So good I like it, baby!)
A very entertaining read! Much better than the second book!
4.5 Hearts ---> ADDICTION
The first book's still my favorite but SAMURAI YO-YOJI WAS AWESOME! HELL YEAH! Haha!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

[ Animation Review ] Despicable Me


COMPANY: Illumination Entertainment
DIRECTORS: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
WRITERS: Ken Daurio (screenplay), Cinco Paul (screenplay), Sergio Pablos (story)
When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds himself profoundly changed by the growing love between them.
Hooray to a wonderful children's show that focuses on a "villain" this time, rather than the usual superhero. It's so refreshing to see something different (imdb)~

I love it that even though the main character was made to be as despicable as possible, instead of getting annoyed, you find his actions entertaining instead. Haha! It has been much easier to warm up to him when he begins to open up his heart.

Though I admit that I think it would be better if our main character is crueler than how he was portrayed in the movie, I considered that this is targeted to children. It's nice that they kept the rating, even with the mean acts. Haha!

I find the ending appropriate as well. It's also better for children to see the reality that nobody's born evil and consider the possibility that even mean-looking parents can be such loving people.

Story-wise, some parts didn't seem to have been explained that well or has been pretty odd to me at least. Like, how could the main character not get any police notices for driving and parking like that? (It's quite... too unrealistic) And how did the girls get ballet lessons if they're orphans (Is there a school that teaches ballet for free? (It's quite unlikely for them to be sponsored by the orphanage at the show)

Nevertheless, the laughter that it brings to the audience made up for whatever it lacked. Haha! The minions were so adorably crazy! They had been so amusing in whatever they do! The part when they wanted to have a goodnight kiss cracked me up the most, haha!

Then about the girls, I'm relieved that they haven't been the extremely annoying parts. I think I'm a combination of those three: I'm an elder sister like Margo, I'm as morbid as Edith (haha!), and I adore unicorns almost as much as Agnes does (UNICORN STUFF TOYS ARE SO FLUFFY I COULD DIE!!! Hahahahah!). Surprisingly, I even think I can relate to Dr. Gru as well... especially on the way he criticized the storybook. Haha!

All characters here have been charming in their own way. I believe that like me, many others, whether children or adults, could relate to them, whether in personal or in experiences.

This movie had been very fun to watch. It's highly recommended =D

B+ (WOW! I am very impressed!)
A wonderful and entertaining film for all ages. The idea's impressive and the story's well done. And everything else is 100% fun~
4 Hearts ---> ADORATION
I ADORE THE MINIONS!!! AND HOORAY TO UNICORN LOVE!!! w00t!!!!