Watched & Reviewed: Disney Descendants

... So, this is what I waited for all year? What?

My advice: Watch this for yourself, and take what I write with a grain on salt. My opinion should not affect how you see this film.

The Plot:

In a present day idyllic kingdom, the benevolent teenaged son of the King and Queen (Beast and Belle from Disney's iconic Beauty and the Beast) is poised to take the throne. His first proclamation: offer a chance of redemption to the trouble-making offspring of Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Jafar, who have been imprisoned on a forbidden island with all the other villains, sidekicks, evil step-mothers and step-sisters.

 

These villainous descendants are allowed into the kingdom to attend prep school alongside the offspring of iconic Disney heroes. However, the evil teens face a dilemma: should they follow in their nefarious parents' footsteps and help all the villains regain power or embrace their innate goodness and save the kingdom?

This review may contain light spoilers, so be warned!

Didn't you know? Aside from being a big reader and lover of books, I like watching and reviewing Film, too. I also study film, so, y'know! Toot toot!

Descendants (Dir. Kenny Ortega, Disney, 2015) is, in my opinion, Disney's very own cheap knockoff attempt at Ever After High. Jumping on the modern day fairy tale bandwagon, here we are given the Villains and Heroines of old, but this time in the form of Fairy Tale characters' own children. Put them in a school together, have them mingle a little as they try to find their own paths and destinies, and bing bang BOOM, you've got your story.
 Well, what a story, aye?

When I first found out that Descendants was coming out, I was excited. Sure, I had my own trepidations about it; Descendants felt like a carbon, Disney-fied copy of Ever After High, a series I greatly enjoy and find refreshing in this day and age of modern-day fairy tale adaptions. I love everything about Ever After High, so when Descendants was announced, I was wary. Would this be just like the series, or would it be able to stand alone and hold by itself? Well, given that Descendants is a Disney production, I did have one thing I was certain of: Descendants would be a well-produced, well structured film that I would enjoy.

I was wrong.

Descendants is terrible. It has its own merits, granted, but when it comes to the production, most of the cast, a good deal of the acting, the poorly structured plot and its mass of horrible dialogue, this movie really is horrible to watch, and just a tad embarrassing. I was not expecting that from Disney, but wow, they made one poor film here.

My biggest gripe with the film is actually the casting rather than the script, though both are on par with each other for being atrocious. The casting for the adults, in my opinion, was poorly done, and seemed less thought out than the casting for the kids. The kids are great, especially Dove Cameron and Sofia Carson who, by the way, did a wonderful job in this film, but the adults were... well, they were horrible. None of them could seem to act, their dialogue was over the top in each scene, and none of the actors or actresses fit their characters. Belle was a poor casting choice, Beast too, and Kristen Chenworth, though great and a beautiful singer, definitely stuck out and did not fit the role of Maleficent. It felt mismatched with many of the characters, with the personalities and traits of the fairy tale adults never truly fleshed out. Basically, the adult characters were badly written, and you could clearly see when watching the film that the directors gave no thought to staying true to the originals for this film.

I did like the cast of the kids though, because for the main five (the Rebels Villain's children and Prince Ben), they were written quite well, and I liked the development of their characters. I especially liked Evie and Carlos, though the latter wasn't given much of a story line other than that he overcomes his fear of dogs, which is a shame. Still, these characters were strong, and that was nice to see in this film.

The plot, however, needs work. Like the parents of the kids in this, actually. There was quite a bit that left me confused, things that were left unsaid or unexplained. For instance, the character Jane, daughter of the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella, has a scene where she completely turns her back on Mal and co for reasons unknown, right after the parents of the royal goodies turned on Mal and co for being the kids of Villains. It's never explained, leaving the scene feeling like one great big elephant in the room that you want someone to tell you about, yet they never get around to it.
 Why, movie, why?

Oh, and then she flips out towards the end and releases Maleficent from the Isle of the Lost. Yet again that is left unexplained, but hey, who cares? I mean, it's not like I want to understand it at all...

I think that Descendants, for all its worth, would be a good movie for kids, but not really a movie families could enjoy together. It's got a poorly structured plot, a lot of holes that need filling and explaining, and whilst it was fairly acted, it does sometimes fall flat in the acting department, and of course, the production quality of this is weak. I mean, this is Disney, and they brought us the beauty of Tangled, but the graphics used here were horrible, about on par with Happily Never After actually (Dir. Paul J. Bolger, Lion Gate Films, 2006), and that is pretty damn bad in my books.
 Again this is Disney! They skimped out big time here, and it shows, and it is a shame.

Cameron and Carson delivered good performances, some of the songs were good, there were a few cute scenes between the characters of Mal and Ben (especially the scene for the coronation where Ben confesses, that was cute) but overall this is just a poor movie. It'll be fine for kids, they hopefully won't notice the terrible quality of it all, but if you're an avid fairy tale fan who adores adaptations of your favourite tales, you may just be left disappointed.

I give this a rating of: ☆☆

Cheesy, tacky, cheap and definitely riding on the Ever After High wagon, but definitely not the best Disney have pulled out. In fact, this is the worst they have done in a while and, I am sorry to say, this was not worth all the hype it was given.
 Disney, you've disappointed me.

Until next time fellow book and film lovers. I hope you have a good time reading, watching and, of course, enjoying. Adios!
  ~ Kelly

Rambled & Reviewed: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

All the boys love Mare, and all of the girls hate her. Hello, needs-to-be-dead literary trope!

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver.

Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

Of course it will!

That is, until a twist of fate brings her before the Silver court. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly ability of her own.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the king hides her in plain view: betrothed to his youngest son. Trapped, Mare decides to use her new position to bring down the regime - from the inside.

But this is a game of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...

Red Queen was published this very 2015 by Harper Teen (or Orion Books here in the UK), and is the debut novel of Victoria Aveyard and the first in what I am guessing is a trilogy, because nowadays, every book is a trilogy, and can't stand by itself. Taking place in a what I am guessing is a dystopian world, the God-like beings that are Silvers have taken over the Earth, and those born with Red blood are the commoners, workers of society who burden the labour that the Silvers thrust upon them. This is the story about how on Red Girl becomes their Mockingjay a motivation for change, because she is not like the other Reds at all. She is both Red and Silver, and she will become a force to be reckoned with...

This book is like the Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson-esque God-like powers meets the Hogwarts Houses meets Roman Gladiators fighting, all with a Love Square thrown into the ring to complete it all! (An extract from my Goodreads Review)

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆

This book has a really pretty cover, I won't lie, and it is the reason I bought it. The synopsis was catchy as heck too, but in reality, we all I know that I bought this book for the cover, and I do not regret that at all!
 The story doesn't always look as good as the cover, however. Let's just get that one out there, shall we?

Anyway, first off; how do I pronounce this chicks name? Is it Mare as in the female horse mare, or is it supposed to be said like 'Marie' or 'Mary'... What? I don't have a clue, so when reading this, I just read it as it looked; like the 'mare' that is a female horse. Neigh!
 Seriously though, isn't this a stupid name for a character, at least spelling wise? It's pretty dumb.

Also..

Whhhhhy is this not a stand-alone book!? WHY!?

Okay, so confusions and partial-whining out of the way, let's tackle this review and try and get some things said and out in the open, shall we? Yes, let's!

Set in a dystopian land, we are introduced to the Stilts, a rather poor district where those born with blood that is red live. Introduced to us is Mare Barrow, seventeen years old and our lead character of this story. She has no particular talent, aside from being pretty damn good at petty theft, and of course she loathes the Silver's, a bunch of elite, God-like beings that overrule them all and basically treat the Red's like slaves and use them as their little pawns in the war. They suck, basically, and Mare is a little pissed off with them, but what can she do? This is life, and life's a bitch.

Of course, life takes a turn suddenly when Mare discovers that she herself has a power within her, making her an anomaly in this world of Red and Silver; she is both, somehow, and that's something that the Silver's cannot ignore, yet something that they want to hide to the best of their abilities. So, Mare is paraded around as a Silver, but this an unfair world that Mare wants to change, and she wants to change it from her new vantage point: the inside.

Now I won't lie, I did enjoy this book. There is a lot about it that I don't like, I admit that, but overall I do enjoy what the book has to offer. Red Queen has a good idea, and it is a great reading experience if you ever decide to pick it up for the hell of it, because the writing is solid and Aveyard has a great sense of atmospheric writing. But... it really isn't all that, okay?

I get why people like it, it's entertaining and at points it is gripping. When I was reading the last five or six chapters, the most exciting chapters of the book might I add, I felt sick with anticipation. I was hooked, and it was fun to read! I love that, with each page, I wanted to get to the end to find out what had happened, who had died, what was to be... yaddy yada yada, I wanted to continue, and that earns brownie points for me, because I do love a book that can make me feel sick to the stomach with the want and need to know more.
 Aveyard has some serious talent here, and as I said, she really knows how to write with atmosphere. This is one of her strongest points for me as a reader.

She also has one really solid character in this book that I absolutely adore no matter what, and that is Maven. Prince Maven is a good character, one of my favourites from this entire book (and let me tell you, there aren't many characters that I like here, hahaha!), and whilst what happens to him in the last few chapters of the book is stupidly obvious (foreshadowing; Aveyard knows this not), I still think he is freakin' awesome! He had a good personality written for him, and at the end I was definitely feeling a lot of emotions for him, due to what happens. If you've read it, you may understand, but lots of anger and rage and disgust went through me, and yet, I still liked him as a character. Powerfully written characters, man!

Also, the ending. Whilst I don't like where the ending went (in fact, it annoyed me a heck of a lot), I liked that Aveyard led me astray for a few pages. I really thought that this ending would be different for a while, and even though it didn't go the way it could should have, I am really happy that Aveyard's writing made me think otherwise, leading me to a scenario that was different and alternative. The potential for that ending was there, and it had me hooked.
 Again though, it sadly never happened. Damnit!

Now, whilst I do like the book, there is a lot about it that pisses me off too, and it's these things that will stop me from buying the sequel (urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh) when it eventually comes out. That is if I remember what pissed me off about this book. I might forget, okay?

Firstly, I want to note that this book, whilst it is gripping and entertaining, can also get really slow and dull. Around the middle of the book, I almost stopped reading. It had slowed down, it became a little boring, and there was nothing to note during that portion of the book, really. In fact, I can't even remember what happened, it was that... well, bland. I didn't read Red Queen for a few days because the story dragged, making it feel like needless fodder to feed us so many pages to get it to the 300+ mark. They were unnecessary pages in my opinion, and they just made me want to fall asleep.

Secondly, this book, in all of it's loveliness, has this really glaring issue that is in quite a few YA novels, depending what you pick up: Bitches. Bitches everywhere. That girl isn't Mare? Oh, she's a bitch. She isn't a friend of Mare's? Then she's a bitch, she hates Mare, or Mare is jealous of her. Mare's little sister, Gise? She's perfect, more perfect than Mare, meaning that Mare's mother likes her more, so we need to hate Gise. When Mare meets her sister again later on in the book? Gise's clearly jealous of her.
 If she isn't Mare, then we gotta hate her! Sorry, girls, but we can only like Mare, and the hoard of boys after her. It is how is in YA land.

This trope pisses me off a lot, because it's unnecessary, and it's only there to make the lead look like a martyr, a saint, which Mare isn't (though the giant Mare-fest and how even she sees herself as a martyr shows us how much Aveyard wants us to view her as such) because honestly, Mare herself is a bitch, and I don't like her character. She annoys me, she whines, and I kind of want to hit her.
 Oh, and she's compared to the late Queen, Cal's mother (Cal is a love interest, for those who may not know!) who was apparently wonderful as well. So, yeah. Mare is supposed to be great, lovely, perfect, the girl all guys want... she's a Mary-Sue.

There is also a lot of obvious foreshadowing in this novel, and quite a few cop outs, too. Honestly, Aveyard, regarding your really poor foreshadowing; there are only so many times that you can say 'electricity', mention the death of one character many times throughout or notify us of an impending betrayal by using the line "Anyone can betray anyone" frequently before I get it into my head that you're pushing us towards whatever you're wanting to take us to. If you're gonna foreshadow, please do so discreetly, because it was pretty damn obvious after the third time these things were mentioned that I knew what was going to happen. Be subtle, 'cause it's annoying when someone spells the entire plot out to me before I can even get excited as to how the story will pan out.

My biggest pet-peeve throughout this book, though? The chemistry, or lack of, if you will. Oh, there is no chemistry, unless you count Mare and Maven (my OTP), the pairing that is apparently not meant to be.

There is a Love Square in this book; Mare likes Kilorn, she likes Cal, and she likes Maven (she likes the bush on the roadside too, I bet), but of the three potential love interests that Aveyard wants to push us towards, it is Cal and Mare, and they have no chemistry whatsoever. They don't feel like they want each other, they don't feel like a couple. They just seem like two random people, awkwardly shoved together to try and make a whole.
 It's badly written, their scenes together, and it just feels so tense and terrible, and I laughed at the embarrassing attempt Aveyard pursued to make me believe that this couple could actually happen. No... just no!

I said that Aveyard is good at atmosphere, and she is remarkable at it, she really can write a good scene, but romance? Nope.
 Regarding the Love Square though, was it necessary? Doubtful, because it just felt like an awkward 'Mare hates any girl who likes the guys she likes only because the writer wants us to believe that' kind of thing. It didn't feel real, there was little to no feeling, and Mare just... please don't get with anyone aside from Maven, Mare. He's the only one you actually work with!

As I said in the beginning of this review though, I do like this book, but there are a lot of issues with it as well. It's a good idea, but its own underlying problems are pretty big in comparison, and also, it just feels like another YA novel that I've read before. It reminds me of Hunger Games and Mockingjay quite a lot, and I can't shake that similarity when reading Red Queen. It's a fun read, but would I read it again? Maybe not, because it isn't the best book I've read, but it isn't the worst.

Victoria Aveyard can write, and she writes bloody well, but she needs to work on writing chemistry for her characters, and she needs to world build a little more, rather than focusing on Mare and her parade of love interests, or her power or how much of a martyr she (apparently) is. It is a good book, but it could have been better, and if Aveyard killed off the two chemistry-inept lovers Cal and Mare at the end? Damn, that would have been an awesome way to end it all!

It's good, but it's not great. I just hope that Aveyard continues writing, and hey, maybe one day I'll find something new by her, and I'll enjoy that even more than I did this. I look forward to her future writing.

If you wish to read a more condensed version (not really XD) of this review, or just want to see me use some gifs in a post, please read my Goodreads Review HERE!

Until next time! May the Reading and Writing Gods be with you! Peace, yo!
 ~Kelly

Read & Reviewed: Star Dancer by Beth Webb

Meemaw meemaw meemaw...

Actually getting to this review has taken me far longer than it should have, let me tell you.

The Goddess has warned the druids of evil to come. But she has promised that an untimely shower of stars will mark the birth of one who can stem the tide. Now the druids wait for the prophesied boy, their only hope.

One brilliant night, stars dance across the sky. A child is born, but not the boy the druids expect. Raven-haired and green-eyed, her name is Tegen

 Throughout her childhood, Tegen is rejected by the oldest and most honoured druid - but his own life fades and he finally accepts the truth. Now Tegen must abandon her family and learn the ways of the white-robes. Afraid and confused, she takes comfort from an enchanted silk shawl, and the dazzling magic in her steps. But all the while a ruthless enemy plots to destroy the Star Dancer and let evil out...

Published back in 2006 by MacMillan, Beth Webb's Star Dancer is the first book in a four-part series. As a book, Star Dancer stands to deliver an introduction and begin the story of Tegen, a young girl with a lot of magic, as well as a lot of expectations thrown upon her out of the blue. Once a regular girl of her time, Tegen now has to take on a new life, one where choices are even more limited than before. Here, the life she once lead is lost, and the life that she will lead is only just beginning...

Born under the dancing stars one fateful night, Tegen has a destiny that has been written for her, one she must follow. However there are people out there who will stop at nothing to keep her from the path that was created for her... (Extract from my Goodreads Review)

I bought this book for £1 at a second hand store that I frequent, and honestly, I only bought it because I 1) liked the cover and 2) there was a map inside. This is what it takes to get me to buy books, people. That, and a promising premise, but maps... MAPS!!!

*ahem*... Onto the Review at hand!

Set back in the day, all the way in the British plains during the Iron Age where magic and belief roams the lands, Star Dancer is, in my opinion, a really great introduction to a series that I hope to continue. It is filled with magic, great characters and all things mystical. I really enjoyed reading this, and I won't lie, this book was what I woke up wanting to read, and it was the last thing I wanted to put down at night too. I was hooked, and after reading such drivel that was Tantalize (which I had read alongside this book, actually), you could say that Star Dancer was my God-send.
 And I have to say that, yeah, it was. It truly saved me from boredom.


I'm a lover of all things magical anyway, so Star Dancer as a book was already right up my alley, but what made it great was both the writing and the diverse amount of characters present, as well as the varying emotions the book made me feel. It's been a while since I have felt such disgust and anger towards a certain character, but Webb's way of writing allowed me to truly loathe a character once again, but also to fall in love with her style and the world that she has created.

Webb, thank goodness, does not create a perfect character - each has their downfalls, and each has their good points. Even the bad guys, however despicable they may be, have their talents that others acknowledge - the Wise Woman Derowen is clever and talented in the ways of magic and potion making, whilst Tegen, our protagonist, is nothing more than a child, scared and helpless in many ways, but also brave and confident as well, despite her circumstances or her vulnerability at times. All of the characters, no matter who they may be, have their merits and feel well-rounded; in short, they're very well written, making these characters I read within these pages feel human, something you rarely find in modern-day fiction with all the Mary-Sue's and Marty Stu's present.

The Map that started it all... -drools over Maps-

I genuinely enjoyed this book, and though it felt a little straight-forward at times, like there truly was no beating around the bush here, I know that this book is meant for teenagers. It's an easy read, if anything, but it's still engrossing and it still kept me up at night until the sun peeked through my curtains. No matter what, I wanted to know more until I had finished the book in its entirety, and even now, I still want to know what will happen to Tegen in its sequel. That, however, is for another day entirely.

I'd say the only thing I found a bit disappointing was that the great evil stated within the book fell a little in my eyes; it felt rushed and anti-climatic, leaving me with a craving for something more, something that did not come to be. Still, the book held on its own, despite this, and the great array of characters and Tegen's development were good enough to save the story for its one downfall.
 I just hope that, once I begin to read the sequel, Webb has since improved upon the anti-climatic evil she had built up to in this first novel.

I enjoyed Star Dancer and found it to be a promising start to a journey that I hope to continue. Yes, it's easy to read, but it's gripping and enjoyable for anyone who hopes to read it, I am sure. This may not be the best book I have ever read, but it provided me with many hours of wonderful reading material, and has enticed me into continuing the series. I find it wonderful, and I am extremely happy that I bought this book and enjoyed it as much as I have!

If you wish to, you can read my shortened review of Star Dancer on Goodreads HERE. Now though, it's time to get back to the world of Fantasy, and read a little more...

Until next time, I hope that when we meet again, we have read more and enjoyed our books in full! Keep reading, writing and enjoying life everyone! May the Books be with you, always!
 ~Kelly

Read, Snoozed & Reviewed: Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

This post includes baby spoilers. It's for your own sake, thank me later!

If you ever happen to stumble upon this book and decide to buy it... yeah, please don't read this book.

Aren't I lucky I bought this on the cheap, aye?

 Trouble brews when Quincie Morris and her uncle decide to remodel the family restaurant with a vampire theme. One month before the grand reopening the chef is mauled to death in the kitchen and the murder suspect is... a werewolf!

Quincie has to transform Henry, the new chef, into Sanguini's vampire extraordinaire - and fast. But strange things are happening to her boyfriend, Kieren, and a deadly love triangle forms.

I was originally going to write a Currently Reading post on the likes of Tantalize, however after realising my feelings would probably stay the same throughout, I decided to just finish the book and put my thoughts into the one post, because then at least I won't end up repeating myself. So, here we go!

Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize (2007), is a Supernatural-Romance novel about Quincie Morris, an orphan who has come to own the restaurant of her late parents, which she has decided to transform into a Vampire themed extravaganza, due to competition. Her best friend and love interest, Kieren, is a werewolf hybrid. As Quincie's restaurant transforms, her head chef is murdered, and it puts the opening at stake (oooh, a pun!) a month before the newly themed restaurant will debut. In comes Henry Johnson Bradley, the young, talented new chef who will help the restaurant become a hit. However, as time progresses, things begin to change. Quincie skips school, develops on big drinking problem, and people start to disappear...

It isn't just appetizers on the menu, it seems.

The amount of times that I wanted to put this book down and ignore it, never to finish its contents, was rather uncanny.
... Can I get a medal for actually completing this pile of trash? Please?

I read Tantalize at an agonizing slow pace, and not because the book was hard to read, in fact, it's one of the easiest books I have read in a while. No, it was everything else about it that made me not want to read it, or at least, read as few chapters at a time as possible, because good grief, this book was bland.

Zero atmosphere, no chemistry between the characters whatsoever, the direction is completely lost to the world in this story, the writing is devoid of any emotion possible, and there is no character development whatsoever. Simply put, if you're looking for a fun summer read, this book is not it. Put it down, don't buy it, don't even take it if someone offers you it. Just burn it, because Holy Heck, this shit is worse than Twilight.
 Bella had more bloody substance than Quincie did! That said, at least this tripe wasn't as atrocious as Evermore from the Immortal series was. Praise be!

Oh, and let's take a brief moment to note that this book is basically Smithgender-flipping Bram Stoker's Quincie Morris, of the book Dracula, and making him a modern day gal. I suppose this is paying homage or tribute, huh?

I honestly don't know how this book got published; I have a feeling the publishers read the premise, enjoyed it, but didn't bother with the content, because this is some shockingly poor writing. It's not that Smith doesn't have talent, because I don't doubt she does, it's just that here... well, there was nothing. She lacked in creating a good atmosphere, there was no anticipation, the characters were all over the place and lacked personality, the chemistry between everyone was non-existent, and there truly is no direction here. It's just a block of writing mushed together, all 310 pages of it! Really, reading this, it felt like there was no movement with those story, zero flow... I just felt like I was reading a boring piece of text, like a Liscencing Agreement.

That said, this book does have its merits.

Firstly, it's rather easy to read, and whilst I was easily bored by it and chose to read it at the slowest pace possible, I know that I could have easily sped-read this in a day or so, simply because it is not a difficult book to read. Smith has very simple writing, to put it bluntly, even if whatever she wrote here was a pile of bull. You just cruise along to it, and hey presto, finished!

Secondly, the idea is actually good - I like the plan that was set for this book; a world where we know vampires and were's exist, however both are hidden for their own reasons. It's a bit like The Southern Vampire Mysteries (True Blood), except, this idea was made for teens, and was poorly executed to the point where the idea is almost useless. The tags of vampire and were are still there, however the presence of these creatures is so non-existent. You know they're there because Smith puts them there, but she doesn't give history or depth to anything at all, so the idea just never feels complete. It's like a label, one without instructions or pointers.

Also, Quincie's drinking problem; though I didn't see reason for it at first in the book, Quincie's developing issue with wine (particularly the red wine), actually has reason here, and I found the idea to be quite clever once the reason for getting her pissed beyond belief and turning the girl into an alcoholic was revealed. It was a plot element done quite well, actually, and I was, surprisingly, impressed by that (which happened very rarely with this book).
 It's one of those rare occurrences where this book took the time to make sense, you know?

To its credit, the book actually got pretty good in the last three chapters, about. Like, there were a few things here that I did not expect at all. For instance, spoiler alert, that her were-uncle (his being a were and how he is one is left unexplained, of course) was in on the head Chef's murder - that knocked me over a bit, because I didn't expect it. So, whilst this book lacks severely in the good writing department, atmosphere, presence, depth... at least Smith has a sense of Mystery about her, because good grief, there was nothing else that great about Tantalize.
 Thing is, the semi-good stuff happened in the last few chapters, so honestly, don't waste your breath on the rest of it. It ain't worth it, plus, I spoiled the best bit already. Thank me later, I've saved you all pain and misery.

Leaving the good points of this book, the few that are there, I want to note how bad this book could get; it tried to be Sexy.

It was cringe-worthy, and every time a 'sexy' scene came up, I just burst out laughing from second-hand embarrassment for the author. Generally, these scenes came out of nowhere (like a good amount of this book, actually), and were so poorly placed, that I couldn't help but find them stupidly funny.
 That said, I am thankful Quincie doesn't have an 'Inner Goddess' to steer her along. I might have just thrown this book out of the window, if that had happened.

In short though, this book is poorly written, rarely makes sense, is terribly executed, the characters don't develop at all, and it tries so damn hard to be sexy that, in the end, it only makes the storyline worse. It's horrible, and even with its few good merits, it's just a pile of trash that I hope to never read again.

... But, at least it's not Evermore. Holy shit, I might have cried if it was anything like that book!

Tantalize... TRASH!!! Throw it in a fire and call it a day. THE END!

It took a while to eventually write this review, but, FINALLY, it has been done, and now I can continue on with life, and finish reading Star Dancer. Now, there's a good book!

Until next time! Keep up the reading, and enjoy your well-written books! Life's too short to waste it on terrible writers, isn't it?
~ Kelly

Awkward Hauls: Where I Have No Clue in how to Write a Haul Post, But I Tried, So Gold Stars for EVERYONE!!!!

My bed is chaotic, a little like my life. Oy, vey OTL

Hi, my name is Kelly, and I'm a book-Journal-notepad-holic. No, I don't need help, I assure you.

So today was a scorcher; it was extremely hot outside, with barely any breeze to assist myself, my sister and one of my many nephews in keeping somewhat cool, and yet we managed to make our way through the big bad town that was blazing because of the supreme heat we are having right now.

I love Summer, though, so please don't think this sweltering heat that almost knocked me over was a bad thing. The sunshine made me happy. Dehydrated and a bit delirious, but happy.
 And as one can see, I spent this day spending some moolahs on the things I love most - Harry Potter merchandise, books, moleskin notebooks and a random box that I will probably store paper and stationary in, because it's PRETTEH and my other box is tiny and already full. Oops.

Actually, the books show in this (plus the blue and pink notebooks) were bought the day before this - I went on a mini-spree in the smaller town and decided to take a trip to the second-hand bookstore I adore, and picked up a copy of Mockingjay, which I had yet to buy after purchasing both Hunger Games and Catching Fire about three years or so ago, and found Star Dancer and Fire Dreamer by Beth Webb by chance, as well as the Secret of Sirens by Julia Golding book to add to my collection.
 I won't lie, I bought those three books based purely on the fact that they have maps in them. After realising my nephew likes maps in his books, I've started to seek them out, too, though I always did find maps pretty if present in a book. All of these, the books I mean, were only £1 each, so there's a bargain for yer!

I also bought the notebooks the day before, too, because... well, because they're pretty, and they werew there - and cheap, too, at on £2 for the bigger notebook, and 69p for the baby one. I like cheap things. Then again, I'm a stingy bugger.
 Really, I am.

And then I went to town today, and decided to unleash my inner Harry Potter fangirl, and buy the shirt present in the picture from Primark, for £6. I like my random Harry Potter crap, I swear! I also picked up a small notebook thing that has sticky notes of varying sizes in it, except these are really pretty sticky notes, and have designs on them.
 I'm gettin' fancy!

And then I bought the box, because again, my other stationary / paper box is diddy and running out of room. So, there we go, the end, hasta la vista baby.

... Wow, this post has no coherency XD Then again, I never make sense, so...~ -patters off to Wonderland-

Anywhoo, yeah, I bought a bunch of stuff, and some of it I forgot to include, but really, who wants to see sun lotion in a blarg post anyhow? That said, I did forget the important items... my Hufflepuff cup necklace, and my kinda-not-a-replica-but-who-cares Gaunt ring that I bought off ebay.
 Then again, I may just leave that to another awkward Haul post, because damn, I am awkward.

Until next time - where I hope to make more sense and possibly talk about a book I am reading - take care, and have fun Reading and Writing the days away!

Ciao!
~ Kelly

Read & Reviewed: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Let's talk about Fairest, shall we?

Mirror, mirror, on the wall.

Who is the Fairest of them all?

Because Fairest is such a small book, one I pretty much steamed through it once I had finished Cress, I didn't get a chance to try and write up a 'Currently Reading...' post for it. That said, if I had tried to write up a post about what I was currently reading for it, there wouldn't be much to say in the Review itself. So, good thing I skipped out on that, aye?

 

So, first and foremost, Fairest: Levana's Story is all about the evil Queen of the Lunar Chronicles, Levana herself. This is an origins story, if anything, and focuses on the characteristics and development of Levana, and how she came to be the person that she was, and why. It looks more into her personality than anything, much like the first three books of the series; the Lunar Chronicles are, first and foremost, character-driven books, so of course this one would be character-driven, too.

After reading a few reviews of this book before even reading it myself, it seems that a lot of fans of the Lunar Chronicles really enjoyed the book, understood why Levana is the way she became, however still heavily dislike her no matter what. Of course, I do agree with them - we come to an understanding with Levana here, and I like that this little prequel was included to better our understanding as readers as to why Levana is such a royal bitch (pun intended), but honestly, this story only leads me to pitying Levana's character, more than anything.

In Fairest, we are introduced to Levana who is, at first, an innocent but selfish princess who has been overshadowed by her cruel and stupid, yet beautiful and beloved sister Channary, who is to become the Queen of Luna after the sudden death of their parents. Levana, as the youngest, is seen as more of a nuisance than anything by the court even though she is smart, resourceful and political, everything that her sister isn't. Due to birthright however, Levana is simply the younger princess and nothing more.

Now, I flew through Fairest, but despite how small the book is compared to Cinder, Scarlet and Cress, you get to watch and learn more about Levana, to experience her growth from a young and innocent princess, selfish due to her upbringing, and watch her turn into what I can only describe as a psychopath for a Queen who will do anything she can, as unjustifiable and despicable as it is, to get what she wants, to basically attain the crown that she has craved since she was a 15 year old girl who lived beneath her sister's perfect shadow.

Levana, you learn, really does not start out as this devious, cruel and dislike-able person, but turns into who she has become progressively; she has ambition and desires, a love that she craves that she never before had from her sister nor her parents, however her views are distorted, twisted even... but you want to pity her, because she craves affection that she never experienced before hand. Even though you hate her for basically forcing someone to love her falsely, you still pity her because she is someone who is seemingly unloved, who people shun because she is the second-born and the ugly sister.

Still, her actions are unacceptable and, whilst I pity the character herself, I still dislike her greatly and find her despicable - but, to her, she is doing what is necessary, to keep her crown and protect her country. I don't doubt that, as a Queen, Levana is a good one - Meyer makes her a great Queen in fact, however as a person, you just want to hate her, much like her subjects do. You fear what she can do, the power she has over others, and the lengths that she goes to simply achieve what she wants. She has horrible thoughts, and she doesn't really feel much guilt for what she has ever done, because it's allowed her to progress and become a ruler.
 But, no matter what, she never gets the love that she craves, and when I remember that after reading Fairest and thinking it over, I still can't help but feel sorry for Levana, because throughout the book, it's the one thing she wants the most, and yet she never really did get it.

From her subjects, her family, the man she had loved dearly, it's the one thing Levana never got, even though she manipulated and killed to get everything else she wanted. It is sad to think about that, but still, it does not justify this characters actions, and does not make me dislike her any less. As I've said plenty already, I simply pity her.

I may have run around here a bit and repeated myself, but yeah, I did enjoy Fairest, even if it was a very light read. It allowed us to see a bit more into one more character in the Lunar Universe, and showed us how she became what she is in the present of the books. If anything, this book just makes me anticipate Winter further, and also has me hoping for a few more prequels, possibly sequels, if Meyer ever decides to write them! May I vote for a Carswell Thorne story, plox? ;)

Now though, I suppose I'll read the small chaptered stories on Wattpad that Meyer has for everyone to read concerning the Lunar Universe!

Until next time! Please keep Reading and Writing happily, peoples!
 ~ Kelly

Read & Reviewed: Cress by Marissa Meyer

mrow mrow mrow~

Incarcerated in a Satellite, and expert Hacker and out to save the World -

Cress isn't your usual Damsel in Distress

Cress grew up as a prisoner. With only netscreens for company, she's forced to do the bidding of the evil Queen Levana. Now that means tracking down Cinder and her handsome accomplice Emperor Kai. But little does Queen Levana know that those she seeks, and the man she loves, are plotting her downfall...

As paths cross and the price of freedom rises, happily ever after has never seemed further away for Cress, Scarlet and Cinder.

This is not the Fairy Tale you remember.

But it's one You won't Forget.

Holy heck isn't this a big improvement from Scarlet?

So, what to say that hasn't already been said about Marissa Meyer's Cress? I covered a lot of how I felt about the book in my Currently Reading... post on it, and since finishing the book some days ago, my feelings for the book are still pretty solid. I think it's great, I really like how it's developed, and now, I'm pissed off that Winter isn't out already so that I can finish this series and feel content that I have successfully read all four books.
 Woe is me, what is life?

Honestly though, Cress is a very engrossing, thrilling book, and it really had me on edge from beginning until end. You could really see how the characters had, over the course of these three books, grown and come together as a team, and how they have matured in their own ways. Because the character of Cress is the newest here, her development is still underway, however you do see her mature throughout the book - she goes from this shy, reluctant damsel in distress to someone who becomes a little braver, and starts to believe in herself and fight for what she desires and deserves after years of imprisonment and labour for Queen Levana and Sybil Mira.  Thankfully, the progressing of her personality and maturity is actually pretty slow, so her character isn't thrown right under the bus and turned into a hero straight away, which I am thankful for as a reader.
 In fact, of all three main female characters, Cress is my favourite, mostly because she's the one character who seems to be somewhat vulnerable in how she acts, as well as being rather honest in how she feels. Not to say that Cinder or Scarlet aren't, but Cress is simply a little girl, she's innocent and sweet, a stark contrast to both Cinder and Scarlet.She's the weakest, the most vulnerable, probably the most real of them all, too. She's a bit of a fangirl (aren't we all?), she has fantasies and dreams, and she is is openly scared, but she still does what she can, because she wants her freedom and wants to actually have a life.

In terms of vulnerability though, you do see Cinder break in this a little and show just how vulnerable she can be, how her resolve quickly crumbles under pressure - with all that has been put on her shoulders since the start of the book, there's no way that couldn't have happened. You see her slowly but surely try and come to terms with her heritage, the power she wields, and how she tries to fight it whilst trying to use it, too. At points, she loses her own control of this power because it simply engulfs her, and you can feel how hard she is battling with herself to try and not lose who she is and what she stands for, even though she can so easily slip into this sense of power. I admit, I found this annoying sometimes, how she would constantly chastise herself and compare herself to Levana if she used her power, however it is pivotal to her development as a character, and you see the struggle that she has and how she is trying to still be a good person.

A lot of things happened in this book actually, not just the character development; the threat of war eventually becomes one, and yes, there is romance, even though I had heavily hoped there wouldn't be in this book. Still, for what it's worth, the romance was very much one-sided for a good chunk of it, and well played out. It was different to the romance in both Cinder and Scarlet, and quite possibly brings together my favourite couple so far, comprised of my two favourite characters! Seriously, Carswell Thorne and Cress are too cute, and I ship them. Hard.

Also, in Cress, we were finally introduced to Winter, who will be the star of the next book, I hope. Her presence was rather brief here, but from the snippets we were given of her character, I'm already in love with this girl - she's a bit nuts, but holy heck I love it, and if Winter as a book is just as good as Cress is, then my love for Cress may wane in favour of Winter, because she's a bit of a nutty sweetie pie so far, and I am all for that!

There was laughter (courtesy of Carswell Thorne, my comic relief), tears and happiness, dread and relief, and a lot of gasping. Cress is definitely not disappointing, only furthering my intrigue in the Lunar Universe, as well as upping my anticipation for the up-coming Winter, which I now impatiently await thanks to finishing Cress. It is a delightful read, it keeps you on edge and has you guessing, crying or grasping the book in anticipation and longing, but above all, it only leaves you wanting more.

Cress is the best of the three books, and so far my favourite in this series of the Lunar world, but now I can't help but wonder just what will happen next and how it will all pan out?

Impatiently awaiting for Winter's release, I just hope I don't go nuts with excitement and a slight dread.

Until next time, Happy Reading and Writing everyone!
~ Kelly

Currently Reading: Cress by Marissa Meyer (of Foreshadowing and Plot Developments, Oh My!)

Soooooo I kind of stayed awake until 7am for the past couple of days, reading Cress in the wee hours of the morning whilst struggling to put the damn book down and go to sleep, like a normal human being. This means that, for the past few days (even when reading Scarlet) I have been waking up in the afternoon. Oh dear...

Yeah, I ain't no good role model for my little niece right now!

Throws on some tunes, stops watching Buffy and actually continues writing this piece.

I'm not even kidding, I have been hooked on Cress since I started reading it. Already I'm up to Chapter 41, and with only 60 or so chapters in this book, I've pretty much sped through this in just two days. Two. Days. I'm beyond halfway through, and if I'm not careful with how much I read tonight, I could have it finished by dawn, because I literally can't put this bloody thing down. I really like it.

I really enjoy where Cress is going and with how the plot is developing thus far. I find that some of the developments have happened at a pace that was achingly slow for me, however no matter what, this book has had me on edge since I began it. It's taken a different turn to both Cinder and Scarlet, and whilst a romance does indeed blossom here (which I had hoped would not happen, I do admit) the focus is more-so on the characters coming together, their growth as people, and discoveries as well as the rise of a war.

It's gripping, there have been unexpected advancements in the novel and, clearly, maturity - you can sense Meyer's maturity as a writer in Cress, and how we have almost broken away from the Fairy Tales, but not completely. There was one especially shocking plot point in the book that really set me on edge as a reader that I had in no way anticipated, but found me in a fit of discomfort and rage for one of the characters. It was a powerful and rather emotional point in the book, reading the turmoil of this character. I was a tad distraught.

There are still elements of it that can be seen as a little clichéd or obvious in ways, and as I read Cress in the early hours of the morrow, I definitely picked up on the inspiration from Sailor Moon - I've noticed it in smatterings between all three books, actually, however it's most prevalent here, almost glaringly obvious (especially Artemisia; I snorted at that, I won't lie) but it's elements like this, the familiarity of something like Sailor Moon, which I watched during my own childhood, that is nice about the book. It does not borrow from this so heavily however, that it loses its true identity. Throughout, the Lunar World is still the Lunar World, and it is completely its own - Meyer doesn't engulf it in fanfiction fantasies or pre-existing characters. Really, there are only small parallels between the Lunar World and Sailor Moon that I can see in the books, but not so many that it becomes a problem or a headache as a reader.

Also, when reading Cress - and this is no issue, more a discovery - I finally seemed to latch on to some foreshadowing that, stupidly so, I did not see in Scarlet, where said foreshadowing began. The Rampion. For crying out loud, the bloody ship Carswell Thorne loves so damn much is a bloody foreshadowing device for the character Cress and himself, and how they are tied together in a way.
 Took me long enough, aye?

Getting back on track...

Cress is, by far, the best of the three books that have come out already - Cinder of course started it all, and Scarlet continued with the threat and beginnings of a war, however Cress is the story that brings forth the edge and emotion, I believe. It doesn't follow a similar pattern to its predecessors at all, and whilst it does hold that familiar romantic story we've come to know in the past two books, Cress truly comes into its own as a novel. It's gripping, leaves you on edge and begs that you read more. It's a book that I have had a difficult time putting down, and you can be sure that tonight, when I get ready for bed and sit down to read, I will have a hard time falling asleep once again.

I may rub my eyes as the light of a new morning drizzles through my curtains, and I may ache with want of sleep, but I know that no matter what, I won't put this story down until I am satisfied, and honestly? I won't be completely sated until it has all finished, and even then, I will be left wanting more.

Really, I worry for those long months when I have to wait for Winter to come out. That will truly ache...

Until next time, Happy Reading and Writing!

Be sure to sleep, because I won't with all this anticipation building up...
~ Kelly

Read & Reviewed: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

mrow mrow mrow mrow

This is not the Fairy Tale You Remember.
But it's one You won't Forget.

Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case.
The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive - when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner...

Marissa Meyer's Scarlet took me back a bit - as a child, I would actively read books until the break of dawn, sitting by my bedroom door with only a small filter of light that poured through my barely-open door, pretending that I was asleep, when really, I was flying through the pages of the book I was reading at the time. Now though, whilst I was instead sitting in bed, my light fully blaring above me as I read on and on, I was much like that little girl who read her books until she heard the birds chirping outside, 6am already and the sun coming up.

I haven't read for so long in a while, I thought to myself. I felt happy to realise that my love for reading could still take me away from the night, and escape me to the morning.

I finished Scarlet in about three to four days I believe, and I only really read when I went off to bed - this is mostly because, during the day, I try and write and interact with friends online, and also because I spend a good chunk of my time with my niece. I barely get peace during the day, so reading is best done during the evening or at bed time.

Since finishing Scarlet, I have already moved on to Cress and have already flown through Part One of the book, but that isn't the book we're talking about today, is it? So before I go off on a tangent, let's talk about the book I'm supposed to be focusing on, rather than the one I'm currently delving into, shall we?

Now I did enjoy Scarlet when reading, though not as much as I had enjoyed Cinder or as much as I am Cress right now, I admit - it's a well written book, and I am pleased to see that Meyer's passion never once leaves, nor does the progression of the characters and their development, or the world that she has created. I enjoy that each person or creature she creates is full of personality and flaws, and that none suffer from perfection in any way possible. I especially loved the addition of Carswlel Thorne, who has quickly become one of my favourite characters, thanks to his comical but friendly approach. Certainly, he is the comic relief character, but he does it so well, and it suits him.
 Actually, I laughed quite a bit with this novel, and it is this humor that endeared Carswell to me, I admit.

The story for me, however, felt a little more obvious than what Cinder did. With the character Wolf especially, I felt as if who he truly was was not as masked as it could have been. I knew right away who and what he was from the get-go, after what you find out in the first novel, and when the big reveal came, it didn't come as much of a shock - of course, it still hurt, because the character hurts too and Meyer really brought those feelings across, but even then... well, it feels very romance-movie in how some of the dialogue goes. Generic, a little embarrassing to read, and all too fabricated.
 Still, at that moment I did feel for Scarlet and just wanted to hold her.

The one thing that disappointed me the most with this book, however, was the direction that it chose to take. When reading, I couldn't help but feel like the narrative had the exact same pace and tone as Cinder did, with a similar romance storyline, but instead with the roles reversed in who was the one hiding their true identity. Essentially, Scarlet's plot was more of a role-reversal, but with different characters and vastly different personalities.
 It was a big disappointment for me as a reader, and I'm still quite sad that the book was as disappointing as it was, but I do still think it's a good read, no matter what.

Though I do find that this book, of the three, is currently the weakest because of the repetitive feel it has (and I'm saying this only thirteen chapters in with Cress) I do like what Scarlet provides in further continuing the story, and further developing and introducing the characters of the Lunar World. It's not a bad book by any means, in fact it does have its share of surprises and some great anticipatory moments, but the real greatness of this book lies at Part Four of the book - the end almost, if you will. At this point, everything becomes exciting, and you're left wanting more, and I appreciated how great the ending was as it makes up for how similar the first three parts of the book are to the original, Cinder.

It has its flaws, but overall, Scarlet is a good book and provides us with the continuation we all needed. It's not the best of the bunch, but it introduces to us all key characters and progresses what we already know, as well as begins the war we had been waiting to begin, and certainly sets the tone for Book Three, Cress. No, Scarlet is not a favourite, but what it provides is invaluable to the central story.

If you still have not read either Cinder or Scarlet, then be sure to find a copy when you can and indulge in the world of Lunar. It is a great series to get invested in, and it doesn't take too long to read, either, so be sure to check the books out when you have time, and if you have interest.

Until we meet again, Happy Reading and Writing!
~ Kelly

Bake the Day Away ~ A Day's Ramblin'

Listening to: LOVE by MACO

Aside from living my life as a bit of a hermit, with reading or writing being the sole activities I seem to do most (oh, and video editing!), I do actually spend a bit of time with other people on the odd occasion, and when at home, I spend a great deal of time with the light of my life, my three year old niece.

I adore my niece, and whilst she can be a pain in the backside some days, always vying for attention (mostly from me) and asking if I can help her conquer the next level of Spyro the Dragon, I do like playing with and teaching her things. Today though, aside from playing hide & seek and Spyro, I thought it would be fun to do something completely different, a pass time that even I haven't done since I was a kiddy myself.

We baked. And I didn't burn the house down or kill myself, SUCCESS!!!!

Granted, I used a packet mix for this, so I only needed an egg and water to create these diddy treats, however I'm not really someone who cooks - I like things to be conveniently done already, like microwave meals. The only times I do dare to cook is when I crave something, and even then it's simple; rice or pasta, sausage or eggs - food that doesn't take too long, basically.

I'm lazy, what an I say?

So I was scared that I would either burn these cupcakes, or not cook them right when they were done, but I was rather lucky on my first go, it seems - my niece and I were successful in baking our first ever batch of cakes! My niece had a hard time waiting for the cakes to cool, as she wanted to put all the pretty sprinkles on them and make the icing, but she was a gem throughout... well, aside from the part where she tried licking the icing off the spoon before it went on the cakes, but that's by the by.

I mostly left my niece to stirring, because this was only her first time making a cake after all, plus, that's really all there was to this recipe; add an egg, water and mix. It was easy for the both of us, but nonetheless, she did enjoy it, only getting annoyed with me when I had to mix everything together to make sure it was done properly.

I think, aside from putting sprinkles on, my niece really loved watching the icing mix turn from cream to yellow - she was really amazed by how icing was made, it was magical for her. So cute!

Then the fun part; decorating! I think this was the part my niece enjoyed the most, because it meant she could stick whatever sprinkles she wanted on, and she could get a bit messy with it. Sadly I am a bit of a clean freak in that I like the icing to cover the whole top of the cake, but my niece had fun putting the icing on and then covering it in whatever sprinkles she so desired. It was fun watching her, and I enjoyed decorating the cakes as well.

And the verdict? Well, the cakes are good! I didn't kill the cake itself, so that's a plus, and my mum really liked them, dad too apparently, however myself and my niece? We're actually not big cake eaters, surprise, but I finished mine off and did enjoy it (getting older, I seem to prefer less sugar on a cake, haha!) whilst my niece ate mostly the icing, and left a good chunk of her cake. Again, not a cake eater - she'd prefer carrots, if given the choice between cake or veggies.

So, aside from running about and entertaining the niece, this is what we accomplished today, and honestly? I feel like I've been productive, and I do feel proud of the both of us, because it's something neither of us have really done before. My niece has helped to make biscuits before, but a cake? This was a first, but it was fun, and we're most likely going to do it again!

Next time though, I want blue icing!

Happy baking and reading! Take care~

~ Kelly

Currently Reading: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Listening to: Beauty and the Beast by Q; indivi


Around 5:00pm today:

I'm currently going through a bout of not wanting to see people, to just sit all on my own doing nothing. So I thought, as I'm not really doing anything of worth, why not finally get to doing that Currently Reading post I was meant to start writing a few days ago? You know, just to seem productive and to show that I am still interested in this blog, and that, HEY! I'm reading as well? So yeah, we're gonna get into it, and I'm going to finally get this post rollin'!

12:07am:

... And yet, many hours later, I have only the opening title, and the rest is blank... -sigh-

I'm a terrible blogger, just sayin' XD

After finishing Marissa Meyer's Cinder some days ago, it was of course inevitable that I would eventually begin to read its sequel, titled Scarlet, and return to the world of The Lunar Chronicles. Since beginning the book, which I am trying to read every night right now, I have reached Part Two of the book, which begins with Chapter 11. So far, I am really enjoying Scarlet, though I do admit that I am not flying through it like I did Cinder as of yet.

The beginning of Scarlet feels a little slower than Cinder did in its beginning, though I don't mind that so much; it's setting the tone of the story more than anything, plus, this book is a little bigger, so I anticipate the middle and end to be a lot more thrilling - still, the opening chapters are anything but boring, allowing us to see just who the character of Scarlet is and just what makes her tick.
 It's an enjoyable opening, and Part One is a great opener for introducing our titular character as well as her companion, the mysterious and handsome Wolf.

Much like Cinder before this, the chapters will often switch between characters and continue the story from their perspectives, though with Scarlet, we read from the perspectives of Scarlet herself, Cinder from where she left off in the first book, Prince Kai from the first book, as well as a new character. By doing this, Meyer offers the readers a broader look into the characters of The Lunar Chronicles, creating eyes and ears almost everywhere, and allowing us to delve into various thoughts and feelings. It is this aspect that I am enjoying greatly from Scarlet, as I am able to see the story from all sides, and to see various events develop. It's actually quite exciting!

I'm looking forward to what both Part Two and Part Three have in store for me in this book, because whilst Part One has been more about setting the scene for Scarlet and continuing from where Cinder was left in the first book, I really look forward to how Meyer will develop the story further and how she will create even more chaos for these characters, as well as the possibility of eventually bringing them together. It's turning out to be a great book, one that is extremely atmospheric, and I do anticipate how the story will unfold.

Until next time, when I will have hopefully finished the book and reviewed it, take care!

Happy reading and writing!
~ Kelly

Read & Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

A Forbidden Romance.
A Deadly Plague.

Earth's Fate Hinges On One Girl...

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's she finds herself at the center of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the Fairy Tale You Remember.

But it's one You won't Forget.

As a lover of all things fairy tale, I of course have a deep love for the many adaptations that we have of these childhood stories too. So of course, upon finding out one day that a new adaptation of Cinderella had come out in the form of a book, I had to read it! It didn't matter when, it didn't matter how, but by Joe, I would have this book and see how it fared to my tastes!

I eventually bought Marissa Meyer's Cinder on Amazon, and soon after, I added Scarlett, Cress and then Fairest to my collection so that I could one day read them all when I had the time. Sadly, it took me a few months to finally open up Cinder and invest myself in its story, but once I started reading... well, I was there.

Cinder is, first and foremost, a wonderfully original adaptation of the classic Cinderella tale - there have been many versions of Cinderella before this one in film, book and song; Disney's Cinderella (1950), Ever After (Flower Films, 1998), Rags (Nickelodeon, 2012), Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Harper Collins, 1998), Ash by Malinda Lo (Little Brown and company, 2009) and even a manga adaptation titled Cinderalla by Junko Mizuno (Viz Media, 2000) where the characters are, in fact, zombies... well, except for Cinderalla herself, of course.

 Anyway, you get the gist; there are plenty of adaptations out there, more than I've given, and all are different and unique in their own way, but we're here to talk about Cinder, not the other millions of Cinderella adaptations.

So let's get crackin'!

In total, this book took me four days to complete I'd say - it would have been four days straight of worthy reading, if it hadn't been for the fact that for a week, I didn't open the book and finish off the last four chapters because I was a tad busy. Still... I should have finished it earlier! What is life?

Regardless, when I did eventually get around to finishing Cinder, I was left a very happy camper. I mean, it's not everyday that I actually thoroughly enjoy something to the point where I find the parts that I did nit-pick at irrelevant, so for that, I give it props.

Also, Marissa Meyer is a fantastic writer. Just throwin' that out there!

I love everything about Cinder; it's written incredibly well, and Meyer's way of writing completely drags you in as a reader. Not only is she creating a piece that is easy to read, but a piece that is also incredibly easy to fall into and feel like you are there. She knows how to create atmosphere, her characters are balanced, and in the form of Cinder and Prince Kai, complex at times, and she knows how to make you thoroughly hate someone, too - that's true writing talent, right there. Meyer engrosses the reader, and she brings you into this incredible world that she has created. She pours her heart into it, she creates History, brings us grief and humor, joy and heartache... she does so much, but never does the novel read like its trying too hard.

Not like one novel I know HelloCityofBonesofwhichIwillneverfinish

Though Cinder does suffer from a few predictable moments at times, it doesn't overwhelm the reader, nor are there too many clichéd or predictable points within the storyline. In fact, I feel like the book is well-balanced in its predictable moments and the unforeseen circumstances that happen. There were a lot of times where I was shocked by what happened in the story, things that I did not expect to happen at all if you will, and that allowed me to forgive the little cliché's and predictable plot points that I felt were far too obvious when I was reading Cinder.

 That said, all books with have a cliché or two in it, especially fairy tales. Still, I'm fussy, but at least Meyer didn't abuse it like other writers do.

Aside from the great writing, I do love this world that Cinder is set in; I loved the world of Ash a great deal when I read it, but what I enjoy most about Cinder is that it's set in the future during a time where Cyborgs are a reality, where androids roam and where a race beyond our own is alive and thriving. It's more of a dystopian setting, if anything, with the world hurt by a terrible plague. There is more to like beyond its setting or how our main character, Cinder, is a cyborg though, because though Meyer has created a new world, she's still created a world that is lead by hostility, prejudice and discrimination in humans towards the Cyborgs and Lunar race from the Moon. Here, Meyer keeps the deeper evil of the human heart in tact. She keeps it real and true, and it is this bitter emotion of dislike that really creates the emotion of the novel and makes it so wholesome.

It's not all about love and acceptance - it's about how people can perceive others, and how others treat someone different to them, based on their race or how they were created.

Cinder is a wonderful debut novel for Marissa Meyer, and a wonderful adaptation of the classic tale Cinderella. She is truly wonderful at writing and creating a world that is not only a fantasy in its scientific theme, but also scary in its setting and how certain characters are driven by their desires or dislike of the cyborgs in this world. Cinder is, to me, fantastic, and I honestly can't wait to read Scarlett when I can!

If you have yet to read Cinder by Marissa Meyer, be sure to pick up a copy when you can! Amazon tend to do good deals, so grab it, especially all you lovers of Fairy Tales and adaptations alike!

Happy Reading and Merry days!

T'rah!

~ Kelly

In for the Haul: Because Clothes are Needed (Originally posted on 5/62015)

I originally created this post on my original blog, Shambles to Rambles in WonderLAND, which is now defunct. I am posting it here because I like it. HAULS!

I really should update with better posts, but until I actually get around to doing a review, like I eventually plan to, I'll have to settle for dull ol' Hauls that everybody else within the blogging community does. Because buying stuff is, apparently, of keen interest. Hm...

About a Fiver, Amazon

I am a spender, I admit this to you all, and I like buying my random little luxuries in life - make-up, skirts, headbands meant for kids, sweets, bottles of Lucozade... things that are maybe not so necessary in life, but also things that seem to keep me smiling. I like these things, and sadly, they cost money. Then again, what doesn't these days? Air. dear readers. Air.

In general, however, I am not a big clothes buyer. I mean, I buy them, yes, but not as much as I do other things. Clothes are necessary, otherwise I would be breaking the law, but I also find them to be frivolous in comparison to sweet treats or food of some kind. Yes, I buy clothes, mostly when something is coming up (an interview, or possibly a nice event) or when I actually need new clothes, or in this case, because I needed another pair of suitable shoes for the summer, and a suitable dress and shirt, too. It's hot outside, and by lordeh, I don't want to walk around wearing tights and a rather thick dress like I did the day before whilst the sun is beating down on me with its lovely glare of rays and light.

It was unbearable, actually, and I just wanted to strip in the middle of town. Not that I did, because again, kind of illegal and also rather rude. So, yeah.

Oh, and a few days before I bought all these clothes, I actually received Fairest from the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer in the mail. So I'm randomly adding that to my haul. Cause BOOKS!

Maxi Dress from Primark, £10

 Anywhoo, moving on, I bought what will be my first-ever Maxi dress! And honestly, it reminds me of the blue willow patterned plates and teapots my mother collects. I like the pattern, and it's because it reminded me of the blue willow design that I actually bought it. It's pretty, it looks like a bloody teacup, and clearly, I want to look like a teacup.
I'm British, what else would I want to be, other than a cuppa? Actually, I hate tea, so...


Anywhoo, I wore the dress already, possibly dropped my red-tinged lip brush on it about two hours after purchasing the damned thing, stained it a tad with red and cried about it for a good while before bunging it in the wash and getting said lipstick stain out. Thank you, washing machine!

The face of a make-up-less Brit...

 Argh, my face! Ah, whatever. Needless to say, I really like this dress. It's a bit long for me, but I'm a short-arse and besides, that doesn't matter; I feel like a princess, and that's what matters! Also, it matches my flower crown, and it is this lovely thin, floaty fabric that dries so damn quickly. The only problem is that it's see-through, so gonna need to wear shorts under the blasted thing...

Did I mention that it makes me feel like a teacup?

Butterfly cami, Primarni, £4

 I also bought this pretty shirt - both the dress and top are from Primark, if you must know - and it's really floaty and light, too, and much like my teacup dress, rather darned see-through, so I need to either wear something under it, or not give two shits. Possibly the latter will happen, along with some glares from the locals, because village folk aren't too well-receiving at the showing of skin or your bra showing through a top that's see-through.
 Is the village/country life, folks.

It's pretty though, and nice and floaty meaning it keeps me cool during this heatwave we had for one day. I likey!

Gladiators from Primark, a Tenner

And lastly, I bought me some GLADIATORS!!!!! No no, not the hunky kind we see on TV that we drool over, but the shoe kind. I know, I know, I bought some flat shoes about a week ago - well, the coral ones are good for summer, the lace ones aren't, and also...

I haven't seen these bloody things for YONKS at a cheap price. I'm buying these little fudgers, and I'm wearing them! I LOVE GLADIATORS!!!!

...*ahem* Well, I actually haven't seen Gladiators in shops for a while, and I haven't had a pair since I was, what, 16? I think my older sister nicked stole me last pair, so I've been searching for some more, because during the summer I like my feet to breathe and not be cramped up in dolly shoes. I also wear wedges, but currently, Primark seem to only stock the UGLY kind, and Jelly Shoes (why the f*#$ are they back in fashion? Please, enlighten me?) so, when I saw these in Primarni, I all but bowed to them. I mean, I actually didn't bow to them, I'm not that nuts, but you get what I mean.
To thing, I nearly didn't buy these, because I'm a stingy bugger, and they were a tenner, and even at £10 I squirm and think 'too expensive' - in the end, though, I gave in, and now they are paired with whatever summery garb I choose to wear this season. Mostly the Maxi dress, I think, it will make me feel festival-y!

Okay, so, that's all I actually bought, and this is all I'm writing. For someone who should be asleep, I've written a grand amount, and it's colloquial, too. Hrm...
  I need to go to bed, so for now, this will be all! Have a grand week, and hopefully, I will write something that is not Haul related next time! That said, this has been fun to write.

T'rah, ducks!
~ Kelly