An Almost-Review: Catching Fire (the movie)

I saw The Hunger Games: Catching Fire at the weekend, and I've been thinking about it a lot so I thought I'd write about it. This isn't going to be a proper review, because I know next to nothing about films, but I just wanted to say what I thought about it.
First of all, it is amazing. Better than the first one by miles, even though that was really good too. Jennifer Lawrence is a very good actress, and an even better Katniss. I think she suits the role really well. I'm pretty sure there's a different actress playing Effie, although she sounds exactly the same- it took me ages to realise.
But the problem, for me, is that this film is too good. The Hunger Games is not, whatever else you might say about it, a happy story. When I came out of the cinema my palms were covered in red marks- I spend probably about half the movie digging my nails into my skin so I wouldn't cry, and the other half with my hands in front of my face. They (whoever the hell "they" are) have done it so well.
So well that it gets inside you, and then everyone starts dying, and you know you're going to be in a really horrible mood for the rest of the day. It is not nice to do that to a person's emotions.
However: the good is bigger than the sad. I really, really want to see it again. When the DVD comes out I'll buy it and watch it at home, and allow myself to cry in private. It is haunting, and amazing and WOW. Shivers down my spine.

Review: Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

Blurb: Joe Spork, son of the infamous criminal Matthew "Tommy Gun" Spork, just wants a quiet life, repairing clockwork in a wet, unknown bit of London. Edie Banister, former superspy, lives quietly and wishes she didn't. She's nearly ninety and the things she fought to save don't seem to exist anymore. She's beginning to wonder if they ever did. When Joe is asked to fix one particularly unusual device, his life is suddenly upended. The client? Unknown. The device? A 1950s doomsday machine. Having triggered it, Joe now faces the wrath of both the government and a diabolical South Asian dictator, Edie's old arch-nemesis. Joe's once-quiet world is now populated with mad monks, psychopathic serial killers, scientific geniuses and threats to the future of conscious life in the universe. The only way he can survive is to muster the courage to fight, help Edie complete a mission she gave up years ago, and pick up his father's old gun.

What I thought: Angelmaker is maybe the most brilliantly funny book I can remember reading. With the possible exception of The Giggler Treatment, but that does have the advantage of containing little chameleon-things and poo.
It is smart, in the most hilarious way possible. There is a glass-eyed, single-toothed dog named Bastion, a terrifying old lady who could possibly destroy the universe by accident, an evil dictator who wants to be a god, and an ingenious lawyer and his gorgeous-toed sister. Also, Joe Spork, son of a gangster, grandson of a clockmaker, who hasn't quite made up his mind which one he wants to be. And an ex-gangster's wife turned nun. It must be the most eclectic mix of characters since Harry Potter. I particularly like the dog.

Beginning in a dreary, forgotten corner of London, where the most interesting part of Joe's day is his ongoing battle with the neighbour's cat (which is actually rather entertaining), the story escalates into a wild celebration of crime, and humour, and good-against-bad. With a lot of crazy scientists and clockwork added in.
There are some rather horrific torture-related moments, but aside from that, it's not too gory. It's mainly just hilarious. My roommate came in last night while I was reading it, and I was lying on my bed laughing like a complete loony. I'm expecting an ambulance to drive up at any moment.

The thing about this book is that it's just so fun. But the fun-ness (yes, I did just make that word up) doesn't detract from the intelligence or the writing, which is awesome. The story carries you along with it, and by the end you're laughing and grinning and rooting for them to win. Hilarious, satirical and vaguely nostalgic, this is a book that will make you happy.

Rate: 7/10

Ten Books I'd Recommend to John Green Fans

John Green is my favorite author, and I tend to read a lot of books in the same sort of style, so I thought of doing this post. There were others I wanted to put in, like Hate List and Someone Else's Life, but I thought the ones below were more appropriate. Are there any others you think I should have put in? Hope you enjoy it!

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Narrated by Death, this is the story of the adopted Liesel Meminger, her family and friends. Living in Germany during World War Two, it shows the point of view of the commonplace people, and the things they did to survive. This will break your heart.

 

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares/ Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

These books are both set in New York, told from two points of view, and are both amazing. Dash and Lily is based during Christmas; Lily leaves a notebook in her favorite book shop with a list of dares inside. Dash picks it up, and so begins their massive game of Dares, sending each other all over the city. Nick and Norah is about two music junkies thrown together by chance, who spend the night together trying to figure out their lives and each other. (I'm counting these as one, because they're by the same authors. Kinda cheating but I couldn't just put one in.)

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

This book is so gorgeous. I did a full review a few weeks ago, if you want more information. Based in Australia, it tells the story of Lucy and Ed throughout one night. It's the end of the school year and Lucy is determined to find Shadow- the mysterious graffiti artist whose work is all over the city. She enlists Ed to help her find him. The prose is beautifully poetic and the story is interesting. 

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

With writing as poetic as Graffiti Moon and as emotional as The Fault In Our Stars, you will fall in love with this book. A guarantee, or your money back. Lennie is simultaneously grieving the death of her sister, falling in love, and trying not to fall for her sister's boyfriend. I went through a phase of rereading this constantly. One of my four favorite books.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Mia is the one classical musician in a family of rockers. Even her boyfriend, Adam, is in a band. I won't say much, because I don't want to give away more than is in the blurb, but I will say that, one day, Mia finds herself with only one choice left. And it is the most difficult choice of all. 

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Having been discharged from a mental hospital, Pat Peoples tries to rebuild his life. His one aim is to get back together with his estranged wife. And then he meets Tiffany, the equally damaged sister of his friend's wife. Very well written, very emotional and very good.

 Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Although it took me a while to get into this one, by halfway through I was hooked. Cullen Witter's younger brother goes missing at the same time as a supposedly extinct species of woodpecker is spotted in his town. The writing isn't as poetically brilliant as Graffiti Moon or The Sky Is Everywhere, but it is different. And hell, John Corey Whaley knows how to end a book.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

One of my favorite books ever, mainly because of the writing. The book is Min's letter to her ex-boyfriend Ed, documenting their relationship and giving all his things back to him. One of my favorite lines from it is; "I never told you how beautiful it was then, like everyone was telling us not to be". There is no way I could ever write a decent review of this book, but you should definitely read it, whether you like John Green or not.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I saw the film before I read this, and I wish I hadn't. The book is so much better. To me, if you think of two writers who go together really well, and write in kind of the same way about kind of the same things, it is John Green and Stephen Chbosky. I don't think he's written anything else, but this is amazing. After the suicide of his best friend, Charlie finds himself making friends with his English teacher, a senior called Patrick, and his stepsister Sam.

Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid

Twin sisters Rebecca and Hephzibah always had each other to rely on, having spent their whole lives under the control of their preacher father. Now Hephzibah- the confident, popular one- is dead, and Rebecca has to live without her. I have never read anything like this, and nothing I say will be able to sum it up, but it is amazing.

Review: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Blurb: London 1862. Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves- fingersmiths- under the rough but loving care of Mrs Sucksby and her "family". But from the moment she draws breath, Sue's fate is linked to that of another orphan growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away.

What I thought: This was recommended to me by one of my teachers, and it really surprised me. It's not the kind of book you generally expect a teacher to lend one of her students. If I had to sum it up in three words I'd say surprising, strange, and complicated. There's one part especially that completely shocked me. I just didn't see it coming.

It seems that everyone in this book has some ulterior motive or secret- no one is completely who you think they are. None of the characters are completely good; they are all very complex, and do things you never would have expected them to.
Although I didn't fall totally in love with Sue and Maud, I did emphasize with them, and found them very interesting. They are very different from what you would normally expect heroines to be like. 


This book, like onions, cakes, and ogres, has many layers. There's just more and more stuff that you don't know, and more and more twists that never seem to end. It's a very dark story, told in a very dark way. I think the setting really affected me, and the way I saw this book. Both Briar and Lant Street are very unpleasant places, for completely different reasons, and it seemed to me like their whole world was horrible and there was no way they could get out of it. Not the best feeling, but it did work with the story.



There's really not that much else I can say about it. If you're a fan of mysteries, historical fiction, Oliver Twist-like gangs and plots, read this. It will shock you.


Rate: 6/10

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Blurb: School is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate; tonight she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work is all over the city. Somewhere in the glassy darkness, he's out there, spraying colour, birds and blue sky on the night. And Lucy knows that a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for- really fall for. The last person Lucy wants to spend this night with is Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since punching him in the nose on the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells Lucy he knows where to find Shadow, the two of them are suddenly on an all-night search to places where Shadow's heartbreak and escape echo off the city walls. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

What I thought: I loved this book. I loved the poetry, and the colours, and the graffiti. I loved Lucy's glass-blowing, and how she had her own, unique form of art too. I loved the descriptions, and emotions, and I really loved the characters. This book sparkles, but not in a flashy way, like The Great Gatsby, all champagne and fireworks. This book sparkles like the stars.

Let's start with the front cover. How gorgeous is it? My copy has a different cover (stupid Amazon!) but I love this so much I had to put it on. I love the lights in the background, and the white spray paint. Also, the title. Graffiti Moon has to be one of the best titles ever, up there with The Fault In Our Stars and The Sky Is Everywhere. The writing, too, is quite like Jandy Nelson's writing in The Sky Is Everywhere. Cath Crowley uses the same poetic, romantic language, but instead of music being one of the central themes, there is art. Instead of using music as an emotional outpouring, both Shadow and Lucy use their art. Instead of their thoughts and feelings coming out in sound, they come out in their glass and paintings. They are able to create their memories and emotions, and make them physical things. I liked the idea that you can feel and think in colour and light, rather than words. This book made me wish I was better at art (I'm not terrible, I just work really slowly).

I've never read anything by an Australian author before. I don't know why, I just never had. It was different. The setting was good, and I loved the descriptions of their city, especially through Shadow's paintings and Lucy's glass (the bridge bottle). There weren't really any incredibly evil people in this book (excepting Crazy Malcolm and Crazy Dave), so there wasn't really anyone to blame for the main character's problems. I liked this, because it wasn't anyone's fault, it was just circumstances. Circumstances suck sometimes.
Jazz, Lucy's best friend, was definitely not the kind of best friend who fades into the background, stuck into the story to give the protagonist a wingman/woman. I loved her. And Daisy. And Dylan. And especially Leo. There was just a tonne of awesome characters, with depth and worries and humour.

Sometimes, I'll admit, I did get mad at Lucy. For not seeing what was right in front of her; for building up this romantic picture of Shadow in her head, ensuring that, whoever he turned out to be, he would be a disappointment. For making Shadow feel that he should be more than he was (okay, she didn't realise she was doing it, but it was still kinda dumb). She just didn't get it (the mysterious "it"- no spoilers), when all along it was right in front of her, and without even realising it, she stopped him from telling her because of all her high expectations. He just wanted to be good enough for her.

Basically, the writing was awesome, the story was great, and the characters were interesting and vivid. Anyone who likes The Sky Is Everywhere, or anything by John Green, or Dash And Lily's Book of Dares, you will love this book.

Rate: 8/10

Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Blurb: Andi is broken. She is failing school and failing life. Since the death of her brother, all she cares about is music. Taken to Paris by her estranged father, she makes a discovery there that could transform everything. Hidden in the compartment of an old guitar case is a lost diary from Revolutionary France... Alexandrine is a street performer who is trying to save a young life from the devastation of war. She writes her deepest thoughts in her diary, hoping that one day someone will read them and understand. These two girls, though centuries apart, are tied together by more than just the diary. As its words transcend paper and time, Alexandrine's past becomes Andi's present and lives are changed forever.

What I thought: A copy of this book has been lying on my sister's bedroom floor for years. I picked it up a few times and read the first chapter, but I never read further than that before. A couple of days ago I was bored, so I decided to read the first bit. And then I didn't stop. This book sucked me in, especially the first chapter- one of the best beginnings I can remember reading- you're smacked round the face with Andi's anger at the world, and her pain, and I just couldn't stop reading.
Andi is one of my favorite characters. For some reason, I've always been fascinated by those angry, broken, aggressive characters in books, and the way they heal throughout the story. Andi is very, very broken, to the point of almost committing suicide more than once. She couldn't get past her brother's death, her dad's leaving and her mother's illness. And then, throughout the book, you can see her letting go, letting herself live again, and moving on. But she isn't one of those characters whose anger becomes her, and when it's gone, there's nothing left and all interest they once had is gone. She is stubborn and determined and vibrant.

Another character that really interested me was Andi's father, and how he always seemed to do what was worst for Andi and her mother without even realising it. He doesn't believe in her, he can't see what music is to her, he tries to mold her into the genius he thinks she should be. He tells her she can do anything she wants, and when she wants to do music, he tells her it isn't enough. I don't think he's really a bad person, he just can't see what he's doing to his daughter. He can't see what she's doing to herself.

At the moment, I'm going through a French Revolution phase (A Tale of Two Cities, etc.) and this was perfect for that. I started reading this book because of New York and music and pain and loss, and then I kept reading because of Paris and music and healing and hope. Alex's story was just as enthralling as Andi's. They are very similar, too- determined, stubborn, and angry at the world around them. Near the end, I got annoyed with Andi because I felt she could have done something more, tried to help them, but she didn't. But at the same time, she really did help them. Confusing...
Throughout most of the story, I thought I had the ending figured. I thought the only problem I had with this book would be its predictability, but there wasn't even that, because I got the ending completely wrong. It was nothing like what I thought it would be. Guess I'm not cut out to be a detective after all...

Like most books, there was a romance side to this story, but it didn't take over the whole book. The guy is called Virgil, which is the most amazing name ever, and he's not just some hot boy, thrown in to fill out the story, but lacking his own character. He too, is angry at how his life turned out, angry at the unfairness of it all. He too, is a musician and also a rapper. I know I've always said no spoilers, but I'm going to write the lyrics to some of his, and Andi's songs down here, because they are so beautiful, and because they really sum up the book much better than I can.

Banloser - Virgil (Not the whole song)

Hey ho Banloser

Call me robber, boozer

And substance abuser

Hey ho Banloser

Call me dole-cheating,

Work-beating welfare ruser

I don't want to be no

Bad boy for life

Feeling rife

With the strife

And a knife

In my back

But I'm on the outskirts

Trying not to get hurt

Living in a desert

Of poverty and fear

I try to conform

Do no harm, be the norm

But I can't transform

I can just persevere

Iron Band - Andi

If I had coal and fire

And metal fine and true

I'd make an iron band

An iron band for you

I'd pick up all the pieces

From where they fell that day

Fit them back together

And take the pain away

But I don't have the iron

And I don't have the steel

To wrap around your broken heart

And teach it how to heal

Somewhere in the fire

Somewhere in the pain

I'd find the magic that I need

To make you whole again

I'd make the iron band so strong

I'd make it gleam so bright

I'd fix the things I've broken

I'd turn my wrongs to right

But I don't have the iron

And I don't have the steel

To wrap around your broken heart

Wish I could make it heal

Wish I could make it heal

Rate: 8/10

The Book Thief Movie

I spoke (wrote?) too soon. There is a Book Thief movie coming out next week! I had no idea!! I am so excited right now, the book is amazing, and the trailer is so good and argghhhh too many emotions. How did I not know about this????

Well, this wasn't a great post, but I just wanted to add that to my list of movies I must see. How was your Halloween? Are there any other movies I've missed? Have a great day!