The Book Addict Reviews: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Genre: Young Adult, Self-Esteem & Self Respect, Social Situations, Social Issues
Order Online: Amazon.com
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 4 stars
Borrowed from Library.

In A Nutshell:
Sarah Dessen is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and this book just proved to be another reason why. 

Review:
Perfection.  It usually is seen as something to aspire to.  But Macy is using her pursuit for perfection (at least her boyfriend Jason's and her mother's definition of perfection) as an excuse to not fully live.  She follows her boyfriend through all of his intellectual and humanitarian interests, changing her life to be what he wants her to be.  She comes home every night to have dinner with her mother and study for her SATs so that her mother does not have to worry about her the same way her mother worried about her sister.

But then, her boyfriend asks for a break after she tells him that she loves him, and she ends up doing one of the first impulsive things she has ever done--asking for a job with Wish Catering.  And through Wish Catering, Macy started to learn how much she did not like her former "perfection."  Macy started to learn how much she wanted to change her life--how does she convince her mother that her group of new friends have been a positive influence on her life?  And how is she going to convince her mother that this change is for the better? 

Overall, I loved the book but I really struggled with the Macy's mom's character.  She was so clueless about her daughter's true feelings.  She kept holding Jason up as a sort-of prize, and I guess in some ways he was.  He was dedicated and motivated.  He was safe since he did not seem to have any inkling of desire to want a more physical relationship with Macy.  But he also made Macy feel less than.  The excessive way she described his perfection and the negative way that she described herself in comparison to him bothered me.  So when Macy's mom seemed to feed into that by talking about what a prize he was--I got bothered even more.  Also, I get that studying and being responsible is important, but the way that Macy's mother had a complete meltdown when Macy had friends and started having a life really bothered me.  The way she refused to listen to Macy--or even give Macy the time to try to talk to her--annoyed me and gave me food for thought as a parent.  A long list of things that I do not want to do when my daughter gets to be older came from seeing Macy's mother as a parent.

And of course, no review of The Truth about Forever would be complete if it did not mention Wes.  Wes is a little bit of a bad boy (he did go to reform school afterall), a little bit of an artist (okay maybe more than a little bit), a teenager who has taken on the adult role after the death of his mother.  He is all of that and so handsome that all of the girls "swoo-oon" when he walks into the room.  He is also one of the first people in Macy's life (particularly since her dad's death) to really listen to her--to care what she really thinks and to push beyond the "fine" answer to everything.  It is hard not to love him and love the change he helps bring out in Macy.

(Spoiler Alert)

But he fell into a pattern that I have noticed in a lot of Sarah Dessen's writing (I do not mean that as criticism--just observation).  Rather than telling Macy that he was meeting with his girlfriend to break up with her, he tells Macy he cannot hang out because he has an appointment.  He is acting more awkward and secretive than he has with Macy ever.  So when Macy sees him with his girlfriend, she thinks he was awkward because he did not want to tell her that his girlfriend was back in the picture.  So their (Macy and Wes's) relationship must be over.  All of the drama that came after that could have been avoided with honesty, with a little Truth--which is ironic since their relationship developed through a game of Truth.  Thus I was left with the overwhelming desire to shake Wes and say "just tell her the Truth--like you have been doing the entire time until now!"  I was optimistic though because knowing Sarah Dessen's writings, I knew the truth would eventually come out so Wes and Macy could end up together. 

Recommendations:
I already have my next Sarah Dessen book from the library!

To The Movies: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book.
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Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery
Actors: Logan Lerman, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan and Alexandra Daddario (she was my favorite part of the movie!)
Director: Chris Columbus
Scriptwriter: Craig Titley
Date DVD Released: June 29, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Movie Info: IMDB
Order Online: Amazon.com
Rating: 1 star
Borrowed movie from library.

In A Nutshell:
This movie stripped a lot of the charm of the book--and in its place bastardized the Greek Mythology that made the book so enchanting for me.  The only moment that was worthwhile in the entire movie was the last scene when smelly Gabe opened up the fridge and...well I cannot tell you because if you do decide to sit through this whole movie I do not want to ruin the best part in my review.

Review:
I loved how the book re-sparked my interest in Greek mythology--made me want to go back and re-read the stories I had read in school about the Gods, the Goddess, and the Heroes.  In some ways, this movie did the same thing but only because the movie bastardized a lot of the stories I loved.  I have to go back and re-read them to clear out the mis-information of this movie.  For instance, Persephone was in the Underworld just before the Summer Solstice--except that mythology has Persephone with her mother during spring and summer.  That is why they are bright, sunny, and beautiful because her mother is overjoyed to have her beloved daughter by her side.  The movie also sexualized her character (and had her hitting on Grover--but that is another story), when she is presented in mythology as a innocent and naive woman.

I could have accepted many of the differences in the book and the movie, if I had been convinced that the story they created benefited from the changes.  But instead of a plot constructed by a suffering Titan hoping to regain his throne (with thousands and thousands of years to plot) and a god who has a history of causing conflict--we have a plot constructed by a lone teen boy.  Not believable that he would have had the ingenuity and magical talent to put this whole plan into action.  Instead of the young heroes and the protector going on a quest (in line with the mythology), they are runaways.

This fugitive status (and a rule instituted by Zeus that forbid the gods and goddesses from contacting their children) mean that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover had to find the pearls rather than getting them as sign of support from Poseidon.  In fact the entire relationship between Percy and Poseidon seemed different--much more hatred and hostility on Percy's part than I got from the book, and this change did not seem to benefit the story.  It just made it harder to endure.  And I do not remember this rule being prominent in the book since the campers had been at Mount Olympus for the Winter Solstice. 

Overall, I was disappointed with the movie.  I missed the opportunity to see the trap at the tunnel of love that was broadcast to Mount Olympus, the moment where Poseidon claimed Percy in front of the whole camp, and the Oracle and the prophecy that Percy had to decipher throughout the entire quest.  

Recommendations:
The character I really loved in the movie was Annabeth--and I realized she was played by Alexandra Daddario.  I knew her from one of my favorite TV shows, so I am going to go watch that instead:

The Book Addict Reviews: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Genre: Young Adult, Middle School, Fantasy & Magic, Action & Adventure, Friendship
Order Online: Amazon.com
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 3 stars
Borrowed this book from the library.

In A Nutshell:
This book brought Greek Mythology to the 21st century and led me to better appreciate some of the classics I had read years ago.  I want to read more of these books--but also more of the classics that serve as the foundation for this book. 

Review:
I still remember study Greek Mythology in school.  I loved reading about the gods, goddesses, heros, and all of the stories that explained natural phenomenons.  Rick Riordan brought all of that to life for me again in The Lightning Thief, where Greek mythology comes to the 21st century.

Percy Jackson has been in and out of many boarding schools for as long as he can remember.  Each time he has trouble with the course work (his dyslexia and ADHD making it hard for him to study the material) and trouble with his classmates (particularly the ones that try to bully him).  This time he is hoping he can stay home with his mom, even if staying home means living with smelly Gabe.

Fate however has other plans.  Instead of staying at home with his mother, he ends up at a summer camp with people he seems to have in common with than any other group he has ever been a part of.  But he is also drawn into a world he thought did not exist outside of Ancient Greece--a world where the Greek gods and goddess are using their children and other mortals to sort out their disputes.

In some ways I felt like Rick Riordan had taken parts of classics that I loved and even some that I did not quite "get" when I read them and made them easily accessible.  The strongest example for me was when Percy and his friends were drawn into the magical casino where they lost track of time.  When I read the Odyssey in high school, I did not feel for Odysseus when he ended up not returning home for many years.  I felt like he made poor choices--he could have come home on time if he had wanted to or if not on time at least much earlier than he did.  But in The Lightning Thief, I got how Percy and his friends got sucked in.  It made me want to re-read the Odyssey--maybe Odysseus deserves the benefit of the doubt?

Recommendations:
I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!  And then in the following series!









I also want to read more of the classics in:

TBR Intervention (3)

I have been a little lax on my TBR Intervention.  I am blaming the holidays (that seems so much better than a blaming me, right?).

But the new year is coming and I am dedicated to starting over with my TBR Intervention.

And my first book of the year, thanks to my friend Jen's contest, is:

Summary:
Magician, heal thyself.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself.  But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted.  Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture.  Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince--leader of a campaign against her people.  As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for.  Because the price of peace may be her life...


Here is my second book for the year (I figure I should set my goals high, right?):

Summary:
Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble.  But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place.  Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina--she's fearless.

Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank.  And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul--her life.

And finally because I love audiobooks when I am walking or on the train, I plan to read (or more appropriately I guess I should say listen to): 

Summary:
Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development.

But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or . . . Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all; so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So . . . happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before?

So as we start the new year, what do you plan to be your first books to read?

Follow Friday (9)

Question of the Week: The New Year is here -- and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?

Since I had my unplanned hiatus not too long ago--I had set some new goals/resolutions for myself then that I intend to continue with through the new year:
1) Review at least one book a week (and so far this goal has been going well so I think I have gotten into a groove that I can keep up with--I am however taking two college classes next semester so I will have to see what that does to my reading-for-fun time!)
2) Bring back my To The Movie posts which focuses on the movies based on books that I have already read.  I have been having a lot of fun going to the movies or renting movies I have been meaning to watch based on books that I loved (or at least liked as the case may be). 
3) Review more short stories and/or novellas.  This has been a genre that I have enjoyed exploring more and more but I have found that it is harder and harder to find stand-alone options that fit into these categories.  I have found quite a few anthologies--but I would love recommendations on short stories or novellas that you loved.
4) The TBR Intervention.  My TBR pile is ridiculous!  I have to get a handle on it in the new year.  So I am making a pledge to get focused on my TBR pile in the new year by participating in this challenge/intervention all year long.  Hopefully, I can get through some of the really great books that people recommended for me!

Challenges...as of right now I think the TBR Intervention is going to be my only reading "challenge" for 2012, but I am interested to see what you all have set for your blogging resolutions and/or challenges.  I may find one that I cannot resist.  :)

The Book Addict Reviews: A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Women Sleuths, Contemporary Fiction
Order Online: Amazon.com
Author Info: Website | Goodreads
Rating: 3 stars
Borrowed this book from the library.

In A Nutshell:
Why did I wait so long to read this series?  In some ways I worried about getting into a series that had so many books--and still had more planned.  But after reading A is for Alibi I am only sorry that I waited so long.  I have so much to catch up on before I can read the newest book that recently came out: V is for Vengeance.

Review:
I am so far behind on this series--and after reading A is for Alibi I am kicking myself for not jumping in sooner.  Kinsey Milhone is not your run-of-the-mill character.  She is tough and determined.  She is realistically fallible which makes her endearing.  She feels like someone you could meet on the street, someone you could be friends with.  Well--maybe not friends since she prides herself on being sort of a loner.  I say sort-of because I can see so many options for growth and I cannot wait to get the next book in the series, B is for Burglar, so I can see how Kinsey develops and changes across the course of the series!

The prose is very direct.  Initially, it was hard for me to get into it.  I wanted more details or more flow or more something--I could not put my finger on.  But as I got further into the story, I realized that the prose part of Kinsey--part of understanding her character.  I came to love the prose as I grew to love Kinsey.  However, many of the details and descriptions leave a lot to the imagination.  As much as I felt like I was getting inside the head of Kinsey, I did not feel like I was getting inside settings.  I felt like the story could have taken place anywhere--maybe that was intentional?

It has been a while since I read a book written in the nineties--and one of the things that really tickled my funny bone was that many of the references to technology.  What seemed advanced in A is for Alibi seems so horribly out of date today.  It really made me smile. 

Recommendations:
I already have the next one on reserve!

To The Movies: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book.
_____________________________________________________


Genre: Drama, Thriller
Actors: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Christopher Plummer
Director: David Fincher
Scriptwriter: Steven Zaillian
Release Date: December 20, 2011
MPAA Rating: R
Movie Info: IMDB | Website
Review of The Millennium Trilogy: Here
Rating: 3 Stars
Purchased ticket.

In A Nutshell:
I loved the books!  I loved the Swedish versions of the movies!  I went to see this movie with some apprehension--how will it compare.  In the end, I am glad I watched it but I have a few concerns about what I saw.

Review:

After seeing this movie poster--I did not have high hopes for this movie.  The image did not necessarily offend me, but I could not see a woman like Lisbeth, who had been so thoroughly victimized by society, actually posing like that.   I have also watched the Swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and I loved it.  Why did we need another version?  I mention these two issues because I feel that they may have affected my feelings about this movie.

There were things I really liked about this movie.  I loved that it was longer--and that with the added length we got to see more of the details from the book.  We got to see more of the process that lead Mikael and Lisbeth to uncover the truth.  It was those details that drew me into the book--and I loved seeing them come to life on the screen.

But there were a few more things that I did not like about the move.  First (and I am warning you now that this one is a spoiler), they changed the ending.  Rather than having Anita Vanger and Harriet Vanger living separate lives in separate countries--they had Harriet taking over Anita's life after her untimely death 20 years earlier.  Why?  I also question how realistic this modification is.  What are the chances that someone in the Vanger family would not have travelled to London in 20 years and in traveling to London would not have looked up their family member who lived there?  I understand that this family was dysfunctional--but the risk seemed a little too high for me considering how easily Mikael found Anita/Harriet in London.

Second (I really don't feel this is a spoiler), the opening sequence with the leading cast members' name listed.  The sequence is very fast and graphically interesting, but it is too fast.  It is hard to determine what the pictures actually depict--and consequently the meaning they are trying to convey.  And without understanding the meaning it felt like a awful lot of time to waste in the course of the story.  This sequence is also situated between the opening clip and the rest of the movie--so the lack of meaning stood out to me quite substantially.  The imagery also did not come up later--so it seemed out of place.

Third (could be considered by some to be a spoiler), I missed having the end tied to the beginning.  In the book--it was such an important moment when Harriet, Henrik and Mikael are looking at the flowers and she explains that she sent them hoping that Henrik would know that she was safe somewhere.  In the movie--their story ends at Harriet and Henrik hugging at the front door.  I missed that imagery and that moment that tied back to the opening sequence--the moment when Henrik decided that he was going to find out what happened to Harriet no matter what.  

I do not regret watching the movie--in fact I will say that I am glad I went to see the movie.  But I liked the Swedish version more and will probably buy that version rather than waiting for this version to come out on DVD.

Recommendations:
It comes in an extended version!! I want it!!