Reactions to The Magicians TV Show

I haven’t seen a lot of buzz on social media about The Magicians, which plays on Syfy. It’s based off of the book by Lev Grossman. I actually heard about this a very long time ago when it was in the making. It was described as an adult version of Harry Potter. It’s the college version of magic, which means there’s also graphic scenes not appropriate for a younger audience.

So far it’s been interesting, if a little slow at times. BUT it’s all been worth it because I got to this incredibly hilarious and perfect moment:

Q is lightning on his feet! 💫🎵 🎶 #TheMagicians brings you dancing magic Mondays at 9/8c on @Syfy. @rasonjalphhttps://t.co/n1vhzEkQyS

— The Magicians (@MagiciansSYFY) February 9, 2016

“The Girl from Everywhere” Reviewed

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig a little early–you can buy a copy tomorrow! And you’ll probably want to because, not only is the cover gorgeous, but the story is fascinating.

Synopsis: Nix is an expert in maps, and that’s because her father has used them all his life to time travel across time and space. There is one particular map that her father needs: 1868, Honolulu–the map that could save her mother from dying, but could wipe Nix off the map. Her father needs help, but that could cost Nix everything she has ever lived for.

Nix is a strong character: smart, independent, and resilient. At the same time, I also find everything she does adorable. Basically: She’s great.

There’s a love triangle going on in the book, of which I did not hate. (I know some people have strong feelings about this trope, but I’ve never had any major issues with it.) Both boys have their pros and cons, but I think I’m Team Kashmir. Blake is sweet, but Kash is more…suave and debonair.

But back to Nix. Seriously, the whole book would be nothing without her. She is absolutely brilliant. She is the problem solver, and there are always problems popping up.

Time travel (like alternate universes) always manages to confuse me. I couldn’t seem to keep all the dates straight in my head. That was my main gripe with the book. Lots of talk about past things happening, so, since I couldn’t experience those moments with Nix, I felt a little lost. Sometimes the book felt a little bit slow and that’s probably why I didn’t fall in love with it, because there isn’t anything else that I find at fault with the story–but don’t get me wrong, I still thought it was a fun read!

Heidi gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Reactions to The Shannara Chronicles TV Show

I’m not going to lie: I had never heard of the Shannara books or Terry Brooks before The Shannara Chronicles TV show was announced. I’ve caught up on all the episodes, and they’re really addicting!

I documented my (non-spoiler) reactions while watching the first episode. So, without further ado, here’s what was going through my mind:

1. Nice world building in effects and set design.
   
2. Ears! Haha, they’re adorable.
3. The theme song is playing, but I had been too caught up in everything else happening before to write reactions down. Let’s just say I screamed at the TV a lot and my stomach still feels all clenched from nerves/excitement.
4. My dad is watching and said, “Whoa.” Mwuahaha! One of my shows has him hooked!
5. What a sword.
6. Austin Butler is pretty.
7. What a fantastical wardrobe!
   
8. Oh hey, kick-butt girl, who is also very elusive…
9. So there are elves AND humans? Okay, got it.
10. Bodies getting close. Lips getting closer. Oh my.
11. Demons are hideous. Blegh!
    
12. YAY MAGIC!
13. Girls are so clever.
14. Emphasis has just been placed on a book. That makes sense because books equal life.
15. A trailer for The 5th Wave just came on. Goosebumps are on my arms. (By now I’ve seen the movie. I think it’s awesome!)
16. What? Selling people?
17. Umm…she’s naked. Wil give her some privacy!
    
18. Oh god. What a way to die. Just terrible.

Have you been watching MTV’s The Shannara Chronicles? What are your thoughts? If you haven’t gotten around to watching it yet, check out the first episode, “Chosen.”

“Stargirl” Shines Brightly

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is actually a reread for me. But it’s been 10 years since that first read!

Synopsis: There’s a new girl in Leo’s school. She isn’t like the other girls. She has a pet rat, plays the ukulele, and doesn’t care what other people think. But when she gets close to Leo, she changes. And this change doesn’t make her happy. So what’s so wrong with being abnormal then?

Wow, this book. I remember liking it the first time I read it, but this second time around I just wanted to cry. Society sucks. High school kids are awful. The world is a terrible place. Why can’t socially awkward kids be acceptable? All of the social commentary about being yourself and conforming just hurt my soul for Stargirl.

This book also has adorable moments, and it’s filled with magnificent writing. Just go and read this book and know that you don’t need anybody’s approval! Be you and be happy!

I think the reason the MC’s name is Stargirl is because she wins all the book review stars: 5 out of 5.

The 5th Wave Movie Adaptation

I went into this movie with very high expectations. I’m definitely a part of the fandom. (I refer you to my image below.)

How I Dressed for the Movie

From the very beginning of this movie, I was hooked. (I don’t want to completely spoil it if you haven’t seen it yet, but let’s just say a feminine issue was brought to attention. Thank you!)

I loved the casting. I’m not a huge fan of Chloë Grace Moretz, but I thought she made a great Cassie. And let’s just say I did a lot of swooning over Ben (played by Nick Robinson) and Evan (played by Alex Roe). There were two scenes with Evan that made me smile–and I was fan girling with my boyfriend next to me. He is very understanding when it comes to my book boyfriends and book-boyfriends-turned-on-screen crushes. Also, every time Sammy (played by Zackary Arthur) came on, I was awwing away at him. That is one adorable little child! And yes, yes, yes to all that is Ringer!

Parts of the time I hated knowing what was going to happen from reading the book, but it was still great watching the scenes play out on screen instead of in my head. In the beginning, I knew what would happen with the crucifix guy, and when it played out, it was actually pretty interesting hearing some movie watchers gasp. (They probably hadn’t read the book, and it was nice that they were already getting caught up in the story.)

Seeing all of the waves play out is scary as ever. It makes me feel like those things could happen. There were even a couple of seconds where the tidal wave was going over Hallandale Beach, which is so close to where I live! I guess what I’m trying to say is that the effects were so spot on they freaked me out.

I was a little sad that a couple of book details were taken out, but I understand things get cut. I did wish that Zombie’s crew’s names would have been mentioned more because I didn’t really know who was who. I also didn’t like the fact that Ringer had such heavy eye makeup, because if she’s on a military base, where the heck is she getting it from? Those are really my only gripes with the movie. I thought it was fantastic. There was even a change that had addressed something I found confusing in the book, which dealt with the Cassie-Sam-bus scene.

If you haven’t seen it, just go. It was great. If you have seen it, what were your thoughts? Did you think it did the book justice or did you watch before reading the book? Let me know!

“Legacy of Kings” Reviewed

This is the first book I finished reading in 2016. Eleanor Herman’s book is also one of the few historical fiction YA books I’ve read, and it was pretty fantastic.

Synopsis: Alexander, heir to the throne of Macedonia, is ready to take on some more responsibility and prove himself. With the help of his childhood best friend Hephaestion and his newfound friend Katerina, worlds collide in an epic adventure. But someone is using blood magic in the palace, and the Aesarian Lords–who want to eliminate the existence of magic–are in attendance for the Blood Tournament, which means trouble for our characters.

All right, let’s just jump into this. (Fair warning, I will have a couple of spoilers, but nothing too big that it will completely ruin the story for you.)

There were a gajillion POVs. I would’ve been satisfied with Alex, Heph, and Kat (and maybe Cynane). They were the main people for me, so the others were superfluous. When it comes to POVs, I don’t mind the shift. Take The 5th Wave for instance. I liked the changing perspectives. In The Infinite Sea there were other characters added who were pretty minor in the first book, but we were able to get to know them better as time moved on. Had Eleanor decided to work in those characters’ perspectives in her next book, I think that would have worked out better. Luckily, my sister read this before me and gave me the heads up to the MANY POVs. The one person I could absolutely do without was Zofia though. All the other characters intertwined pretty nicely, but Zofia didn’t really do that, as in she didn’t add anything to the bigger picture. Besides, she kind of sucked–too much whining from her end.

And the plot thickens! I’ve seen a few reviews where people complained of the slow world building. I actually thought is was paced nicely enough where I got a sense of Alexander’s world. I did, however, wish there was a map because there was a lot of moving around. (I know this is historical fiction, so I could technically look up an old map of Macedonia, but I’m lazy.)

I did do a bit of shipping in the book. Kat and Jacob were just meh from the start. I mean I understand they grew up with each other and this made them close, but I just didn’t see it with their personalities. I did not ship Cynane with anyone just because she seemed best on her own. I started shipping Kat and Alex the moment they met. (I feel like an idiot for thinking that now.) At the same time, I also shipped Kat with Heph a little because I like it when characters clash in the beginning–makes for nice dialogue and wishful thinking.

I really liked this book (aside from Zofia) so it gets 4 out of 5 stars from me!