I've been on Goodreads for almost a year now, plus book blogging for several months, and I still can't believe I've read over 50 books and written 130 reviews in 2013. This while completing my final year at uni and finding a job. Now that I've got a job my reading and reviewing time will be much shortened. Nevertheless I aim to read and write constantly in 2014.
I wish to give a big thank you to my Goodreads and Google friends for friending me :) A happy new year to you all.
Lucky 2014 reading!
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Monday, 30 December 2013
Graphic Novel Review - 'The Adventures of Superhero Girl' by Faith Erin Hicks
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
It's a graphic novel about a female hero who ISN'T sexualised and who DOESN'T use her sexuality as a weapon. In fact sex is barely mentioned at all. And she's portrayed like a real person!
With that out of the way, on to the review.
I love superheroes. And female-driven stories. So a superheroine comic by Faith Erin Hicks was something I knew I just had to check out.
Here's what I got:
'The Misadventures of Superhero Girl' (more fitting than its actual title, I find) has no overall plot per say. It's a collection of sort-of connected comic strips about a daft, passionate, and brooding young female superhero. She has no tragic backstory, no goals or plans (apart from looking for an arch-nemesis, since every "true" hero must have one), or even a proper superhero costume or name. She's just a girl with superpowers who chose to fight crime because she wants to. And because she is tired of living in her famous older brother's supershadow. As well as beating up random monsters and nonthreatening "villains" and ninjas (lots and lots of ninjas), Superhero Girl has real-life problems to overcome; such as paying the rent, earning money, getting her clothes clean, catching sickness, finding a hobby when the small town crime rate is low, and feeding her pet (a cat, which her roommate is apparently allergic to (this doesn't go anywhere)).
The whole comic is a metaphor for the bizarre and complicated challenges that come for a teenager who's becoming an adult. It's a lot of fun - a good superhero parody - while at the same time reflective of what actually goes on in one's life concerning jobs, family and friends. Kevin, Superhero Girl's brother, might be lonelier than she is, in spite of his fame and fanbase. He has to deal with looking good for people, who count on him being invincible and perfect all the time. Superhero Girl has no worries regarding this - the people in her town are largely ungrateful and think more of her embarrassing shortcomings than her successes, which could be a blessing in disguise.
'The Misadventures of Superhero Girl" could have done more with its parody/deconstruction element, such as showing Superhero Girl deal with property damage. And the ending is rather abrupt and inconclusive - similar to Ms Hicks' other graphic novel, 'Friends with Boys'. I also wanted Superhero Girl's roommate - simply called Roomie - to be given an actual name, especially since, unlike the many other secondary characters, she does play a major role in the comic. She is as funny and proactive as the heroine herself, and she is not a superhero; merely a normal, down-to-earth adversary. In a way Roomie is Superhero Girl's nemesis - she is more realistic but manages to keep herself in check and have a healthy social life.
Well at least the comic book, in 112 pages, squeezes in other characters with more than two dimensions to them; such as Spectacle, who is newer than Superhero Girl and is better at fighting crime than her (but who adoringly looks up to her).
A benchmark for graphic novels aimed at both genders - that focus on female relationships in their stories - 'The Misadventures of Superhero Girl' is funny, colourful, clever and a little bit sad. I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
However I think I'll take a break from comic books for a while now - too many written-word novels to get through.
Final Score: 4/5
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
It's a graphic novel about a female hero who ISN'T sexualised and who DOESN'T use her sexuality as a weapon. In fact sex is barely mentioned at all. And she's portrayed like a real person!
With that out of the way, on to the review.
I love superheroes. And female-driven stories. So a superheroine comic by Faith Erin Hicks was something I knew I just had to check out.
Here's what I got:
'The Misadventures of Superhero Girl' (more fitting than its actual title, I find) has no overall plot per say. It's a collection of sort-of connected comic strips about a daft, passionate, and brooding young female superhero. She has no tragic backstory, no goals or plans (apart from looking for an arch-nemesis, since every "true" hero must have one), or even a proper superhero costume or name. She's just a girl with superpowers who chose to fight crime because she wants to. And because she is tired of living in her famous older brother's supershadow. As well as beating up random monsters and nonthreatening "villains" and ninjas (lots and lots of ninjas), Superhero Girl has real-life problems to overcome; such as paying the rent, earning money, getting her clothes clean, catching sickness, finding a hobby when the small town crime rate is low, and feeding her pet (a cat, which her roommate is apparently allergic to (this doesn't go anywhere)).
The whole comic is a metaphor for the bizarre and complicated challenges that come for a teenager who's becoming an adult. It's a lot of fun - a good superhero parody - while at the same time reflective of what actually goes on in one's life concerning jobs, family and friends. Kevin, Superhero Girl's brother, might be lonelier than she is, in spite of his fame and fanbase. He has to deal with looking good for people, who count on him being invincible and perfect all the time. Superhero Girl has no worries regarding this - the people in her town are largely ungrateful and think more of her embarrassing shortcomings than her successes, which could be a blessing in disguise.
'The Misadventures of Superhero Girl" could have done more with its parody/deconstruction element, such as showing Superhero Girl deal with property damage. And the ending is rather abrupt and inconclusive - similar to Ms Hicks' other graphic novel, 'Friends with Boys'. I also wanted Superhero Girl's roommate - simply called Roomie - to be given an actual name, especially since, unlike the many other secondary characters, she does play a major role in the comic. She is as funny and proactive as the heroine herself, and she is not a superhero; merely a normal, down-to-earth adversary. In a way Roomie is Superhero Girl's nemesis - she is more realistic but manages to keep herself in check and have a healthy social life.
Well at least the comic book, in 112 pages, squeezes in other characters with more than two dimensions to them; such as Spectacle, who is newer than Superhero Girl and is better at fighting crime than her (but who adoringly looks up to her).
A benchmark for graphic novels aimed at both genders - that focus on female relationships in their stories - 'The Misadventures of Superhero Girl' is funny, colourful, clever and a little bit sad. I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
However I think I'll take a break from comic books for a while now - too many written-word novels to get through.
Final Score: 4/5
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Book Review - 'The Girl Who Played with Fire' by Stieg Larsson, Reg Keeland (Translator)
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
[In this case it's books that no longer fit my personal tastes, and are of such monstrous sizes and density I cannot see myself rereading them.]
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original (embarrassing and naïve and oh-goddess-it's-been-years) Review:
I finally have time to write a review of ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’. Though given how long it took me to get around to it, and that my first attempt inexplicably got lost during the editing process, it might not come out as epic as I’d originally intended when I first finished reading the book.
‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ is easier to critique for its flaws than with its predecessor. While I loved ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, I am aware that it had problems. But because of the overall scope of its mystery, characters and atmosphere, I easily overlooked any weaknesses in the writing. It was the most gripping, bleak, disturbing and thrilling work of crime fiction I've ever had the pleasure to read. Now in reviewing its sequel, I think I can talk more in depth about Stieg Larsson’s bestselling series, especially when its flaws are more apparent this time around. I still love it – not as much as the first installment, but there’s plenty of love left nonetheless.
So let me type up what I think to be the flaws of ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ first of all:
There are a lot of characters to keep track of. The blurb promises a double-murder mystery, but that murder doesn't happen 'til about 200 pages in, so not much exciting action happens beforehand. During which the reader has to go through many long descriptive passages and pointless accounts of day-to-day routines (chiefly concerning Lisbeth). I figured out the plot twist before it was revealed (although that was about 20 pages before the revealing itself). Blomkvist’s daughter – who played a vital-albeit-brief part in helping him to solve the mystery in the last novel – isn't mentioned at all here, despite him having a family Christmas dinner at one point. It’s like Blomkvist never had children (his ex-wife is only referred to in one paragraph). And the mathematics theme is to me rather meaningless when you analyze the mystery as a whole.
However, similar to its predecessor, its merits are not only founded, but are profound. Let’s talk about the characters:
Mikael Blomkvist – Despite obviously being Larsson’s self-insertion, he is a good guy with realistic flaws. He is a ladies man who even got Lisbeth to fall for him, and he seems to have no standards when it comes to sleeping with any woman whom sex (especially when it’s casual) should be the very last thing on her mind. But his journalism skills and determination to seek the truth are admirable, and also cathartic in a world that is corrupt and obsessed with propaganda. He isn’t selfish or disrespectful. And while I am slightly disappointed that Blomkvist’s daughter and ex-wife don’t appear in his life anymore (so it seems), his sister, Annika, a lawyer, plays a major role in the second book’s plot. He has purely platonic relationships with women as well, and I love that when he works with a female colleague (Eriksson, I think her name is), it is never brought up whether he wants to sleep with her or not. They are business partners and friends, nothing more. What a relief!
Lisbeth Salander – I think I love you more than ever. She is at the pinnacle of well-written female characters in fiction. Don’t be fooled by her childlike body and records of mental instability; she is a frightful force to be reckoned with. An abuse and rape survivor, she will fight and take advantage of whoever dares to do her harm. She is nobody’s victim. ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ sees her skills, strengths and thought processes and how she uses them to assist Blomkvist in solving a case, and ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ explores her backstory more, and her growth and improvement in her abilities and assertiveness. I find it funny that whenever her twin sister Camilla is mentioned, someone says something along the lines of, “Oh God, there’s two of her?” Bisexual (although she hates labels – there’s one thing we share in common), a computer hacker, an arse-kicker, a motorbike rider, and a development case in learning to trust and respect others again (not necessarily authority figures), I thank Mr Larsson in Heaven for this wonderful creation.
Some people say Lisbeth is too indestructible; that against impossible odds she always survives and wins over every situation she comes across. In response to this claim I will present this argument: Nobody bats an eye when a perfect, Byronic male hero such as James Bond gets out of any scrap thrown at him, hunky-dory. Why not have female heroes do the same? Why can’t a woman save her own person and not wait for a man to come rescue her when she can clearly take care of herself? Lisbeth Salander is an endearing and interesting heroine with many personality flaws to grow out of in her story, and so this balances out the moments of suspension-of-disbelief when she survives what would have ended a human being. In fact it makes the reader WANT to see her live to achieve her well-intentioned goals, and it is intense when it looks like she might be in serious danger with no chance of escaping her circumstances. There are a lot of male heroes – in fiction, mythology etc. – with no notable flaws or interests and are, from a story viewpoint, static and boring; this may be because they are the creator’s and audiences’ projection of a wish-fulfillment male power fantasy. Lisbeth struggles through danger and uses her abilities and gifts to survive them – because she utilizes them as her strengths. It isn't so easy to pity her or feel the need to protect her then. Her superhuman traits are only a small part of her when compared to her weaknesses which she never gives up on overcoming in her everyday life.
She is a survivor – and that is the point of her character.
Throughout the majority of ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’, Blomkvist and Lisbeth only interact via computers, so there is less banter between these two who are characteristically polar opposites. This is understandable since Lisbeth has been avoiding Mikael after finding out about his relationships with other women, and she is now wanted internationally for a triple murder. This novel explores the relationship between these truth-seeker protagonists further, and it is far more complex and fascinating than before.
My other favourite characters (and like I stated, there are many) include: Erika Berger, Dag Svensson, Holger Palmgren, Miriam Wu, Sonja Modig, Inspector Jan Bublanski, Paolo Roberto, Annika, and Armansky. Advokat Bjurman, Faste and all the other misogynists, murderers and/or rapists can go and die painful deaths.
The story – once it gets going halfway through – is compelling and as rich in detail as in the first book. One of its aspects is that it superbly reflects how the policing, journalism and psychology worlds would react to a double-to-triple murder, especially when they already have a suspect who they cannot find and is a hell of a lot smarter than they originally thought. Lisbeth Salander is under guardianship and has a documented history of mental illness and violence, so she is an easy target for authority figures to suspect her of being a murderer. A so-called lesbian, satanic cultist murderer at that; things that journalists love to eat up for shock value. The climax is one of the most frightening, bizarre and exciting I've read in years, and it cemented my decision to give this novel five stars instead of four.
‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ – so the road is a little bumpy on the way towards its destination; in the end I adored it. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy is becoming one of my favourite book series, and I can’t wait to get around to plowing through the final installment.
Final Score: 4.5/5
[In this case it's books that no longer fit my personal tastes, and are of such monstrous sizes and density I cannot see myself rereading them.]
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original (embarrassing and naïve and oh-goddess-it's-been-years) Review:
I finally have time to write a review of ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’. Though given how long it took me to get around to it, and that my first attempt inexplicably got lost during the editing process, it might not come out as epic as I’d originally intended when I first finished reading the book.
‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ is easier to critique for its flaws than with its predecessor. While I loved ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, I am aware that it had problems. But because of the overall scope of its mystery, characters and atmosphere, I easily overlooked any weaknesses in the writing. It was the most gripping, bleak, disturbing and thrilling work of crime fiction I've ever had the pleasure to read. Now in reviewing its sequel, I think I can talk more in depth about Stieg Larsson’s bestselling series, especially when its flaws are more apparent this time around. I still love it – not as much as the first installment, but there’s plenty of love left nonetheless.
So let me type up what I think to be the flaws of ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ first of all:
There are a lot of characters to keep track of. The blurb promises a double-murder mystery, but that murder doesn't happen 'til about 200 pages in, so not much exciting action happens beforehand. During which the reader has to go through many long descriptive passages and pointless accounts of day-to-day routines (chiefly concerning Lisbeth). I figured out the plot twist before it was revealed (although that was about 20 pages before the revealing itself). Blomkvist’s daughter – who played a vital-albeit-brief part in helping him to solve the mystery in the last novel – isn't mentioned at all here, despite him having a family Christmas dinner at one point. It’s like Blomkvist never had children (his ex-wife is only referred to in one paragraph). And the mathematics theme is to me rather meaningless when you analyze the mystery as a whole.
However, similar to its predecessor, its merits are not only founded, but are profound. Let’s talk about the characters:
Mikael Blomkvist – Despite obviously being Larsson’s self-insertion, he is a good guy with realistic flaws. He is a ladies man who even got Lisbeth to fall for him, and he seems to have no standards when it comes to sleeping with any woman whom sex (especially when it’s casual) should be the very last thing on her mind. But his journalism skills and determination to seek the truth are admirable, and also cathartic in a world that is corrupt and obsessed with propaganda. He isn’t selfish or disrespectful. And while I am slightly disappointed that Blomkvist’s daughter and ex-wife don’t appear in his life anymore (so it seems), his sister, Annika, a lawyer, plays a major role in the second book’s plot. He has purely platonic relationships with women as well, and I love that when he works with a female colleague (Eriksson, I think her name is), it is never brought up whether he wants to sleep with her or not. They are business partners and friends, nothing more. What a relief!
Lisbeth Salander – I think I love you more than ever. She is at the pinnacle of well-written female characters in fiction. Don’t be fooled by her childlike body and records of mental instability; she is a frightful force to be reckoned with. An abuse and rape survivor, she will fight and take advantage of whoever dares to do her harm. She is nobody’s victim. ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ sees her skills, strengths and thought processes and how she uses them to assist Blomkvist in solving a case, and ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ explores her backstory more, and her growth and improvement in her abilities and assertiveness. I find it funny that whenever her twin sister Camilla is mentioned, someone says something along the lines of, “Oh God, there’s two of her?” Bisexual (although she hates labels – there’s one thing we share in common), a computer hacker, an arse-kicker, a motorbike rider, and a development case in learning to trust and respect others again (not necessarily authority figures), I thank Mr Larsson in Heaven for this wonderful creation.
Some people say Lisbeth is too indestructible; that against impossible odds she always survives and wins over every situation she comes across. In response to this claim I will present this argument: Nobody bats an eye when a perfect, Byronic male hero such as James Bond gets out of any scrap thrown at him, hunky-dory. Why not have female heroes do the same? Why can’t a woman save her own person and not wait for a man to come rescue her when she can clearly take care of herself? Lisbeth Salander is an endearing and interesting heroine with many personality flaws to grow out of in her story, and so this balances out the moments of suspension-of-disbelief when she survives what would have ended a human being. In fact it makes the reader WANT to see her live to achieve her well-intentioned goals, and it is intense when it looks like she might be in serious danger with no chance of escaping her circumstances. There are a lot of male heroes – in fiction, mythology etc. – with no notable flaws or interests and are, from a story viewpoint, static and boring; this may be because they are the creator’s and audiences’ projection of a wish-fulfillment male power fantasy. Lisbeth struggles through danger and uses her abilities and gifts to survive them – because she utilizes them as her strengths. It isn't so easy to pity her or feel the need to protect her then. Her superhuman traits are only a small part of her when compared to her weaknesses which she never gives up on overcoming in her everyday life.
She is a survivor – and that is the point of her character.
Throughout the majority of ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’, Blomkvist and Lisbeth only interact via computers, so there is less banter between these two who are characteristically polar opposites. This is understandable since Lisbeth has been avoiding Mikael after finding out about his relationships with other women, and she is now wanted internationally for a triple murder. This novel explores the relationship between these truth-seeker protagonists further, and it is far more complex and fascinating than before.
My other favourite characters (and like I stated, there are many) include: Erika Berger, Dag Svensson, Holger Palmgren, Miriam Wu, Sonja Modig, Inspector Jan Bublanski, Paolo Roberto, Annika, and Armansky. Advokat Bjurman, Faste and all the other misogynists, murderers and/or rapists can go and die painful deaths.
The story – once it gets going halfway through – is compelling and as rich in detail as in the first book. One of its aspects is that it superbly reflects how the policing, journalism and psychology worlds would react to a double-to-triple murder, especially when they already have a suspect who they cannot find and is a hell of a lot smarter than they originally thought. Lisbeth Salander is under guardianship and has a documented history of mental illness and violence, so she is an easy target for authority figures to suspect her of being a murderer. A so-called lesbian, satanic cultist murderer at that; things that journalists love to eat up for shock value. The climax is one of the most frightening, bizarre and exciting I've read in years, and it cemented my decision to give this novel five stars instead of four.
‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ – so the road is a little bumpy on the way towards its destination; in the end I adored it. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy is becoming one of my favourite book series, and I can’t wait to get around to plowing through the final installment.
Final Score: 4.5/5
Friday, 13 December 2013
I just got back from seeing 'Frozen'. While there are a few elements I thought could have been handled more carefully, and that Anna's personality is barely distinguishable from Rapunzel's, it is nevertheless a very good film. Disney does a new take on love triangles, and is progressing further and further regarding the portrayal of the necessities of female relationships.
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'A Street Cat Named Bob' by James Bowen
A wonderful true story all about hope. It is set in good old London (though one half of a chapter is in Australia) and stars the cat of the century, Bob.
The narrator, on a drug rehabilitation programme, made money playing his guitar on the streets for up to ten years, with no clear goal and not really going anywhere in life. Until, in Spring 2007, he found a ginger cat sitting outside his neighbour's door in his sheltered accommodation. This amazing, intelligent, mysterious and apparently fearless street moggy got James Bowen's life back on track - with the responsibility of caring for another living thing.
This applies to both the man and the cat.
Funny, sad, sweet and thought-provoking. The writing in 'A Street Cat Named Bob' is simple and easy to breeze through in an afternoon or evening time of reading. And yet I really believed in James's struggles to get through his day-to-day life. This life became more difficult when the recession hit in 2008 and he had to seriously start thinking about how he would achieve getting a solid job and integrating himself into society once more. I especially liked when he describes going "cold turkey" when he went off drugs completely for forty-two hours. The people in James's story are angels, bitter enemies, or in between, as ordinary people are. The book misses one star because there are a few inconsistencies - a women called Davika is then called Vanika on the next page.
'A Street Cat Named Bob' is as real as life on the streets - which happens to more people than we feel comfortable knowing about. It is an adorable book for cat lovers, but also an important milestone of non-fiction that I would recommend to anyone. This story is not even a quarter similar to those millions of internet cat films - there is a dark, gritty side to London, even in its most attractive tourist attractions, and to looking after and loving a pet on your own.
Not that that destroyed James Bowen's sense of humour and hope for the future. Or Bob's bravery and persistence in finding companionship.
(I halfheartedly apologise if this review reads as being muddled and all over the place. Pedantic aspiring author that I am, I just type my thoughts and hope it looks good when I separate them into paragraphs :P)
Final Score: 4/5
The narrator, on a drug rehabilitation programme, made money playing his guitar on the streets for up to ten years, with no clear goal and not really going anywhere in life. Until, in Spring 2007, he found a ginger cat sitting outside his neighbour's door in his sheltered accommodation. This amazing, intelligent, mysterious and apparently fearless street moggy got James Bowen's life back on track - with the responsibility of caring for another living thing.
This applies to both the man and the cat.
Funny, sad, sweet and thought-provoking. The writing in 'A Street Cat Named Bob' is simple and easy to breeze through in an afternoon or evening time of reading. And yet I really believed in James's struggles to get through his day-to-day life. This life became more difficult when the recession hit in 2008 and he had to seriously start thinking about how he would achieve getting a solid job and integrating himself into society once more. I especially liked when he describes going "cold turkey" when he went off drugs completely for forty-two hours. The people in James's story are angels, bitter enemies, or in between, as ordinary people are. The book misses one star because there are a few inconsistencies - a women called Davika is then called Vanika on the next page.
'A Street Cat Named Bob' is as real as life on the streets - which happens to more people than we feel comfortable knowing about. It is an adorable book for cat lovers, but also an important milestone of non-fiction that I would recommend to anyone. This story is not even a quarter similar to those millions of internet cat films - there is a dark, gritty side to London, even in its most attractive tourist attractions, and to looking after and loving a pet on your own.
Not that that destroyed James Bowen's sense of humour and hope for the future. Or Bob's bravery and persistence in finding companionship.
(I halfheartedly apologise if this review reads as being muddled and all over the place. Pedantic aspiring author that I am, I just type my thoughts and hope it looks good when I separate them into paragraphs :P)
Final Score: 4/5
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Book Review - 'Old Bear' by Jane Hissey
I admit it, I remember little about the book itself. I'm basing my rating on the television series, and how many laughs and tears my family and I shared during that blissful time called childhood.
The characters were distinctive and adorable; and not just because they were stuffed animals and so were automatically endearing to my mind as a nipper. As well as being a cute adventure story, 'Old Bear', most importantly, contains a subtle message about never leaving anybody behind; not your family or your friends. Growing old isn't such a scary thing if you still have people around who care about you, and will do whatever it takes to make you feel happy and welcome.
Age, and whether or not you've "passed it", shouldn't matter to anyone. People and objects should be loved and appreciated for who and what they are. I believe that this is what I (oh, so long ago!) had subconsciously absorbed from both reading and watching 'Old Bear' (maybe that's why I'm always reluctant to give up old things, though I'm very adaptable by nature). It is a sad but lovely tale about never leaving anything go to dust and be forgotten about.
Is it possible to remember only snippets of a story but still feel that warm nostalgic feeling towards it? And to be reminded of it in years gone by because of it? With 'Old Bear', it's possible. Anything is.
Final Score: 5/5
The characters were distinctive and adorable; and not just because they were stuffed animals and so were automatically endearing to my mind as a nipper. As well as being a cute adventure story, 'Old Bear', most importantly, contains a subtle message about never leaving anybody behind; not your family or your friends. Growing old isn't such a scary thing if you still have people around who care about you, and will do whatever it takes to make you feel happy and welcome.
Age, and whether or not you've "passed it", shouldn't matter to anyone. People and objects should be loved and appreciated for who and what they are. I believe that this is what I (oh, so long ago!) had subconsciously absorbed from both reading and watching 'Old Bear' (maybe that's why I'm always reluctant to give up old things, though I'm very adaptable by nature). It is a sad but lovely tale about never leaving anything go to dust and be forgotten about.
Is it possible to remember only snippets of a story but still feel that warm nostalgic feeling towards it? And to be reminded of it in years gone by because of it? With 'Old Bear', it's possible. Anything is.
Final Score: 5/5
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Teach Yourself Screenwriting' by Raymond G. Frensham
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
A straightforward, no-nonsense and no-sentimentality book on how to write scripts. And how to write stories period.
'Teach Yourself Screenwriting' was my first scriptwriting book, and one that taught me that the craft of writing has to be polished and perfected over a long development duration in order to gain acknowledgement, just like every form of craft - you can't achieve goals by talent alone. Having an imagination is great, however you learn by DOING. Breaking the rules is fine as long as you know what those rules are to begin with.
It's harsh, but true. Learning and doing something to achieve your dreams should invigorate your creative spirit, not crush it due to "reality". For that reason - along with its information about plot and character archetypes, and famous, helpful quotes - 'Teach Yourself Screenwriting' gets four stars from me.
Final Score: 4/5
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
A straightforward, no-nonsense and no-sentimentality book on how to write scripts. And how to write stories period.
'Teach Yourself Screenwriting' was my first scriptwriting book, and one that taught me that the craft of writing has to be polished and perfected over a long development duration in order to gain acknowledgement, just like every form of craft - you can't achieve goals by talent alone. Having an imagination is great, however you learn by DOING. Breaking the rules is fine as long as you know what those rules are to begin with.
It's harsh, but true. Learning and doing something to achieve your dreams should invigorate your creative spirit, not crush it due to "reality". For that reason - along with its information about plot and character archetypes, and famous, helpful quotes - 'Teach Yourself Screenwriting' gets four stars from me.
Final Score: 4/5
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting' by Syd Field
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
Another university screenwriting book I found to be very helpful. Written by a "guru" of screenwriting with decades of teaching under his belt, 'Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting' is, as such, considered to be the bible on how to write for films. Even professional writers such as Anna Hamilton Phelan, Frank Pierson, and James Cameron have benefited from it.
In simple steps Syd Field discusses:
What is a Screenplay?
The Subject
Creating Characters and building their arcs
Endings and Beginnings
The Setup
The Sequence
The Plot Point
The Scene
Building, writing and forming the Screenplay
Adapting from another existing story
Collaborative writing
After the Screenplay is written
Those points are enough to make me consider what the key elements are to writing a good story, not just a movie script. My passion lies more towards novel writing, but I still reread 'Screenplay' to remember how to set up conflict and consequence, content and context, confrontation and resolution, interior and exterior characters and their motivations.
Get an idea for a story. Then develop and know it, and your characters and the world in which they live in, inside out. There isn't a lot discussed about symbolism or themes in 'Screenplay', but the skeletal story mechanics and their internalized plot points (which Mr Field compares to a chessboard - a clever analogy) are there and prevalent. Parts exist to make up a whole.
Mr Field emphasizes how the first ten pages of a script are crucial, and that not knowing how it will end is not okay. Making things up as you go along is "Bullshit!" (quote Syd Field, 'Screenplay' page 60, 1979-94) - knowing your ending is important. It has to make sense and fit into the whole story, thus avoiding the dreaded deus ex machina.
I also like how Mr Field acknowledges how time consuming and life changing writing can be for most, if not all, people. As it should be, for writing is a skill only perfected by continuing to do it, and by learning from mistakes. Know the rules of the trade, but be imaginative and unpredictable as well so people will want to read your stuff. He compares finishing a story to giving birth; another rather clever analogy. He can be funny and insightful without even trying.
'Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting' is essential reading for novices and those already well into the craft of scriptwriting. Well written. Well recommended.
Final Score: 4/5
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
Another university screenwriting book I found to be very helpful. Written by a "guru" of screenwriting with decades of teaching under his belt, 'Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting' is, as such, considered to be the bible on how to write for films. Even professional writers such as Anna Hamilton Phelan, Frank Pierson, and James Cameron have benefited from it.
In simple steps Syd Field discusses:
What is a Screenplay?
The Subject
Creating Characters and building their arcs
Endings and Beginnings
The Setup
The Sequence
The Plot Point
The Scene
Building, writing and forming the Screenplay
Adapting from another existing story
Collaborative writing
After the Screenplay is written
Those points are enough to make me consider what the key elements are to writing a good story, not just a movie script. My passion lies more towards novel writing, but I still reread 'Screenplay' to remember how to set up conflict and consequence, content and context, confrontation and resolution, interior and exterior characters and their motivations.
Get an idea for a story. Then develop and know it, and your characters and the world in which they live in, inside out. There isn't a lot discussed about symbolism or themes in 'Screenplay', but the skeletal story mechanics and their internalized plot points (which Mr Field compares to a chessboard - a clever analogy) are there and prevalent. Parts exist to make up a whole.
Mr Field emphasizes how the first ten pages of a script are crucial, and that not knowing how it will end is not okay. Making things up as you go along is "Bullshit!" (quote Syd Field, 'Screenplay' page 60, 1979-94) - knowing your ending is important. It has to make sense and fit into the whole story, thus avoiding the dreaded deus ex machina.
I also like how Mr Field acknowledges how time consuming and life changing writing can be for most, if not all, people. As it should be, for writing is a skill only perfected by continuing to do it, and by learning from mistakes. Know the rules of the trade, but be imaginative and unpredictable as well so people will want to read your stuff. He compares finishing a story to giving birth; another rather clever analogy. He can be funny and insightful without even trying.
'Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting' is essential reading for novices and those already well into the craft of scriptwriting. Well written. Well recommended.
Final Score: 4/5
Saturday, 23 November 2013
'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' - better than the first film in my opinion. So much awesome as its own movie than as an adaptation.
Though I've heard that 'Mockingjay' will be split into two films =groan= Please say it isn't so? Please say this subversive and meaningful YA series hasn't jumped that cash cow bandwagon as well? It's not even needed!
Though I've heard that 'Mockingjay' will be split into two films =groan= Please say it isn't so? Please say this subversive and meaningful YA series hasn't jumped that cash cow bandwagon as well? It's not even needed!
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'The Best Of Women's Quotations' by Helen Exley (Editor)
Best Quotes:
"My will shall shape my future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny." - Elaine Maxwell
"Women have always been the guardians of wisdom and humanity which makes them natural, but secret, rulers. The time has come for them to rule openly, but together with and not against men." - Charlotte Wolff
"Women are expected to do twice as much as men in half the time and for no credit. Fortunately this isn't difficult." - Charlotte Whitton
"Rape is... nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear." - Susan Brownmiller
"Women as a class have never subjugated another group; we have never marched off to wars of conquest in the name of the fatherland. We have never been involved in a decision to annex the territory of a neighboring country, or to fight for foreign markets on distant shores. These are the games men play, not us. We want to be neither oppressors nor oppressed. The women's revolution is the final revolution of them all." - Susan Brownmiller
"Mother as an ideal is unfair in the same manner as a women as a sex object." - Liz Smith, from 'The Mother Book'
"The sentimental cult of domestic virtues is the cheapest method at a society's disposal of keeping women quiet without seriously considering their grievances or improving their position." - Alva Myrdal and Viola Klein, from 'Women's Two Roles'
"A woman has to be twice as good as a man to go half as far." - Fannie Hurst
"I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman." - Virginia Woolf
"When a man gets up to speak, people listen then look. When a woman gets up, people look; then, if they like what they see, they listen." - Pauline Frederick
"The dogma of woman's complete historical subjection to man must be rated as one of the most fantastic myths ever created by the human mind." - Mary Ritter Beard
"When we take away the right to an individual name, we symbolically take away the right to be an individual. Immigration officials did this to refugees, husbands routinely do it to wives." - Erica Jong
"Dear Sirs, man to man, manpower, craftsman, working men, the thinking man, the man in the street, fellow countrymen, the history of mankind, one-man show, man in his wisdom, statesman, forefathers, masterful, masterpiece, old masters, the brotherhood of man, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, sons of free men, faith of our fathers, god the father, god the son, yours fraternally, amen. Words fail me." - Stephanie Dowrick
"In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on woman." - Nancy Astor
"Above all, remember that the most important thing you can take anywhere is not a Gucci bag or French-cut jeans; it's an open mind." - Gail Rubin Bereny
"You have to admit that most women who have done something with their lives have been disliked by almost everyone." - Francoise Gilot
"If you play it safe in life you've decided that you don't want to grow any more." - Shirley Hufstedler
"Supposing you have tried and failed again and again. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down." - Mary Pickford
"A liberated woman is one who feels confident in herself, and is happy in what she is doing. She is a person who has a sense of self... It all comes down to freedom of choice." - Betty Ford
Plus any quote from 'Jane Eyre'.
There are some other quotations that are, in my opinion, a bit questionable and dated. But this gift from my mum is a must for any feminist - for any human being - to read in order to get back that faith in humankind. Humankind which is lost in the increasing sexism in 21st century society and media. Faith in equal rights can be found again by reading these 19th century quotes.
Final Score: 4/5
"My will shall shape my future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny." - Elaine Maxwell
"Women have always been the guardians of wisdom and humanity which makes them natural, but secret, rulers. The time has come for them to rule openly, but together with and not against men." - Charlotte Wolff
"Women are expected to do twice as much as men in half the time and for no credit. Fortunately this isn't difficult." - Charlotte Whitton
"Rape is... nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear." - Susan Brownmiller
"Women as a class have never subjugated another group; we have never marched off to wars of conquest in the name of the fatherland. We have never been involved in a decision to annex the territory of a neighboring country, or to fight for foreign markets on distant shores. These are the games men play, not us. We want to be neither oppressors nor oppressed. The women's revolution is the final revolution of them all." - Susan Brownmiller
"Mother as an ideal is unfair in the same manner as a women as a sex object." - Liz Smith, from 'The Mother Book'
"The sentimental cult of domestic virtues is the cheapest method at a society's disposal of keeping women quiet without seriously considering their grievances or improving their position." - Alva Myrdal and Viola Klein, from 'Women's Two Roles'
"A woman has to be twice as good as a man to go half as far." - Fannie Hurst
"I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman." - Virginia Woolf
"When a man gets up to speak, people listen then look. When a woman gets up, people look; then, if they like what they see, they listen." - Pauline Frederick
"The dogma of woman's complete historical subjection to man must be rated as one of the most fantastic myths ever created by the human mind." - Mary Ritter Beard
"When we take away the right to an individual name, we symbolically take away the right to be an individual. Immigration officials did this to refugees, husbands routinely do it to wives." - Erica Jong
"Dear Sirs, man to man, manpower, craftsman, working men, the thinking man, the man in the street, fellow countrymen, the history of mankind, one-man show, man in his wisdom, statesman, forefathers, masterful, masterpiece, old masters, the brotherhood of man, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, sons of free men, faith of our fathers, god the father, god the son, yours fraternally, amen. Words fail me." - Stephanie Dowrick
"In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on woman." - Nancy Astor
"Above all, remember that the most important thing you can take anywhere is not a Gucci bag or French-cut jeans; it's an open mind." - Gail Rubin Bereny
"You have to admit that most women who have done something with their lives have been disliked by almost everyone." - Francoise Gilot
"If you play it safe in life you've decided that you don't want to grow any more." - Shirley Hufstedler
"Supposing you have tried and failed again and again. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down." - Mary Pickford
"A liberated woman is one who feels confident in herself, and is happy in what she is doing. She is a person who has a sense of self... It all comes down to freedom of choice." - Betty Ford
Plus any quote from 'Jane Eyre'.
There are some other quotations that are, in my opinion, a bit questionable and dated. But this gift from my mum is a must for any feminist - for any human being - to read in order to get back that faith in humankind. Humankind which is lost in the increasing sexism in 21st century society and media. Faith in equal rights can be found again by reading these 19th century quotes.
Final Score: 4/5
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Book Review - 'Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism' by Georgia Byng
A quick review in the light of my - once again - reliving (as opposed to rereading) my middle school library books. A little like a novella in a novel series saga.
'Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism' - a fun and entertaining adventure story about a child hypnotist. Reminiscent of Roald Dahl (I keep coming back to him, don't I?), I clearly remember the writing being enjoyable, humourous and full of heart.
The characters are funny and distinctive, if somewhat cartoonish, but in an endearing way. Molly Moon is a plain little girl living in a nasty old orphanage who, when stumbling across a book about hypnotism in a library, believably takes her one chance to have some control in her life and chase her dreams. It's selfish and bound to lead her to inevitable danger, but given her age and circumstances it was fun to read about her having merry adventures.
'Molly Moon' is playful, colourful and inventive, like a children's book should be. With its subject/plot point being what it is, there are dodgy morals and suggestions about how it's okay to manipulate and brainwash as many people as you want, as long as you have good intentions. Scarily I overlooked this as a kid. Though the best reason I can come up with to defend 'Molly Moon' as an adult is that it doesn't take itself too seriously.
But the silliness and contrivances do reach all new heights in the sequels ('Hypnotic Time-Travelling adventure'? There's being creative and then there's being convoluted and random). There should be a limit to suspension of disbelief even in kids' stories. And looking at the blurbs of the latest books in the series, Molly Moon herself seems to have been "morphing" into a Mary Sue; without her old-fashioned, sympathetic orphan charm.
Still, the first 'Molly Moon' is gripping and exciting for a story all about hypnosis. To repeat, it is not to be taken seriously. That's what it told me as a child.
It is not to be taken seriously.
It is not to be...
To be...
Final Score... 5... 4... 3... 2... 4/
'Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism' - a fun and entertaining adventure story about a child hypnotist. Reminiscent of Roald Dahl (I keep coming back to him, don't I?), I clearly remember the writing being enjoyable, humourous and full of heart.
The characters are funny and distinctive, if somewhat cartoonish, but in an endearing way. Molly Moon is a plain little girl living in a nasty old orphanage who, when stumbling across a book about hypnotism in a library, believably takes her one chance to have some control in her life and chase her dreams. It's selfish and bound to lead her to inevitable danger, but given her age and circumstances it was fun to read about her having merry adventures.
'Molly Moon' is playful, colourful and inventive, like a children's book should be. With its subject/plot point being what it is, there are dodgy morals and suggestions about how it's okay to manipulate and brainwash as many people as you want, as long as you have good intentions. Scarily I overlooked this as a kid. Though the best reason I can come up with to defend 'Molly Moon' as an adult is that it doesn't take itself too seriously.
But the silliness and contrivances do reach all new heights in the sequels ('Hypnotic Time-Travelling adventure'? There's being creative and then there's being convoluted and random). There should be a limit to suspension of disbelief even in kids' stories. And looking at the blurbs of the latest books in the series, Molly Moon herself seems to have been "morphing" into a Mary Sue; without her old-fashioned, sympathetic orphan charm.
Still, the first 'Molly Moon' is gripping and exciting for a story all about hypnosis. To repeat, it is not to be taken seriously. That's what it told me as a child.
It is not to be taken seriously.
It is not to be...
To be...
Final Score... 5... 4... 3... 2... 4/
Monday, 11 November 2013
Book Review - 'Tuesdays at the Castle' by Jessica Day George
2021 EDIT: Not for me this time, sorry.
'Tuesdays at the Castle' is a very kiddie book, and not a very exciting or interesting one. Not a lot of magic, but plenty of politics, and "meh" and "so?". Though honestly I would have only dropped one star from my original rating if not for the horrible xenophobia; with the invading, one-dimensional, cartoonishly evil, broken English/Sleynth-speaking Prince Khelsh, and the "warlike" Vhervhish people.
The main "good" kingdom - and the book - are also sexist; only the men have important positions and statuses (so many men in this book, I can't even), and a fourteen-year-old boy is considered a more appropriate ruler than his hardworking, responsible and vastly qualified older sister. I don't think the possibility of female heirs is ever given a thought.
Stuff Pogue Parry, too. Literally every female is attracted to him. They flush and blush in his presence; every time he opens his mouth, every time he grins - even the eleven-year-old protagonist Celie isn't "immune to his smiles", as the book puts it - when he is in fact as charming and captivating as horse salt lick. It's another feature of sexism in 'Tuesdays at the Castle'.
Pogue Parry, what a bloody stupid name for a ladies' man.
A note on unoriginality: The book contains an invisibility cloak. Seriously. Oh but it hides the wearer's sounds rather than their physical presence, so it's totally new. The Hogwarts equivalent in 'Tuesdays at the Castle' is an off-page feature, as is most of the wizardry and magic. Can't have too much excitement.
Why is young Celie the only member of her family, ever, over the centuries, to try to map an atlas of her enchanted, everchanging castle? Where did her curiosity, pragmatism and common sense genes come from? Is she just that special? Well, good for her, as the largely-ineffectual main character.
'Tuesdays at the Castle' - quite a bore, overall, I'm afraid to say. I felt nothing reading it. No emotional investment. Not much charm.
Final Score: 2/5
There is a whimsical charm to how, as an adult, I can still enjoy a new middle school fantasy book.
'Tuesdays at the Castle': Despite being for children, its cute and playful novelty is never lost.
What I liked:
- The straightforward, humourous and imaginative prose.
- The magical and original Glower Castle. For some reason I think that if it had a gender it would be female (though of course males are caring and magical as well).
- Celie, the protag. She is an adorable eleven-year-old princess who is smart, strong and determined, but still behaves like a believable kid. She has her childish fancies and that's okay. She's a child.
- Celie's mapping the Castle and knowing its secret ways actually do become important to the plot (though why is she the only one ever in Glower royalty to try it...?)
- The sibling dynamic between Celie, Rolf and Lilah. It is refreshing to see young brothers and sisters getting along and helping each other out, and yet they're not above teasing one another like a real family.
- It has heart, and morals about knowing who to trust and go to at the worst of times.
- The invisibility cloak that hides the sounds the wearer makes rather than his or her physical visibility. The 'Harry Potter' similarities don't end there, but this creative twist is worth an especial mention.
- Not all foreigners are portrayed as evil. In fact the evil royal foreigners are the exception compared to the rest of their country (They are also pale; not that there is only one side to racism).
- Prince Lulath's little dogs.
- Rufus.
What I didn't like:
- The villains are not threatening at all. They are Saturday-morning-cartoon Harlequin caricatures of villains. The main evil prince barely even had a character. As a result the stakes were lowered. I know it's a short book for kids, but there should at least be something that makes the baddies more memorable.
- Pogue Parry. He didn't do a lot for me.
- Not enough magical content is in this story (even the Castle becomes ineffectual after a bit), despite there being wizards and a wizard's college, who are mostly told about instead of shown (since the narrative is Celie's sheltered and trapped third-person POV, it is understandable, however).
-The climax is fantastical and unexpected, but it is rushed and uses a deus-ex-machina.
-The ending, while nice, is abrupt. We don't even find out what happens to a few important characters. (Sequel?)
I recommend giving 'Tuesdays at the Castle' a read. It might not wow you, but it's decent, lighthearted children's fluff.
Final Score: 3.5/5
'Tuesdays at the Castle' is a very kiddie book, and not a very exciting or interesting one. Not a lot of magic, but plenty of politics, and "meh" and "so?". Though honestly I would have only dropped one star from my original rating if not for the horrible xenophobia; with the invading, one-dimensional, cartoonishly evil, broken English/Sleynth-speaking Prince Khelsh, and the "warlike" Vhervhish people.
The main "good" kingdom - and the book - are also sexist; only the men have important positions and statuses (so many men in this book, I can't even), and a fourteen-year-old boy is considered a more appropriate ruler than his hardworking, responsible and vastly qualified older sister. I don't think the possibility of female heirs is ever given a thought.
Stuff Pogue Parry, too. Literally every female is attracted to him. They flush and blush in his presence; every time he opens his mouth, every time he grins - even the eleven-year-old protagonist Celie isn't "immune to his smiles", as the book puts it - when he is in fact as charming and captivating as horse salt lick. It's another feature of sexism in 'Tuesdays at the Castle'.
Pogue Parry, what a bloody stupid name for a ladies' man.
A note on unoriginality: The book contains an invisibility cloak. Seriously. Oh but it hides the wearer's sounds rather than their physical presence, so it's totally new. The Hogwarts equivalent in 'Tuesdays at the Castle' is an off-page feature, as is most of the wizardry and magic. Can't have too much excitement.
Why is young Celie the only member of her family, ever, over the centuries, to try to map an atlas of her enchanted, everchanging castle? Where did her curiosity, pragmatism and common sense genes come from? Is she just that special? Well, good for her, as the largely-ineffectual main character.
'Tuesdays at the Castle' - quite a bore, overall, I'm afraid to say. I felt nothing reading it. No emotional investment. Not much charm.
Final Score: 2/5
'Tuesdays at the Castle': Despite being for children, its cute and playful novelty is never lost.
What I liked:
- The straightforward, humourous and imaginative prose.
- The magical and original Glower Castle. For some reason I think that if it had a gender it would be female (though of course males are caring and magical as well).
- Celie, the protag. She is an adorable eleven-year-old princess who is smart, strong and determined, but still behaves like a believable kid. She has her childish fancies and that's okay. She's a child.
- Celie's mapping the Castle and knowing its secret ways actually do become important to the plot (though why is she the only one ever in Glower royalty to try it...?)
- The sibling dynamic between Celie, Rolf and Lilah. It is refreshing to see young brothers and sisters getting along and helping each other out, and yet they're not above teasing one another like a real family.
- It has heart, and morals about knowing who to trust and go to at the worst of times.
- The invisibility cloak that hides the sounds the wearer makes rather than his or her physical visibility. The 'Harry Potter' similarities don't end there, but this creative twist is worth an especial mention.
- Not all foreigners are portrayed as evil. In fact the evil royal foreigners are the exception compared to the rest of their country (They are also pale; not that there is only one side to racism).
- Prince Lulath's little dogs.
- Rufus.
What I didn't like:
- The villains are not threatening at all. They are Saturday-morning-cartoon Harlequin caricatures of villains. The main evil prince barely even had a character. As a result the stakes were lowered. I know it's a short book for kids, but there should at least be something that makes the baddies more memorable.
- Pogue Parry. He didn't do a lot for me.
- Not enough magical content is in this story (even the Castle becomes ineffectual after a bit), despite there being wizards and a wizard's college, who are mostly told about instead of shown (since the narrative is Celie's sheltered and trapped third-person POV, it is understandable, however).
-The climax is fantastical and unexpected, but it is rushed and uses a deus-ex-machina.
-The ending, while nice, is abrupt. We don't even find out what happens to a few important characters. (Sequel?)
I recommend giving 'Tuesdays at the Castle' a read. It might not wow you, but it's decent, lighthearted children's fluff.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Book Review - 'The Stepsister Scheme' by Jim C. Hines
2021 EDIT: Even more awesome on the second read. Such an underrated, action feminist fantasy series.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
"Do we look like we need to be rescued?"
Exciting, non-stop action and adventure - with three princesses from three different fairy tales. These are not the demure and ineffective females we associate with Disney or even Grimm. These ladies are strong, well-developed, well-rounded and three-dimensional: who need no prince to come and save them. In fact, in this tale, they are the ones who go on a hero's journey to save the prince!
For someone who is tired of seeing degrading and unself-aware rubbish like 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Sex and the City' being labelled as feminist, to see the real deal at last is a joy to say the least. I had my doubts, but I wasn't disappointed. That the two franchises I just mentioned are much more well known and popular in the mainstream media than this book saddens me.
'The Stepsister Scheme' is another modern fairy tale deconstruction novel for me to add to my reading pile. Jim C. Hines clearly knew what we was doing when he wrote this. The creative twists almost make me jealous (oh why didn't I think of this idea first!) There are no real happily ever afters in this story - no story truly ends, and it is not full of pretty rainbows, sparkly castles, ballroom dances, whirlwind romances and babies ever after. Throughout the book, as we come to know the princesses' pasts and why they are not with their "princes" but are instead working for a queen's Secret Service, it becomes clear that what we'd thought from our childhood perceptions of fairy tales will probably be killed. And our innocence will be scarred for life. But in a good way :D
It's also gratifying that a male author wrote this. The claims that men can't write women as human beings? That it isn't simple? That women are an alien species who cannot be properly portrayed in fiction because they are such a minority and are strange? Bollocks. Men have written great female characters in the past who are equal to any well-written male character. Books like 'The Stepsister Scheme' give hope to such a claim, especially when popular female authors in recent years are not that well known for their good female characters either - such as in the YA market *sigh*.
Anyway:
'The Stepsister Scheme' is more than an action fantasy novel. There is dark magic, hatred and cruelty. But with good messages and subtle social commentary about femininity and equality.
We read the whole story from the third-person narrative of Danielle (Cinderella), a flawed but determined heroine who grows stronger throughout her journey to rescue her husband, Prince Armand, from her vengeful stepsisters Charlotte and Stacia. They suddenly have magical abilities, and Danielle will have to use her non-princess "peasant" skills and brains to get one step ahead of her stepsisters. Plus she's pregnant, but that doesn't hinder her or render her useless. She is a warm and likeable protagonist to root for. Heck, even forest animals help her out to the death, due to a special gift she has and which is an amusing reference to the 1950 Disney film.
Talia (Sleeping Beauty) I think is my favourite character. The exact opposite of how she is always portrayed in her fairy tale, she is an awesome, dark-skinned fighter and possesses what I can only describe as ninja skills - courtesy of the gifts of grace given to her by the fairies at her birth. She is complex and tragic. Harsh and sarcastic. Understandably she hates how fairies work to manipulate humans, and how they "bless" them with skills not acquired naturally. Magical creatures can cause more harm than good. Anyway their "curses" - intentional or otherwise - are always much more interesting to read about (as is the case in 'Ella Enchanted').
Snow White is a diva. A flirt. Beautiful and knows it. A sorceress who uses mirrors to work her magic for good. She is confident and comfortable with her sexuality. She is also very intelligent and loves books, so she has a brain as well as a sexy body (three-dimensional action girl - yes please!) Snow's struggle comes from her own mother wanting to kill her because she's pretty. Yes, mothers play an important part in 'The Stepsister Scheme'; positive and negative. This is unlike so many other fairy tales that won't let a female lead have any female influence or friends in her life; unless it's a wicked stepmother (Danielle's stepmother is dead before the start of the book).
So there are three heroines in this book with their own separate personalities and who do not prioritize men first. And they become the best of buddies in the end - non-toxic female friendships all the way!
Their "boss" is Queen Beatrice ("Queen Bea"), Danielle's mother-in-law, who sends them on the mission to find her son Armand and stop whatever Danielle's stepsisters are planning. All the while she is burdened with the responsibilities of ruling a kingdom: something Danielle, a royal-by-marriage, will have to do some day alongside Armand.
The characters and fairy tale twists I loved. Now for the negatives:
I felt that Armand was more of a plot device than a character. We don't see him at the beginning of the story, not even together with Danielle - who doesn't reveal much about him as a person or as a life partner. I'm not saying I want a romance, especially one that takes over the plot and action. But I would have liked to have read more about what Armand was like before he was kidnapped, and Danielle feeling more about her missing husband. I'm not sure if this is meant to show that their relationship was rushed and perhaps shallow, and that Danielle in her adventure comes to realise how much she cares for Armand, since near the end she clearly loves him...
The stepsisters and Snow's mother are ridiculously over-the-top evil. For a novel that reconstructs shallow fairy tales, I expected better motivations from the villains, other than "she's prettier than me" and "she doesn't deserve HIM" and "I love HIM". Maybe that is intentional - they are shallow women obsessed with conventional beauty and men and so they are the bad guys. They are horrible, albeit entertaining people, and nothing else. I also didn't like that the deemed "ugly" stepsister has the most terrible things happen to her.
Feminine themes of motherhood and marriage, and LGBT, race, rape, jealousy, hatred and love are explored in 'The Stepsister Scheme' - all the while never straying from the adventure that packs a punch and is riveting in its suspense. I'm glad I decided to give it a chance.
Sequel here I come!
Final Score: 4/5
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
"Do we look like we need to be rescued?"
Exciting, non-stop action and adventure - with three princesses from three different fairy tales. These are not the demure and ineffective females we associate with Disney or even Grimm. These ladies are strong, well-developed, well-rounded and three-dimensional: who need no prince to come and save them. In fact, in this tale, they are the ones who go on a hero's journey to save the prince!
For someone who is tired of seeing degrading and unself-aware rubbish like 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Sex and the City' being labelled as feminist, to see the real deal at last is a joy to say the least. I had my doubts, but I wasn't disappointed. That the two franchises I just mentioned are much more well known and popular in the mainstream media than this book saddens me.
'The Stepsister Scheme' is another modern fairy tale deconstruction novel for me to add to my reading pile. Jim C. Hines clearly knew what we was doing when he wrote this. The creative twists almost make me jealous (oh why didn't I think of this idea first!) There are no real happily ever afters in this story - no story truly ends, and it is not full of pretty rainbows, sparkly castles, ballroom dances, whirlwind romances and babies ever after. Throughout the book, as we come to know the princesses' pasts and why they are not with their "princes" but are instead working for a queen's Secret Service, it becomes clear that what we'd thought from our childhood perceptions of fairy tales will probably be killed. And our innocence will be scarred for life. But in a good way :D
It's also gratifying that a male author wrote this. The claims that men can't write women as human beings? That it isn't simple? That women are an alien species who cannot be properly portrayed in fiction because they are such a minority and are strange? Bollocks. Men have written great female characters in the past who are equal to any well-written male character. Books like 'The Stepsister Scheme' give hope to such a claim, especially when popular female authors in recent years are not that well known for their good female characters either - such as in the YA market *sigh*.
Anyway:
'The Stepsister Scheme' is more than an action fantasy novel. There is dark magic, hatred and cruelty. But with good messages and subtle social commentary about femininity and equality.
We read the whole story from the third-person narrative of Danielle (Cinderella), a flawed but determined heroine who grows stronger throughout her journey to rescue her husband, Prince Armand, from her vengeful stepsisters Charlotte and Stacia. They suddenly have magical abilities, and Danielle will have to use her non-princess "peasant" skills and brains to get one step ahead of her stepsisters. Plus she's pregnant, but that doesn't hinder her or render her useless. She is a warm and likeable protagonist to root for. Heck, even forest animals help her out to the death, due to a special gift she has and which is an amusing reference to the 1950 Disney film.
Talia (Sleeping Beauty) I think is my favourite character. The exact opposite of how she is always portrayed in her fairy tale, she is an awesome, dark-skinned fighter and possesses what I can only describe as ninja skills - courtesy of the gifts of grace given to her by the fairies at her birth. She is complex and tragic. Harsh and sarcastic. Understandably she hates how fairies work to manipulate humans, and how they "bless" them with skills not acquired naturally. Magical creatures can cause more harm than good. Anyway their "curses" - intentional or otherwise - are always much more interesting to read about (as is the case in 'Ella Enchanted').
Snow White is a diva. A flirt. Beautiful and knows it. A sorceress who uses mirrors to work her magic for good. She is confident and comfortable with her sexuality. She is also very intelligent and loves books, so she has a brain as well as a sexy body (three-dimensional action girl - yes please!) Snow's struggle comes from her own mother wanting to kill her because she's pretty. Yes, mothers play an important part in 'The Stepsister Scheme'; positive and negative. This is unlike so many other fairy tales that won't let a female lead have any female influence or friends in her life; unless it's a wicked stepmother (Danielle's stepmother is dead before the start of the book).
So there are three heroines in this book with their own separate personalities and who do not prioritize men first. And they become the best of buddies in the end - non-toxic female friendships all the way!
Their "boss" is Queen Beatrice ("Queen Bea"), Danielle's mother-in-law, who sends them on the mission to find her son Armand and stop whatever Danielle's stepsisters are planning. All the while she is burdened with the responsibilities of ruling a kingdom: something Danielle, a royal-by-marriage, will have to do some day alongside Armand.
The characters and fairy tale twists I loved. Now for the negatives:
I felt that Armand was more of a plot device than a character. We don't see him at the beginning of the story, not even together with Danielle - who doesn't reveal much about him as a person or as a life partner. I'm not saying I want a romance, especially one that takes over the plot and action. But I would have liked to have read more about what Armand was like before he was kidnapped, and Danielle feeling more about her missing husband. I'm not sure if this is meant to show that their relationship was rushed and perhaps shallow, and that Danielle in her adventure comes to realise how much she cares for Armand, since near the end she clearly loves him...
The stepsisters and Snow's mother are ridiculously over-the-top evil. For a novel that reconstructs shallow fairy tales, I expected better motivations from the villains, other than "she's prettier than me" and "she doesn't deserve HIM" and "I love HIM". Maybe that is intentional - they are shallow women obsessed with conventional beauty and men and so they are the bad guys. They are horrible, albeit entertaining people, and nothing else. I also didn't like that the deemed "ugly" stepsister has the most terrible things happen to her.
Feminine themes of motherhood and marriage, and LGBT, race, rape, jealousy, hatred and love are explored in 'The Stepsister Scheme' - all the while never straying from the adventure that packs a punch and is riveting in its suspense. I'm glad I decided to give it a chance.
Sequel here I come!
Final Score: 4/5
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