Film Friday Review - We Are Your Friends

We Are Your Friends

4 1/2 out of 5 Makes-Me-Wanna-Dance Stars

"Any successful artist, they have this moment when they stop being an admirer and find their signature."

Since finishing the novel This Song Will Save Your Life, I've been curious about DJing and remembered seeing a trailer about just that with Zac Efron as the lead role. I mean, music and Zac Efron? I knew I was going to be watching this one at some point.

I really like We Are Your Friends. It may be cliched and predictable at times, but I'm okay with that. I didn't go into watching it thinking that I was going to be getting some amazing film that was going to really make me think. But We Are You Friends did surprise me, and I like it way more than I thought I would.

I think what really has me enjoying this movie is the music; it's amazing how music can unite us. The way that Cole can read a crowd, understand what they want and connect with them through music is awesome. His character develops a lot throughout the movie, and it's great getting to see him move from an amateur DJ to the real deal. It isn't an easy journey for him, but it's a great feeling at the end.

If you want a surprising movie to make you feel good and want to dance your heart out, then this is the perfect one to watch. Cliched it might be, but that isn't stopping me from really liking what I've watched. And even better, I've found a soundtrack of some of the songs used, and while this normally isn't my go-to kind of music, it's definitely worming its way in.

"Are we ever gonna be better than this?"

Trailer Link

Spotlight Sunday - The Fantasy Fiction Formula

The Fantasy Fiction Formula

Deborah Chester

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Synopsis:

There's more to writing a successful fantasy story than building a unique world or inventing new magic. How exactly is a plot put together? How do you know if your idea will support an entire novel? How do you grab reader attention and keep it? How do you create dynamic, multi-dimensional characters? What is viewpoint and do you handle it differently in urban fantasy than in traditional epics? What should you do if you're lost in the middle? How do you make your plot end up where you intend it to go? 

From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the handling of emotions, let award-winning fantasy author Deborah Chester guide you through the process of putting a book together. Convinced there's no need to shroud the writing process under a veil of mystery, Chester supplies tips that are both practical and proven. They are exactly what she uses in writing her own novels and what she teaches in her writing courses at the University of Oklahoma. 

Along with explaining story construction step-by-step, Chester illustrates each technique with examples drawn from both traditional and urban fantasy. The technique chapters include exercises to assist novices in mastering the craft of writing fantasy as well as suggestions for avoiding or solving plot problems. More experienced writers will find tips for taking their work to the next level. 

With an introduction by author Jim Butcher, The fantasy fiction formula provides the information you need to gain skill and proficiency in writing fantasy like a pro.

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I've been an aspiring author since about the time I could read, emphasis on aspiring. I've started books, scrapped ideas, written and tried a new angle with the same general idea only about a thousand times. I always seem to get stuck about thirty pages in - is what I'm writing making sense? Does the plot work, are the characters developed? Is this something someone would actually want to read?

Around this time, I get writers block, like somehow the next scene will just come to me if I take a break. But it won't. Being an author is something that takes a lot of work, and writing any chance you can get. Writing a novel is like dealing with a monster, and I'm in way over my head trying to finish a 300+ page novel right off the bat. And this is why I've been writing short stories and flash fiction a bit more lately; building the tension and getting to the climax is done much quicker, and I find that easier.

But that doesn't mean I've given up on writing a full-length novel. I've just put it on the back burner so I can (hopefully) develop my writing skills a bit more before trying something so difficult. I'll take any advice I can get in how to accomplish this task; and the ones who know what they're talking about are the ones who have already reached the goal of being published.

Deborah Chester was Jim Butcher's teacher, and we all know how much I love Butcher's Dresden Files. So when The Fantasy Fiction Formula was given as a gift to me, I started to read it right away. Butcher's introduction got me excited for what advice I am going to get diving into this novel, and I can't wait to take in every word Chester has to offer. 

Unfortunately, I'm nearing the end of the semester right now, and that means papers piling upon papers, and don't forget to write that other paper, too! Once I get out from underneath all this work, my next go-to book is going to be The Fantasy Fiction Formula. I can't wait to take in all this knowledge just waiting at my fingertips, and learning some of the secrets to finishing a novel.


Give me all the info.

Review - This Song Will Save Your Life

This Song Will Save Your Life

5 out of 5 Uplifting Stars

"I didn't want to run out of music and die in silence."

Leila Sales, you have really impressed me with this novel. Your writing is addicting. I read This Song Will Save Your Life in two days, and would have finished it sooner if I didn't want sleep (I have had late nights reading, but come on, who doesn't love sleep?). The plot may seem a bit simple—girl almost commits suicide, finds something to live for—but it is so much more than that. Maybe it's the characters, how they develop, the power of music, or all that mixed together, but this novel is everything I could have wished for and more.

I need to start off by saying that, while this book may seem like it's been done before, Leila Sales has something special about her story-writing that makes This Song Will Save Your Life very unique. She doesn't hold back, and her characters are so real that you can't help but be sucked into their life and wanting to know what is going to happen next. Sales deals with many topics in this novel, and gives out advice without it seeming like she started this book with a moral lesson in mind. Everything comes together exactly as it should, in ways you might not expect, which just makes me love this novel even more.

"I saw them, just for a brief flash, as he probably saw them: three harmless-looking teenage girls, delicate features, pretty smiles. Like they couldn't cut you until you were so disfigured that you hardly recognized yourself."

Friendships, relationships, siblings and parents—Sales explores all of these in a way that you might not expect. There are different types of friendships, and sometimes people aren't who you need them to be, but that's a part of life. People can surprise you, can understand you even if you think you're alone, and Sales gets into the heart of this. And speaking of hearts, I cannot forget to mention the music. Elise finds her passion in DJing, and I love how music helps her find herself. We all have music in our hearts, and this connects us in amazing ways.

So, hopefully after reading this review, you'll take a chance on This Song Will Save Your Life. I love everything about this novel, and hope you guys will enjoy it just as much as I do. Also, it's not too long, so whenever you find yourself will a bit of free time, I'd go with reading this book. I can't wait to see what else Leila Sales has written!

"Sometimes people think they know you. They know a few facts about you, and they piece you together in a way that makes sense to them. And if you don't know yourself very well, you might even believe that they are right. But the truth is, that isn't you. That isn't you at all."

Film Friday Review - 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane

4 1/2 out of 5 WTF Stars

"No! Don't open that door! You're going to get us all killed!"

What. The. Fuck. This pretty much sums up my feelings after finished 10 Cloverfield Lane. I was thrown around so much with this movie. I mean, obviously Howard, the guy who kidnapped our protagonist, Michelle, is completely and utterly insane. There is no crazy threat outside, the air isn't poisonous. Or is it? 

Could Howard actually be on to something? There is definitely some strange crap going on outside, is he actually protecting Michelle and Emmett? But whatever threat is outside, could Howard be the more pressing one? There is something not right with this man. And whatever is wrong with him is putting Michelle and Emmett in danger. They are not safe in that bunker. But are they safer outside, or in?

10 Cloverfield Lane really screwed up my head; every time I thought I knew what was going on, that I had everything all figured out, something would happen that would make me doubt my predictions and begin questioning everything all over again. I absolutely loved it. I had no idea what to believe, and it was great. It kept me on my toes, and I could not accept anything as truth (until the ending, of course).

A tense film that doesn't hold back, 10 Cloverfield Lane is well worth the $13 to see it. I can't really say to much without spoiling what is going on, and I can't do that to you guys, or the movie. It's too good to rob you of the truth. I love 10 Cloverfield Lane, and I'm loving even more all these movies that have strong, badass female leads. Take a chance on this one, it's worth it. You'll be kept on the edge of your seat the entire time, I promise you that. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman are fantastic in their roles.

"You can't run from them."

Review - Vicious

Vicious

4 1/5 out of 5 Twisted Stars

"ExtraOrdinary. The word that started—ruined, changed—everything."

Ohmygosh, V.E. Schwab has created a really vicious story here. See what I did there? Haha, okay moving on from my lame jokes. Vicious is an intense, disturbing, brutal story. It's like a comic book, but without the pictures. Schwab captures my attention right from the very first sentence of her novel, and keeps me hooked until the very last.

Vicious is novel about two brilliant and arrogant college students who decide to take academic research to the experimental, creating ExtraOrdinary abilities through near-death experiences. However, these experiments go horribly wrong, and results in Victor in prison and Eli carrying out some crusade to eliminate all EOs. This continues until Victor breaks out of prison, ready for revenge.

"All Eli had to do was smile. All Victor had to do was lie. Both proved frighteningly effective."

I need to start off by saying that the logic behind this science works, and it works well. For that, Ms. Schwab, I need to thank you. One thing I can't stand in stories is when things do not make sense logically, but Vicious is not one of those novels, and that is one of the many things I love about it.

Another thing I love about Vicious is the characters. Each one is so fully developed and flushed out, and the detail that Schwab gives them is amazing. Even characters that you may think aren't going to be important, and later become important, are given backstories. The explanation of how they get their powers is great. Third-person point of view is the best way to write this story as it allows the readers to really get to know why each character does what they do.

"The difference between Victor and Eli wasn't their opinion on EOs. It was their reaction to them. Eli seemed intent to slaughter them, but Victor didn't see why a useful skill should be destroyed, just because of its origin. EOs were weapons, yes, but weapons with minds and wills and bodies, things that could be bent and twisted and broken and used."

Speaking of characters and their actions, Eli is the perfect bad guy (even though no one in this story is good). He is completely insane, but wholly believes in what he is doing. He is using religion to justify his own actions and excuse his EO powers. It's scary how realistic this is, how these fanatical actions happen too often. Going through Eli's thought process and being in his head is so disturbing, but it's what helps make Vicious as awesome as it is. Also, I love Victor's quirk of blacking out sentences in books to create his own, and how his power gets developed.

The reason I'm taking away the half-star is because I was able to guess at ending. I was very nervous at parts, and didn't figure out the ending till later in the novel, but I wasn't surprised by final result. That doesn't mean I don't like it, though. Also, there are several unanswered questions that I am curious to solve, which is what the second novel will be for. I'm very excited for what V.E. Schwab has up her sleeve for Vicious #2 (currently not titled) in (hopefully) 2018. That's awhile to go, but I will preorder it the second I can.

"To never dying. To being remembered. Forever."

Film Friday Review - Hush

Hush

5 out of 5 Heart-Pounding Stars

She can't hear. She can't speak. But she's not going down without a fight.

Maddie is a deaf mute, living a nice seclude life in the woods. Unfortunately, the also means she is isolated. So when a masked man shows up at her doorstep, intent to kill her, Maddie doesn't have anyone to rely on except herself. Get ready for one hell of a night of cat-and-mouse, and fighting for survival.

Hush is crazy intense. It had me guessing at every turn what was going to happen next. Is the killer going to get in the house? Is a neighbor going to show up and help? Is Maddie going to survive? Maddie being a deaf mute is essential to the story, as it places many limitations on her and definitely helps ramp up the tension. She cannot hear the killer, she cannot call out for help, but that doesn't mean she isn't one hell of a smart protagonist. 

I am rooting so freaking hard for Maddie. She is not going to give up, and she is not going to hide or play defense. And that's what I love about movies like this. What makes the killer think he can do whatever the hell he wants with no repercussions? He's certainly met his match with Maddie. She's going to have to push herself beyond her physical and mental limits in order to survive the night, but she is going to fight.

I was very nervous throughout this whole movie; I had no idea what was going to happen next, or where the story was going to go. I admit to yelling at my TV screen, trying to tell Maddie what to do to survive. My nerves feel fried after watching Hush. It was like I was right next to Maddie as she was fighting for her life. Hush is a tense, breathless horror film that is different from any others I've seen, and I am so glad I watched it.

*Hush is on Netflix, and it's only an hour and a half, so if you find yourself with some free time and in the mood for a horror flick, this is definitely the one to go with.

Trailer Link

Review - Forget Tomorrow

Forget Tomorrow

2 1/2 out of 5 Futuristic Stars

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Synopsis:

Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided…by your future self.

It’s Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she’s eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they’re meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.

Or in Callie’s case, a criminal.

In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo―a prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn’t spoken to in five years, she escapes the hellish prison.

But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all.

Callie herself.

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"Knowing the future doesn't take away your free will. Only you can decide what you will do."

I was really looking forward to this one, even debated buying it. I'm sad to say that I'm glad I borrowed Forget Tomorrow from the library instead, because I'm a bit let down. I love the first half of the book—it's different, engaging, fast-paced, and really held my attention. 

In the first half, there's action and depth and complexity to what's happening, and it's a great read. I love getting to experience Callie's future memory and the life inside of Limbo, of these teenagers who haven't committed any crimes but are being punished based on what their future selves will do. It's an interesting idea and really shows how twisted this future is.

Dunn doesn't hold back on the gruesome details either, and her use of dark sarcasm is spot on. The analogies she uses are unique and interesting in a good way, and the relationship between Logan and Callie doesn't feel forced at all. It feels natural and sweet, even though it gets a bit cliche and sappy at times, and I like the flashbacks to when they were kids. 

The development of Callie's power and the character of Sully are also parts that make the book interesting. All this in the first half of the book had me devouring page after page, but it's after Logan helps Callie escape Limbo that things start to go downhill for me.

"I killed her. In my future memory, Jessa was in a hospital bed in TechRA, and I stabbed a needle into her heart. I murdered my baby sister. How can I love her? And if I don't love her, how can I love anyone?"

First off, the logistics of the escape don't really work out for me. It's too simple, too easy. This problem comes up again later in the book, and even though this is a futuristic dystopian type of novel, I still like the world-goings to be realistic, and in this area, the novel definitely is not. 

Also, the reasoning behind some ideas doesn't sit well with me. It's like Dunn went with the easy way out, the fit-in-the-box answer, and I expected more. The big reveal at the end, again, seems too easy. There's not enough evidence for the conclusions that are made, making them feel illogical and simple-minded. I want more depth, like we have in the beginning of the novel. 

What happened between the first and second half that changed this awesome book into a let-down? I'm disappointed where the story went, with how it goes from this new, engaging idea, to something that I've read already. Callie goes from a character whose thought process I'm able to really able to understand to a character that I've read about a thousand times now. 

Oh, and a quick thought—why the bird feathers on the cover? Yeah, it's pretty, but leaves definitely have more significance throughout the story than the small mention of a feather. And never have your characters say "what could go wrong?" Obviously, everything is going to go wrong! (I am all behind using this line sarcastically, but unfortunately, that is not how it is used in this specific scene)

"Love isn't something you can give halfway."

Despite all my problems with the second half of Forget Tomorrow, Pintip Dunn really did surprise me with a secret revealed about Callie and her sister Jessa, and with the ending. I guess I should have seen the ending coming, as it fits in so well with Callie's character, but again, it feels like the easy way out. Maybe I was surprised because I was still hoping for the awesomeness of the first half to make its appearance again, that Dunn wouldn't fit so well into the mold of YA dystopian. I don't know. 

If you really like YA dystopian, then this is the novel for you. And if you like the idea of the future affecting the present and the idea of time travel (which starts to get more engaged throughout the novel), then take a chance on this book. This novel just wasn't for me, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I might read the sequel Remember Yesterday when it comes out on October 4th, or I might not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

"Hope, no matter how irrational it is, is a powerful thing. When the odds are against us, when the battle seems insurmountable, hope may be all that keeps us going."