Review: TWILIGHT: THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED MOVIE COMPANION by Mark Cotta Vaz

Rating: 4/5 stars

This was an awesome little book about the making of the movie Twilight. I've never read a behind-the-scenes type of book before, and I'm not quite sure what prompted me to pick up this one (other than my neverending obsession with all things Twilight) because I've never been very interested in how movies are made or any behind-the-scenes work. But it was so cool!

I learned about many of the special effects and how they came into play. I learned about how the weather in the Pacific Northwest severely impacted the filming schedule (which I found to be surprising). I learned about how the crew set up props to match the atmosphere of the movie, down to choosing what books to place on a character's bookshelf. I had no idea that so much detail and preproduction work was put into making movies. The book talked about how people had to go scout out different locations, and how they pinpointed exactly what they were looking for in a building and how they could use that for the set. I was surprised to find out that the director wanted minimal special effects in the movie and tried to shoot it as realistically as possible to make it more relatable. I liked that decision because I do prefer movies set in real places because of that realistic factor. Even fantasies based in the dominion of Earth are better than otherworldly fantasies, in my opinion.

My favourite detail to learn about was how they filmed Edward pushing the truck away from Bella, thus denting the truck. Instead of using CGI, the team formed a thin layer of aluminum over the door, and they cut a hole out of the real door. So when Edward pushed the door, it actually dented the metal and looked like he had superhuman strength.

This book features neat movie stills and behind-the-scenes photos of the cast and crew, and I loved that the pictures matched up with the different scenes in the movie that were being discussed. (An example of this was when the author was discussing how they created the fight scene in the mirrored ballet studio, and pictures from that scene accompanied the dialogue on those pages.) Although this book is written by a third-party, there are tons of quotations and presumably interviews with the director, Catherine Hardwicke, and other elite members of the production crew.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, even though I didn't think I would. It opened my eyes to the tremendous effort it takes to plan, film, and produce a movie, and I've developed a greater appreciation for the moviemakers. I will most likely check out more of these kinds of books in the future about how different movies are made because it really is fascinating. Now I have the desire to rewatch Twilight, even though I just watched it last month, because I want to notice all the small details and nuances this time around.

Review: BIRD BOX by Josh Malerman

Rating: 4/5 stars

There is a thing outside, and if you look at it, you will go insane. It is happening all over the world, and no one is immune to the insanity. Quick, put a blindfold on to save yourself. It is there, right next to you. You don't know what it is, but if you look you will die.

I loved the concept of this novel, and I think Josh Malerman delivered on that concept well. The writing was thoroughly engaging. The story is told back and forth between the past and the future, and the transition between time periods was well timed. The pacing kept me entertained and constantly searching for new answers to new questions.

We follow Malorie and her two children over the span of four years as they try to blindly (literally) navigate this world. They are trapped in a safe-house until one day when Malorie decides to leave in search of humanity and a better life. She must travel over twenty miles completely blind, relying only on the hearing abilities of the two kids with her.

The main question I had while reading this book was what is it exactly that is outside? What can the people not stand to look at? While the book does not address the answer to this question, I found an interview with Josh Malerman where he mentions what concept led to this book's creation, and thus what the thing outside essentially is. (Skip the rest of this paragraph if you haven't read the book and don't want to know.) He says that he once heard the following statement: Man will go crazy if he tries to comprehend infinity. And that got Josh thinking, and he came up with the idea of personifying the concept of infinity into a monster. He doesn't directly say that is what the thing is in Bird Box, but that idea is the driving force behind the novel. I inferred that the people in the book are seeing a creature that represents all of infinity, and that is why they go crazy; they have no way of understanding that. I was seriously blown away by that idea when I found out that's what it was. Fascinating.

I didn't originally intend to, but I ended up listening to most of this book on audio. I chose to because, in the book, the characters rely solely on their sense of hearing instead of sight, and listening on audio produced a similar experience for myself. The descriptions are all about how things sound, and that impact is amplified when you're hearing the story instead of reading it.

I've heard Bird Box described as a horror novel, but I didn't think it was particularly scary. It was suspenseful and eerie, but not terrifying to me, although it might be to some. This is a tiny, quick book, but it pulls you right into the story and won't let go until you reach the last page. I look forward to reading more from Josh Malerman in the future, especially if his stories are as gripping as Bird Box is.

Review: BREAKING DAWN by Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 4/5 stars

*Warning: spoilers ahead*

I think Breaking Dawn is my favourite book in this series. I have been very invested in Edward and Bella's relationship since the beginning, so I was very excited to read about their wedding and honeymoon and the next stage for them. (Also, I'm a sucker for a good romance.)

By this book in the series, Meyer has created such a strong, realistic world. The details are flushed out, the characters are all evolved and familiar, and the histories and lore run deep through the story. I loved jumping right in, knowing everyone and everything that had happened so far.

I think this book was a good conclusion to the story developed in the first three books. It wasn't until after I finished it that I learned that there was a huge controversy about this book, and I still can't figure out why. I liked it, and I won't be ashamed to admit that.

This book is one of those rare instances where I didn't have any idea how it was going to end. I already knew Bella turned into a vampire and had a child with Edward, but I had no clue what happened after that, so I was really eager to find out. There were a lot of events that I was surprised about. I'm really glad that Bella was able to keep Charlie in her life after she changed. I didn't expect that to happen (I kept waiting for the scene when the Cullens would tell him that she died), and I mourned for their relationship because he is such a great character. So I'm pleased that Meyer was able to work him into Bella's immortal life.

I'm also glad that Jacob still plays a key role in Bella's life. Even though I didn't like him as her love interest, and I didn't even like him at all sometimes, he is such a prominent character that I would be sad to see him go. I also think it's better for Bella that he's still around. But man, I did not ever expect him to imprint on Renesmee! That scene totally caught me off guard. It was funny though, and clever, to keep Jacob around that way. In the end, I'm happy that he and Edward could be on cordial terms with each other. I think that's a friendship that will keep growing and surprise everyone with how strong it will become. (Look at me, talking like these characters are real. . . .)

The main reason I docked one star from this book was that I felt it was a little rushed and confusing at parts. I can think of four scenes in particular when I had no idea what was happening until about ten pages later when it all came together and I had to go back and reread some dialogue. I don't believe that a reader should ever have to go back and reread a scene to understand it; I think the writing should be clear the first time through. I didn't have this problem with any of the other books in the series, just this one.

I am satisfied with the happy ending, but I do feel like it was a little too happy. I was honestly expecting a fight and expecting people to die, and it kind of feels like a cop-out to make everyone resolve the conflict in peace and survive (save Irina, but she wasn't really a pertinent character). However, I know if there were a fight, there would be a LOT of casualties and I would be very sad (I actually cried during this scene in the movie because I thought everyone was dead and I couldn't believe the directors would do that to us). Ultimately I'm not complaining that everyone lived because I would miss any character that didn't. However, I was noticing that the books kept on telling us that to kill a vampire, you must tear its limbs off and then burn them; if you don't burn them, the vampire can reconstitute itself. We never actually saw that happen in the whole series, and I think it would have been quite interesting to include that somewhere, to see a vampire put itself back together. That would have been a good psych-out at the end, like you thought Edward (or someone else) was dead, but he was just temporarily dismantled. Ha.

What I really want to read (now that I have a book hangover) is a spin-off series about Jacob and Renesmee after she has reached maturity. How is that relationship going to work? Can a human-vampire hybrid mate with a werewolf, and what kind of child does that produce? Does Jacob stop aging permanently now that he is constantly near a vampire? I just really want all the answers about that couple, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for another book someday. Until then, I will be reading The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide to satiate my desire for more in the Twilight world.

Review: NEW MOON by Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 3/5 stars

I liked Twilight better than New Moon, but I guess that's because I liked Edward and he was hardly in New Moon, and he was kind of a jerk anyway. You could probably say I'm "Team Edward," although to be fair, so is Bella. So I don't even know why "Team Jacob" is a thing; she doesn't even like him like that. I like Jacob, but I like him as Bella's friend, not as her boyfriend. However, Jacob's personality got a little belligerent in this book, which is to be expected considering his transformation, but he just acted like two separate people at times. Likewise, Edward was pretty stupid to leave Bella all alone, thinking she would be safe (safer, at least) without him around, considering he already saved her life twice in less than a year. It just seemed like everyone got new personalities in this book, and they didn't always make the most sense. (I don't even want to discuss Jessica. . . .)

Despite my aforementioned qualms about New Moon, I did enjoy the book. I'm glad we got a detailed view of the werewolf life, and many of my questions were answered. I'm also pleased that we learned about the Volturi and the vampire laws, etc. Again, many lingering questions were answered. It is always very satisfying when an author answers my questions throughout a series instead of leaving them all for the last thirty pages of the last book.

One thing I loved about this book was the Romeo and Juliet motif throughout the book and the irony that Edward and Bella kept talking about Romeo and Juliet and then their own story ended up paralleling that in the play. I thought that was clever.

Another thing I enjoyed, which also applies to book one, was the presence and importance of parents in this book. Bella's parents, her dad especially, are vital characters to the story. We also have Jacob's dad, Billy, and the Cullen parents, Carlisle and Esme. I see far too often YA stories that don't include parents hardly at all in the plot, but the reality is that your mom and dad are huge parts of your life when you're still in high school. I loved that Bella got grounded and got in trouble. I also loved the awkwardness between her and Charlie. That's all so realistic and it really added depth to the story.

I am secretly really excited to read the rest of this saga. I can't remember if I've seen the Eclipse movie or not, so I actually don't know what will happen in the next book.

Review: TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 4/5 stars

I originally read Twilight ten years ago when it was at the peak of popularity and everyone and their mom was reading it at that very moment. The book was gifted to me by a friend who was in disbelief that I hadn't yet read it, and so I did. And I hated it. It took me six months of trudging through the story until I finally finished it. I don't know if it was my refusal to conform to popular opinion that made me hate the book, or if it was the actual story itself, the writing, or some other factor, but I feel like I didn't give the book a fair chance, especially since I did actually love the movies. Now that a decade has passed and I have somehow acquired all four books (they were all gifted to me), I feel like it is time that I revisit this series with a more objective perspective and actually read all four tomes this time.

I wasn't actually planning on starting this series until next year, as there are some other books I was trying to read first, but when I happened to pick up Twilight one night just to look at it, I ended up reading the whole first chapter. I must've subconsciously missed being in Washington or wanted a romance story because I just kept on reading from there.

I probably don't need to summarize this book since its popularity has led everyone to know at least the gist of the story.

It would be very easy to critique this novel and list out its flaws. I could go on about minor plot holes, about Bella and Edward's relationship seeming hasty and unfounded, about Bella being naïve and not seeing the danger in Edward, but I don't want to dwell on that. I enjoyed this book, purely for its entertainment value (hence the high rating), and I'm choosing to put aside its aforementioned flaws because I'm sure those have been critiqued enough already.

I want to mention a few things, though, that stood out to me:

Edward says and does a lot of things that could be construed as stalker-ish and manipulative, or in other words, emotionally abusive. I would've said that that's the case if I hadn't already read this book and seen the movies and know that he's actually a good guy, but he does tell Bella multiple times that he's dangerous, that he's the villain, that he's not good for her, and he follows her everywhere. I just feel like his character is portrayed concerningly wrong for who he actually is.

I know that a lot of people don't like Bella because she is so weak and dependent on Edward; people like the "strong female character" instead. But you couldn't have strong females without the weak ones. I actually find that I relate quite a bit to Bella, and I like her. She's klutzy and meek, but I'm the same way. However, I completely don't understand why she didn't tell Alice and Jasper about the phone call in the hotel room. (By the way, why did they not use cell phones except for at the most convenient time in the book? It would have made more sense if they had them from the beginning. They're in high school and don't have phones and I was just very confused by that.) Alice and Jasper could have helped Bella concoct a plan. And Bella says that's she's accepted that she won't see Edward again, but how is she okay with this? Earlier in the book, she said she lived for Edward. Anyway, I thought that this scene leading her to confront James alone was the only stupid thing Bella ever really did.

The scene in the ballet studio is the climax of the book, but somehow it felt anticlimactic. I think the movie did a much better job at interpreting it, with Edward having trouble stopping sucking Bella's blood out. That makes so much more sense since he has such a strong allure to her. But in the book, he has no problem stopping and there is no suspense of if she'll live or not.

And lastly, how did Charlie feed himself before Bella arrived? He's utterly hopeless at cooking.

I actually enjoyed Twilight this time around. I was sucked in to the story, something I didn't expect to happen, and the romance had me giddy. I will say, though, that the writing is rather elementary, not being distinctive of Meyer's style yet but still amateur. This is her debut, after all, so I do hope that it will improve over the course of the series, especially since I read The Host and felt her writing was much more developed there.

This review wasn't as objective as I hoped it would be, but my enjoyment of the book kind of overshadowed my desire to analyze every aspect of the story. I'm okay with that though.

Review: THE ICE HOUSE by Laura Lee Smith

Rating: 4/5 stars

Caution: For erudite audiences only.

That was seriously my first reaction to this book once I finished it. There are so many sesquipedalian words in this book that I had to read it with a dictionary on hand to look up new words every few pages. At first, I thought that the author is very intelligent and has a large lexicon, but when the book ended and I counted 91 words that I needed to define, I decided that Smith probably wrote this book with heavy assistance from a thesaurus. The "thesaurus writing" was severe for the first quarter of the book, but it mellowed out after that. Although, I still did really enjoy the writing style in this book and the fact that it challenged me intellectually with all the new words. The way she writes had me engrossed in the story. There were times where the story took a tangent for half a chapter, but I didn't even notice because the way she described the small town of Little Silver and the maintenance of the machines in the ice house had me enthralled and I was seriously interested in what was happening, even if it wasn't pertinent to the plot.

After having had to look up a lot of words, I realized that there were quite a few regional Scottish words, but there were also quite a few words specific to North American dialects. This led me to two conclusions: the American author is writing about a Scottish man and therefore attempts to include Scottish words to give credence to the story, but she still uses American-specific words because she is American; or, the Scottish man in the story has lived in America for many years and has picked up dialects from both countries and therefore the author uses words from both countries for his character. I am not sure which of these theories is true, if either, but it was just something that I noticed while reading.

At first, I didn't really want to read this book (I can't remember why I requested it in the first place), but once I reluctantly started I couldn't get enough. The author's style pulled me right in, as did the plot. Not to mention the unique setting. I've never read nor heard of another book that's set in an ice factory. And I actually learned a lot about that business while reading this novel. I think The Ice House was thoroughly researched, in mechanics, in medicine, and in the scenery. It felt real, like real people having real conversations, and that's something I loved about the book. You know far too often that characters fall flat and confabulations (to use a word from the book, meaning conversations) feel forced and stiff, but I didn't see that happening here. The characters, especially Johnny and Pauline, were fluid and they experienced trials and growth throughout the novel. And Chemal was my favourite character, of course.

The Ice House follows Johnny and Pauline, owners of an ice-manufacturing plant. The ice factory has just been served a lofty fine by OSHA for a recent accident that occurred in the building. Amidst trying to combat the possibility of the factory being permanently shut down, one of the protagonists experiences a sudden seizure, which leads to a potentially devastating diagnosis. While all this chaos is happening down in Florida, Johnny's estranged son, Corran, is up in Scotland experiencing some turmoil of his own. We read from multiple perspectives in this book, which I found to be an asset to the story; I loved the limited viewpoint each character offered and how the details in each person's life connected to create the satisfying revelations by the end of the book.

Ultimately, I don't think the book sounds overly interesting from an outside viewpoint, but the writing style had me hooked the whole way through, and I was actually quite absorbed in the plot. I became attached to these characters and I became emotional in their struggles. Every piece of this story is important and rich with detail as the narrative is woven together. Laura Lee Smith is an author that I will definitely keep on my radar because I would love to read more works by her after enjoying this one so much.

"I think most of us take for granted that the foundations of our life are solid."

By the way, I looked up Loch Linnhe in Scotland, where Corran lives, and look what I found. There's a ferry line that shares his name. This can't be a coincidence.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Review: THE CITY OF EMBER by Jeanne DuPrau

Rating: 5/5 stars

This is an older book that has been rather popular, but I never decided to read it until now. I've seen the movie before, so I already knew the story, but I wanted to give the book a chance, too. I am so happy I did because this book was awesome!

The City of Ember is a steampunk adventure story following Lina and Doon, two kids who live in Ember, a city of complete darkness except for the street lights powered by the generator. But Ember wasn't built to last as long as it has; the lights are beginning to go out for minutes at a time, and the generator needs constant repair. Everything in the city is broken and worn, and resources are nearly gone. Despite their circumstances, Lina and Doon are on the edge of hope that Ember is not the only source of life in the world, that another city lies beyond the blackness. One day they discover an ancient note, and as they attempt to decipher its message together, they begin to wonder if there really is more beyond Ember than darkness.

Something I really appreciated about this book was that Lina and Doon faced real problems on their journey, situations that actually had me wondering how they were going to proceed next. I think if this would have been a superficial young adult story where an issue surfaces and then magically resolves itself (which I've seen happen way too often before), I would have been so disappointed. But in The City of Ember, Lina and Doon really had to work through their struggles to reach a solution. (The scene where they discovered how candles work was my favourite. And that ending!) This book truly has a thoroughly crafted plot in a completely unique world. I was enraptured with DuPrau's storytelling.

I was left with a few questions that I hope will get answered later on in the series. First of all is why the Builders built the city of Ember in the first place and made people move underground to live there. We get a snippet of information about this, but not enough yet to be satisfactory. Second is how they managed to convince people it was necessary to move underground where they would never see the sun or trees again (because the first residents of Ember would have come from our world). I'm basically just interested in how the whole thing started and how they managed to build Ember. I'm very excited to read the rest of the series. Unlike this book, I know nothing about the next three books, but I'm sure the story will be just as exciting and the world-building just as rich.

Sidenote about the audiobook: This audiobook was amazing. There were sound effects all throughout the story. For example, whenever Lina or Doon was near the river, I would hear rushing water in the background. There were also sounds like scraping metal, cheering crowds, and chirping bugs. It was a phenomenal addition to the story that really had me engrossed in what was happening. I think all audiobooks should incorporate sound effects like these.

Review: THE HOUSE AT 758 by Kathryn Berla

Rating: 3.5/5

This book features a coming-of-age story about Krista, whose mother recently died. She hasn't yet gotten over the death and is still burdened with grief every day. Krista deals with her grief by periodically visiting a house, the house at 758, which has a significant meaning to her. We spend half of the story trying to piece together the mystery surrounding that house and its inhabitants, although I guessed rather early on what her reasons were for continually going there. In the latter half of the story, we learn about Krista's grandfather, who has come to stay with her for a short time, and his years spent in camps during the Holocaust. We hear stories from his life, so although this is a contemporary book, there are bits and pieces of powerful 1940s historical fiction.

Krista's grandpa's story is more than just a war narrative, though: it's a passionate story focused on the time we have left on this earth and making the most of that time. That is ultimately what the whole book is about, and the grandpa's stories tie very well into that.

The main emphasis of this story is the importance of family. Although there is a mild romance in this contemporary novel, it is like the third or forth sub-plot, which I found to be refreshing. The romance was the only part that I found to be slightly unrealistic. It moved a little too fast, probably so it could fit into the short book, but I did appreciate that it remained a clean romance.

The House at 758 is a simple story, calm and relaxing, but powerful. It's about how one small moment in someone's life can make a lifelong impact in someone else's life. These important messages are delivered through Berla's lyrical prose that was easy to enjoy. Although a shorter read, this book doesn't lack in characterization or depth, for the most part.

I really like Krista as a protagonist, and I'm going to miss reading from her perspective now that the book is over. I related a lot to her, and it was comforting to read about her and her life.

"Hate doesn’t hurt the hated person . . . it only hurts the person who hates.”

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.