Books on screen

Ella Enchanted

I actually saw the movie version of this one before I even knew the book existed. That is probably why I enjoy both of them. There are some small, though notable, differences between the two. For instance, in Levine's original novel Ella and Char are friends in their youth, before Ella is sent to charm school where she meets her soon-to-be stepsisters, Olive and Hattie. The book has far more magical entanglements, more "gifts" bestowed by the fairy Lucinda that complicate Ella's life. The resolution is simpler in the movie, a single ball with a poisoned crown plot set by Char's uncle (also his guardian), while the book has a series of matchmaking balls set by Char's parents (not dead in this version) that Ella attends in costume before a group of plotters get hold of her and force her to become a part of their plot. I'd also say that the movie is cheesier though that cheesiness actually works in it's favor, giving it a sort of eye-rolling charm While it's not the most faithful representation of a book I've ever seen, this movie is well worth watching. Just don't be afraid to give the book a read as well.

Book review - Time Stoppers

Title: Time Stoppers
Author: Carrie Jones
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den by Aimee Carter
                     The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Rating:

Okay, not great

 Summary(provided by publisher): Annie Nobody thought she was, well, nobody, living in a nowhere town where nothing goes her way. Day 1 at her newest foster home proves to be dreadful, too . . . and things get even worse when she's chased by something big and scary that definitely wants to eat her.
Luckily for Annie, not everything is what it seems, and she gets swept up--literally--by a sassy dwarf on a hovercraft snowmobile and taken to Aurora, a hidden, magical town on the coast of Maine. There, she finds a new best friend in Jamie Hephastion Alexander--who thought he was a normal kid (but just might be a troll)--and Annie discovers that she's not exactly who she thought she was, either. She's a Time Stopper, meant to protect the enchanted.
Together, Annie and Jamie discover a whole new world of magic, power, and an incredible cast of creatures and characters. But where there's great power, there are also those who want to misuse it, and Aurora is under siege. It's up to the kids to protect their new home, even if it means diving headfirst into magical danger.

My opinion: I go back and forth with this one. The plot, while serious in nature, is more playful and almost mocking in it's tone. While the plot is entirely appropriate for it's middle grade audience, I'm not sure the tone is there yet. It tries too hard to feel like kids talking and ends up feeling out of touch and almost condescending. I'm fond of the world building and the premise but I feel like the characters are over-simplified. I think it's a series that will go over fairly well with young readers, especially fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, but less so with adult readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

A most unusual rabbit

This week's craft comes from a little doodle I idly made on the edge of a paper a few weeks ago. 

This little guy really wanted to be a puppet. So, I hauled out my sock stash and this is what I came up with:

Book review - Holding Smoke

Title: Holding Smoke
Author: Elle Cosimano
Genre: mystery
Similar books: Burning by Danielle Rollins
                     The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
Rating:

Really hit the spot

Summary(provided by publisher): John "Smoke" Conlan is serving time for two murders-but he wasn't the one who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, known as the Y, is Smoke's new home and the only one he believes he deserves.
But, unlike his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment. After a near death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering information for himself and his fellow inmates while they're asleep in their beds. Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke doesn't care that the "threads" that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin-that one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough, resourceful girl who is sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name.
Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible. With Pink's help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined. With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he's willing to risk, and if he can envision a future worth fighting for.

My Opinion: I liked this book far more than I expected, given that it has significant supernatural elements, not my usual favorites. In this book it really works, perhaps because those elements aren't overwhelming. John and Pink talk to ghosts, sure, and the environment reflects the standard ghost signs: cold air, objects moving and lights flickering when the spirit is angry, that kind of thing. This book is so much more than just ghosts, though. You have the mystery (the murder for which John was imprisoned), the idea of hoping for a future beyond imprisonment, learning to trust people. 
I wasn't thrilled with the resolution. I found the last few chapters kind of muddled and hurried. This is a minor but notable flaw in an otherwise excellent novel with distinct and complex characters, genuine perspectives, and a logical and compelling plot.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Happy Star Wars Day!

I wonder sometimes about Yoda. What species is he? Are there others of his kind out there? Maybe other, more hardcore, Star Wars fans know. Me, I just wonder about it. And draw my idea of what a young Yoda might look like.

And while I was at it, I drew a young wookie. Other such drawings already exist. I just really like wookies.

May the fourth be with you, my friends. 
 

Book review - Wild Swans

Title: Wild Swans
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The New Guy by Amy Spalding
                     Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate
Rating:

Not at all what I expected

Summary(provided by publisher): Will Ivy fulfill her destiny as a dazzling Milbourn woman? Or will the pressure from her family cause her to crumble?
The summer before Ivy’s senior year is going to be golden—all bonfires, barbeques, and spending time with her best friends. For once, she will just get to be. No summer classes, none of Granddad’s intense expectations to live up to the family name. For generations, the Milbourn women have lead extraordinary lives—and died young and tragically. Granddad calls it a legacy, but Ivy considers it a curse. Why else would her mother have run off and abandoned her as a child?
But when her mother unexpectedly returns home with two young daughters in tow, all of the stories Ivy wove to protect her heart start to unravel. The very people she once trusted now speak in lies. And all of Ivy’s ambition and determination cannot defend her against the secrets of the Milbourn past…

My opinion: I feel misled. The title of this novel has a lot of associations if you are at all familiar with fairy tales and especially given the references in the plot summary (even on the cover) to curses. I was expecting something along the lines of Nancy Werlin's Impossible: a girl's efforts to break her family's literal curse. For the entire first half of this novel I was waiting for the magical elements to reveal themselves. I was convinced that Connor, attractive older and knowledgeable about the family, was directly involved in the family curse. I figured he was Fae. Even once I realized that this wasn't the case, that there was no magic at play, it took a while for me to reset my thinking and accept this novel for what  it is. And the reality is somewhat disappointing. Now messages of falling in love, losing your friends, and accepting your family while learning to stand up for yourself are decent, they just aren't outstanding. For me this novel settles into a sort of acceptable neutral. And this seems to be the ultimate message of the novel: there is an acceptable neutral for most things. It's not a bad novel, but with that set-up suggesting an exciting and complex world, a firm root in reality was a serious let-down.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Hand-drawn cards

I have a mild problem with birthday cards. I love giving them but my frugal side struggles with the notion of paying upwards of four dollars for a folded piece of paper. My solution is to draw my own cards. It's a lot more work but sits better with me. Of course, that means I have to come up with my own jokes, most of which involve the cake, presents, and other birthday items being eaten. Here's one of my recent cards, drawn for my nephew.

The concept drawing:

The final card: