What I've been up to...

'Nuff said? Allow me to explain...

I directed a play! Er... music directed a play. ...let me rephrase that further- I was the musical director. Aw yes, much better.

Now, you're probably thinking something like, "But Shauntel, you're such an attention nut! Why in the world would you choose to take a management position and not to be on the stage?"

I'll answer that with a simple question- what am I doing in approximately two months and a week?

...Oh yeah, graduating.* Kind of a big deal.

See, I've always wanted to be a part of the management team, and this was honestly that last time I would ever for sure get a chance to do that. It's an experience I'd always wanted to have, so I took a leap of faith and did it.

And you know what? I had a blast. No regrets on that one. Pictures (hopefully) to follow. (Or you could just, you know, look at my Facebook or something...)

So yeah, that's been my life since January (it ended about two weeks ago... hence the lack of blogging. In all seriousness, I have not had a brain at all in that time. Everything non-vocal training related either A) went down the toilet, or B) was dealt with poorly...). Spring break, for a variety of reasons, could not have come at a better time.

But you know what spring break means? No school! And you know what that means? Books!! (And also 12 hour Lord of the Rings extended edition marathons. But that's besides the point.) So yeah, I've actually been reading. Quite a bit actually. (I have most definitely not abandoned my new book blog! It shall be updated in due time... But in the meantime, I'll give you snippets of what's to come.)


Finally finished the Mortal Instruments series (although I guess their author is going to write more of them... I'll probably end up giving them a shot.). And you know what? I ended up really enjoying them. The third one was easily the best of the three, and I actually legitimately liked it. I complained rather loudly in the review of the first one that there were too many characters with no actual purpose. Well... most of them had a point by the end. (There are still a few who I just don't understand why they were even written.... But whatever, I'll still just go with it.) So yeah- this series is officially recommended. So go get it. Right now.








I also read Hero, by Perry Moore, and am absolutely in love. Alright, it wasn't perfect (a couple of the secrets just weren't secret enough, and it got a wee bit too trigger happy at the end) but come on- it's comic book superheros in regular book format. And yes, I mean the super cheesy, catch-phrase spouting, spandex wearing ones. It simply does not get any better than this, people. It's not exactly a secret that I'm a total sucker for superheroes, and this could be the beginning of a whole new genre. *crosses fingers*




I pride myself in having very tough skin. Very rarely do I actually cringe at something horrifying and/or disturbing and/or scandalous that happens in a book. But this... *shudders* Lord of the White Hell went as far as to combine some of those categories. Cheesy cover aside, this is not a YA book. Can I just leave it at that? (Plus it had a terribly cruel ending. Which is lame, because I totally saw it coming, yet I couldn't help but throw a fit anyway. And then the sequel wasn't at the library. Or at the bookstore. I'm still waiting for it to come in the mail. Is it trying to torture me further?)**

Point is, I might have to break out the sharpie for this one.






I just started The Book Thief not too long ago, so nothing much to say yet except that it is very good. Go read it. I'll elaborate further when I can.






(No, I didn't read all of these in a week. There are just some of the things I've read since January. Keyword, of course, being some. The ones with interesting back stories that is.)

Oh! My ADD brain just remembered- research papers. I hate them. I just finished this huge (not really) one on the short story EPICAC and let me tell you... that was the single most painful thing I have ever had to write. I just... with every fiber of my being, I didn't want to do it. There wasn't any reason- I just really, really didn't want to. That's what happens when homework gets assigned on the holy period of rest that is spring break. It's... not cool. Not cool at all.

And because I'm such a responsible student, I started it about two days ago and barely finished it this evening. (My school is awesome and doesn't go back until Tuesday.) So yeah... EPICAC... supercomputer... I'm just gonna stop right there.

Oh! I dyed my hair. Booyah! First time ever too. If I can ever take a decent picture, I'll put one up. In the meantime, I'll just say that it's red...ish. And also blonde streaked. Double wammy. So yeah, 'tis awesome.

But yeah, school tomorrow. At least I have my after school time back... for now...

*sigh* Easter Pageant starts next week. Don't get me wrong- I'm super excited. But... it is one more thing I have to prepare for.

(Scholarship auditions, concerts, school projects... where did my life go?)


*Woah. I'd never actually calculated the exact time until now. Nine weeks... May 26th... Hot dang- I'm officially old.

**I just made the book sound terrible, didn't I. No, no- there are so many good things about it. The plot, the politics, the world... Crazy good. And the characters- *~amazing~*. I honestly cannot speak more highly of its good aspects.

But hot dang- why must all the best books be so unrecommendable?

(Wicked... Watchmen... heck, even the Bible when you think about it...)

My Newst Project

No, I'm not dead. Yes, I'll give a life update sometime. I've been busy. Despicably busy.

But that's a post for a different time.

I'd like to officially unveal...

*~Snarky Teen Book Reviews~*

aka, my new blog dedicated exclusively to books. Should be fun.

Check it out, it's already been updated: http://snarkyteenbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Will I transfer the old reviews over? Doubtful. Will I rewrite some of the older ones as to give them more justice? Quite possibly.

Book Review: Havemercy

*Edited Slightly*

Turns out, you can judge a book by its cover:



Why yes, that is a giant mechanical dragon. I'm glad you noticed. Because I did too, which is what made me pick up this book.

Also, reading this book is arguably one of the best decision I've ever made. So yeah.

THE BASICS: Hot dang, what isn't going on in this book? Well, first off, there's this magician guy named Royston who did something... scandalous* and has not only put the kingdom at odds with one of it's neighbors, but has also seriously embarrassed the royal family. So much so, actually, that they can't punish him for it or they risk news of it getting out to even more people. So, instead, they quietly exile him to the countryside to live with his brother until, well, forever. Royston in every way despises the country however, so the "punishment" seems to have proven effective on some level. While in the country, he meets Hal, the painfully shy yet startlingly intelligent tutor to his brother's children. We'll talk about more about them later...

...because word of the scandal does get out and it soon falls upon the ears of the worst possible secret keepers: the Dragon Corps. This is a group of the most BA and most ill-mannered, yet strangely awesome dudes you will ever see. They, of course, ride the previously mentioned giant mechanical dragons. Anyway, they have more than a little bit of fun playing with and joking about what happened. This spurs th'Esar (the king, essentially) to send an unlucky individual named Thom to coax them into shutting up about the whole affair and to also spy on them (because seriously, can you really blame him for not trusting them? I mean, sure, he's the king, but they've got giant mechanical dragons. Who's ruling who?).

Oh, also, there's a war going on. Yeah, it's been happening for like, a hundred years or something. So yeah, like I said, lots of stuff happenin'.

THE CHARACTERS: This is, I think, the novel's greatest strength; that is, the sheer complexity of all of it's characters. And I mean all. Even side characters, even people you meet only once or twice- you really get the impression that the authors made an attempt not to create any empty shells of characters. From their speech patterns to their little physical quirks the main characters comment on- you can tell some time was spent humanizing everyone. But, and thank goodness for this, it isn't done to any extreme, annoying degree. We don't get the backstory for every single person who walks onto the stage. Heck, we hardly get the backstory for the four main characters. I mean we do, but only the necessary parts. People don't angst much in this book, which is a dramatic improvement of some over the other things I've been reading lately (but that's a post of a different color).

But, like I said, there're four main characters: Royston, a sarcastic magician, Hal, a young, somewhat naive tutor, Rook, an obnoxious, irreverent airman, and Thom, a long-suffering, yet somewhat conniving student. Let me just say first that I pretty much love all of these guys.

However, I really just want to focus on Hal.

Hal is the kind of character I hate. When he first entered the story and started doing his thing, I was like "Oh great, another twink. I hate you already, you sniveling little girl you!" But then I totally ate my words when he turned out to be sorta... not lame. Actually, and this is the really weird part since I usually like the jerk characters, I think he ended up being my favorite. Somehow, he dared to tread through the winding paths of my cold, black heart and ended up finding a nice warm place to stay.

Why do I like him so much? Because there were so many stereotypes he could've easily fallen into... and yet he miraculously avoided them all. As I mentioned previously, he's painfully shy. But he still has a spine. He's very soft-spoken and kind-hearted. But by no means is he a wuss. And if he wants something, he's not afraid to try and get it. I think the most applauding instance of this is when he's the one who initiates the romantic relationship between he and his love interest. Because usually, the shy person, no matter what gender, when met with their significant other, just angsts around and whines about how horrible everything is because so-and-so could never love them. Until, of course, so-and-so does admit to loving them and then of course everything is primroses and butterflies. *sigh* It's embarrassing how formulaic it is.

Which is another reason I love Hal, 'cause his romantic subplot is, for this and other reasons, entirely non-typical.

TECHNICAL STUFF: The book alternates between four viewpoints- namely, that of the four aforementioned main characters. They label at the beginning of each section who's talking, but honestly, it's unnecessary, because each character's personalities and thought patterns are distinct enough that you can usually pick up on them after a few sentences.

THE THEME: Things are not always as they appear? Don't judge people without getting to know them? Be willing to make your own destiny? Anything along those lines would fit.

OVERALL: I actually do have one tiny, somewhat irrational guff with this book- there're almost no girls in it. Seriously. I mean, there are a few, but when I say few, I mean like, three. In the entire book. Which, considering there are 25+ male types, is quite the imbalance.

But whatever; that didn't actually stand out as much as you would think.

However, with the exception of that mild misdemeanor, I have never read a book that pandered to me as much as this one did. This is the first book I've ever read where I was truly the target audience. Was the plot complex and intertwining? Yep. Was the romance actually sweet? Check. Were even the most obnoxious of characters instantly likable due to good writing? Si. Was it taboo without being naughty? You betcha. Was it flamin' hilarious? Heck yeah! I can honestly say that I have never read a book in my life that I actually cared about every single plot. I was never bored while reading this. This is what we call an anomaly.

Point is, this thing just soared to the top of my favorite list. Did it dethrone Hannibal? ...okay no, it didn't. But it's gleefully sitting right below it, just waiting for it to make a wrong move.

GRADE: Not giving one. 'Cause like I said, I can't speak for the masses on this one. This book followed plot threads that were appealing to me. Not you. Unless you're cool, in which case, you'll love this book.

Would I let my sister read it? No
Would I let my cousin read it? Yes
Would I let my dad read it? Yes

PS: The title refers to the name of Rook's dragon. Just sayin'.

EDIT

*(I've been playing around with font-colors lately... and felt very stupid when I realized I could've just been doing this all along for spoilers.)

*smacks forehead* Technology never fails to amaze me.

Anyway, it's actually not a spoiler, but highlighting the information below will definitely cue you in on whether or not this book is for you.

Royston had a love-affair with the heir-apparent of an ally kingdom. This was bad enough, except that, after being caught, he was accused of magically seducing the individual. To make matters even worse, the individual's name was Erik.

Book Review: And Tango Makes Three

Because I'm lazy and easily entertained, I love reading children's books. Always have, always will. I still harbor a great love for authors such as Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, etc.

And on another note, I always make an attempt to scan the banned books list to see if they've added anything new. When I say the best stuff is on that list (Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Of Mice and Men, 1984, etc.) I honestly mean that.

And on a third note, everyone likes penguins right?

What do those three things have in common? And Tango Makes Three that's what. Thus, I knew I had to read it.


THE BASICS: This book tells the tale of two cute little penguins living in Central Park Zoo named Roy and Silo who fall in love and are given an egg to raise by the zookeepers. The twist: Roy and Silo are both guys. The other twist: it's a true story.

THE CHARACTERS: Gay animals, although rare, do exist and Roy and Silo have become somewhat of a mascot for them. The duo are portrayed in a typical, children's book esque manner- cute, fluffy, and well-meaning. It's true that the real life story doesn't end quite as happily as the book implies (after a six year long relationship, Silo ran off with Scrappy, a female, leaving poor Roy alone and depressed to this day) but that's not the point of the book. Stories are watered down and happyfied all the time for children, so I find it perfectly fair that it's done to this one.

TECHNICAL STUFF: The language is simple but engaging and does a fabulous job at relating the endearing little tale. The illustrations might very well be my favorite part- it's been somewhat of a recent trend in children's books to contain suckish drawings, but And Tango Makes Three avoids this falling, and instead holds some of the cutest drawings I've seen in a kids book. Maybe it's just 'cause their penguins, which are adorable pretty much however you draw them. But either way, the illustrations are great.

THE THEME: And this is where the controversy falls. And Tango Makes Three portrays a child being raised by two fathers (and that part is true no matter how you view it; Roy and Silo broke up long after their daughter became an adult). However, what the haters hate to here is this: this book doesn't not actually encourage homosexuality. It simply presents it (Mildly, I should add, the fact that their both males is only touched upon. Tango is the focus of the story.) and then moves on and tells the story. The real theme of the story? Family love. It's about parents loving their child. And isn't that what you'd what to present to your children?

OVERALL: I love this book. I say that a lot. But rarely does the statement fit so accurately. I wish that instead of reading the undeserved, scathing reviews regarding it's themes (because they all have to admit that from a technical standpoint, the book is very well done) written by people who like to get into a tussle about stupid things, people would instead actually read the book. It took me about two minutes at the library to read through. And you know what? It was one of the best two minutes of my life.

GRADE: A

Would I let my sister read it? Totally. Not ever up for questioning.
Would I let my cousin read it? Yes.
Would I let my dad read it? Yes.

Book Review: Capt Hook

Prequels are becoming rather popular aren't they? Especially ones not written by the original author. Nine times out of ten, they're boring, read like fan fiction, and are just generally horrible.

Sorry to disappoint the fans of the reviews of horrible books, but this was the exception.

THE BASICS: Our story begins with a fifteen year old James Matthew, illegitimate son of Lord "B", as he is only known to us as, leaving for Eton, a rather prestigious school. He's as cocky and proud as a young man can get, having perfect confidence in himself and in his plans, whether that be winning a "wall game", kidnapping a Sultana or initiating a mutiny on his own father's ship. And yet despite what you might thing about Hook-to-be...

THE CHARACTERS: ...he never comes off as obnoxious or annoying. Which is so appreciated. Spoiled protagonists spoil the show. Instead, he has to work hard and suffer for his mistakes. But he refuses to ever give up and surrender is never an option. He's not a bad guy, but he's certainly not a good one either.

TECHNICAL STUFF: There's several instances of violence, gore, and terror that could have very well been exploited and blown out of proportion. But our lovely author, J V Hart, has intelligently remembered that Peter Pan was a children's book, and so, this must be too. His writing style is humorous and frank, but he graciously skims over the more disturbing details while still keeping up with the mischievous tone.

(FYI I'm as much a fan of horror novels as the next person, my favorite book is Hannibal afterall, but not in kid's books. Excessive violence probably shouldn't be there.)

THE THEME: "Never give up" certainly sounds cheesy, but I suppose that really is what this book is all about.

OVERALL: I seriously love this book. I think I say that a lot, but I really do. Love this book I mean. What do I love about it? I love the details, I love the characters, I love the intelligent* foreshadowings and references to it's predecessor it presents, and, most of all, I love the story. It's just so different. Just, wow. Go read it.

GRADE: A

Would I let my sister read it? Yes
Would I let my cousin read it? Most certainly, I'll be recommending it to him actually.
Would I let my dad read it? Yes

*Random note: I tell you, I'm a sucker for good forshadowing. It makes me happy. I think I shall devote an entire post to it.

Book Review: Watchmen

Oh deary me, this is so overdue. I mean, the movie came out forever ago, and the DVD came out two months ago, and the actual book itself came out like, 25 years ago. So yeah, I'm a wee bit late.

Also, no "but Shauntel, this is a graphic novel, not a book. It can't possibly count for one of your reviews". To that I say nonsense. First of all, this so called "comic book" is better than most regular books out there nowadays. Also, this is my blog. I can do what I want.

THE BASICS: In an alternate 1980s world, one where Richard Nixon is in his third term and nuclear war is just around the corner, masked vigilantes have been outlawed. Some chose to retire, either using their fame to gain power and riches or simply disappearing into the shadows, hoping for a quiet life. Others continue their work, either legally by working exclusively for the government, or illegally, and living by their own terms. However, when one of these "superheroes" is murdered, others suspect a plot that might lead to the extermination of them all. However, what is discovered is more terrible and disturbing than any of them could have imagined.

THE CHARACTERS: (I hate going down the line, character by character, but I find it necessary in this instance. Not only because they're all so interesting, but because they each seem to embody a theme, all of which are presented throughout the book.)

The Comedian's death is revealed on the first page, but that doesn't take away from his presence that pervades the story. He is unquestionably rude, blunt, and a downright jerk and yet, you never can quite come to hate him. Shooting a pregnant woman, presumably carrying his child, and attempting to rape his friend are only a few of the crimes he has committed, yet he's almost unnervingly likable. He doesn't really care about anything, because he sees it all as one big joke. He doesn't care about the "smaller" of any evil, he's calloused himself to the more awful things in life. As a result, when faced with something truly horrific, he can't handle it. Because it was, for him, too late.

Rorschach is justice. Unbiased, unquestioning, cruel justice. He won't think twice about killing or maiming a person, but only those who deserve it. He has only one motive in life- to punish those who would harm the innocent. And anyone who would try to stop his from achieving this goal. True justice never compromises, and neither does he. He's another one of those unnervingly likable sorts too.

There is nothing particularly special about Night Owl. But that's what makes him unique. He represents the "everyman". He's a good, decent person who's just trying to do that right thing in a world filled with things far beyond his control. He shows that you don't have to have powers or some strange psychosis to be a hero.

And like the average person, he does some truly remarkable things. He shows feats of bravery and occasionally intelligence beyond that of his more "eccentric" pals. He's willing to sacrifice to do what he feels is right. And he's friends with Rorschach. That my friends, is something to brag about.

Good ol' Silk Specter II. Her mother was a hero as well, the original Silk Specter, and she's one of the few members of the Watchmen who never really enjoyed her job. Her future was mapped out at an early age, thus she never really had a choice about going into the super heroing business. As a result, she has quite a bit of animosity towards her parents, mostly her mother because she was the one who chose her career, but somewhat towards her dad as well, because he left his family when she was young.

Because of this, she feels lonely and lost much of the time, and she's generally quick to judge others, as she doesn't want to get hurt. The world is black and white to her.

As the only person in the story with actual powers, Dr. Manhattan is truly unique. Because of a science experiment gone wrong, he has the ability to manipulate objects at an atomic level. But in being endowed with God-like powers, he lost much of his human side. He simply doesn't care about life. Sub-atomic particles are much more interesting.

He is what science without morality is. It simply keeps moving, keeps improving upon itself, not caring about what harm it might do to the world around it.

Last, but definitely not least, is Adrian Vendt, aka Ozymandias. He used his "retirement" to give him a substantial fortune and fame unmatched. He's the marketer of a large variety of commercial products, including action figures of himself and the other Watchmen. Yet, despite the fame and novelization, no one really knows much about him. No one understands who he really is. To the media, he's a poster boy, an celebrity who helps bring in their cash. But then again, he brought it upon himself.

TECHNICAL STUFF: The comic is written in a fairly common, nine panel format, not that that probably means much to my reader though. Also, the color scheme, instead of being the traditional primary color format, is done with secondary colors. But once again, not that you care.

What you do proabably care about is just how in depth the story gets. The story of the outlawed masked heros is only one tale within the book. Actually, there are three separate stories going on at once, the other two which serve as a way to further convey the themes outlined in the book.

THE THEME: Dang, there are a lot of messages hidding in this book. But the main one? Appreciate life. Make the most of it. 'Cause you never know when it will end.

OVERALL: This book is on TIME Magazine's "Best 100 Novels" list for a reason. It's a brilliant story, embellished with strong, fascinating characters, a crazy twist ending, and overall cleverness. It's the sort of thing that everyone should read in their lifetime.

GRADE: A

Would I let my sister read it? No
Would I let my cousin read it? Nope
Would I let my dad read it? Yes

Book Review: Sister of the Dead

The third book in the Noble Dead series is yet another win!

THE BASICS: Having defeated the vampires in Bela, Magiere and Leesil leave the capital city and head to the country of Droevinka, where Magiere was born, to try and figure out why a vampire would create a being capable of destroying it's own kind. What they find are the hints of a plot more disturbing and terrible than either of them could have possibly imagined. Also, they have picked up a new companion- a young, timid scholar named Wynn, who helps them discover that their dog, Chap, may be more than he previously appeared.

Unbeknownst to them, they are being trailed by two noble dead. One is a mysterious nobleman named Welstiel (who has actually appeared in every book so far but wasn't particularly interesting until now) and Chane, who is in love with Wynn.

THE CHARACTERS: I admit, I wasn't really happy when Wynn Hygeorht showed up and decided to tag alone with the adventurers. Her role in the previous book was important sure, but I didn't really see her as a potential permanent character. However, about halfway through the book, something changed. I actually began to like her. She gives (for lack of a better word) the team the normality, as she's only human, and kindness it needed.

TECHNICAL STUFF: What impresses me most about this book is the downright dreary atmosphere it sets up. Droevinka, is dark and rainy and the entire situation is bleak. But I never felt overwhelmed by it. Although somewhat frightening at times, it was never depressing, a fact that I highly appreciate.

THE THEME: Sometimes, the truth is better left unknown. Also, never speak to the mysterious, freaky necromancer living out in the woods. It will never end well.

OVERALL: I didn't like this book quite as much as the previous in the series, but I still harbor a great love for it. I admit, I can't even pintpoint what I liked better about the other. So I'll just leave it at that.

GRADE: A

Would I let my dad read it? Yes
Would I let my cousin read it? Yes
Would I let my sister read it? No

Book Review: Arthas

Yeah, I read books based off of video games. Live with it.

THE BASICS: A mysterious plague has gripped the kingdom of Lordaeron and it's prince, Arthas Menethil, is sent to investigate it's origin and possibly find a cure. Horrified at what he discovers but still willing to pay any price to save his people, Arthas travels a road of terror and destruction to a path where death is only the beginning of the journey.

THE CHARACTERS: Arthas's transformation throughout the course of the book is nothing less than tragic and riveting. And despite the fact that the average person will never be faced with the prospect of practically selling their own soul to save their kingdom, the basic aspects of the situation are so easily adaptable our own troubles, that although it isn't you, it might as well be. Because when it comes down to it, Arthas was a normal guy trying to do the right thing thrust into a battle of morals that he couldn't have possibly been expected to win on his own. And he doesn't win (it's not really a spoiler to say so). Because he forsook his friends when he needed them most, he lost.

*A couple of Spoilers in the next paragraph, so just skip it if you don't want any*
And it's these friends, allies, and peers who suffer just as much, if not more so, because of his downfall. Many are killed by or because of him, and the few who escape that fate are so emotionally and/or physically wrecked that they might as well have been.

TECHNICAL STUFF: The writing is excellent. As I mentioned before, this book is based off of a video game so I already knew the basics of the plot. But the details and the additions to the dialogue and story were so rich that it kept me interested up until the tragic end. And then, on literally the second-to-last page, a plot twist so small yet so important occurred, adding the final touch to a near perfect novel.

THE THEME: Don't get so caught up in an event that you lost sight of the goal. Also, making deals with the devil will never work in your favor. (That's figuratively speaking, by the way. However, funnily enough, I have read books where that statement was literal.)

OVERALL: As if you couldn't already tell, I really love this book. It's one of the few that doesn't do anything on my "...Things I Hate..." list, including the infamous predictability. It's sweet, it's tragic, and filled with the occasional subtle humor. What more could you want?

GRADE: A

*Just to give everyone a general idea of what age group the books I'm reviewing are for, I'm adding a new feature to the reviews so that the "age of enjoyability/appropriateness" can be known.*

(For adults) Would I let my dad read it? Yes.
(For teenagers) Would I let my cousin read it? Yes.
(For children) Would I let my sister read it? No.

Book Review: Angels and Demons

So the movie came out the other day. Then I remembered- wait, I've read that book. I should probably do something about that.

THE BASICS: Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor and symbologist, is called to investigate a mysterious murder in which the victim was branded with a strange symbol. The symbol, he discovers, is that of an ancient, thought to be extinct group called the "Illuminati" who's greatest opposition was the Catholic church. With the help of Vittoria Vetra, a biology and physics major, and the daughter of the victim, he unravels a conspiracy that threatens the entire future of the Catholicism.

THE CHARACTERS: Robert Langdon is very intelligent, but not obnoxiously so, and, despite his somewhat humorous quirks, or perhaps because of them, he is actually really likable. As much as I liked Vittoria, she didn't feel necessary to the plot. *Spoilers* Her kidnapping later on added some drama sure, but was it completely necessary? *End Spoiler* However, if I were the author, I suppose I would have kept her in too. Like I said, I really did like her.

TECHNICAL STUFF: This is actually a rather easy read. That isn't a condemning factor however. There's some complex stuff packed in here, and it's nice that I don't have to be a Harvard graduate to figure it all out.

However, it's fatal flaw is the same flaw that many in the mystery genre posses- it's too predictable. I knew who the bad guy was. It wasn't obvious, but that's the point. It's never the obvious one. Once you figure out the guy who is least likely to have done it, you've found your villain.

THE THEME: Things are never the way they appear. (I suppose this is a rather cliched moral to a mystery story, but it really is a prevalent factor in this story.)

OVERALL: I liked this book quite a bit. Is it biased in some of it's beliefs? Perhaps. This holds true to all the Dan Brown books I've read. But it held the same opinion as I did. So I didn't especially care.

GRADE: B

Shauntel's List of Things She Hates that are Commonly Done in Books and Movies Much to her Endless Annoyance

Writing my review of "Thief of Lives" got me thinking about some of the things I hate in that are commonly done in stories. Unfortunately, I didn't get to talk about them quite as much as I might've liked to in the book review, so I thought I'd just give them their own post. So with much excitement, I present to you "Shauntel's List of Things She Hates that are Commonly Done in Books and Movies Much to her Endless Annoyance".

*Note* This is in no specific order. FYI

*Another Note* The books that are given as examples of something that didn't do whatever thing I was talking about are all ones that seemed to set up for it and then didn't. I didn't just go out and choose some books at random to use as fodder.

1. Predictable Endings
Almost every story you've ever heard of falls into this trap. I always try to guess the end of books and unfortunately, I usually get it right. I may not be able to tell you exactly what occurs and when, but I can usually give you a correct list of who falls in love with who, who dies, if and how the villain will be killed/defeated, etc. The obvious stuff. Now, you might be thinking, "But seriously Shauntel, that's just how stories are nowadays. There are no original ideas left! And it's okay if you can guess the end, it's still fun to read them." Yeah, maybe they're still fun to read. But there are still unused ideas! Originality is key people!

Example of something that did this: Almost everything
Example of something that didn't: Hannibal by Thomas Harris - the only book* in which the ending I predicted was completely wrong.

2. The whole "I love you but we can't be together because it's too dangerous"
That is one of the stupidest and overused plot devices ever invented. I hate it. I really hate it. Why? Because it's just a dumb way for the author to forcefully insert some angst and drama between their two love leads. And all that does is lead to some unnecessary tension and all that does is annoy the heck out of me.

Example of something that did this: Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer
Example of something that didn't: Noble Dead series by Barb & JC Hendee

3. Characters getting needlessly angry at other characters, usually done between love leads, and causing unnecessary plot drama
Oh, how I hate that. Seriously.
When I say "needlessly" I mean something along the lines of "I can't believe you did that 57 years ago! I can never love you the same way again!", or "How could you have lied to me about something as silly and unimportant as that! I can never love you the same way again!", or, by far the most stupid, "I totally saw you doing and you don't even have to explain because I insist upon blowing it needlessly out of proportion! I can never love you the same way again!"

Example of something that did this: Almost any romantic comedy
Example of something that didn't: Thief of Lives by Barb & JC Hendee

This list will undoubtedly be expanding over time. These are just the few I could think of at the moment.

*Although the book had a crazy plot twist at the end, the movie, which I haven't seen, only read the synopsis on the Internet, ended exactly as I had expected the story to.

Book Review: Thief of Lives

This is the second book in the Noble Dead series and I still continue to enjoy it. Anything that successfully holds my attention for this long definitely has something special about it.

THE BASICS: *Spoilers for the ending of the first book ahead* Word has gotten out about how Magiere and Leesil, a half-elf, which I had forgotten to previously mention, dispatched the vampires living in Miiska and Magiere is starting to accept, however grudgingly, that there's some truth in her possibly being a dhampir, a half-vampire, half-human who specialize in killing vampires, and that her role in the world might be more important than that of a tavern owner. *End Spoiler* Mysterious deaths start occurring in the capitol city of Bela and the duo are summoned to investigate.

THE CHARACTERS: Magiere and Leesil still continue to be some of my favorite characters ever. Their interaction, both humorous and occasionally sweet, is realistic, which is definitely unique on it's own. When mentioned in the wrong light, they sound like two love-interests in a really lame romantic comedy. And they very easily could have been. I'll get to why they're not in the next section.

The villains are improved somewhat, in the sense that I didn't want them to win quite as much. There was at least one I was actually voting for (his name is Chane, and I mention him because he becomes extremely important later) and the ones I wasn't especially fond of, namely Toret and Sapphire, were because if I met non-evil human equivalents of them in real life, I still wouldn't like them anyway simply because their personalities and mine are pretty much incompatible. Namely, Toret is a kind of a wimp and Sapphire is a total skank.

TECHNICAL STUFF: This entire story had a risky premise- meaning that it had the potential to get really stupid, really fast. Having read many books, I saw a variety of the usual, annoying cliches approaching, none of which actually occurred. *Spoilers* There was definite potential for the whole "I love you but we can't be together because it's just too dangerous" cliche and the whole "someone seeing something they probably shouldn't have seen and getting needlessly and stupidly angry at the person about it" indeed could have been an occurrence. *End Spoiler* But guess what? Neither of those things happened! And yes, this is a cause for celebration! Because I probably would have hated this book if either of those things had occurred.

THE THEME: Doing bad things for a good cause defeats the purpose. Also, the basic "trust your friends" message is in there somewhere also.

OVERALL: I forgot to mention one more thing I love about this book. It's funny. It's an honest to goodness "it's a good thing I didn't read this one during a quiet moment in class because I would have laughed out loud and embarrassed myself" type of book.

So basically, this book is amazing. The end.

GRADE: A

So hey! Do you have any suggestions for future reviews? I'd love to hear them.

Book Review: Breaking Dawn

*Note, this entire review is filled to the brim with spoilers. It was simply unavoidable. As a result, I'm warning you now.*

During this book, each of the major characters changes into something they probably didn't really imagine themselves becoming. For example, Bella Swan becomes a necrophiliac. Jacob Black becomes a pedophile. Edward Cullen becomes a pimp.

THE BASICS: Our favorite hybrid couple tie the knot within one hundred pages of the book's beginning. Most lame romances end there. But no, "Breaking Dawn" chose to be special and drag on for another 500 pages- none of which included anything even remotely important. It's the equivalent of crashing your car and then being forced to stay in it as it catches on fire and slowly burns you.

This book is ridiculous. Instead of reviewing it intelligently and properly, I'm just going to give a list of some of the more stupid events that occur...

-Bella gets pregnant
-The baby, when born, is named Renesmee
-Jacob falls in love with the baby
-Bella, when finally vamped, has no struggle whatsoever with controlling her thirst for blood
-The baby grows ultra fast, is super smart, has superpowers, is illegally beautiful, and is absolutely perfect in every single fricken way
-The Volturi (the self-proclaimed rulers of Sparkleville, left previously unmentioned because I assumed them mostly unimportant) come to destroy the baby so the Cullens gather up all their glittering friends and neighbors and prepare for battle...
-...a battle which never actually occurs
-Bella's vampire superpower is, of course, the most powerful ability of all - a completely impenetrable psychic shield that she can make grow and shrink at will
-Everybody lives happily ever freaking after

And yes, these events are all completely accurate. I swear, I did not embellish in the least.

THE CHARACTERS: These people continue to get stupider and stupider. Even the redeemable ones were ruined. That's all I can say in decent company.

TECHNICAL STUFF: The book is divided into three books. The first and third are narrated by Bells. The second is narrated by Jacob, which I say was a fine change of pace. He is, at that time, still uncorrupted by his embarrassingly creepy attachment to his ex-girlfriend's daughter, as the baby was not yet born. But even so, his snarky attitude could only help a bad plot so much.

Also, the foreshadowing was terrible. At the beginning, Swan Princess starts having weird dreams about vampire babies and then goes off on a 10-15 page explanation about where she heard about them and where they came from and what was done to destroy them. Talk about subtle.

THE THEME: I... don't actually know... not that I especially want to...

OVERALL: This book was bad. Actually, it was beyond bad. It was completely awful. Don't ever for any reason read it. Or, for that matter, any of it's predecessors. Because this is where they all inevitably lead. It's not worth your time or your brain cells.

GRADE: F

Questions? Comment? Seriously, I want to hear them!

Book Review: Eclipse

This book succeeds in many ways the previous books fail. There is action and a bit of suspense and all the excitement isn't saved until ending. Unfortunately for it, in other ways the previous books failed, this book fails on even worse. And yes, their are a few mild spoilers coming up.

THE BASICS: If you thought Bella Swan was clingy to her leech boyfriend before, then wow, are you going to be impressed to what lengths she goes to to stay with him in this book. Does she cling to him during potentially dangerous "how to kill newborn vampires" training? Of course! Does she remove him from his family during a fierce battle in which they need as many people on their side as possible? Heck yeah! Does she have him follow her to the bathroom? Probably!

But oh no, it's not just Edward she's clinging to. Now she also wants Jacob, her werewolf notboyfriend who adores her and worships the ground she walks on just like everyone else! But oh, woe is her, because she can't decide between the two of them.

*Spoilers* But in other, more exciting news, Victoria (remember her? she was from like, two books ago and then pretty much forgotten about), the vampire who's mate Edward killed in "Twilight", is coming back for revenge. And she's got a whole team of fresh, newly-created on her side. But then of course the entire battle sequence is ruined by Bella's bad narration so that pretty much kills it. *End Spoiler*

THE CHARACTERS: The beings in this book are pretty much as lame and Sue-ish as ever. Jacob however, as it also was in previous books, is the book's one saving grace. His snarky personality and immature insights make him the only realistic person in this book's entire universe.

Also, Edward is as controlling and "perfect" as ever and Bella is still retarded. And the other characters, of which there are, I swear, at least a billion, are still unimportant.

TECHNICAL STUFF: I have nothing new to say on this subject. Except perhaps that the writing style might be getting worse.

THE THEME: It's the same as in "Twilight" really. It's supposedly about true love conquering all but all I got was more angsty teenagers being angsty. *Spoiler* Also, there's a part neat the end where Bella's about to sacrifice herself to distract the bad vamps to save her favorite discoball. But instead of being written as courageous and heroic, it written as your basic suicidal teen being dumber than usual. *End Spoiler*

OVERALL: Bleh and more bleh. And snore. Seriously, I feel like I've read this before. Oh wait, I have. It's called "Twilight", you know, the first book in the series? They're basically exactly the same. This is where the series started dragging, so I stopped being quite as neutral in my opinion of it.

GRADE: D

I love it when book stores make mistakes...

So about a week ago, just a few days before my choir trip (which I will write about soon), I pre-ordered a book online which was due to be released on the 21st, aka tomorrow. Well, it came last Saturday, the 18th. Now, this may seem insignificant, but I'd been looking forward to this book for quite some time, so I was pretty happy about the whole ordeal.

Sadly, I finished the book by Sunday...

Anyway, that was pretty random, but I just had to share it. And yes, I'll probably review this one eventually.

Book Review: Dhampir

Finally, a good book that happens to have vampires in it. Why are there so few of these?

THE BASICS: For years, Magiere has conned peasants out of their money under the guise of a vampire hunter. In truth though, the "vampire" is her partner, a half-elf named Leesil, who she pretends to kill on a weekly basis. With Leesil's wolf-like dog, Chap, the three had wandered for years using this ruse as a way for easy money. Magiere, though, wishes to retire from the job, and saves up enough to by a tavern in a town near the sea. But their reputation has preceded them, and when three real vampires already living in the town decide to dispose of them, Magiere and Leesil find themselves in a little over their heads.

THE CHARACTERS: The characters are easily the best part of this book and the relationship and personalities of the two protagonists is easily one of my favorite parts. Magierie is condescending and blunt and, with her slightly gothic look, could have easily been a caricature of pretty much all lame fantasy book heroins. But unlike most fantasy heroins, she's well-rounded and isn't a total bee-yotch.

Leesil is funny, friendly, somewhat of an alcoholic, and gives the story the rather dry humor it needs. He's the polar opposite of his surly counterpart and knows just how to push her buttons. Also, despite forever being mentioned second, he's not a secondary character. He's just as much as main character as Magiere, sometimes more so in later books.

The bad-guys of the story, namely the three vampires, are probably some of the greatest villains to ever be written. I liked them. I honestly almost wanted them to win. And in some ways, that was their flaw- they were too likable. This is a problem that continues throughout the rest of the series, namely, almost all the villains are too sympathetic and likable. Although as far as fatal flaws go, I think this is an acceptable one.

TECHNICAL STUFF: The writing is very well done. The perspective changes are great and the voice of each character is unique and fitting. Magiere's point of view is blunt and authoritative. Leesil's point of view is humorous and witty. And all the supporting characters whose views it's ever from is always given a different outlook.

THE THEME: There are several different messages one could get from this book. One of the more uplifting is something along the lines of "sometimes you need to be willing to accept help from others". Also * Potential Spoiler* there is a less positive message and that is "sometimes, you can get away with living a lie". *End Spoiler*

OVERALL: I really loved this book. It hooks you from the start and in my opinion, there's honestly not a dull moment throughout the entire book. It's a great introduction to the "Noble Dead" series, about which more reviews will definitely be popping up, and is highly recommended to all (intelligent) fans of (intelligent) fantasy. (Yes, unfortunately I do have to specify).

GRADE: A

Book Review: New Moon

Once again, I read this book about a year ago, so if I forget any "important" details (if there are any in that book) then I apologize in advance. Kind of.

NOTE: There is at least one spoiler in this review and so I'll be giving an advanced warning just in case someone actually cares. I'll probably start doing that with all my reviews.

THE BASICS: The book begins with Bella's 18th birthday party which is held at the Cullen's house. Bella, being the idiot she is, lands herself with a papercut from wrapping paper which drives Jasper, one of the many Cullen brothers, bonkers and he attempts to eat her. If only the rest of the book were this happy.

Because of this, Edward decides that it's too dangerous for him to be around Bella anymore so he leaves. And it's just that abrupt. He pulls her aside one day, tells her he's leaving, and then boom, he's gone. No more sparklpire.

Bella then isolates herself from all her friends for a few months and becomes totally emo in her grief for Edward's departure (and I am not exaggerating that. She seriously stays depressed for months). She is, however, drawn out of her emoness by her friend Jacob Black, who was in the first book but no one actually payed attention to that. But of course, Bella attracts mythical monsters, so it all goes downhill from there.

TECHNICAL STUFF: This book suffers from the same flaws as it's predecessor- namely, the narration sucks. I am eternally grateful, however, that we weren't forced to sit through the entire Bella emo moments.

THE THEME: This time, the message is a little more positive than the one given in Twilight simply due to the fact that Edward barely makes and appearance. But even so, his influence is reeked throughout. Bella's depression over him leaving is depressing. It also ground in the fact that without him, Bella Sue has nothing. She'd isolated herself from her friends because he didn't like them, she had a shaky relationship with her dad from all the lying done about him, and she had no hobbies that didn't include him. He'd had complete control over her life.

OVERALL: This book is very different from it's predecessor in the sense that there's very little lovey-doveyness in it. As a result, I can't really say whether it's better or worse. Jacob Black, Bella's new friend, is a surprisingly well written character and the saving value to this book. Without him, the story would have been boring as heck. *Spoilers* Equipped with both snark and werewolfness, he's a perfect rival to Edward's "perfection" and vampireness. *End Spoiler*

GRADE: C

Book Review: Twilight

I probably should have done this when I first read the book about a year ago. But hey, better late than never right? And with the movie about to come out on DVD, what better time to discuss the book?

NOTE: There will be spoilers in this review. If for some reason you haven't read them or at least don't know the story, you may not want to continue reading.

THE BASICS: Twilight, begins about the same way as the Twilight movie, namely, some angsty teenage girl named Isabella Swan, Bella for short, who is pretty and perfect moves in with her father for unknown reasons and hates her new life, despite the fact that she chose to go there, and hates the people 'cause they're so dang friendly. Until one day, she meets this emo, pale looking boy who always talks about her death and how dangerous he is. He is, and I quote, a "god-like", "gorgeous", and "spawn of Adonis" type being and we are annoyingly reminded of that fact ever other paragraph (and I am not kidding on that). Also, he's a vampire who wants to eat her. I don't know about you, but this would kind of turn me off.

But of course, Bella, being obviously retarded, falls in love with him and declares that she "can't live without him" and Edward, as the emo vamp is called, feels the same way. They've seen each other for little over a month when that statement is said.

TECHNICAL STUFF: Despite being around 600 pages long, this book can be swallowed in less than a day. One, because it's in large print, and two, because the writing is disturbingly simple. Reading this book, I felt I was being talked down to. The word usage is...... questionable. It felt like the author went through with a thesaurus and just changed all the words to something fancy.

THE THEME: This book has a surprisingly negative message it's giving to people, young girls especially, as they are the target audience. I think the message the author was trying to give was the basic "true love conquers all" type thing and, while this does kind of work when forcibly inserted, the message I got was completely different. Bella's life completely circled around Edward. All her time was spent with him or thinking about him and all her hobbies had something to do with him. Edward however, did have hobbies and had a life, however drab and mellow. He made all the decision and, if Bella ever disagreed, he would woo her into seeing it his way. This screams abusive relationship. Now, perhaps if this had been an actual plot device and the author had used this, then I would have been ok with it. Because it wouldn't have been so masked in fluff and romance. Now, what is this teaching little preteen girls?

OVERALL: I don't hate this book. While it's kind of stupid at times, it has it's clever vices. Also, the mythology is very interesting. With the exception of the "glittering" I think it's almost better than normal mythos. Is the book good? No. It's actually really bad. Not apocalypticly bad though ( I reserve that title for some of the other in the series). But it really tries to be liked, and in that it succeeds more than it fails.

GRADE: C

'Wicked" is, well, wicked!

Alright, so I read the most amazing book the other day. Seriously, it was so good. Many of you have probably heard of it. Raise your hand if you've heard of the musical “Wicked”. I'm certain most of you have. Now, raise your hand if you've heard it was based off a book. I can see that a few of you have put your hands down. Finally, raise your hand if you've actually read the book.

The book “Wicked”, written by Gregory Maguire, is one of the most well-written books I've read in my lifetime. And trust me, I've read a lot of books. For those who don't know, it takes place in the land of Oz several years before Dorothy comes in and is all about Elphaba, the so-called Wicked Witch of the West. It starts with her birth and ends with her death thirty-eight years later.

What makes the book extra special are all the ideas it presents. This is a novel that dares to question the truths about politics, religion, and the nature of good and evil. But it does so in such a way that, while it does ask questions, it doesn't answer them, it allows the reader to decide for themselves. It is a book about good and evil, truths and lies, and making mistakes and being forgiven.

Now, before you go to your nearest library, keep in mind that it is an adult “fairy tale”. It is clearly intended for mature readers and some viewer discretion may be advised. If your even vaguely squeamish, I'd be more than happy to send you a list of all the pages I'd advise skipping for these reasons.

But seriously, if you want a book that is both exciting and thought provoking, I would definitely recommend “Wicked”.