Allegiant Booktalk

Synopsis: The third instalment in Veronica Roth's 'Divergent' trilogy. Told in dual perspective from the two protagonists, it follows the journey of our much loved characters to a place outside of the City they didn't know existed until the shocking conclusion of the last book. After learning that their beloved City was not all they thought it was and after finding that everywhere they go seems to be ruled by corruption, Tris decides that steps have to be taken to save her City and her relationship. A truly brilliant conclusion, if you haven't read the first two books, STOP READING THIS AND GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT. 

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SPOILERS

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This book has broken me. Like seriously, I stopped reading it last night and was too much of an emotional mess to formulate a sentence let alone write the booktalk straight away like I usually do. 

I haven't read anything for a while because I've been at uni and have had A LOT of work so I found it hard to fit in time to read anything but when Allegiant came out I knew that everything else would have to be put aside for a few days. It may be because my mind was preoccupied or because I could only sit down for an hour at a time before I had something else to do, but I didn't find it as easy to get into this book as I did for the other two. When it got to 2/3rds in, I couldn't put it down, but up to this point I feel nothing really happened. Tobias' involvement in the mini-rebellion was the only bit of action that got the pages turning however this scene was over way too quickly. The other parts of the book up to this point were mainly explanatory, describing what the world outside the City was really about which took a lot of explaining. It was just a bit less exciting than the first book which had a cliffhanger at the end of EVERY BLOODY CHAPTER.

The concept was really confusing, I got really confused about who was Divergent and who wasn't and what the difference was between GD and GP and the Allegiant and WAHH MINDFUCK. 

This was the first book that we saw a dual perspective between Tris and Tobias. I loved this because Tobias is one of my favourite characters but in a way I feel it was unnecessary to a certain extent, Tobias' perspective didn't really tell us anything that Tris' perspective couldn't have and Tris' chapters were always more exciting. After reading the end though I know that Tobias' perspective was needed :'(

There was a lot of death in this book, I didn't really care about Edward but I don't think Tori needed to die, and her death was so quick and sudden, it was almost like everything she had done for Tris in the previous books didn't matter because Tris seemed so unfased by her death. THEN THERE WAS URIAH's DEATH:'( He was by far my favourite character so as soon as the explosion went off, I knew this book would send me into emotional turmoil. His death was really prolonged for some reason, I know it was probably to build suspense but what with everything else going on, I kind of just assumed he was already dead. 

And then,

There was Tris' death.

OMG. Why the actual fuck would she let Caleb live after what he did. I understand that it was a selfless act that she had been preparing herself for in all three of the books, as in she had never really understood what proper sacrifice meant but why did she have to die :( When she survived the death serum I was like 'YESSS SHE HAS SURVIVED' but the sacrifice still held the same weight because Caleb surely would have died. BUT THEN DAVID HAD TO COME AND FUCK SHIT UP. I was literally in bits when her Mum came to take her away, like I couldn't even see the page through my tears anymore and I just had to take like half an hour to compose myself. Then Tobias found out and it set me off again, I always saw Tris and Tobias as a pair, like they couldn't survive without each other so in a way I could see how devastated Tobias must have been. 

I genuinely thought that the scene where Tobias spread Tris' ashes was the most beautiful scene in this whole trilogy, possibly in any dystopian book I have ever read. It was perfect and I feel that is exactly what Tris would have wanted. I was glad as well that there was the 'two-and-a-half-years-later' epilogue because I would have been so sad ending the book knowing Tobias was still devastated, it was nice to see that he had found at least some peace with her death but that her memory was still not forgotton. 

I am actually talking about them like they're real people LOL.

What I liked about this book is that we were able to see outside the City, outside the story we were already familiar with. I feel like there's still so more than could be explored, another 10 books could be made out of this concept easily but now we only have the films to look forward to :'(

If you want me to review anything or have anything to say about this post that you agree or disagee with, comment below or send me a message on my Tumblr account http://www.tumblr.com/blog/readwithsophie

I'll try to review more regularly, and I will DEFINITELY write a review of Catching Fire as I am seeing it THE DAY BEFORE THE RELEASE DATE BITCHESSSSS. NOT LONG NOW!

Uni

So in a matter of hours I leave to embark on one of the hardest journeys I've ever faced. I'm off to uni! 

I'm probably finding the prospect so daunting because I have very little confidence and I'm worried about making friends... I know that people say there is a friendship group for everyone at every uni but I'm still petrified! 

Also, the thought of leaving my family has me bawling, I'll miss my mum so much she is literally my best friend ever. Leaving my dog will actually be heartbreakingly and waking up without him there will feel so lonely. 

Now the reason I'm telling you this is partly because it's the reason I may not be posting as much but mostly because I hope I'll read this back in a few months or weeks even and laugh at how silly I was to be worried, I'm hoping I'll be sat there with a whole new load of people who maybe shared the same worries. Regardless as to whether or not this happens, I'll upload another post in a few months and let you know how it's going...

I can truly say I'll miss London so much but I am looking forward to seeing what life is like in the country! I hope to become a more confident person and live life as a teenager where I can stroll home whenever I want and eat junk food all day! Saying this, I really want to do well at uni, I've worked so hard to get here and I don't want to throw all that away so I'll learn to balance a social life (let's hope I have one) and work aswel as my part time job! 

If anyone reading this is younger than me and still considering uni, don't let this post put you off. Yeah I'm scared but who isn't? Everyone is in the same boat which is the only thing reassuring me about this whole experience! 

But anyway back to the important stuff, I'll still be reading and I'll still be posting but it may not be regularly. It's likely I'll give myself some time to settle in and then throw myself into a book without a load of anxiety clouding my mind. I'm looking to read The Infernal Devices series next because I loved Cassie's Mortal Instruments series so much but I'll probably read some new releases aswel. I'm definitely going to read The One and Champion which are both third instalments in much loved trilogies and of course ALLEGIANT COMES OUT VERY VERY SOON SO BRACE YOURSELVES GUYS FOR ONE EMOTION PACKED BLOG POST WHICH PROBABLY WON'T MAKE MUCH SENSE AND WILL JUST CONTAIN A LOAD OF RANDOM LETTERS! 

Oh and also I had such an amazing time attending the Hunger Games premiere last year that I will 100% be coming back to London for the Catching Fire premiere in November so let me know if any of you guys will be there and I'll maybe bump into you and I'll definitely upload a blog post about that night/day/night! Also, let me know if you want me to post about last years HG premiere because I would love to write about it and show you all my amazing pictures and autographs from the WHOLE CAST! It just shows that waking up at 2:00am is sooooo worth it:) 

Thanks for listening to my rambling if you're still reading! 

Switched by Amanda Hocking - Booktalk

Synopsis: The story is told from the perspective of a 17 year old girl called Wendy who suffered a brutal childhood after her mother tried to kill her as she believed her daughter had been switched at birth. After the mysterious Finn turns up at her window and tells her she belongs to a Troll community called Forening, she discovers stolen truths about her childhood as well as duties she couldn't possibly be ready for. All this is sprinkled with a little bit of mind control and a serious case of mixed signals.

SPOILERS

Okay so I'd probably give this book like 3 and a half stars. 

It started out pretty abruptly with the details of Wendy's mothers murder attempt and to be honest I did think to myself 'what have I got myself in for starting this' but I'd paid for the book so I WAS going to finish it.

I didn't actually think the book was all that well written, it was a pretty basic narrative and I just didn't relate to the protagonist, Wendy all that much BUT I did really like the storyline. I thought it was really clever how this small 'Tyrlle' community existed within modern day America undetected from humans, maybe there's a little troll community down by the River Thames which a hot brunette will take me to one day;)

The story was very very similar to The Selection series in my opinion in how Wendy has to learn to be like a Princess and stuff but she doesn't actually want royalty and she thinks she's not cut out for it and blah blah it just rang a few bells in my head! 

Finn wasn't the most desirable love interest I have ever read about to be honest, I still don't really understand why he had to be so mean to Wendy at the school dance, if he wanted to push her away there are other ways to do it! Also he didn't really have very interesting dialogue, his whole 'it's my job' refrain got kinda boring and he just seemed really overly professional all the time never really showing a fun or interesting side... obviously Wendy was only interested because of those eyes she kept going on about.

TEAM RHYS even though that's slightly though not biologically incestuous. He was one of the few characters who seemed to have a personality and actually showed his feelings towards Wendy openly.

I did feel really sorry for Wendy when he real mother, Elora, turned out to be such a b**** I mean she can't really catch a break can she! I was hoping Elora would loosen up but she was still nagging Wendy about everything even when we find out how much the regime relies on Wendy to succeed, just being nice might have made her daughter want to try harder!

My favourite scene was probably the christening-vittra-invasion-dance bit because I was waiting in eager anticipation for Elora's painting to come true and I knew from mid way through the book that it would happen on this night.

The ending was a little disappointing... basically the story just went in a full circle and Wendy ended up exactly where she started just with an extra guest... It's obvious she'll get kidnapped by the Vittra now that she isn't protected so she's basically ensuring her own death sentence PLUS wasn't the reason she left in the first place to protect Matt from the Vittra but now that she's in even more demand she thinks it would be a good idea to put her family in the limelight? Good going Wendy. Oh and also, so Finn basically sacrificed his job, his home and his friends all for nothing then because the only reason he left is so Wendy could become Princess. It was a weird and stupid ending not going to lie but up until the last few pages it was actually really good!

Admittedly I probably won't read the other two books because I read the blurb and know that there's an emerging love triangle in the next couple of books and I hate how some authors assume that all Young Adult's want to read about is bleeding love triangles. I can pretty much predict the ending of this trilogy and so it doesn't overly appeal to me but they are cheap to buy on the Kindle so I'll wait and see!

Sorry if this booktalk has been slightly short and critical, I did actually enjoy this book as a whole so it's worth a read if you're looking for something light to read :)

Fifty Shades of Grey casting...

Okay so some of you may not know that yes, E. L. James' erotic first edition to her Fifty Shades trilogy is being turned into a movie. If you've been living under a rock for the past year then last summer mad craze over this trilogy may have slipped past you but I can assure you it was BIG. People went crazy for these books, I think mainly because people love to jump on the bandwagon of the 'next big thing' but regardless, it was no suprise when the film rights were bought for the first book 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and the hunt for the perfect people to play the protagonist Anastasia Steele and her kinky new boyfriend Christian Grey began.

Quickly to sum up the first book (spoilers), Anastasia or 'Ana' meets the rich entrepreneur Christian Grey when she is asked to interview him. After a few not-so-coincidental encounters she realises she has feelings for this man and they take their relationship one step further. Ana soon learns however of her lover's inner demons which drive his need for ultimate control, he asks her to agree to a sadomasochistic relalationship whereby he would inflict various acts of pain on her, using her body as an instrument of his pleasure. While considering this proposition and the its repurcussions on herself she digs deeper into Christian's past to discover where his need for dominance originates and finds she wants more from this man than a contract and a whip, she wants a romance.

Now admittedly I didn't just buy and read the first book but I finished all three. To be honest, I actually really enjoyed the books regardless of how kinky they are. I agree with a lot of the criticism that there is more sex than storyline and that the writing style isn't exactly brilliant but you do end up falling in love with the characters somehow. 

A few names have been in the mix for the casting of the characters, most mere fan choices such as Emma Watson or Kristen Stewart for the role of Anastasia and Matt Bomer or Ian Somerhalder for the role of Christian Grey. It's no suprise that Emma Watson corrected these rumours stating she'd be degrading herself by taking on the role, after all its a controversial genre and could be career damaging in the long term.

Eventually these two actors have been cast, Dakota Johnson as Anastasia and Charlie Hunnam for Christian Grey. 

I've heard 90% criticism, 10% praise for this casting and I must admit im with the 10%. I actually really like Dakota Johnson, in The Social Network her small role was performed with modesty and I think she'll be really good at portraying Ana's timid tendencies and her sometimes shy personality. She's brunette in the book yes but we still don't know that they won't just pop down to the supermarket and buy some brown hair dye!

Charlie Hunnam isn't who I pictured I must admit but if he shaves and neatens his look up a bit I have no doubt he'll be a great Christian! I haven't made my mind up about him completely because I haven't seen him act in anything yet but I don't think the casting directors would have chosen him unless they had faith he could do it. A lot of people are forgetting that their ideal actor choices may not have wanted to do the film so they shouldn't take it out on the producers of the film...

I'm intrigued to see how they'll portray the sex scenes because they can't take up the whole film like how they took up the majority of the books because we'd basically be watching a porno lets be honest. Hopefully we'll get more of a glimpse into the actual storyline. 

The release date is confirmed as August 1st, 2014.

P.S. Fun fact of the day, I know E.L. James distantly haha! She's a friend of a friend's mum, I don't care if I've never actually met her this is my claim to fame!

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare Book Talk and City of Heavenly Fire snippets reaction!

WARNING: SPOILERS

Wow, like seriously wow this book is the second best in the whole series just behind City of Glass. 

This is completely different to any of the other TMI books... Firstly it follows the stories of the other characters more closely so the whole book isn't completely centred on Clary and Jace which I loved! Not that I don't love the Clace storyline but I seriously ship Isabelle and Simon and so was literally crying with happiness when Cassie put them together eventually! I also wrote in my previous post about CoFA that something interesting would go down with Alec and Magnus... This book left me seriously heartbroken after the Epilogue like I was actually blubbering like a baby because I genuinely don't see that Alec has done anything wrong! You're still immortal Magnus get a grip. 

Also this book went places, like literally I took it on holiday with me, but we actually saw settings in places like Paris and Venice which were a nice change from the typical story setting of New York. I can imagine Cassie actually sitting outside the places she writes about as she writes them with the amount of intricate details she adds in and the way she talks about the characters walking through various winding streets to get from one place to another I believe she knows these places like the back of her hand!

But oh Cassie as much as I love you, you're killing me with these plot twists. When Sebastian went all weird an incestuous I was seriously like WOAH where the hell did that come from and the whole heavenly fire thing is so cool and new, personally I think Jace is slowly becoming an actual angel but that's just a prediction! OH AND WHAT ABOUT MAUREEN! Well she was certainly underestimated! I can't believe she killed Camille who everyone was so scared of in CoFA! She's a powerful little vampire and I'm sure she'll cause a lot of the drama in City of Heavenly Fire which will definitely mix things up, tbh little children in horror movies scare the hell out of me so I am hoping it's all kept PG or at least 12a...

We see so many new dimensions to characters in this book, we learn more about Jordan and Maia and even Isabelle drops her hard exterior at parts to reveal her inner damsel.

Lets be honest though, if you've read this book you will agree with me when I say that Jace's sexual frustration radiates off the pages, like seriously Clace have got so close to having sex so many times but it never happens and while it was getting frustrating at parts I can understand why Clary said no, he was acting like an animal at parts I didn't like that at all... Good on you girl! 

I'm slightly disappointed that Luke and Jocelyn never managed to get married but I guess that's something that could turn into a big event where lots of plot twists come into effect with maybe a few uninvited guests I don't know I can just see this happening.

Basically I just couldn't put this book down, at parts I wasn't sure whether Jace was actually the real Jace the whole time and Clary failed to see or whether he was actually brainwashed... I JUST HAD TO FIND OUT.

So yeah if you haven't read this book or any book in the series then DO IT NOW AND IM SORRY FOR THE SPOILERS just draw a memory runs or something and forget what you have read :)

Now to the second part of this blog post, obviously after reading the Epilogue of CoLS I went straight into google and tumblr to see if there was ANYTHING about City of Heavenly Fire that can keep me going until May and I came across a snippets page, the link is at the bottom for anyone who wants to take a look but I seriously did not expect for so much insight into the next book!

Usually I have nothing to go by but a blurb description or a cover but these are some serious spoilers!

I'm just gonna speed right ahead to what shocked me the most, the picture with the caption 'your boyfriend's dead thought you should know' LIKE WHAT WHO WHEN HOW WHY CASSANDRA WHY DOES ANYONE HAVE TO DIE

I will seriously break down emotionally if any of the male leads get killed off but I feel now that it will inevitably happen because apart from Max and Amatis there haven't been any massive significant deaths that have rocked the storyline and the end of the series is the perfect way to send all readers into clinical depression. To be honest I'll be most upset if its Jace or Simon but equally I think I'll still stay in bed for a few months and grieve if it's Alec or Magnus or LUKE OMG PLEASE LET IT NOT BE LUKE :'(

I suppose we just have to wait and see even though May seems so bleeding far away! On this page though were also a couple of saucy pictures of Clace and Sisabelle ;);) lets hope Clace finally succumb to their 'sexual desires' (sounds so cringe I know)

There will be a few new plot twists and I'm interested to see what all this Julian Blackthorn business is about!

I know this post hasn't been the most coherent but there's so much I just want to write about and I'm too excited to make it flow so I do apologise if this has annoyed anyone haha! 

 http://readwithsophie.blogspot.com/2013/08/city-of-lost-souls-by-cassandra-clare.html

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - Film Talk

I literally left the cinema half an hour ago and have been buzzing with feels ever since. I have been so so so excited for this film ever since I heard about it and so of course had high expectations. To a certain extent my expectations were met but the last half an hour of the film has knocked it slightly for me.

Here's why I was happy with it, I felt the characters grew into themselves as the film progressed, especially Isabelle who I wasn't sure of at first but she eventually showed signs of the sarcastic primadonna from the books. Simon was played perfectly by Robert Sheehan I don't think they could have got the casting more right. I wish we saw more of Magnus Bane but hopefully that will come with the next films. 

The settings were spot on! The greenhouse was just as I imagined it and so were places like Clary's house, the Institute...

The greenhouse scene. Okay so I already replayed the kiss from the German trailer over and over but seeing it with the music was so better (I sound like a perv but I'm not I promise haha)! Jace and Clary's transition to liking each other want rushed either, we saw Jace's jealousy at Clary and Simon's relationship as well as the banter exchanged between Jace and Clary... Seeing Jace break his hard exterior in the greenhouse was so muchmore noticeable   thanks to this.

Some people have said the film lacks the humour from the books but I was cracking up more than once at Jace and Simon and even at Luke and Clary who weren't obviously funny characters in the book. The film had me literally laughing my head off then five minutes later crying my eyes out which was interesting for the people sitting next to to witness...

Nothing major was missed out but some scenes were rushed, Jace and the gang had been from Magnus' party (which was one of the scenes I was most looking forward to and we were only there for about 3 mins) to the Hotel Dumort in about 5 mins and Simon was never turned into a rat :( I know sacrifices had to be made to make the film in under 2 hours but time could have been cut elsewhere like during the long battle scene at the Institute at the end...

That brings me onto my main criticism, the ending was not true to the book... Valentine didn't lead the others to Renwick's and Luke's story when he tells Clary all about the Circle and Valentine's plans was glazed over so much that the people I went to see the film with didn't really understand why Valentine actually wanted the cup at all. PLUS HE DIDN'T EVEN GET THE CUP!? Correct me if I'm wrong but i swear he does get the cup in book one? The whole plot of City of Ashes involves Valentine securing his power using the cup and the sword and the sword he definitely gets in book two. Oh well this bugged me because at least 10 minutes could have been cut if Valentine just had the cup. 

The whole pentagram thing with inviting the demons into the institute bugged me as well because that never happens in the book instead Valentine uses Forsaken soldiers but I suppose it's a good way to show how in book two Valentine betrays his kind by using demons to fight his battles.

I know it seems like I have a lot of negative comments about the film but that's only because it's the negative parts which play on my mind that I have to get off my chest. Overall I would say it was worth the wait, the soundtrack was perfect and the incest thing wasn't done in a creepy way that would have scared people off watching the next movie.

If I were to rate it I'd say 7 or 8/10 but I've already booked my tickets so see it again so it must be worth going to see:)

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare - Book Talk

This isn't like any of my other posts because I'm not reviewing the book just letting loose all my emotions after having just finished it.

By the Angel that was the most frustrating ending.

I read City of Bones a while back but never finished the series, a decision I am now beating myself up about but also thanking myself for making because quite frankly the series is driving me insane...

The ending of City of Glass was so perfect I didn't even want to read this book because I didn't want anything bad to happen in the next book which from reading the blurb I knew was inevitable.

I am so emotionally engaged with these characters thanks to the brilliance that is Cassandra Clare's writing that I literally scream and swear whenever a character makes a bad decision which in this book is CONSTANTLY.

First let me talk about the ending, of course Jace was going to get mad at himself for how he treated Clary but I figured after a heartfelt monologue from Clary he'd get over it, which I think he did BUT THEN WE FIND OUT LILITH IS STILL CONTROLLING HIM THROW SEBASTIAN/JONATHAN and now he's like weirdly bound to Seb because they shared each others blood or something but what I really don't understand is like, will Jace now be part demon? Does this mean if Seb dies Jace will die as well?! ALSO Clary will be devastated now because it's another thing stopping her and Jace being with each other I mean really Cassie GIVE THEM A BREAK its 4 books into the series and they haven't had a chance to just enjoy their relationship yet! 

Obviously in the next book Seb (and maybe Jace now) will be the big super villain which is interesting and I'm intrigued to see how he's defeated (IF HE IS DEFEATED WAHHHH) what with Jace in the picture now as well!

And Jocelyn has even more reason to hate Jace now as well I feel that will be a big hurdle to cross if Clary and Jace do EVENTUALLY start a functional relationship because Jocelyn could get all bad ass and it could be Jace's head she's smashing with a fridge next!

It's sort of devastating also that Jocelyn and Luke haven't gotten married yet, they probably won't now what with everything that is going:(

SIMON AND ISABELLE I SHIP THEM SO HARD! Simon has sacrificed so much and put up with everything that's been thrown at him I feel he deserves to be happy and even though his true love Clary may not reciprocate the same feelings, Isabelle does and I think they can and hopefully will be happy together! 

Oh yeah and I almost ripped the page out of my book when I thought Simon was going to die because he's by far my favourite character of the whole series and it breaks my heart how Shadowhunters automatically dislike him because he's a vampire. Also it really annoyed me when Clary was just going to let Simon die for her! She should have fought harder or even tried to sacrifice herself to save him because he's always been there for her ever since they were little kids!

I'm thinking Magnus will find a way of turning Alec immortal in the next book which will be interesting because I like their relationship and I'm intrigued to see what the price of immortality is!

ALSO... Where is Camille?! What is she going to do now AND the whole mystery with the Seelie Queen still hasn't been addressed I mean why is she so interested in Clary and Jace's relationship and what is this 'untold secret' she's been harping on about?! OH AND the whole prophecy tarot reading bit where Madame Dorothea said Jace would fall in love with the wrong person hasn't been resolved yet and in hoping all these questions are answered in the next book because I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL MAY 14TH OKAY I JUST CAN'T.

Well that's me done I think, I'm gonna hit the hay now and try to sleep with all these feels still going through my head! 

Buenas noches xx

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - Film Talk

So I figured that considering the film for the first instalment in one of my favourite series of all time, the Mortal Instruments series, is coming out in less than a month I would read the book again whilst on holiday in the beautiful mountainous location of Mijas Pueblo, Spain. There is possibly nothing I love more than lying by the pool listening to music with a good book and oh my I forgot how much I absolutely love this series. I'm going to that place in my mind again when I life and breath a book that I love, it's all I want to talk about and so the fact that I have a FILM to look forward to makes me even more crazily obsessed.

Since I've been back from Spain I've watched all the varying trailers from every country about 20 times... This film will be epic. I realllllly do hope it gets as big as say Harry Potter unlike other book-film adaptations like Percy Jackson which for me didn't really live up to my expectations. 

More than anything, I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT ALEX PETTYFER WAS NOT CAST AS JACE. Hate me all you like but he was the last person I could imagine playing Jace, his acting would ruin everything Jace is about in the books. Jamie Campbell Bower is a strange one, I like him because I haven't seen him play a big big role in anything before and I'm intrigued to see what he can do with Jace. From the trailer he definitely captures the dark, intimidating side of the character I just hope that in the film, we see all the humour and sarcasm which makes up Jace's character.  

Lily Collins is perfect for the role of Clary if you ask me, she looks the right age and apart from the colour of her hair, when I was reading the book the first time, I was picturing someone not far off from Lily Collins when I imagined Clary.

THE CASTING OF SIMON IS JUST OMGAAAAAD SO PERFECT. His description in the book matches Robert Sheehan's personality and appearance exactly, Simon is one of my favourite characters and I'm so glad they found someone to do him justice as well as Robert most definitely will.

I've found out recently that the Shadowhunters are all supposed to be British and the rest of the cast American, in the trailer it's mainly Jamie's voice we hear out of the Shadowhunters and it did sound somewhat out of place amongst all the other accents rocking about but at the same time I'm glad us Brits have a place in the film.

SPOILERS

Okay so lets confront the elephant in the room and talk about the incest thing. When reading the book for the first time I can honestly say I have never been more shocked by a plot twist in my life. I have a feeling that people might watch the film and just think it weird and disgusting but if you read the books you'll understand that it's not like that at all. Some people may be so put off by it that they'll scare other potential viewers away or refuse to watch the next film (lets hope there definitely is a City of Ashes adaptation!). I'm intrigued to go to the cinema and hear the reaction of my friends and people around me who probably don't know its coming.

On a more positive note however, its only 27 days till the film comes out!

I recommend everyone go watch the film and I'll probably write a review of what I thought of it once I've seen it.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Here's a link to the trailer in case anyone wants to check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UHdZMEUOQ8

Shades of Earth (Third Instalment in the Across the Universe Trilogy) by Beth Revis - Book Review

Synopsis

This is the third instalment in the Across the Universe trilogy, which explores the same themes as the other two books; the narrative is similarly split between Amy and Elder and it still follows their lives aboard the space ship Godspeed which embarked on a 300 year mission to the planet Centauri Earth. In this instalment however, Elder has decided that leaving the ship Godspeed for the new planet which actually exists on Godspeed's doorstep is worth the risks that Orion has warned about. Upon arrival, Amy and Elder as well as the Earthborns which have now been unfrozen, including Amy's mother and her father who takes position as leader, find that the monsters Orion feared are very real indeed, they come across strange dinosaur like birds, strange reptilian footprints and flowers which make you pass out amongst other interesting discoveries about their new home. They soon find that they may not be the first humans to step foot on this supposedly undiscovered planet, it soon becomes a race for survival to uncover hidden secrets and fight against an enemy who the members of Earth and Godspeed were very much unprepared for. 

SPOILERS

Review: Okay this book was by far the best in the trilogy, it could have had its own trilogy leading on from this book alone because there was is so much that can still be explored within the Shades of Earth main plot. The 5 stars admittedly are given mainly because the ending of the book was just OMGDFSDFLNRK<GNRELNLARNELFN AMAZINGLY FANTASTICALLY EMOTIONALLY SATISFYING. Basically we are led to believe that Elder has died saving Amy by blowing up the space station which housed the biological bomb which would have killed the rogue hybrids who were keeping Amy hostage and actually converted her into one of them! Revis does this thing with the chapters when instead of having the narrative alternating between Amy and Elder, IT'S JUST AMY AND ELDER HAS NOTHING BUT A BLANK PAGE BUT IT'S NOT BLANK NOW BECAUSE OF MY TEARS. Like seriously I was BAWLING like a baby when Elder had 'died', I was just waiting for Amy to commit because lets be honest she'd lost her home, her parents who she waited 3 months to unfreeze and now the love of her life, how she was less of an emotional wreck than me I have no idea. Then just when you think the trilogy will end and you're getting ready to throw the book across the room, AMY FINDS ELDER IN THE FOREST WITH HIS CRASHED ESCAPE SHUTTLE OMGAAAAAAD! You'd think the tears would stop at this point but no, it was such a beautiful reunion where he was all like "I don't care if you're a hybrid" and she's all like "you came back to me" and he was like "always" and GOD BETH REVIS WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME. This was possibly the best ending of any trilogy (apart from The Hunger Games) that I have ever read and it makes up all the nitty gritty bits that annoyed me about this trilogy.

Basically this book brought up SO MANY MORE QUESTIONS in every single Chapter like how has Phydus got onto the planet? What's Orion's last clue? Who are the aliens? I raced to the end of this book just to get some answers! Everything was revealed all at once in just a few chapters which I found a lot to take in and it all became very confusing at points that I think I missed some bits. Firstly, what actually happened to the first colony? So they weren't killed off they were injected with Phydus and the gen mods right? Or were they killed off by the FRX?! Also, how did Dr. Gupta and Emma etc get Phydus into their system? Is that how the rogue hybrids killed them off? I'm still a bit confused here but the rest all clicks into place nicely.

There were so many surprises in this book, I was NOT expecting Chris to be a rogue hybrid at all, I was so shocked and actually refused to believe it for a while hoping he was being blackmailed by them or something! To be honest though, I find it a bit odd that Colonel Martin just welcomed him into the colony like surely if he was from the first colony, Amy's Dad could hold him hostage and get information out of him or something?! But instead he trusted this COMPLETE STRANGER from ANOTHER PLANET who he's known for FIVE MINUTES to look after his wife and daughter, rookie mistake Colonel. 

I also think Amy was waaaaay too forgiving with the rogue hybrids, they had killed a third of her colony and both of her parents but she didn't have any real desire for revenge or justice which I thought was slightly unrealistic. 

Beth Revis deserves a round of applause for the setting development in this book though, she created a whole new world from her imagination and managed to squeeze enough detail about this new world as well as an actual substantial story all in one book which takes some trilogy's a couple of books to do. The story was so original, from the pteros to the solar energy cubes. What I really like about this whole trilogy is that it's very dystopian but still very relatable, developments such as the grav tubes and the cubes are things which our current generation may not be too far away from, I know this story is set centuries in the future but still, hopefully when I'm an old lady I'll be able to press a button and get my dinner delivered to me through a hole in my wall.

Also, the development of Amy and Elder's relationship was so perfect. I'm actually glad that Chris was in the picture to mix things up between the couple and actually make Amy realise how much she loves Elder. Whats more, their sex scene was approached so well, the way that Elder didn't want to pressure Amy into anything and they were both so honest with each other about what they wanted. They didn't actually say 'I love you' to each other which would have been nice, but it was implied that they both loved each other though so I'm still happy! Their relationship seemed so difficult, they both had different responsibilities but they still made every effort to stay in each others lives and in the end Elder puts Amy's life before any of his other responsibilities.

Ahhhhh well done Beth Revis, you have absolutely outdone yourself with this last instalment! 

A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Book Review

So I promised I'd blog my book reviews as soon as possible and I finally put this book down about 10 seconds ago so there's no denying my efficiency!

Synopsis: This is the second instalment in the Across the Universe trilogy. This book will throw plot twists and cliffhangers at you, it will make you fall in love and may even make you want to become an astronaut, I know I'm reconsidering my future job now! This book continues from the first instalment in following the narrative of the two protagonists. Whilst Elder struggles to lead in the face of a population who are seeing things for how they really are now that they're off Phydus, Amy pieces together the clues Orion has left her which will eventually lead her to make a decision which will change the fate of the whole ship. This book has everything; romance, action, rebellion, suspense and a flexing load of stars;)

SPOILERS

Review:  I must say, I gave this book the same number of stars as it's predecessor (see Across the Universe review below) but I do think this second book was better than the first though it takes a lot for me to give a book 5 stars so 4 was what it's got I'm afraid. 

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Damn you Beth Revis for writing a book which literally took up 99.9% of my thoughts whilst I was at work, I haven't had much of a social life in the past few days because all I want to do is come home, lay in the sunshine with a glass of Pimms (very British) and read this book! It is such a page turner, the tension was insane... every single chapter revealed a little bit more about Orion's big secret and I found myself trying to decode his clues and getting nowhere, I would suck as a detective.

I am so glad that Elder and Amy's relationship deepened in this instalment, their affection for one another was so much clearer and there were more kissing scenes, an almost sex scene (I proper sound like a creep now) but Revis made explicit that the romance between the two wasn't the whole focus of the trilogy and so much else happened in this book which the romance could just develop alongside and it didn't overshadow this. Elder and Amy did argue, what couple doesn't? But it wasn't repetitive and the repercussions of these disagreements weren't dragged out like some writers tend to do, they were resolved and the plot could move on!

I was so happy when Luthor was killed, although we didn't exactly find out who killed him, I guessed it was Doc with his med patches. He could have gone on to become a villain type character in the last book but as the plot went on I realised that there will probably be enough villains in the next book anyway especially now that Orion is becoming unfrozen and Doc is on the loose still. I'm glad that Revis didn't try to make Luthor's character seek redemption or something like that because some writers tend to turn their villains into heroes but there was no way I would ever warm to Luthor!

We got to learn a lot more about the other inhabitants of the ship seeing as everyone is now off Phydus, such as Bartie and Victria which I liked because it meant we saw outside the bubble of the main characters. 

If I had one little criticism it would be that Revis sacrificed logic in her plot development in exchange for the creation of tension and suspense... Orion was leaving Amy clues and some sort of puzzle which would eventually lead her to his secret but at the same time he kept stressing how 'time is running out'... he could have just told her all at once! Why make her find out bit by bit when the clock is ticking and food is running out? It made me race to the end of the book and I love it when I get this endorsed in a book but in retrospect it was all a bit contradictory. 

Now You See Me - Film Review

Okay so I know I promised I would review books on this blog, but I've literally 5 minutes ago come out of the cinema and I NEED to talk about this film so I thought I'd simply write about it...

Synopsis: In short, the plot follows four street magicians, Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) who have been assigned a mysterious 'mission' by a supposed fifth horseman in their clique. An impressive act sees the four horseman steal 3 million euros from a Parisian bank using an audience member as their pawn in the operation. The case is taken on by an FBI agent played by Mark Ruffalo and his French accomplice. As the film plays out, the audience is left to question who is truly that one step ahead, the horsemen, the FBI or the ex, bitter magician Morgan Freeman and his rival turned partner Michael Caine. Without giving anything away, this film will have you questioning everything you have ever thought about magic and you'll leave the cinema feeling monumentally mind blown. 

SPOILERS

The thing that drew me to this film was the originality of its premise, I've never seen anything like it myself even though I know there are similar films such as The Illusionist. I follow acts like Derren Brown and Dynamo religiously and was so intrigued by this movie I felt I had to see it on its opening night. It stayed true to my expectations and had me sitting on the edge of my feet, I felt as drawn into the act as the audience members inside the screen did. At the start when Isla Fisher was supposedly trapped inside the tank getting eaten alive by fish, I thought it was game over for her, failing to remember that she is a main character and would not be killed off in the first 5 mins. I could not predict the tricks or the mind games, throughout the film, we were manipulated to believe that Mark Ruffalo was getting closer and closer to finding out the truth behind these four horsemen. We followed his story for the majority of the film and just when we thought he was that one step ahead, after the 'death' of Dave Franco... we could not have been more wrong, the magicians had quite a bit up their sleeves.

The casting was perfect, the four magicians worked so well together. Eisenberg portrayed perfect characterisation for his character, he had that typical egotistic persona that I would imagine that character would certainly possess. Harrelson had me laughing and amazed by his character and Fisher was certainly not sidelined in the way women usually are when it comes to 'magic' shows. I do wish we saw more of Dave Franco, I feel he drew the short straw and didn't have an overly important role but this isn't new, (WARM BODIES SPOILERS) his character in Warm Bodies was killed off pretty swiftly, hopefully we'll see him in a leading role some time soon.

THE PLOT TWISTED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS I COULDN'T PREDICT THE ENDING! I'm usually quite good at predicting who the suspect is but at no point did I consider that Mark Ruffalo was the one behind the whole thing, I'm still questionable as to why the hell he went to such lengths and what he actually gained from it all. There were a few bits and bobs that weren't really explained, or maybe I just missed an important line or something. I still don't know who died in the crash if it wasn't Dave Franco and I would love to understand more about the Eye and what it actually is, was it an organisation? Another universe? A new set of magical powers? I JUST DON'T KNOW!

I haven't heard overly good things about this film, even just walking out of the cinema I heard people commenting about its complexity and difficulty to comprehend but one thing is for sure, no matter how much I was bursting, I would not dare leave my seat for a toilet break I was so drawn in... I would recommend everyone watches this film but it may take a couple more viewings for me to fill in some bits I'm still confused about.

I would have given this film 5 stars if not for the fact that I believe some bits were unecessary. There was a small, undeveloped romance between the duo of Mark Ruffalo and French actress Mélanie Laurent, I saw this union happening right from the very start and thought it was slightly predictable and detached from the originality of the plot as a whole. There were also, as I explained previously, some bits which I don't really understand and some bits should have been explained in more depth and not just bypassed by the odd comment which could have easily been missed. 

Book Review - Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Synopsis: The narrative is split between the two protagonists; Amy who decided to follow the path of her parents and freeze her body which would then be placed on the spaceship, Godspeed, which is to then travel for 300 years to another planet similar to that of Earth. The second narrator is Elder who will succeed his superior, Eldest, in the running and control of Godspeed. Basically one day Amy's body is mysteriously unfrozen, she turns out to be the first of many and the hunt soon begins for the perpetrator. Not only is the ship and its residents under absolute control, the whole ship itself is a lie. Amy and Elder's relationship slowly blossoms amongst mindless, horny rabbits, a corrupt leader and a Doctor who believes throwing drugs at a problem will eliminate it.  

SPOILERS

This was possibly the strangest book I have ever read. It is based on the most abstract concept, read the synopsis above to find out exactly what it is about but basically it does take a few chapters to get into it. Overall I thought it was a really good read, the structure is really interesting and adds to the suspense really well because often one chapter will end on a cliff-hanger and you have to read through the next chapter before things are revealed by which point another cliff-hanger has emerged!

I love the kind of detective-story aspect of this novel; I was pulling my hair out at points trying desperately not to look to the back page to just find out who was pulling out the ice tray things or whatever they're called! All this suspense made me turn the pages so quickly I finished the book in a matter of days (which is rare for me because normally I drag out books I enjoy because I don't want them to end!). I won't give away who the murderer is because if you're reading this and haven't read the books then please go read it now and guess for yourself who you think it is. All I'll say is the answer isn't as straightforward as you may think and I was so surprised by all the twists at the end of this book.

The book took a really dark turn at one point, the bit where Luthe and the feeders tried to rape Amy left me gaping in shock, this is definitely a more mature Young Adult novel. The description of the period called 'the Season' basically consisted of loads of couples having sex on any surface they could find. It actually made me feel really uncomfortable reading it which is obviously the effect but I;m not sure it was worth it! The Season could have been described in another way if you ask me but that's just my opinion. Amy's feelings after the rape were sort of glazed over, she didn't seem too upset about it but at the same time I suppose I'm glad this event didn't pervade the narrative. Generally though I don't think the rape added much to the storyline, Luthe's characterisation wasn't developed, he wasn't mentioned again and Elder never found out... was it really necessary?

My favourite character was probably Harley, at first I thought it might turn into a love triangle between him, Amy and Elder but I was relieved when the plot didn't head in this direction!

If I did have one more little criticism (little I swear!) it would be that some things weren't explained. For example, we never really find out what happened to Earth to make this mission even necessary or if anything happened at all. At first I thought there was some kind of apocalypse but then as the story went on I realised that might not have been the case. Also, we never really find out why the ship left a year later than planned, something that was revealed in Chapter 1. Hopefully these little details will be explained in the next book but it was just something I was waiting to be revealed throughout this first one.

All the numbers and terminology do get slightly icky sometimes and I'm not a big fan of Maths myself so calculating the number of years left or the number of years travelled made my brain hurt so I just sort of went with the flow which I recommend for a more relaxing read! The concept of the novel is abstract to say the least but after a while you find yourself so absorbed in the storyline you forget that the characters are actually floating in the middle of space with no escape.

The Elite by Kiera Cass - Fan Fiction

This is the first Fan Fiction I've ever published so please be easy on it! It's linked to my previous post which was a review of the same book but even if you haven't read the book, I hope you can still follow where I'm going with this. 

Kriss and I have been bickering all day over plans for the visits from the Italian royal family. We're finally getting somewhere but we disagree over everything, mainly because both of us are so inexperienced at this, talk about being thrown into the deep end. It reassured me that Kriss knew as little as I did about how to be a good Princess; this stuff came as naturally to her as walking came to a fish. I forced my body up the two staircases towards my room and almost as soon as I found the door I had collapsed on my bed, my heavy eyelids willing themselves open no longer. My maids were gone; this I thought was strange but no stranger than what had just that moment captured my attention. The jar. In the jar I had kept Aspens coins rested a folded up note, I suddenly found a sharp burst of energy and unscrewed the lid as quickly as possible. I recognised the scruffy handwriting straight away and as I read I became too excited to sit still, you wouldn't know the same girl was physically dragging one foot in front of the other 2 minutes ago through the palace. Aspen wants to meet tonight at exactly 9:48, this must be the time the guards are changing stations. I glanced at the clock; I have one and a half hours to kill.

I lay on my bed piecing together Aspen's vague instructions in my head, drawing maps in my mind making quiet sounds of frustration when I looked at the clock and only 10 minutes had passed. Almost as if on cue, two of my maids came bustling in, Lucy made a small shriek of surprise when she saw me and looked to Anne pleadingly as if for help, her eyes were puffy but I didn't mention anything.

"We're ever so sorry we weren't here when you returned from dinner Miss America" Anne quickly retorted, she looked almost ashamed.

"Oh don't worry about it I only just got back" I lied, I was grateful they were gone or else Aspen wouldn't have been able to deliver me my note. I briefly wondered where Mary was, but there was little space for thinking with these maids around.

"Are you ready for bed then Miss?" Lucy asked, her fingertips were already fumbling with the clips in my hair.

"No its fine" I said more sternly than I meant to, "I mean no honestly I'm not that tired and I have to um..." I was stumped, I had no responsibility here apart from on the rare occasions Silvia gave us homework, I was free to be pampered and laze around all I wanted. "I think I'll just practise my piano playing maybe, I would hate to go home not having learnt any of the new beautiful sheet music you have here".

Anne and Lucy gave each other a sideways glance, obviously thinking the same thing but not quite sure whether to pursue their thoughts. Anne caved, "Do you really think you're going to be eliminated Miss?" she looked disappointed, defeated even; I was so proud I had these girls on my team. They had a point though; I just admitted the possibility of me going home out loud without even realising, had I truly lost hope now that Kriss was in the picture? Had my heart finally decided that Aspen was the one?

The maids kept me busy enough, I didn't really need to practise the new sheet music, I knew if I asked they'd let me take it home with me if it came down to that. I found myself actually quite enjoying myself though; occasionally I'd ask Lucy to help me out by pressing a key or pushing the pedal for me. Most of the time she got it wrong but I didn't mind, it had us all in hysterics of laughter whenever she tried to recite what I'd just played for her. I was so preoccupied I forgot what time it was, I glanced at the clock and saw I had a mere 6 minutes to decode Aspen's instructions and meet him, if I was too late he'd surely think I'd not gotten his note or didn't want to see him. The thought of him thinking I'd abandoned him made me sick to my stomach.

"I think I'm going to go and get some air" I said moving towards the door.

"But Miss, I don't think Maxon will approve of you going outside what with all the recent rebel attacks" Anne pleaded. Her face looked genuinely concerned, I remembered what Kriss said about wanting my maids if she was to win, I wondered how long it would take them to warm to Kriss the way them seemed to care for me.

"You're right" I admitted, "Perhaps I'll go find him and see if he would like to accompany me".

They visibly relaxed and smiled, I was excused. I shut the door calmly and could hear them chuckling just before I began jogging down the hall. I took the instructions out of my pocket and moved into a corner to make out where he wanted me to go next.

I was 15 minutes late by the time I finally got my bearings and knew which door I was supposed to open. The door was already ajar and I pushed it open slowly and quietly, the room was dark, made even more so once I'd closed the door again behind me cutting off the light supply coming from the hallway.

"Aspen?" I whispered.

I felt him before I could see him, his fingers laced in between mine and he pulled me towards the back of the room. He took me under an archway which apparently led into another smaller room.

"I was beginning to give up hope" he chuckled, we were standing so close I could feel his breath tickle behind my ear, smell that familiar scent which had provided me comfort for two years, the smell which guaranteed hope and passion. Aspen was stronger now, his muscles were firmer and his face was clean of any stubble, his job at the palace had changed him but we were still the same somehow, he still made me feel important and excited when he touched me.

"I would never abandon you Aspen", I looked up at him, he looked sad.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You would never abandon me Mer, but that's exactly what I did to you... I don't deserve you".

I looked away, feeling hurt at the reminder but I gave his hand a squeeze to let him know I was recovering, my wounds were slowly healing. We stood like this for a while, hand in hand pressed up against each other, kissing each other lightly; his lips were soft against my neck, his kiss felt familiar, his touch reassuring.

"We haven't got much time" he said, breaking the silence.

"There's never enough time" I thought aloud, I remembered the promise I made to Maxon that I simply needed more time, I just had no idea how much time exactly.

My reverie was broken by the faint sound of a doorknob clicking open, I looked up at Aspen alarmed, his face reflected the panic going on in my head and he rushed me to the corner of the small room to conceal me from the moonlight streaming in through the windows. If anyone caught us here, Aspen would lose his job, my family would lose their income and we'd both be demoted to the lowest caste possible. I slowed my breath and listened out for any sounds of the visitor. I could just make out the sound of a woman's voice, it was shrill and familiar. There was a man in here with her, their voices were getting louder as I assumed they moved towards the back of the first room we entered, then it hit me, the woman's voice, it was Mary. I could make out their conversation now,

"What's wrong? You looked so worried earlier on" the man asked.

"I'm worried that Anne knows about us, she took me aside today and told me I should remember my place... Gavril what if she tells someone!" Mary cried.

"If she does then so what? I'm tired of hiding, I love you and maybe if you get kicked out of this place we can finally be together?" Gavril said, Mary was crying I could hear her sniffles, "Calm down honey, things will sort themselves out soon enough. Look I have to go and speak to the Prince about this week's Report, go straight to your quarters and don't tell Anne anything just yet, I'm going to think of a plan I promise."

I heard him kiss her and then the door opened again, after a short few moments I was sure both of them had left. I glanced up at Aspen and saw him smiling down at me, I had a sudden urge to burst out laughing, this was not how I thought this evening would pan out. I admired them both; they were risking so much, the comfort of the palace and their reputations just for a few lingering moments in a dark room. It reminded me of how Aspen and I used to take risks to see each other in the tree house; love is never easy I've learnt, it's most satisfying when you have to fight for it.