Review: The Golden Lily and The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

I read these books back to back this week, so I thought I would combine them into one review. There's no major spoilers for either book, but their is spoilers for the first novel in the series Bloodlines.

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) and The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) mainly focus on how Sydney’s torn between two worlds. One being the Alchemists her family and what she is raised to believe and the other is the Moroi world what she learns about them on her own. This is similar to what teens go through every day. While they are not debating whether or not vampires are morally good or bad, but rather in political views, future jobs they want to pursue, or maybe a hobby that their family does not believe in.

I also found Sydney’s slightly eating disorder another aspect that is easy for young readers to identify with, especially with today's media. Sydney is not over weight she even says she’s in a size 4. Yet she is comparing herself to Moroi who are supermodel sized 0. Personally, I can really relate to this. I’m also a size four yet sometimes feel the same way Sydney does.  In the first book her aversion to food seemed weird for a young adult novel and I wasn’t sure where Richelle Mead was going to take it. In the 2^nd book Adrian out right says Sydney is on the verge on an eating disorder. From there she learns she might actually have a problem. I really applaud Richelle Mead for putting this in her series. It's a great lesson for young adults.

The main character is not the only reason I love these books. The plot is always moving forward and interesting. The first Vampire Academy series dealt with the vampire world and didn't really extend much out of that. I loved how Richelle Mead added the witches to the Bloodlines series. It set it apart and gave it a new twist to the world. I also enjoy that each individual book in the series has its own plot. There’s a problem that starts, climax’s and is mostly resolved in each novel while also setting it up for more advance plot points in the following novels. It’s a great way for the series to advance.

Lastly, the romance between Sydney and Adrian has a forbidden Romeo and Juliet feel to it. I’ve been rooting for them since the first novel and can’t wait to see how it plays out in the rest of the series. They have some serious problems to get through if it is going to work out. They are literally not allowed to be together based on the Alchemist laws.

 

Can't wait to read more of Richelle Mead. I'm going to start the next book in the series ASAP!

 

--Danielle

 

Is Cassandra Clare ever going to stop writing Shadowhunter books?

Probably not.
Just like they are never going to stop making Avengers sequels or Pirates of the Caribbean movies, because they keep making money.
If you haven't heard by now Cassandra Clare is writing TWO (possibly three) more trilogies into her Shadow Hunter world. One is going to be a sequel to the prequel and the other is a sequel to main trilogy that was continued into the 6 book series.

Are you confused, because I sure am.

While I love the main series, and I mean LOVE, I didn't like the prequel as much. I feel like Cassandra Clare keeps telling the same story over and over again. The first three books in the Mortal Instrument were perfect. It was a great start, middle and end. Yet, I was happy to see the story continue. I was even happy to see the prequel. I just don't feel like they live up to the first trilogy that the story started with.

It good to know when to stop. BUT, realistically these books are making the publishers money and as long as Cassandra Clare wants to keep writing more, they'll keep publishing them.

And to be honest? I'm going to keep buying them. (which is really why we have this problem)

How do you feel about the series continuing? Here's the FULL article if you want to know more about Cassandra Clare's plans for the series.

--Danielle

Vampire Academy Movie Review

Vampire Academy was one of my favorite series when I first started reading Young Adult novels in middle school. I was beyond excited to see it on the big screen. I even dragged my roommate there on the day it opened. While I was excited for Vampire Academy, I didn’t have high expectations from the trailers that I had seen before going to the theaters. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the film, and loved every minute of it!

This is a fun movie, that you can’t take to seriously just like Mean Girls (which the director from Vampire Academy also worked on). It has the same sarcastic and fun vibe while tackling the intense plot from the book. It highlights the sarcasm and the high school drama, while also cleverly explaining the mythical world the movie takes place in.

The actress that played Rose was perfect. She got the character from the book down perfectly. I was a little concerned about Dimitri at first but his acting was great, and so was their chemistry. BUT, he did have a few lines that I couldn’t make out. I’m not sure if that was something from with my theater or the actual movie itself. The only actor I did have a problem with was Lisa, she felt forced and also very un-relatable. I loved Lisa in the novels but something about her on the screen just annoyed me.

The only other thing I had a problem with in Vampire Academy was a few directing decisions. It had a few weird camera angles and transitions, but they were mostly in the beginning of the film. Other than that Vampire Academy is a movie I can watch over and over again! I can actually see it becoming a sleep over staple just as Mean Girls is today.

 Anyone can enjoy this movie if they don’t take it too seriously. My roommate that I dragged to see it? She hadn’t read the book and didn’t know anything about the movie going in. I don’t even think she saw a trailer. Yet, she enjoyed it as much as I did. You don’t have to be a fan of the book to like this one. Now I just hope they make the sequel!

Review: This is Now by Maggie Gilbert

Summary:

A gritty, urban New Adult Cinderella story where the princess can do her own rescuing — she just needs someone to believe in her.
Sister to car thieves, ex-girlfriend to a drug dealer, high school dropout, no-hoper and loser — Jess is on the sidelines, watching her life become one epic fail. Her dreams of university are fading fast, as the people in her life fight to confine her to their own expectations.

Then she meets Sebastien, a gifted cellist from a very different walk of life. Sebastien is clean and strong and talented. He likes and respects her, but he too has expectations. Sebastien seems to think she can do anything, and Jess, despite her fears and the secrets she hides, is starting to believe him.
But just as Jess dares to hope, the secrets in her past and the lies in her present catch up with her. All seems lost and she has to make a choice. Between past and future. Between home and hope. Between now and never. And this is now.

Review: Like most New Adult novels, This is Now looks like a typical romance novel, however it refreshingly focused more on the main character’s growth. Which made it even more relatable since as a college student you’re trying to figure out what you will be doing for the rest of your life. In This is Now, the main character Jess has to figure out if she’s going to follow in her families footsteps and just do what is easy or apply herself and break free from her family’s restraints.

Also, Jess doesn’t come from a typical suburban household like most main characters she has brothers who steal cars for a living and who are also involved in drug dealing with her ex-boyfriend. It’s a complicated past. Those complications make for a great story. It’s hard not to root for Jess who wants to get out of her town, go to college and become an architect. Having such a complicated and unpredictable main character had me more excited to see how Jess would grow as a person then whether or not she ended up with Sebastian, the romantic lead.

Even though the love story doesn’t take center stage, it’s also a complex one that touches on class differences and family issues. Sebastian comes from a wealthy family, he doesn’t need to have a job because they can support him as he tries to make a career in music (which he happens to be a prodigy at). This causes problems for them as their different lifestyles clash. Yet, they are so good together that you can’t help but root for them.

There are not many complex, interesting and just all around great books in the New Adult genre, but This is Now is certainly  one of them. I would recommend it to any college student looking for something to read. However I have one warning Maggie Gilbert is an Australian author so there were many cultural references and  words that I had to look up but that’s what google is for. Plus, you get to learn about a different country in the process!
--Danielle
(Tomorrow is my review on the Vampire Academy Movie!)