Sunday, March 30, 2014

Blogaversary and other stuff

Whoo!!!! You guys should be pumped for this upcoming month. My school musical is over and we have a whole week off for spring break, so hopefully that will give me time to catch up on my reading and my reviewing. I apologize for the lack of pictures... I'm typing this on my phone. But here are the three reviews that I will definitely get done this week: 
Split Second by Kasie West
Dangerous by Shannon Hale
These Broken Stars by Aimee Kaufman and Megan Spooner 

From now on this blog will pick up the pace! I will be posting 3-5 times a week, and at least two of those will be reviews. Also, tomorrow something very special will be posted because it is Enchanted By A Book's blogaversary! Whooo! I hope you are all looking forward to it. :) 
Have an amazing day!
Sarah  

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Divergent Movie {Review}

Divergent Movie Review
(Major spoilers if you haven’t read the book)


Trailers:
 
 




I think that we all know how excited I was for this movie. My favorite book of all time is obviously Divergent, and I was hoping that this film adaption would not disappoint. And did it? Well, I think that Shailene Woodley (Tris) and Theo James (Four) played their characters beautifully, even if some of the romance scenes were a little iffy. The action was extremely intense, and I loved the visual aspect that brought the Divergent world to life. My only problem was that the movie was extremely rushed. Some of my favorite scenes from the book were not included, and we definitely did not connect with Will or Al. In fact, Will and Christina were never even shown as a couple. Al’s crush on Tris was completely thrown out of the window, and Peter was more of a playground bully than an evil villain that Tris wanted to defeat. Overall, I would give this movie 4 stars out of 5.


Favorite character
I thought that, honestly, Shailene and Theo did the best jobs with playing their parts. It isn’t because they were the main characters, I just thought they did a spectacular job of bringing the characters to life.


 
First off: Tris.
Shailene did one of the BEST jobs of fulfilling her role that I think I have seen in a long time. Her emotion and energy was shown clearly through her actions/facial expressions. Her need to find where she belonged was clear, and her whole being screamed I AM DIVERGENT throughout the whole show. She was brave, she didn’t give up, and she fought for the things that she believed in. I am willing to forgive her average romantic performances because the rest of the time she was flawless.



Next up: Four.
I was so happy when I discovered Theo James was Four, because he looked EXACTLY how I visualized him in the book. Four is my favorite male character of all time, and here is why. He isn’t like most male characters, spouting cheesy lines that are sappy and meant to make you swoon. He’s the kind of guy that has secrets, and that is tough, but will protect you no matter what. His seriousness and I-don’t-put-up-with-crap attitude is very refreshing. I love how he helps Tris discover who she is, in the way that he does it.
 


Before I go on, here are some more Fouralicous pictures. You’re welcome.
 
 





 
Where was I? Oh yes. Right. Theo James. He is quite attractive, and he does the whole tough-guy act very well. I don’t imagine you could find a more perfect Four, ladies and gentlemen. From his semi-funny lines to “I’m still working on kind” to “Fear doesn’t shut you down, it wakes you up”, I fell in love with Four all over again.
Best song off the soundtrack
Beating Heart by Ellie Goulding
 


Favorite Scene
I know what you all think my favorite scene will be…..
 
Don’t get me wrong, I loved this scene. Who doesn’t want to see Four shirtless and kissing someone? (Especially if you are the one kissing him ;D ) This scene was pretty perfect, and I felt chemistry for most of it.
 

Here was my actual favorite scene (and no, I don’t think it is how it happened in the book):
Tris just had her fight with Peter and she blacked out. When she wakes up, Christina and Will are sitting by her bed. She asks them what’s going on, and Christina tells her they are going to do another thing for initiation (capture the flag) and that she has been cut. Tris starts crying and they say sorry and leave. Then you see the train leaving, and there is all this sad music. I imagine all those lame Divergent “fans” who have never read the book were thinking
WHAT WAIT NNNOOOO
-and then Four looks out of the train and sees Tris running. She is way behind the train, and she is trying as hard as she can to catch up. He watches her running, and she reaches up to get on the train and misses, but Four catches her hand and yanks her in.



(This is not that scene. It is a different scene but still mostly the same thing.)


I know you are all thinking
 
Oh my gosh that is so lame. To me, though, that was one of the best scenes of the whole movie. I thought it was so amazing that Tris was falling and about to lose her one chance to become herself, and Four saved her from falling and pulled her to safety.
Sometimes the best acts of romance are not kissing and tripping over each other with words. Sometimes it’s the things they do that save us.


Judge me if you want, but that’s my favorite scene.


Oh, and of course, the scene where Tris is the first jumper and she meets Four for the first time. That one does have a video:
 




 
Conclusions
In conclusion, I was just a little disappointed in this movie. I think that people who do not read the book before seeing the movie will be very confused. The entire thing was rushed in order to cram all of the information from the book into two hours. Al, Will, and Peter had barely any character development, which was extremely disappointing. Uriah and Edward were not a part of the movie at all, which was also a bummer. They cut some important scenes and did not do a very good job with providing background information. Those who have read the book will be satisfied enough, I imagine, because the romance is steamy, the action is epic, and the feels are enough to go around to everybody. Go see Divergent in theaters now!!!

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Thank You for Your Patience....

I can't believe I am still getting pageviews after all this.
You guys are the best :D
I apologize for how slow this month has been! I am in my school musical and I have play practice every day after school for FIVE HOURS.
So there is absolutely no time for blogging.
And I apologize for this. Profusely.
However, Friday is closing night. Then I will be completely done with the play and will have loads of spare time to post reviews and other bookish stuff for the rest of the year! YAY!!!! Get ready for summer, cause I read like crazy.
Which reminds me- as a reward for your patience, I will be posting my DIVERGENT MOVIE REVIW tomorrow evening!
That's right, I saw Divergent. You will not be disappointed, people.
Can we all appreciate Theo James right now..

Photos: Theo James, Divergent Star, Plays Shailene Woodley’s “Real Man” Love Interest | Vanity Fair
That is all.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

20 New Divergent Stills Released!!!!

Twenty new Divergent stills were released a few days ago, and I thought I'd post them along with some other Divergent stuff. Below you will find videos galore including the TV spots, clips, and trailers.... and also "Beating Heart" by Ellie Goulding, the song written especially for the film.

Also, this week the free Book of the Week is Initates World!







My Favorite New Divergent Stills:




































First Official Trailer

 
Second Official Trailer
 

Clip #1: The Kiss

 
Clip #2: Beauty in Your Resistance
 
 
Clip #3: Eric Holding Christina over Chasm
 
 
Clip #4: If I wanted to hurt you, I would have
 
 
TV Spot #1
 
 
TV Spot #2
 
 
TV Spot #3
 
 
TV Spot #4
 
 
TV Spot #5
 
 
TV Spot #6:
 
 
Beating Heart by Ellie Goulding
 



Saturday, March 1, 2014

Cress

13206828Book Title: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Number of Pages: 550
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genres: Fairytale-Dystopian, Romance, Action Adventure, YA Fiction
Books like it: Entwined by Heather Dixon
My favorite quote: “My life is an adventure.' she said, growing confident as she opened her eyes again. 'I will not be shackled to this satellite anymore.”
 
Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:
third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.


Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.


When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.


My Summary:


Introduction:


I can’t even begin to explain how much I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book! Marissa Meyer is now officially my absolute favorite author of all time. She knows how to put an absolute perfect amount of romance, suspense, action, and thrill into her books. They are like a fun rollercoaster that you never want to leave. I have never read a dull moment in one of her books.


    Cress was exactly like this. I was extremely angry because I didn’t want to read anything but Scarlet and Wolf. Cinder and Kai’s romance had been disappointing in Scarlet, and so I was desperately in love with the wolf and the girl with the red hair - I would have been perfectly happy with nothing else.


    At least that is what I thought. And then I met Thorne and Cress together, and everything changed. My favorite couple is still Scarlet and Wolf, don’t get me wrong. However, Thorne and Cress have something that is slightly different than a textbook relationship, something so adorable that I adored them together.


My Synopsis:


This installment of the Lunar Chronicles focuses mostly on Thorne and Cress, with a little of Scarlet and Wolf and a good amount of Kai and Cinder. Also, Winter, the main character for the fourth and final book in this series is introduced.


Queen Levena’s plan to take over the Earth is almost ready. She and Kai will be married in a matter of weeks, and it is up to Cinder and her friends to find a way to stop her. It turns out that their answer might be Cresent, a Lunar shell that is held prisoner in a satellite above the Earth.


    Their mission was to rescue her from the satellite and take her down to Earth with them. That mission is jeopardized when they are ambushed by some of Queen Levena’s  loyal servants. Wolf is severely injured and Scarlet is captured. My heart felt like it was  being torn into pieces at this part- both of them are separated. WHY, MARISSA MEYER? WHY?


    Thorne’s attempt to get Cress off of the satellite falls flat when they are both trapped inside- and it starts hurtling towards earth. They manage to survive the crash, only to find that they landed in the middle of a desert with no food or water to keep them healthy.
    So naturally, a desert seems like a good place to start for a hot romance.


    With one of her friends captured and most likely dead, the other  injured and one missing, and Queen Levena ready to take over the world, Cinder must be ready to fight back for her home and the ones she loves before they are destroyed.


Top Five Reasons Why I Love Thorne:  (Used With Quotes)


1. “He leaned forward to inspect her closer. "Is that all hair?"


... Sudden, overwhelming panic clawed up Cress's throat. With a squeak, she ducked out of view of the camera and scrambled beneath the desk. Her back struck the wall with a thud that rattled her teeth. She crouched there, skin burning hot and pulse thundering as she took in the room before her— the room that he was now seeing too, with the rumpled bedcovers and the mustached man on all the screens telling her to grab her imaginary partner and swing them around.
"Wha—where'd she go?" Thorne's voice came to her through the screen.
"Honestly, Thorne." A girl. Linh Cinder? "Do you ever think before you speak?"
"What? What did I say?"
" 'Is that all hair?' "
"Did you see it? It was like a cross between a magpie nest and ball of yarn after it's been mauled by a cheetah."
A beat. Then, "A cheetah?"
"It was the first big cat that came to mind.”   


Ah, Thorne. You sure know how to make a girl feel pretty.


2.“Captain,” she murmured.
“I think I’m in love with you.”
An eyebrow shot up. She counted six beats of his heart before, suddenly, he laughed.
“Don’t tell me it took you two whole days to realize that. I must be losing my touch.”   


This is what you say to a girl who confesses love to you? Seriously? This is why you are my favorite. No more cheesy heros for us, guys.


3. “Captain?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?"
He squinted and, after a thoughtful moment, shook his head. "No. I'm pretty sure it was Cinder.”   


THANK YOU FOR NOT BEING IN LOVE WITH CINDER! I mean, I was pretty sure there wouldn’t be a love triangle in this book, but I COULD NOT BEAR having to choose between Kai and Thorne.


4. “Captain! To your left there’s a Lunar guard and on your right is a doctor who’s running tests on Lunars and I’m being held by one of Levana’s wolf hybrids and please be careful!”
Thorne took a step back into the hallway a gun from his waistband. He spent a moment swiveling the barrel of the gun in each direction, but nobody moved to attack him.
With some surprise, Cress realized that the operative’s grip had weakened.
“Er…” Thorne furrowed his brow, aiming the gun somewhere near the window. “Could you describe all those threats again because I feel like I missed something.”


Always the endearing hero, bursting in to save the girl when you haven’t got a clue what’s going on. Here is an improvising expert, everyone!


5. “A laugh came from the cockpit and Thorne appeared in the doorway, strapping a gun holster around his waist. "You're asking the cyborg fugitive and the wild animal to be the welcoming committee? That's adorable.”


Sarcasm is always my favorite quality in male characters….. :D



Snippet:


“It's all right," said Wolf. "You loved her. I would have felt the same if someone wanted to erase Scarlet's identity and give it to Levana's army.


Scarlet stiffened, feeling heat rushing into her cheeks. He certainly wasn't insinuating....


"Aaaaw," squealed Iko. "Did Wolf just say he loves Scarlet? That's so cute!"


Scarlet cringed. "He did not-that wasn't-" She balled her fists against her sides. "Can we get back to these soldiers that are being rounded up, please?"


"Is she blushing? She sounds like she's blushing."


"She's blushing," Thorne confirmed, shuffling the cards. "Actually, Wolf is looking a little flustered.”


Conclusions:


You have not truly read a good fantasy book until you have read the Lunar chronicles. Meyer’s characters are beautifully flawed, and while their speeches are still inspiring, they don’t sound like written lines from a script. She knows how to keep readers entertained- readers of all kinds: action lovers, fiction lovers, romance lovers, and fairytale lovers. Usually when fairytales are mixed with the dystopian genre, it does not go very well, but Meyer is a brilliant writer. I love her style and I would read anything that she writes.



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...