Where In the World Is...

Bella Aire Holland? Settling into her new home...

Where In the World Is...

Bella Aire Holland? Home, sweet home, finally...

Where In the World Is...

Bella Aire Holland? I'll miss those Scottish lads, but I can't wait to explore this new country...

Where In the World Is...

Bella Aire Holland? I left the green people awhile back...

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen (review by Angela)

Hello, NSCG readers! I have recently decided to review Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a book I had noticed a few times in bookstores, but never picked up. The book has mixed reviews on Amazon, many of the critical reviews coming from hard-core Jane Austen fans who do not like seeing her most famous work “defiled”. Since I had just read Sense and Sensibility and consider myself an Austen fan, I decided I would read this book, no matter how many strange looks I got from people who saw the cover. Therefore, on to the review:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (and Jane Austen) takes the basic plot of P&P and adds in—guess what?—zombies. Currently, England is being overrun by the flesh-eating, dim-witted monsters. People are infected and turn into zombies everyday, and there are few people that have the skills to do anything about it. These few people include Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters, all who have traveled to China with their father to learn how to defend themselves and fend off zombies. The plot continues as it did in P&P, with Lizzy being rejected by Mr. Darcy, Jane falling for Mr. Bingley, Lizzy refusing to marry Mr. Collins (who is then quickly snatched up by Charlotte), Wickham sweet-talking his way into everyone’s good graces, Lizzy meeting Lady Catherine (and Darcy!) during her trip to visit Charlotte, and so on, except zombies (and even ninjas!) pop up every once in a while. I advise reading P&P before this book so you can focus on the new aspects of this book (the zombies) and not have to worry about keeping the plot straight. Plus, then you will notice the subtle (not really) changes to many of the famous quotes from P&P. For example, the first sentence: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” changes to “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a zombie in possession of brains, must be in want of more brains”. This quote-changing-for-effect is used repeatedly throughout the book, as is crude humor. These jokes may be funny the first couple of times, but doubles-entendres on the word “balls” can get old quickly.

The zombies definitely add a new twist to this beloved story. Whether it helps or hurts the book is up to you. It may be strange at first to imagine the five Bennet sisters as warriors, especially timid Jane and intellectual Mary, but somehow Grahame-Smith gets this to work (at least for a little while). Reading about Lizzy beheading a zombie with a swift kick or Lydia cutting a zombie in half is good fun at first, especially when the sisters work together to take down the monsters. However, the book starts to go downhill when it crosses the line. The sisters seem to have an unlimited amount of gruesome weapons, including guns, knives, swords, and much more, and they seem to relish using them. Lizzy even seems insane at one point when she kills a ninja, rips its heart out, and then takes a bite of it. However, the book is highly entertaining when it sticks to the plot, adding only small details that bring new humor to the story. For example, Charlotte may have a devastating secret; Darcy is the best zombie killer in the county; Bingley (and certainly his sisters) have never touched a gun; Wickham has a tragic accident; and Lady Catherine (a highly esteemed zombie killer herself) was trained in Japan, has her own personal ninjas, and looks down upon anyone who was trained in the Orient (China). The book falls apart a little near the end, where the craziness and gruesomeness reach new heights (ex: heart-eating), but overall, I really enjoyed reading through this silly parody. My advice: Don’t take it too seriously. If you do, you will probably end up hating it. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy a little romance/zombie horror for a while.

You can buy Pride and Prejudice and Zombies here.

P.S. If you liked this book, check out Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben H. Winters and Jane Austen!

~Angela

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (review by Angela)

Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. When their father dies, he bequeaths his entire estate to their shallow half-brother and his spiteful wife, leaving the Dashwood sisters and their mother virtually penniless. When a distant relative of Mrs. Dashwood, Sir John Middleton, kindly offers them a small cottage on his estate to stay in, the family leaves their beloved home, Norland, and moves to Barton Park. Elinor must also say goodbye to her friend and secret love, Edward Ferrars, her unpleasant sister-in-law’s brother, who would visit and talk with her often at Norland. Soon after the Dashwoods become settled in their new cottage, they are invited to the Middleton’s house, where they meet jovial Sir Middleton, haughty Lady Middleton and her spoiled children, talkative Mrs. Jennings, and kind, quiet Colonel Brandon, a retired soldier. It is obvious that Colonel Brandon falls in love with Marianne, but she has lately fallen under the spell of the charming, young, and handsome Willoughby. Marianne’s emotions lead her to behave indecently around Willoughby, but when Elinor finally begins to chide her for her behavior, Willoughby abruptly disappears, leaving Marianne heartbroken and miserable. Soon after Willoughby leaves, Elinor finds out an awful secret about her beloved Edward, also leaving her disheartened. The two sisters leave for London with Mrs. Jennings, weary of the countryside and not expecting much out of the visit, but they soon discover that being in the bustling city will answer many of their questions and might even lead them to a happier ending.

Sense and Sensibility’s main theme that defines the book is the relationship between Elinor and Marianne. While Elinor is very sensible, always striving to be level-headed and logical, her sister Marianne is wild in comparison. Marianne’s emotions are always extreme—when she is happy she is joyful, when she is sad she is dejected and almost lifeless, and when she is in love, she becomes filled with reckless abandon and believes her admirer can do no wrong. Even their talents illustrate their differences: Elinor loves to draw, while Marianne is passionate about music. Both want what is best for the family, but it is Elinor who must help her mother make the important decisions in their household. This unique and loving relationship between the two sisters keeps the novel interesting and provides some very witty conversations.

***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!***

However, besides featuring a strong female character(s) and many pages of witty banter, Sense and Sensibility has quite a different feel from the rest of Jane Austen’s work, especially Pride and Prejudice. While Pride and Prejudice uses a light, witty tone to describe the adventures of its spunky heroine, Sense and Sensibility seems darker and not quite as optimistic. From the very beginning of the book, the Dashwoods are surrounded by spiteful, sly, greedy, small-minded, and foolish people. Their father, who was thought to be a good man, leaves nothing to his wife and daughters. Their half-brother seems well-meaning, wanting to help his half-sisters and stepmother somehow, but his greed and dim-wittedness make him easily controlled by his hateful wife. Willoughby is a deceitful and money-obsessed flirt (think Wickham from P&P), unwanted acquaintance Lucy is selfish and whiny, and Lady Middleton is proud and haughty, for the most part ignoring the sisters. Even the people who are nice to the sisters, such as Mrs. Jennings and Mrs. Palmer, seem like silly and somewhat airheaded gossips. The only “good” characters in the book are the Dashwoods, Colonel Brandon, and Edward (kind of—he was flirting with Elinor while secretly engaged to another girl). In addition to the general dark tone of the book, the ending is relatively unsatisfying. Elinor does end up with Edward, but her devotion to sense and self-control makes her engagement to him seem passionless. Marianne, after being rejected by Willoughby, ends up with Colonel Brandon, a much-older man she has never expressed interest in. While this seems implausible considering Marianne’s emotional nature, this serves to reinforce the point that the right balance of sense and passion is needed to live happily.

***END OF SPOILERS***

This is not to say that I do not recommend S&S. While not as thoroughly enjoyable as P&P, this book still has much to offer. In typical Austen style, there is much gossiping, entertaining conversations, and surprising secrets just waiting to be revealed. The satire on the wealthy class of England during Austen’s time is not lost either. The love stories are still touching, and the relationship between the two sisters is very well developed. If this is your first Jane Austen book, I suggest you read Pride and Prejudice first, but if you are an Austen fan, this book is a must-read for you.

~Angela

You can buy Sense and Sensibility here.

C-Ville Lit Life

Okay, so I'll be moving out to Charlottesville, VA next month for college, and I'm curious about the lit life out there. Are there many author visits? Lit lover get-togethers? Book festivals? If you know about the C-Ville lit life, please let me know in a comment!
~bella aire~

Inception (Movie Review)

Synopsis

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

Review

Inception has been pulling in some good reviews, so I went to see it tonight.

Wow.

Inception is an intricately woven fabric made up of colors that can’t yet be seen by the human eye. The concept is nothing less than astounding. While the basic premise, meddling with minds, is nothing new, Christopher Nolan*, Inception’s writer, twists it into something brilliant and incredible. The details and complexity of Nolan’s ideas are beyond belief. Many viewers will need to go back to the movie for a second or third showing to accurately, or semi-accurately, grasp the elusive full picture of Inception.

The other aspects of the movie weren’t all that shabby, either. The special effects were up to par, and the casting brightly offset Nolan’s imaginative script. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page both had stand-out performances**. I also found the actress who portrayed DiCapio’s character’s wife to be intriguing. Her name is Marion Cotillard, a native Parisian, and she already has won numerous awards (both American and French) for her role in La Vie en Rose. She adds necessary contrast to the movie.

In a time where I find good movies difficult to find, I cannot recommend Inception highly enough.

Your thoughts?

~bella aire~

*Nolan was one of the writers who created The Dark Knight, a movie that revolutionized superhero films.

**I almost felt like there was some chemistry between Leo and Ellen’s characters. Which is odd because of the age gap and because I felt Nolan might have been hinting at a possible relationship between Ellen’s character and “Arthur”, a supporting character. Did anyone else notice this?

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Synopsis

Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. He's strong and silent...and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. But when they come back to life, they are no longer the same. Feared and misunderstood, they are doing their best to blend into a society that doesn't want them.

The administration at Oakvale High attempts to be more welcoming of the "differently biotic." But the students don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the "living impaired" from the people who want them to disappear--for good.

When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has feelings for Phoebe that run much deeper than just friendship; he would do anything for her. But what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Review

While it may be shallow, the first thought in my head when thinking of Generation Dead is, “It is nothing like its cover.” The cover displays a zombified cheerleader reclining on a set of bleachers. It looks like a cover for a book full of fluffy fear and stereotyped supernatural love. However, the very fact that it displayed zombies and not, say, affectionate vampires, or Taylor Lautner sans shirt, gave me pause. Zombie YA books are pretty rare. After doing a quick Amazon search, I found that Generation Dead had received some very positive reviews. So I bought it.

No, Generation Dead will not be one of my favorite books of all time. I won’t reread it every day for a week or be found spouting off my favorite phases to unsuspecting strangers. But, Generation Dead will likely be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. And I cannot emphasize enough how thought-provoking it was. Daniel Waters’ concepts were completely fresh and original, his execution was realistic and witty, and his ending was absolutely, painfully beautiful. The character dynamic was extremely interesting, and I cannot wait to read Kiss of Life, the sequel. So. If I were you, I’d stop reading this review and go out and buy Generation Dead. Or at least rent it from your local library. Enjoy!

~bella aire~

Purchase Generation Dead here.

Hearts at Stake: The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey (review by Bella Aire)

Product Description:

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.

Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.

Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.

Review:
Hearts at Stake piqued my interest by advertising a unique friendship in the novel between Lucy and Solange. However, my interest was crushed early on in the novel.

The plot was dragged-out and overused, and the characters were flat at best. Readers, no matter how great their normal reading stamina, will find their attention wandering during these rambling passages liberally strewn with cliches.

I wish I could've enjoyed this book more. But after reading, it just seems like another high-publicized, low-quality YA vampire romance to me.

For those looking for top quality fantasy YA, I highly recommend Fire by Kristen Cashmore- a true gem in it's genre.

always,
~bella aire~

Purchase Hearts at Stake via Amazon here.