Shadowhunters

I'm sure that if you're a fan of the Mortal Instruments book series by Cassandra Clare, you sat down some time this week to watch Episode One of the new TV Series "Shadowhunters". 

The second the show ended I opened up Twitter to see what people were saying, and I found plenty of mixed reviews flooding my feed.  I thought it would be fun to share my personal opinion about the premiere and here back from you about what you thought.

I'm not a movie or TV critic by any means, and I won't be addressing some of the more technical parts of the show.  Nor will I be talking about anything that actually happens story wise.  In other words, I won't spoil anything, and if you've yet to see it, this review is perfectly safe. 

It was clear that the acting was certainly not the best at some points.  Some of the lines came across as cringe-worthy, but I feel like this is to be expected for some of the newer actors.  We did hear Alberto Rosende (Simon Lewis) say he'd been working at a restaurant just before accepting the role!  What I'm trying to say is that I think the acting will definitely improve as the series progresses. That is how experience works! 

As far as my general reaction to the plot, I found parts of the actual story were a tad boring for me, just because I, having read the books, already know everything about the shadow world.  I expect the interest level will increase as the series progresses, and Clary understands fully what is happening.  Then we can stop listening to her freak out over every little thing.

On a side note, what did you guys think of the song "Monsters" that played in the beginning?  I really liked it! I thought it was a cool song to use for the show, and fit nicely with the story.  Every time I listen to it, I can just picture Izzy, Alec, and Jace striding down the street in their Shadowhunter gear.  While we're on the topic of music, I'd just like to give a little shout out to Beth Crowley.  If you haven't heard of her, she's a YouTuber who writes songs about books and whatnot and has a spectacular voice.  She has some pretty awesome songs about The Mortal Instruments, and you should totally check out her channel. 

Alright, sorry for that little deviation from the path there.  Let's get back to this reaction! 

Overall, I was actually really entertained with episode one.  I'm overjoyed that ABC is willing to take a chance with this series, even though it flopped at the box office.  I also think this is a great way to bring in new fans.  People aren't going to leave their houses and go to the theatre to see a movie based on a book they haven't read.  But, I've talked to quite a few people who watched the first episode, and they are now reading the books.  Sure, Cassie is usually coming out with new content, but nobody that's not already a fan is really going to read that content.  This TV series will definitely bring in new fans, and I think that people who've already decided they didn't like the show should give it a few episodes before they make their final decision.  I believe that the series will get better as we move deeper into the relationships between all the characters and delve farther into this mystical world we've all come to love.  

Just a Few Inches

Title: Just a Few Inches
Author: Tara St. Pierre
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 298
Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 Stars
Purchase this book here

"It's just a few inches".  That's what Carrie Roberts told herself as she downed her first dietary pill just four days before the Valentine Day Dance.  Carrie, desperate to prove to her cheerleader rival, Janelle, that she could fit into the best dress ever, Carrie turns to a miracle weight loss pill.  But, little did she know that she'd begin to lose those "few inches" in just the wrong places. 

---

Essentially, this book follows the vertical decrease of Carrie Roberts after she misuses dietary pills.  However, this book is about so much more than just that.  I actually really enjoyed this novel along with its positive and powerful message.

When Carrie Roberts starts to lose inches in height, she uses her misfortune to make an impact on other people who suffer with negative body image and low self esteem.  I feel like most people go through something like this at some point in their lives, and because of that, most people would be able to really relate to this book.  Even if you've never felt bad about your appearance, you've probably compared yourself to another person at some point.  This book really addresses accepting who are, and loving yourself for you.  

But the positive message is not the only thing I enjoyed about this book.  For one thing, the plot itself if very new and exciting.  I myself am taller than the average adult female, so I'm rather close in height to where Carrie starts out.  Because of this, it was rather weird reading from the perspective of someone who is basically growing backwards.  I always told myself that I have to remember what it feels like to grow up, so that I'll never be the type of adult that can't relate with a child.  But, as I watched through Carrie's eyes how different the world seems when you're the height of a small child, I realized how much I've already forgotten.  It was almost difficult at times to visualize the world as Carrie shrunk, and it was rather refreshing to remember what it was like to be shorter than counter tops or unable to look up a things for very long without getting a stiff neck. 

Another thing I enjoyed was just how much the plot twisted and turned.  There were plenty of times when I was unable to stop reading because of how suspenseful the writing was. The other small aspect I enjoyed was that Carrie was the assistant editor of her school newspaper. She made quite a few grammar related jokes that only certain people in this world can appreciate.  

So if you want a relatable suspenseful, and moving story, I would recommend Just a Few Inches by Tara St. Pierre. 

Winter

Title: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Pages: 827
Rating: 5 Stars
Purchase this book here

Haughty, manipulative, vain- all common stereotypes of the Lunars.  But Winter doesn't want to be any of those things.  Winter wants to be different.  But, when a Lunar doesn't use their power, a mental disease slowly takes over their mind.  Few people would ever give up their ability, let alone allow it to be the cause of their madness. However, Winter's prepared to face the consequences of disregarding her power if it means she's free from the prison it weaves.  In the final book of the Lunar Chronicles, Princess Winter joins the rebellion against Luna's Evil Queen Levana.  

---

This book is by far my favorite of all the novels in the Lunar Chronicles.  It's very lengthy, but I'm so happy they didn't split it into two books or something stupid like that.  If you've read the first three books, you need to stop what you're doing and pick this one up right now.  Seriously.  It's really good. 

You meet the new character, Winter, in the last book, but we learn so much more about her in Winter, predictably.  Winter's a really interesting character.  She's extremely optimistic; she sees the good in everyone.  She's also astonishingly beautiful, but she doesn't seem to care all that much.  She's very similar to the Snow White we're all familiar with, except for one thing: Winter is a lunatic.  Literally. She's slowly gone mad ever since the day she gave up using her lunar power. Personally, I thought this was a really unique twist to the story, and Winter ended up being my favorite character out of the whole lot. 

Something I really enjoyed reading about was the countless different relationships in this book.  Scarlet and Winter's relationship would be one of my favorites.  Scarlet is a down to earth, no no nonsense kind of girl, while Winter is anything but. You'd expect Scarlet to despise Winter, but instead we get to see Scarlet's softer side as she and Winter interact more and more throughout the book.  There are plenty other relationships I enjoyed too.  Iko and Cinder's endless loyalty to each other, Cress and Thorne's cautious, innocent romance, and Jacin's adorable, but slightly annoying, protectiveness of his childhood friend, Winter.  Watching all these and so many other relationships develop and change was just really enthralling.  

The last thing that contributed to the five stars I gave Winter was simply the plot.  The book is pretty long, and I was wondering what could possibly happen that would entail so many pages.  I got my answer.  The book is filled with plot twists and cliffhangers, and the pacing allows you to fly through the book.  I believe I read 400 pages yesterday, and it felt like I'd only read half that. 

I'd fully recommend you read this book. It's a fantastic concluding novel, and I know you'll enjoy it. 

Bookish Pet Peeves

---

We all have them: those things in a book that just drive you crazy.  Otherwise known as- 

Bookish Pet Peeves

Here are my personal top 5 bookish pet peeves: 

1. Editing Mistakes

Whether it's a typo, grammatical mistake, or spelling error, once I see an editing mistake, I can't ignore it.  It's there, tugging on the back of my mind for the next chapter or so. The worst, though, is when there are multiple, frequently.  One or two I can live with, but when every page seems to have an error- it drives me crazy! 

2. Instant Romance

I'm sure most people would agree that instant romance is extremely annoying.  It throws the reality of the plot off center. What's worse is when the plot is driven by the romance, because then the entire storyline is centered on this unrealistic "love". 

3. Models on the Cover That Look Nothing Like the Character

I know there are some of you out there who just dislike models on the cover of books in general, but I can live with it.  However, I can't stand it when the model looks nothing like the character they represent.  I don't mean small, insignificant details, but the color of their hair, the tone of their skin, or the color of their eyes are all things that should coincide with what the author describes.  I also dislike it when they're wearing something the character never wears.  If the character doesn't ever wear a dress in the entire book, the model on the cover shouldn't be either.  

4. Printing Mistakes

I recently read a book that was covered in these random specks of ink.  And not pen ink, printer ink.  The specks obscured letters, showed up in the margin, and were just everywhere. It was just so annoying, because I kept trying to brush them off... but they wouldn't go away!  Another printing mistake I can't stand is when the page is not aligned correctly, meaning it's off center or crooked, the words leaning one way or another. 

5. Dust Jackets

Don't get me wrong, I love hardback books.  I love how I don't have to worry about the spine breaking or the cover creasing.  However, the dusk jackets are just exasperating.  I like being able to look at the actual cover of the book, but it seems I (along with many other people, I'm sure) end up slipping the cover off the book until I'm done with it.  Whenever I try to read the book, the cover slowly creeps up or down, and it seems like the jacket gets creased or bent while traveling in my bag.  Dust jackets, while good looking, are simply impossible.  

---

So those were my bookish pet peeves!  What are some of your annoyances when it comes to books, and do you disagree with any of mine?