16 February 12

After work Liang and I met up for drinks at the Alibi Room, and once we'd gotten a couple of beers in we walked up to Goldie's for a delicious mushroom pizza and another beer. Then we, uh, went to her place for awhile.

15 February 12

Graphic Novel Review – Uglies: Shay’s Story

I had a vague idea going into this book about the setting in which the “Uglies” books take place, some kind of future world where kids are somehow turned Pretty when they become 16 years old. Otherwise though, I had very little in the form of expectations going into Shay’s Story.





Shay is a girl about to turn 16 years old, and beginning to wonder if she really wants to undergo the change at all. She gets mixed up with a group of pranksters who like to play tricks on the Pretties. The Pretties themselves live in a separate city from the Uglies, and though there’s supposed to be no interaction, the Uglies can sneak into the other city. Mostly what they find there though are what appears to be rather vapid people who seem very generic and detached from life.





Shay’s friends eventually discover a ruined city from some more archaic time, and there they meet a boy named David who begins to train them survival skills, simple things like lighting a campfire and catching and cooking food. These are things that are taken for granted in their society – but they soon learn that there is another option, a society that has separated itself from the Uglies/Pretties of the world and if they want to join that group at The Smoke, they must devote themselves to these skills.





Ultimately Shay is left behind when her friends leave to join this other society, which is when the reader is introduced to the start of the prose novel, Tally. She and Shay become friends, but Tally is too devoted to becoming a Pretty to join Shay when she finally decides to leave. At The Smoke Shay is reunited with David, a boy she has begun to have feelings for, but is soon put into an awkward love-triangle when Tally follows close behind and develops feelings for the same guy.





It’s really in the section of the book dealing with Tally that things don’t work too well for Shay’s Story. I’m sure that some of it is because this story is hampered by what’s already been told in the Uglies prose novel. Since I’m judging this purely on Shay’s Story though, I’ll admit that I just didn’t understand Tally at all. Shay becomes best friends with her, but I’m not sure why – it’s not really explained and the reader is just sort of told that it has happened. Then Tally, who seemed uninterested in going to The Smoke, just as suddenly shows up – and essentially steals Shay’s boyfriend. And then with the shock ending, where the authorities from “normal” society show up to shut down The Smoke, it makes it look to me like Tally was responsible for the betrayal. So she doesn’t really come out looking too good in this book.





On the other hand, I found Shay to be a very compelling character. She starts as kind of a typical rebellious teen, but begins to think about the bigger things in life like who she really is and who she wants to be. I enjoyed seeing her grow, and frankly I suspect her moving beyond a childhood crush will be a great evolution for her over this series. The ending, not just being about the betrayal (which isn’t resolved), leaves Shay’s character in such an intriguing position that I can’t help but be excited to see where the story goes in book 2.





There were a few confusing moments for me, perhaps because of the art and perhaps because of the story – I didn’t really understand the nature of the crash gloves (which seem able to keep everyone from killing themselves when riding hoverboards), and there’s a scene where Shay compares her “blisters” to Tally’s – but she talks about how “gifts” are intentional at The Smoke at the same time… which was just confusing to me. Were those blisters or some disease? Shay talked about David having given gloves to Tally, but I could never figure out the connection.





Despite those niggling issues though (and even the Tally issues I had with the book I’d consider small in the greater whole), I wound up reading the book in one sitting, which is a rare thing for me these days even when dealing with Graphic Novels. The book has got a substantial page count too – upwards of 160 – so it’s no slacker in that area. But really I was so enthralled and engaged that I just didn’t want to stop reading until I came to the end. If the intention with a graphic novel version was to reach out to new readers then in this case it was a success, I look forward to continuing to learn about Shay and her world in future editions of the story.

Graphic Novel Review – Uglies: Shay’s Story

I had a vague idea going into this book about the setting in which the “Uglies” books take place, some kind of future world where kids are somehow turned Pretty when they become 16 years old. Otherwise though, I had very little in the form of expectations going into Shay’s Story.





Shay is a girl about to turn 16 years old, and beginning to wonder if she really wants to undergo the change at all. She gets mixed up with a group of pranksters who like to play tricks on the Pretties. The Pretties themselves live in a separate city from the Uglies, and though there’s supposed to be no interaction, the Uglies can sneak into the other city. Mostly what they find there though are what appears to be rather vapid people who seem very generic and detached from life.





Shay’s friends eventually discover a ruined city from some more archaic time, and there they meet a boy named David who begins to train them survival skills, simple things like lighting a campfire and catching and cooking food. These are things that are taken for granted in their society – but they soon learn that there is another option, a society that has separated itself from the Uglies/Pretties of the world and if they want to join that group at The Smoke, they must devote themselves to these skills.





Ultimately Shay is left behind when her friends leave to join this other society, which is when the reader is introduced to the start of the prose novel, Tally. She and Shay become friends, but Tally is too devoted to becoming a Pretty to join Shay when she finally decides to leave. At The Smoke Shay is reunited with David, a boy she has begun to have feelings for, but is soon put into an awkward love-triangle when Tally follows close behind and develops feelings for the same guy.





It’s really in the section of the book dealing with Tally that things don’t work too well for Shay’s Story. I’m sure that some of it is because this story is hampered by what’s already been told in the Uglies prose novel. Since I’m judging this purely on Shay’s Story though, I’ll admit that I just didn’t understand Tally at all. Shay becomes best friends with her, but I’m not sure why – it’s not really explained and the reader is just sort of told that it has happened. Then Tally, who seemed uninterested in going to The Smoke, just as suddenly shows up – and essentially steals Shay’s boyfriend. And then with the shock ending, where the authorities from “normal” society show up to shut down The Smoke, it makes it look to me like Tally was responsible for the betrayal. So she doesn’t really come out looking too good in this book.





On the other hand, I found Shay to be a very compelling character. She starts as kind of a typical rebellious teen, but begins to think about the bigger things in life like who she really is and who she wants to be. I enjoyed seeing her grow, and frankly I suspect her moving beyond a childhood crush will be a great evolution for her over this series. The ending, not just being about the betrayal (which isn’t resolved), leaves Shay’s character in such an intriguing position that I can’t help but be excited to see where the story goes in book 2.





There were a few confusing moments for me, perhaps because of the art and perhaps because of the story – I didn’t really understand the nature of the crash gloves (which seem able to keep everyone from killing themselves when riding hoverboards), and there’s a scene where Shay compares her “blisters” to Tally’s – but she talks about how “gifts” are intentional at The Smoke at the same time… which was just confusing to me. Were those blisters or some disease? Shay talked about David having given gloves to Tally, but I could never figure out the connection.





Despite those niggling issues though (and even the Tally issues I had with the book I’d consider small in the greater whole), I wound up reading the book in one sitting, which is a rare thing for me these days even when dealing with Graphic Novels. The book has got a substantial page count too – upwards of 160 – so it’s no slacker in that area. But really I was so enthralled and engaged that I just didn’t want to stop reading until I came to the end. If the intention with a graphic novel version was to reach out to new readers then in this case it was a success, I look forward to continuing to learn about Shay and her world in future editions of the story.

"Firelight" by Kristen Callihan-- Great Romance, but So So Paranormal Fiction

Synopsis:



London, 1881

Once the flames are ignited . . .

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.



They will burn for eternity . . .

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.



     I picked up Firelight on a whim-- one of those books that I read between my have-to-read pile as a palate-cleanser of sorts: something light and frothy that doesn't take too much brain power to process. And in that respect "Firelight" was a good pick because it's a fast, easy read. Where it doesn't hold up has to do with the genre it's trying to fit itself into.



     Despite the set-up of the story, including Miranda's magic and Benjamin's curse, the paranormal aspects take a huge backseat to the romance that is the heart of the book. Miranda is a staple of the romance genre: beautiful, headstrong and intelligent. The "fiery" redhead (in this case literally so) who captivates a mysterious and dangerous noble. She also has a typical background in that it's the hard-knock life of a daughter of a once wealthy man who forces his daughter into a life of thievery to keep food on their table. The twist here is that the family misfortune has a lot to do with Miranda's ability, which allows her father to use guilt as a lever to control her and push her into a marriage against her will.

     Benjamin Archer plays the role of the beast to Miranda's beauty and the mystery behind his need for a mask is one the author skillfully draws out through nearly the whole book. Benjamin is well balanced against Miranda as he is just as stubborn as her and the characters have an excellent chemistry.



     "Firelight" is, essentially, a romance novel-- and it's a good romance. The mystery of Benjamin's deformity (or injury-- we're left to speculate) is an excellent device that allows the characters to bond through common personality traits rather than physical attraction. It really is a very "Beauty and the Beast" story. But the paranormal aspects are not as well developed. Miranda's ability is not given enough history to make it as fully realized as it should be: how she discovered her power, her family's reaction to it and/or details about her struggle to control it would have added a lot that aspect of the story, but that territory is never really explored. Benjamin's history is also grounded in the occult, but that whole story is mostly revealed at the end of the book, in a very info-dump fashion, and the rushed feel of it makes it seem more like an addendum rather than a well thought out part of the story.

     What you're left with is a romance that has a few paranormal elements-- but not something I think of as a true blending of the two genres. If you're primarily a fan of romance "Firelight" is a nice diversion. If you're more interested in paranormal fiction, you would probably find the story lacking.



3 out of 5 stars.

"Firelight" by Kristen Callihan-- Great Romance, but So So Paranormal Fiction

Synopsis:



London, 1881

Once the flames are ignited . . .

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.



They will burn for eternity . . .

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.



     I picked up Firelight on a whim-- one of those books that I read between my have-to-read pile as a palate-cleanser of sorts: something light and frothy that doesn't take too much brain power to process. And in that respect "Firelight" was a good pick because it's a fast, easy read. Where it doesn't hold up has to do with the genre it's trying to fit itself into.



     Despite the set-up of the story, including Miranda's magic and Benjamin's curse, the paranormal aspects take a huge backseat to the romance that is the heart of the book. Miranda is a staple of the romance genre: beautiful, headstrong and intelligent. The "fiery" redhead (in this case literally so) who captivates a mysterious and dangerous noble. She also has a typical background in that it's the hard-knock life of a daughter of a once wealthy man who forces his daughter into a life of thievery to keep food on their table. The twist here is that the family misfortune has a lot to do with Miranda's ability, which allows her father to use guilt as a lever to control her and push her into a marriage against her will.

     Benjamin Archer plays the role of the beast to Miranda's beauty and the mystery behind his need for a mask is one the author skillfully draws out through nearly the whole book. Benjamin is well balanced against Miranda as he is just as stubborn as her and the characters have an excellent chemistry.



     "Firelight" is, essentially, a romance novel-- and it's a good romance. The mystery of Benjamin's deformity (or injury-- we're left to speculate) is an excellent device that allows the characters to bond through common personality traits rather than physical attraction. It really is a very "Beauty and the Beast" story. But the paranormal aspects are not as well developed. Miranda's ability is not given enough history to make it as fully realized as it should be: how she discovered her power, her family's reaction to it and/or details about her struggle to control it would have added a lot that aspect of the story, but that territory is never really explored. Benjamin's history is also grounded in the occult, but that whole story is mostly revealed at the end of the book, in a very info-dump fashion, and the rushed feel of it makes it seem more like an addendum rather than a well thought out part of the story.

     What you're left with is a romance that has a few paranormal elements-- but not something I think of as a true blending of the two genres. If you're primarily a fan of romance "Firelight" is a nice diversion. If you're more interested in paranormal fiction, you would probably find the story lacking.



3 out of 5 stars.

Things I Love (Belatedly): December 2011

Hi, December. This post is shamefully late, but I couldn't sleep knowing that I haven't publicly thanked you for everything you gave me, so here's a list of reasons why I love you. 


You gave me...

• cross-cut sweet potato fries, Szechuan style eggplant, and hard cider
• post-vomiting Gatorade that turned my teeth blue for days
• my (secondhand) Betsey Johnson dress
• my new rust-colored tights
• Paris Baguette, which is a gr8000 bakery

Their blueberry and cream cheese pastries and their sweet potato twists are the pastries of THE GODS.

• Will, who (ahahahahaha) tried to help
• sweet French baguettes
• the Vignette Android photo app because it makes everything look ~dramatic
• really good-looking sensible shoes

...and much more (so much more) after the jump, because frankly, these posts are enormous.

I write stuff after the jump.