Reviewing the Evidence Time! - Sweet Evil

Title: Sweet Evil (US Link)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Genre: paranormal, romance, ditzy, angels, ya
Series: The Sweet Trilogy (#1)

A few starting notes:

So, this was a random library haul selection - according to the blurb there were angels and much ditzy goings-on, according to the cover there was a freaking huge red dress and a bloke staring moodily over a girl's shoulder, so I decided to give it a shot.

Premise:

Anna Whitt is a girl from Georgia (the state, not the country,) who is a little quirky. She's the ultimate good-girl, a rule follower to a T. Except she also sees other people's emotions - and can remember being born...and the time before she was born. Inevitably, she meets a dude that's a little bit quirky like her - bad boy Kaidan Rowe - and everything turns into this whole angels/demons complicated thing.

Best bits:

Anna is actually likeable - something not to be sniffed at in YA paranormal romance. Sometimes she can be a little stupid - but she is 16, and does require plot-points to happen, so we can excuse her the slip-ups. Although I have to admit, I would've attempted to get in touch with my biological parents at about the point where my senses got hyper-charged - not several years later. She's worryingly un-curious about herself.

The whole angels and demons set-up is quite interesting, and managed to keep me reading - which is what you want really.

The whole book is entertaining and enjoyable, and I read it in a couple of days. It draws you on through the story, and doesn't require any deep levels of attention to enjoy.

Not so great bits:

Anna's modesty bugs me. I don't like her statement about dressing modest because she understands how difficult it is for teenage boys to deal with their hormones. Let them deal with them. Dress however the hell you want - it's for you, not them. Women should not have to consider what blokes think of their clothing - it doesn't matter.

There's a bunch of issues that are touched upon or referenced: abortion, drinking, drugs, adoption, suicide, lust, sin, rape, etc... Because it's angels and demons based there's a lot of pondering the nature of sin etc. etc. It's also religious in places (no big surprise,) which may not be to everyone's taste. I personally found the preoccupation with Anna's 'virtue' more than slightly annoying - particularly as for a book that's so prude-y in its attitude, it never seems to stop mentioning sex.

I also think the romance would've been better off more subtly nuanced and that demons weren't blamed for everything that could possibly go wrong, but that would be asking a bit much I suppose.

Verdict:

It's enjoyable, it's different - it does (occasionally) make you think. It's also an easy read for the train. I liked it - I may even consider reading something by this author again - but it's a take-it-or-leave-it kind of book.

Nerd Church is in Session...

...let me talk to you about Luna Lovegood.

Original image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Luna as a Harry Potter character is a fan favourite - and I adore her. Because she taught us that what makes us different can make us such incredibly beautiful people. She's the dreamer, the lover, the pure soul - and she remains so even through all the s**t that Hogwarts throws at her. She doesn't sweat the small stuff, and is unflinchingly loyal and a shoulder whenever anyone needs her.

In the films, Luna is played by the equally beautiful Evanna Lynch - who has battled through anorexia to become one heck of an actress, and an inspiration. Her accent is also really pretty :)

So, amongst the other many, many things that Harry Potter taught us, is that the weird kid? She rocks, has been through hell (Luna saw her mother die when she was a little kid,) and is still one of the most observant and naturally incredible people you will ever meet. Luna is a symbol for all of the dreamers and the different ones, the ones who don't quite fit in (even in a school full of witches and wizards) - you are beautiful, and people will see that eventually.

Hope you enjoyed this week's small slice of Nerd Church - finding the deep and meaningful stuff in the books and stories that we all love :)

Friday Fics Fix!

It's time again for Friday Fics Fix!

Something a little different this week - I've decided to highlight only one Fic. (What?! Only one fic!!! How will we survive without your recs????)

Luckily though this is a WIP (work in progress) and currently sits at a lovely 7 chapters long - with (hopefully) more to follow. This is very much an M - there's rape, drugs, torture, etc. - do not read this if you are under 18 (and don't break the law, stay in school, don't do drugs, always brush your teeth, etc. Please don't pretend I didn't warn you.) Also, don't read this if you get deeply affected by issues such as these - to be honest, any issues. They're probably all in there somewhere.

On the plus side - despite somehow managing to get more heart-breaking with every chapter and putting the characters through hell - this is suitable for the fandom-blind (those who aren't familiar with this specific fandom) as it's set in an AU (alternate universe) which takes the characters from Thor in the Marvel Cine Universe and completely re-writes their history into a regular human family - well, maybe not regular, but human.

Carry Home My Wayward Soul by wbss21 is one of those fics which you come across every so often and just go - wow.

Ok, so there's some extreme s**t going down (remember kids, no-one under 18 please,) and there are some grammar and spelling mistakes (the bane of fan-fiction everywhere) but it has heart and there really is some good-quality prose in here. No, really - there's some writing here that the author should truly be proud of. Either that or the amount of fan-fiction I've been trawling through lately has actually completely warped my brain - which is a possibility, and I wasn't completely normal to begin with.

Honestly though, the interplay between characters is awesome - wbss21 has got the relationships down, and, with encouragement, who knows what they could do? (I say they because I don't know the gender of the author, it is possible that they are male, but you will find that fangirls make-up (anecdotally) the vast majority of fanfic writers.)

So, I hope you enjoy this one - again, just one this week (it's so long I felt like it would be mean to pile more on you,) but if you're easily upset you might want to give it a miss. Some very bad things happen to Loki. And, for the last time I'm giving you a warning - no-one under 18, no-one struggles with these issues.

Deadpool trailer review!

OK, unfortunately my people this review is going to be for the 'green-band' - i.e. not 18+ - trailer. If you want to watch the red-band trailer you're going to have to convince Youtube you're over 18 (and be over 18, don't do drugs kids, stay in school, etc...) The red-band trailer has more of the Deadpool-ness: much swearing, adult jokes, and a brief sexy moment (plus mentions of bits of the male anatomy - can't have that in green-band, of course not.) Red-band is essentially the green-band extended to include the naughty bits, so I'll review the green-band and hope to get enough of the Deadpool-spirit over to you.

So, here's the green-band trailer...

 

Wait, did he say cancer?

 

Yes, yes he did. See, that's the thing with Deadpool - never lets something like a terminal illness get him down, or make him serious, or shut his mouth...

 

Ooh, drama!

 

I know, it starts out pretty normal for a superhero origin story. Then Wade gets into the script...and we're treated to that excellent brand of Wade Wilson humour.

 

They left in the overpass from the test footage!

 

Yep, I was soooo happy. And he's drawing his own fanart!!!!!! Yes, it's altered from the test footage - but it kept the awesome Deadpool-humour of that first beloved footage that made us all hope again after they sealed his f***ing mouth shut in Origins: Wolverine.

 

Was he talking to the camera? Did a bullet go through him?

 

Let me clue you into a few things about Deadpool: 1) He can't die. 2) He's aware that he's fictional, and breaks the fourth wall - a lot. That's part of the reason we love him - he literally talks to us. Plus, none of the other characters know their fictional and it just gets so very, very awesome.

 

Wasn't that Spider-man's quote? Only, different?

 

Wade Wilson is all about the references - and the irresponsibility. And in the comic-book world he and Spidey are hilarious together - in the fandom world they have sex a lot (it's called Spideypool.)

 

Violence!!!!!

 

Deadpool is more an anti-hero than a superhero. He's a mercenary. He also likes violence - maybe a little too much! It wouldn't be a Deadpool movie without a high body count.

 

Did he just encourage us to find the red-band trailer (and call us munchkins)?

 

Ladies and Gentlemen - Wade Wilson!

 

So...the Verdict...

 

This movie is not going to be for kids. But that's the point. He's pretty much the darkest Marvel canon (official) that you're going to get. But he still has one wicked sense of humour.

 

Deadpool is a psycho - and one we totally love. He's the part of us that says 'f**k this' and goes and does whatever the hell we want. That is Deadpool. When you ain't got much left, you just decide to go full-frontal and go for it - that's the Deadpool spirit. He's like the love-child of every Internet meme you ever saw and thought 'Huh...?' And, particularly if you see the red-band trailer, the studio might actually do right by him this time; fingers crossed.

 

Deadpool Sneak Peek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any Deadpool fans will probably have already seen the official sneak peek teaser trailer, complete with swearing and general Deadpool-mania, but in case you haven't (or just wanna see it again) ....

Hoping to do a trailer review when the trailer's released tomorrow, so keep posted. Oh, and for those who are completely unaware of the most wonderful, Marvel canon, self-aware, fourth-wall-breaking, completely insane, merc with a mouth, Deadpool, here's a link to the Wikipedia page. Be warned folks, Deadpool is never going to be like other characters - he's twisted, and that's why we love him so very, very much.

Welcome to Nerd Church

Ladies and Gents - I give you Nerd Church!



Original church image (before edits) courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I figured that after all the stuff I've been talking about recently, what with the stories being passed down through mythology and generations, and the comments about worshipping with the DC congregation with the Suicide Squad trailer, it would be best to provide a small weekly space of deep thinking for the nerd community. I say weekly, I will aim to make it weekly but it might be fortnightly, or just whenever I remember. But the intention is that I'll release a dedicated Nerd Church post weekly.

Also, I may on more than one occasion go off on one completely. Usually this will be because of either too much or too little coffee, but if you read this blog a lot then that won't exactly be much of a surprise to you. I probably come off as really caffeine-crazed in most posts. I assure you that I'm calmer in real-life (well, ish.)

So, as an intro for you lovely people...

Just a thought for the week ahead. Think of the stories that we still cling to from childhood - The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, pretty much anything in the Marvel back-catalogue, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Artemis Fowl, etc... What are the similarities here? Is there a common thread calling to us? Of magic maybe, and possibility; of extraordinary things happening to seemingly ordinary people, who were never quite as ordinary as they thought themselves to be.

There's also a common thread of dead or absent parents - Harry Potter and the Baudelaire children (A Series of Unfortunate Events) are orphans; the Pevensie children from the Narnia books are sent away from home; Artemis Fowl's parents are usually out-of-action for at least part of the books. And let's face it, superheroes are notorious for dead, abusive, or neglectful parents.

Now, that doesn't mean that we all secretly hanker to be neglected or orphaned - it simply means that the heroes have to make do on their own. They have no fall back of 'I'll call dad to pick me up,' and they have to learn to rely on their own wits and skills. So, we look up to self-sufficiency, to bravery and survival in the face of vulnerability and challenges. We yearn to make heroes of those who've managed to make their own way in an often hostile world, the way we all feel like the world can be hostile to us as we do our best to make our way through it.

And, as one final thought - what the hell were the parents in Enid Blyton books doing?!?! It's like, hey group of small children, of course you can go faffing around the country alone in a caravan. You don't need supervision, it's not like your average age is like eleven or anything! And the first time my kids caught a load of smugglers and/or were kidnapped and/or injured, would be the very last time I let them do anything on their own. But next holidays, the parents are back to being like - 'you want to go on a tour of haunted houses? Yeh, go ahead.' Dude, really?!?!

Friday Fics Fix!

Friday Fics Fix!

Yes, my beautiful bookish people, it is time once again for me to go off the rails and trail through the ever-expanding masses of fan-fiction on the interwebs to bring you five of the best, the worst, and the down-right weird. I apologise in advance, but honestly, there's a lot worse out there - you're lucky I go through it so you don't have too.

I've actually found some relatively non-disturbing fics for you this week - as in, can be read by people under the age of 18. They're also all one-shots - which are one part stand-alone short stories. I hope you enjoy and as always, feel free to make (non-emotionally-scarring) suggestions.

What if Deadpool taught at Hogwarts? by Absent Emotions.

This is 'crack fic' - as in, 'you must've been on crack to come up with it.' Like most crack fic, it leaves you slightly bemused and needing a lie-down and a glass of water while your brain tries to process it. However, it's Deadpool teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts - so it has to be included in my picks just for the sheer randomness of that idea. This is actually relatively acceptable to most age groups - but it is very, very weird.

Wanderer by Empatheia

This is a full-blown crossover (where one fictional world/franchise is smooshed into another one,) between Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland, where Miss Luna Lovegood and Alice are old friends, and Luna is constantly on the search to get back to her. To be honest, it's most then just friendship, but it never gets explicit so no worries - it's actually kind of sweet and beautiful.

The Starbucks Hobo by Loki's Brat

This is Stucky fluff. I know that sounds like another language (it is, it's fangirl/boy,) but it basically means that it's a Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Bucky Barnes relationship (yes, romantic, this is fan-fiction, almost everyone is gay,) that doesn't go into physical or sexual detail and stays in the fluffy rom-com gee-isn't-that-sweet territory. This is set in Starbucks, which is a well-known AU (Alternate Universe) for the Avengers. I don't know why. People just want the Avengers characters to work in a coffee shop; plus fangirls love the thought of Captain America being the 'Star' and Bucky being the 'bucks.' Supernatural references in this fic; also, I love where Clint works, it's so very fitting.

Fever by 1kiwiabroad

This is a Sherlock sickfic (story where the main character is ill, and one of the others has to take care of them.) Sherlock has flu, and, delusional, is running around Baker Street starkers - it's actually quite cute and fun.

Knock Knock by PrettyKitty Luvs U

OK, this is a really short fic, so my explanation of the background will probably be longer than the actual thing. Sorry, can't be helped. This is a Jackunzel Big Four fic. The Big Four are Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians, Rapunzel from Tangled, Merida from Brave, and Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon. They all know each other and are friends because someone somewhere decided it should be so, and legions of fangirls just got sucked in. This fandom is also sometimes referred to as Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons. There are various ships (favourite relationships) within the fandom, and occasionally it expands to include characters from the movie Frozen (though technically this is then the Big Six.) Unusually for a fandom, the ships tend to favour heterosexuality rather than homosexual relationships. Jackunzel is the pairing name for Jack Frost and Rapunzel, which kind of feeds into the seasons metaphor that Big Four fans have a thing about (Jack as Winter and Rapunzel as Spring in this case.) This is cute fluff, and like I said - shorter than the explanation.