Movie Review: The Wizard of Oz

February 8, 2013 by Alyssa

Welcome to Project Fairy Tale! If you want to learn more about this fun event head over to my intro post!

Okay my friends, be prepared because I am about to fangirl all over the place. I will try my best to be coherent but The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland is one of my top 5 favorite things in the world. I have loads of print companions to the movie and between those, Oz Wikis and IMDB, I have devoured all of the trivia I possibly could over the years, and before we start I am just want to say that no, there was no suicide on set. While in college I took a film class and studied the film frame by frame and I can tell you with conviction that it is a bird on set and not an “angry munchkin” or the like taking a stand against casting for the film. Okay? Okay. Moving on…

I’m not going to sum up the film because it is unfathomable that anyone would be unfamiliar with it and if you are, stop what you’re doing and go watch it right now. You’re welcome.

Instead we are going to go over some less known fun facts about the movie!

The song “Over the Rainbow,” performed by Judy Garland, was ranked number 1 in AFI’s “100 Years, 100 Songs” list.
The Library of Congress has named The Wizard of Oz the most-watched motion picture in history.
While The Tinman is singing “If I Only Had a Heart” you may remember a female singing, “Wherefore art thou, Romeo.” Does that voice sound familiar? It should because it is voiced by Adriana Caselotti, also known as Snow White!
This is not the first film adaptation! Larry Semon produced a film in 1925 starring Oliver Hardy (yes, that Oliver Hardy) as The Scarecrow. This version had very little magical elements and was used as a point of reference for the 1939 film.
At the time, full on fantasy films did not do well in the box office. It was because of this that the writers and directors of The Wizard of Oz decided to stray from the original plot and make Dorothy’s trip to Oz a dream sequence instead of a literal trip to the land.
The script was changed a lot. Originally, there was a spoiled princess in Oz who had outlawed all forms of music, at one point in the film she was to go up against Dorothy in a singing contest.
Another scene that was dropped (which gives me the sads) was a point at the end of the film where Hunk (The Scarecrow) is leaving for college and asks Dorothy to write to him. This was supposed to set up a hope in the audience for a romance to bloom between the two characters. Though this was dropped, Dorothy still tells The Scarecrow before she leaves Oz “I think I’ll miss you most of all.” I don’t blame the gal, Hunk is well…a hunk!
The film was originally thought to be too long compared to other films of this time, therefore the production team cut many scenes. One of the more popular scenes that was cut was a song and dance sequence titled “The Jitterbug.” The outtake that still exists is actually a “home video” taken by the composer during a dress rehearsal. You can find this outtake on the newest DVD in the featured extras OR if you are old school like me and have the VHS if you watch all the way after the credits, it appears – this was one of my favorite things about watching the movie as a kid. (If you do watch the YouTube video..and you should…you can skip ahead to about 57 seconds in, that’s when it gets good!)

Rumor has it that Shirley Temple was up for the role of Dorothy.
Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as The Tin Man but within ten days had to be recast as he was in the hospital in critical condition due to the aluminum powder he was forced to wear while in character. No full footage of Ebsen as The Tin Man has ever been released.
One of the first directors of the film had Judy Garland dressed in a blonde wig with what has been described as “baby doll makeup” and she played the part in an exaggerated way.
Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch) was burned during her exit in her first on screen scene. The grease from Hamilton’s makeup caught fire immediately and burned her badly enough that she was out of the studio for up to six weeks.
Due to her injury, Hamilton refused to shoot another scene in the film in which she flies on her broom in a cloud of smoke. Her stand-in performed this scene instead and was injured due to a malfunction in the smoke machine!
The “horse of a different color” was actually four different horses covered in different colored (and flavored) gelatin. The cast had to keep the horses from licking themselves in between takes!
The famous song, “Over the Rainbow” was almost cut from the film! Producers thought it to be too long and too “old” for the intended childhood audience.

Those ruby slippers!

I was lucky enough to visit the pair currently on display at The Smithsonian National Museum of American History! While we were there they told us that they need to replace the carpet in front of the case very often because it gets worn from so many people stopping in front to see the slippers! These slippers were auctioned off in 1970 for only $15,000!! One pair was on display at The Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota but they were stolen in the summer of 2005. Another pair is owned by actress Debbie Reynolds. It is reportedly unknown how many other pairs of ruby slippers there are at this time.

So there it is, as I stated in my review of the original novel, it was not my favorite in the series. I could even go as far as to say that The Wizard of Oz film starring Judy Garland is better than the original novel written by L. Frank Baum. I know every single line and sing the songs at the top of my lungs, I have a crush on The Scarecrow and adore Aunt Em, especially when she says, “Almira Gulch, just because you own half the county doesn’t mean that you have the power to run the rest of us. For twenty-three years I’ve been dying to tell you what I thought of you! And now… well, being a Christian woman, I can’t say it!” You go girl!

In truth, this movie was one of the best things about my childhood.

Coming Soon! Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers

February 4, 2013 by Alyssa

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

Dark Triumph is probably my most anticipated read of 2013, the cover is amazing (how awesome does Sybella look!?) and I can’t wait to find out who this “mysterious knight” is! Sooo it is no question that I wanted to get my hands on this book immediately after finishing Grave Mercy (I had an ARC, do you know how long I have been waiting?!) Robin LaFevers announced that the book trailer premiered today, along with a pretty awesome playlist, and anyone who shares it gets entered to win an ARC of Dark Triumph!!!

To watch the trailer go here and if you share and win a copy, share the love my friends!!

Review: Wicked by Gregory Maguire

February 4, 2013 by Alyssa

Title: Wicked

Author: Gregory Maguire

Publishing Information: December 5, 2000 by HarperCollins

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fairy tales

Series information: Book 1 in The Wicked Years

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

Source: Owned

Recommended For: Fans of darker fairy tale retellings with a mix of political intrigue

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil? Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. “Wicked” is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

Project Fairy Tale continues on the blog with a review of Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked.

I’m not going to lie to you, this is a hard book to read. In fact, when I tried to read it years ago I was still in high school and I could not understand it. I honestly had no clue what was going on. Then I saw the musical (twice) and realized that something so magnificent had to of stemmed from something equally amazing, so I picked the book up again. This time, I was in college and loads smarter than my high school self (HA!) and was able to better understand the layers of this story.

This is not the Oz that readers know and love from the novels by L. Frank Baum. To begin with, The Wicked Witch of the West isn’t so wicked. Instead we see her as a child named Elphaba, her green tinge is explained in a really interesting twist and we watch her attempt to stand up for the rights of citizens of Oz, both human and Animal. As readers we are able to take a glimpse into the lives of Elphaba and Galinda and see how they grew together, and apart. For readers expecting to read a fairytale retelling with the same childish merit as Oz, this book is not for you. In Wicked, things are not so black and white, the characters are layered and most importantly, flawed. This book is not filled with happy endings, in actuality, many of the endings are rather harsh and unnerving. There are conclusions, but mostly there are threads left unraveled writhing in the wind. There is friendship, but mostly there is loneliness. There is love, but mostly there is heartbreak.

This is not an easy novel to read, it is political, and at times gruesome and downright confusing. However it is also imaginative, dark, and deeply perceptive, as if the book looks right into the deep recesses of your soul. Let it be known that to appreciate Wicked, it takes close, intense reading, and it isn’t a novel that you can pick up and finish in a day. It is a story that you need to process over time to fully appreciate, but if you take the time you will see what a brilliant storyteller Gregory Maguire is and at the conclusion, you will never look at Baum’s Oz the same again.

“Love makes hunters of us all.”

Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

February 1, 2013 by Alyssa

Welcome to the beginning of Project Fairy Tale! If you want to learn more about this fun event head over to my intro post!

I am sure that many of you are at least slightly familiar with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. However, many of you probably don’t know that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is only book one in the original series of 14! Those of you who follow my blog know that I am a collector of Oz books, specifically of any editions from the original series, though I have read a few from the continuations.

The Wizard of Oz series was created by L. Frank Baum in 1900, the last book by Baum, Glinda of Oz was published posthumously in 1920. The series titles are as follows:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
The Road to Oz
The Emerald City of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz
Rinkitink In Oz
The Lost Princess of Oz
The Tin-Woodman of Oz
The Magic of Oz
Glinda of Oz

Those of you who are only familiar with the film version of The Wizard of Oz are missing out on some things from the book so in lieu of a traditional and in depth review I am going to provide you with a longer summary than I usually do and then give you some insight to my feelings.

As many of you know Dorothy is a young girl who lives in Kansas on a farm with her little dog Toto, her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. Life on the farm is not too thrilling for Dorothy until the day the cyclone appears and whisks both Dorothy and Toto away to the Land of Oz. They are planted right in the middle of the Munchkin Country and soon find that their house has landed on (and vanquished) The Wicked Witch of the West. The Good Witch of the North (Not Glinda) comes to Dorothy and provides her with the silver shoes (not red) from the now dead Wicked Witch. She then tells Dorothy that if she wishes to return home to Kansas she must follow The Yellow Brick Road to The Emerald City and ask The Wizard of Oz to help her.

The journey that follows enables her to cross paths and assist The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman and The Cowardly Lion. These three decide to accompany Dorothy on her journey to see The Wizard, The Scarecrow is in search of a brain, The Tin Woodman desires a heart, and The Cowardly Lion would like some courage. Over their journey they overcome many obstacles, such as one of my favorite Ozian predators: kalidahs, creatures that have bodies like bears, heads like tigers, and claws long and sharp enough to tear a lion in two. The gang survives their meeting with these characters and their trip through a field of poppies and finally arrive at The Emerald City.

At The Emerald City the group finally obtains a meeting with The Wizard, but each meets him alone, and each sees him as something completely different and unique to their wants or fears. For example, Dorothy sees The Wizard as a giant head, The Scarecrow sees a giant ball of fire, The Tin Woodman sees a beautiful woman and The Cowardly Lion observes a beast. After their meeting, The Wizard says that he will help them obtain what they wish if one of them kills The Wicked Witch of the West. The travelers set off to The Winkie Country in search of The Wicked Witch of the West.

The Wicked Witch of the West is very cunning and evil, and she tries her best to kill the group traveling toward her. First, The Wicked Witch sends her wolves to try and kill Dorothy and her friends, the Tin Woodman uses his ax and kills them all. After this fails, The Wicked Witch sends her crows to try and peck the travelers eyes out but The Scarecrow saves them by grabbing them and breaking their necks. The Wicked Witch then sends a swarm of bees after them to sting them to death, the travelers use The Scarecrow’s straw to hide under and the bees die attempting to attack the Tin Woodman. The Winkie soldiers then attempt to attack the crew and The Cowardly Lion succeeds in scaring them off and finally, The Wicked Witch uses the Golden Cap to summon the Winged Monkeys to capture Dorothy.

After The Wicked Witch of the West has Dorothy in her clutches she is able to trick Dorothy into handing over one of her silver shoes. This angers Dorothy and she promptly picks up the closest thing to her, a bucket of water, and throws it over The Witch, which to her surprise, melts and vanquishes her. Dorothy then uses The Golden Cap to summon the Winged Monkeys and carry her and her companions back to the Emerald City.

At the Emerald City Toto reveals The Wizard to be a regular man who has traveled to Oz in his hot air balloon. He provides The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman and The Cowardly Lion with focuses for their heart’s desires. He decides that he will return Dorothy to Kansas by using his hot air balloon and places The Scarecrow in charge of Oz. Unfortunately the hot air balloon leaves without Dorothy and they are forced on another journey, this time to Glinda’s Palace in the Quadling Country. They must again journey through treacherous lands past Hammer-Heads and Fighting Trees.

Once they finally get to Glinda’s Palace, she tells Dorothy that The Silver Shoes have the ability to bring her wherever she wishes to go. Through their travels, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman and The Cowardly Lion fought their own battles and won their own rights to rule different kingdoms once Dorothy leaves. She says her farewells, clicks her heels together three times and is returned home to Kansas. The end!

“Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.”

So, there’s no place like home, right? As a kid, that was not the case for me. Before Harry Potter made its way into my life, these books were my escape and obsession. I used to sit in my tiny bedroom and wish as hard as I could that I would be taken away via silver shoes or magic belt. I own every book in the original series and to be honest this book is actually my least favorite. The series continues in a beautiful way and the lands become broader and the characters deeper and significantly more fun and unique. If you have some time and are looking for some quick reads to remind you why you fell in love with reading in the first place, I suggest picking up some books in this series. Later on in the week I will be reviewing the movie for you (another obsession of mine) and we can talk about the significant differences between print and film then. For now, tell me, have you read any of the Oz books? Do you have a favorite memory or character?

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

January 31, 2013 by Alyssa

Title: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publishing Information: February 4, 2013 by Feiwel & Friends

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction Romance, Retellings

Series information: Book 2 in the Lunar Chronicles

Format: Hardcover, 464 pages

Source: Unedited ARC

Recommended For: Readers looking for a strong willed heroine, a brooding male lead and a new spin on an old tale

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.
As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

There is so much to say about this book, yet so much of it has already been said. In a nutshell, here is my commentary while reading and my mini review immediately after finishing:

Yeah…so there’s that. Basically I loved this book. LOOVEDDDD the characters and the setting and it was one of my biggest book hangovers OF THE YEAR.

Remember how I said I wanted more world building while I was reading Cinder? Marissa Meyer delves right in and we are able to see a bigger landscape in Scarlet, complete with bonfires and farm frolicking (erm..kind of).

Scarlet Benoit has made my list of favorite female characters of all time. She is plucky and rough and fights her own battles. She is determined to find her grandmother and though she works hard to do what is right in most situations, she also has no problem getting dirty to do what needs to be done. Then there is Wolf and I don’t even know what to say about him because he is so swoonworthy I can’t even…I am all for the strong females who can take care of themselves but I also love a guy who stands up for his lady and maybe Wolf gets a little overprotective and ya know…murderous…but I’m kind of okay with that given the yumminess. Also Meyer introduces us to some other fabulous new characters, I specifically adored Captain Thorne. He is quite a character, he is intelligent, snarky and kind of crazy. Though Wolf is my favorite guy, I have joined the fangirling of Thorne as well. Scarlet and Cinder are vastly different characters and while reading book one I sometimes had a hard time connecting to Cinder. While reading Scarlet I didn’t only feel more connected Scarlet Benoit but I reconnected with Cinder and better appreciated her to the point where I can’t wait to go back and re-read Cinder.

The story was fabulous, I was surprised and thrilled. I highly recommend you read Cinder and then pick up this one immediately, it comes out soon so hurry!! It honestly left me with one of the biggest book hangovers of the year and guys, I can’t stop singing “OHHH WOLFIEEE, OHHH WOLFIEEEE AIN’T YOU THE ONEEE!”

Project Fairy Tale: Welcome!

January 31, 2013 by Alyssa

Hello! Some of you may remember how I signed up for Project Fairy Tale a few months back and decided that I would be reading, watching, and reviewing all things Wizard of Oz for the month of February, and some of you may have no idea what I am talking about but nonetheless..IT IS TIME. Tomorrow starts the month of February and with that we will be kicking off my month of Wizard of Oz LOVE!

Here is what I have planned:

Friday February 1: Review of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Monday February 4: Review of Wicked By Gregory Maguire

Friday February 8: Movie Review The Wizard of Oz

Monday February 11: Review of Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

Friday February 15: Movie Review Return to Oz

Monday February 18: Review of A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire

Friday February 22: TV show review Tin Man

Monday February 25: Review of Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

Doesn’t that sound exciting? I will have some “regular scheduled” things going on around the blog as well but this is my schedule dedicated to The WoO! YAY!

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

January 25, 2013 by Alyssa

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publishing Information:January 3, 2012 by Feiwel & Friends

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction Romance, Retellings

Series information: Book 1 in the Lunar Chronicles

Format: Hardcover, 390 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Readers looking for a strong heroine, a charming prince and a new spin on an old tale

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I am going to come right out and admit it: I totally judge books by their cover. I know I shouldn’t and after almost missing out on two gems last year due my hating their covers I am trying really hard to not do that anymore. The first book I almost passed by was Daughter of Smoke and Bone, the blue feathers and such, I smelled a masquerade, and vampires. Not for me. Thankfully those of you who read DoSaB know that it was amazing and not at all about vampires, whew! The second book I almost missed out on was Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I don’t know what is wrong with me here, those are some nice shoes and frankly, I’d like to get me a pair, but something about the cyborg thing just made me think “NOT AN ALYSSA BOOK!” and I moved on. MONTHS after the release, Heidi told me to cut the crap and read the book because it was awesome and was totally an Alyssa book for all of the right reasons. The girl was right, (she usually is, but that’s for another time) I devoured Cinder and was chomping at the bit for Scarlet’s release (lucky for me I obtained a copy early and you can expect that review to pop up shortly!)

There isn’t much to say here that hasn’t already been said. Marissa Meyer has a knack for character development, I really enjoyed watching Cinder grow as a character, I enjoyed how she didn’t exactly succumb to her stepmother and let her control her life but she also didn’t jump into action in an unbelievable way. Her rebellion was justified and genuine and my heart melted for her. Prince Kai is, well, charming, to say the least. The story between these two was refreshing, Kai was a gentleman and though outgoing in all the right ways he wasn’t demeaning or demanding as so many male leads are these days, maybe it was the prince in him but I found this to be extremely refreshing. I can’t wait to see where their relationship goes.

The secondary characters were just as loveable or just as rage inducing. Iko is Cinder’s best friend and I really felt their friendship, if that remotely makes sense. Meyer has a knack for making me FEEL FEELINGS, and that isn’t easy. Even emotions from the “evil” characters came through, when the family was mourning, I mourned and raged with them. I was a tiny bit scared of the Lunar queen but I suppose that is the point, I can’t wait to see what Meyer has in store for her!

The story isn’t without faults, it didn’t take me long to uncover one major twist in the story but I wasn’t disappointed that it didn’t pop out at me and there were plenty more that had my mouth on the floor. I would have also enjoyed some more world building and insight into the Lunar characters but lucky for me book two delves deeper into the world and characters so I’m not complaining!

In a nutshell, friends, even if the premise (okay or cover) of this book makes you feel that it isn’t worth the hype I encourage you to try it anyway. Marissa Meyer provides readers with a brand new twist on the Cinderella tale that leaves the reader begging for more.

“…and yet, the memory of his fingers against her skin refused to fade.”

Review: Splintered by A. G. Howard

January 22, 2013 by Alyssa

Title: Splintered

Author: A.G. Howard

Publishing Information: January 1, 2013 by Amulet Books

Genre: Young Adult, Retellings, Romance, Fantasy

Series information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 384 pages

Source: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Recommended For: Fans of darker fairy tale retellings, strong heroines and yummy kissy scenes!

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Wow. This is one of the first books that I have read and felt like I immediately needed to write a review. Now, days after finishing Splintered, I still cannot get the world out of my head. I am not a lover of Alice in Wonderland, Alice always annoyed me and the story was just too happy and simple for me, I think this is one reason that Splintered blew me away. Splintered was deliciously dark and descriptive. I had no problem imagining Wonderland as Alyssa (best name ever, am I right?) experienced it. Howard walks the reader through a vibrant world with characters that stay with you long past the last page.

Let’s get into those characters, shall we? First there is Alyssa, descendent of Alice (yes, the Alice) who is facing her own issues back in the real world. First off, her mom is in a mental hospital because she hears and talks to bugs and plants. The bigger issue here is that Alyssa can also hear these voices and her biggest fear is that she will end up just like her mother and be locked away awaiting shock therapy treatments. Then there is the normal teenage issues that we are all familiar with, she has a secret crush on her best friend, Jeb. Jeb is a sort of bad boy artist with a labret piercing and serious mechanic skills, he also feels as if it is his duty to protect Alyssa from all things, and though endearing, she doesn’t always love this about him. Finally, there is Morpheus. Oh Morpheus how do I even begin to describe you? Morpheus has a few forms but in a nutshell he is a fantastical, blue haired, brooding bad ass with a killer set of wings that can both fly you into the starlight and keep you warm if you’re feeling chilly. I bet you guys sense a love triangle happening here, and I can’t lie, it’s a biggie.” I was super CONFLICTED while reading this and there were many texts to my girls stating “I love the pierced one again,” and “OMG he has wings!” Honestly, after finishing the book I still don’t know how I am feeling or who I love more, I think I am happy with the ending but then I obsess a bit more and I just don’t know! *sigh* But guys, I can’t lie to you, it was worth it because these were some of the best KISSY SCENES I have read in a while. Seriously I WANT MOAR PLEASE!

“I hate you,” I say, the sentiment muffled against his heart, hoping to make it true.
“And I love you,” he answers without hesitation, voice resolved and raw as he holds me tighter so I can’t break away and react. “A crossroads, my beautiful princess, that was unavoidable—given our situations.”

I loved what Howard did with the secondary characters; they are turned from happy and whimsical beings to dark and frightening creatures. The White Rabbit is now Rabid White, Tweedle Dee and Dum are now grotesque female keepers of lost souls, The Mad Hatter literally becomes his work and you learn a little bit about the Queen of Hearts and why she became so bitter. “Off with her head!” has found new meaning in this debut novel.

I recommend this book to those of you looking for a new twist on a childhood tale, more reminiscent of Tim Burton than Lewis Caroll. It was adventurous, romantic and all together mad.

As I mentioned above, this novel is still running through my head and this morning I couldn’t stop thinking of this song by Kimbra as a delicious companion to the novel.

“You heard the crickets of the early eve
They lurk around the opening in two’s & three’s
Clementine told you not to move with the breeze
I’ll take you down to places where we dare not speak.”

Review: Waking Storms by Sarah Porter

January 18, 2013 by Alyssa

Title: Waking Storms

Author: Sarah Porter

Publishing Information: July 3, 2012 by Harcourt Children’s

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mermaids, Romance, Mythology

Series information: Book 2 in the Lost Voices series

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Lovers of mermaid stories

After parting ways with her troubled mermaid tribe, Luce just wants to live peacefully on her own. But her tranquility doesn’t last long: she receives news that the tribe is on the verge of collapse and desperately needs her leadership. The tribe’s cruel queen wants Luce dead. Dorian, the boy Luce broke mermaid law to save, is determined to make her pay for her part in the murder of his family. And while the mermaids cling to the idea that humans never suspect their existence, there are suddenly ominous signs to the contrary. But when Luce and Dorian meet, they start to wonder if love can overpower the hatred they know they should feel for each other. Can Luce fulfill her rightful role as queen of the mermaids without sacrificing her forbidden romance with Dorian?

It is impossible for me to write this review without getting a little spoilery so prior to dropping any bombs I am going to prepare you so that if you want to read them you can just highlight to view and if not, you can skip right over them!

Disappointed. If I had to describe my feelings for Waking Storms in one word, that is what it would be: disappointed. Remember all of those things I said about Lost Voices? How wonderful and different it was that the author had zero focus on romantic relationships but focused instead on friendships and character growth? Pretend it never happened. I can’t say that there wasn’t character growth, because there was and it was one of the few reasons I continued reading this book and didn’t mark it as unfinished and as always Porter’s work is descriptive and lyrical, it was not hard to imagine myself deep in the ocean or on a beautiful secluded beach while reading.

I believe it was the drastic changes between book one and two that initially turned me off to Waking Storms, there were many things that didn’t sit well with me. One change between book one and two is the difference in point of view. While reading book one we stayed in Luce’s head, seeing the story from her side alone. This novel follows multiple characters and their point of view and therefore opens up the story so that the reader can get a glimpse into what is happening on land. I would have really enjoyed this change but I couldn’t stand Dorian and half of the book followed his thoughts and experiences. Yes, I can see that he is a teenage boy, and sharing his name with a famous Oscar Wilde character who is obsessed with himself wasn’t lost on me. I’ll admit that I might have even been a bit biased while reading this because I was struggling so hard against the romance that I didn’t like Dorian from the beginning. However, as a reader who experienced Luce almost get raped by her uncle in book one, it was hard for me to appreciate how she was throwing herself emotionally and physically at another male character! I can’t imagine that had I nearly died after almost being raped I would “fall in love” with the next guy I saw and imagined what it would be like to be on land so we could, you know, consummate the relationship! Not to mention that it wasn’t just teenage romance…it was longing and caressing and frankly made me feel uncomfortable while I was reading since they were both fourteen! Mostly, I hated the way that Luce fell apart when she was around Dorian. In the water she is a strong mermaid queen and “hell hath no fury” and then soon after she is pining for a boy! Honestly in retrospect it felt like that is exactly how the story went: Luce is strong in the water and shows her power in her voice and mind, next scene, Luce is weak and sitting on a beach with Dorian and then? Back to the water!
Now for a bit more confusion and rage…

SPOILERS AHEAD

I am a little confused as to what the heck was going on with Luce’s father? I love a father daughter relationship but honestly what was he doing on that island? Why was he hearing voices? HOW WAS SHE ABLE TO FIND HIM AND SWIM HIM ACROSS THE WORLD TO SAFETY?! I know there is a third book coming so I am sure we will have all of these questions explained but when I am reading I prefer to be intrigued and not completely confused over a plot point.

Then the ending? I really cannot fathom why that gore was an addition to the story, it was completely out of place. I read horror novels, I am not scared of violence or gore but I was completely thrown off and disgusted while reading this lyrical novel when the ending came. It seemed like an afterthought that could have been taken out completely. The author does have a knack for description, it’s one of the things I really enjoyed while reading book one, however in using this gift to describe a murder scene made me feel really unbalanced and it didn’t sit well with the rest of the novel.

END OF SPOILERS

I will say that I loved the beauty and descriptions of this story, I loved the secondary character found in Nausicaa and I really loved the explanation of the origin of the mermaids. I won’t spoil it for you but it was a nice addition that I really liked. Sarah Porter went a completely different way with book two and I am sorry to say that it didn’t work for me, I will not be back for book number three in this series though for those of you still interested, from the end of Waking Storms it seems like Luce has finally found her voice and she may surprise us all. Here’s hoping.

2013 Challenges

January 7, 2013 by Alyssa

Well I said I wasn’t going to do it but I couldn’t resist. I am keeping it simple this year because my utter FAILURE at completing my challenges last year made me very sad..so without further ado…

My 2013 Challenges!

The Goodreads Challenge:

2013 Reading Challenge

Alyssa (Books Take You Places) has
read 0 books toward her goal of 80 books.

hide

0 of 80 (0%)

view books

I decided to aim a tiny bit higher than 2012, but not too high that I would get sad if I wasn’t able to accomplish my goal due to you know, LIFE getting in the way.

The 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge hosted by Bookish Evie

This is such a perfect challenge. I am terrible at reading books that I own and honestly they are the books that I want to read the most but I let them fall to the side so I can read those new releases. SHAME! I am going to start out with a lower level, “A Friendly Hug” which challenges me to read 11-20 books that I own.

In addition to these..I will be participating in Project: Fairy Tale hosted by The Cheap Reader. You are lucky enough to take part in my LOVE for all things Wizard of Oz in the month of February. ALSO, some awesome bloggers and myself are in the midst of planning another even to take place later in the year…it will involve reading Classics and their retellings. GET EXCITED. FINALLY, I also want to read House of Leaves and some of us have been throwing around the idea of a read along. Interested about any of these? LET ME KNOW!