A Tale Of Witchcraft

Hi, guys back again!! Today I’m gonna be reviewing Chris Colfer’s fantasy book A Tale Of Witchcraft. This book is a sequel to A Tale Of Magic and is about the aftermath of Brystal and her friends saving the world from the Snow Queen. It also presents new threats in the form of Mistress Mara, a mysterious new witch and a dangerous clan called the Righteous Brotherhood.

Warning: SPOILERS UP AHEAD! ( IF YOU’VE READ IT, GREAT! BUT IF NOT THEN DON’T SCROLL UP OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO SPOIL IT FOR YOURSELF THEN GO AHEAD)

My book review:

Book itself

I absolutely love when fantasy books have maps as it allows the readers who want to visualise, actually see where the story’s going (aka me!)
Also, I love the covers. They are just so appealing!!
I loved the chapter titles. They are so nice!

Characters

TBH, the Righteous Brotherhood made how many men they had really easy to remember: just 333
A white wolf for a logo is pretty cool, ngl.
It makes sense that everyone won’t know each other, since they are a secret society.
There was a lot of eye-rolling for the Righteous Brotherhood and their Righteous Philosophy. So goddamn misogynistic.
I love how they are all so scared of one girl and they are like a bunch of old men. So petty.
I absolutely love Lucy, one of my favourite characters in the series, you know what, she’s my number 1 fav.
I love that she got her own side plot which was integral to the main plot!
She cracks me up with her jokes and her personality, as a whole, is amazing. She cares so much about her friends although she is a troublemaker (aren’t we all?) and has a unique way of taking care of things, she still has good intentions.
And she has such an iconic outfit from the way she is described, I mean the bowler hat and her being into theatre, I can definitely imagine it as an extension of her personality.
Tangerina and Skylene are such besties you can definitely see it.
Emerelda is such a good friend to Brystal and a close friend to Xanthous, she’s just amazing.
Her outfit sounds so nice like emerald is a very pretty colour.
Oh my god, Xanthous. I love him. He’s just so caring.
I love Brystal and her pantsuits. I would definitely wear them when I grow up as an adult.
Mistress Mara had a Morticia Addams kinda vibe but I just think it was because of her outfits.
I loved the additions of Sprout, Stitches, Hareiet and Beebee. Although Hareiet was a bit standoffish to Lucy.
It was unfortunate, what happened to Hareiet but I didn’t really care for her much.
Stitches is my 2nd favourite character. Her whole personality and interest in the dark and macabre are fantastic. I mean I get her.
I liked how each character had a hobby that related to their name in a way like Sprout with fertiliser, Stitches with her dolls 🪆and Beebee with her insects.
I loved that Lucy would fully enrol herself into Mistress Mara’s academy so that she could spy on her to get back on the Fairy Council. That’s so Lucy, to be honest.
The character arc with Seven was a rollercoaster. Like I liked him when he introduced himself to Brystal but then he did a 180 and became evil 😈
Well, technically he was evil from the start and he had an elaborate plan with Mistress Mara like man that was on another level of evil.
The fact that Brystal had a curse made on her to have those bad thoughts 💭 like oh my god why.
I mean I get Brystal, when did she have a curse planted on her??
Mrs Vee is an absolute hoot. In every scene she is in, she’s just on point with her dialogue.
I felt so bad for Mrs Vee when she heard about the Righteous Brotherhood. That must’ve been traumatic for her.
Wow Seven starts getting petty at the end.
I absolutely love Madame Weatherberry.

Plot

The twist to Mistress Mara’s manor was wow. I mean the invisible butler and the goat in the painting. 😲
That plot twist with Seven and the Righteous Brotherhood, like my god. I didn’t even see it coming.
I felt bad for Brystal like you could see how happy she felt with Seven then to have that happiness crushed when she discovered Seven killed his own family. She was even scared to let Seven go after the Righteous Brotherhood with her.
I kinda felt bad that Mistress Mara got backstabbed by Seven at the end but she did deserve it after attempting to kill Brystal.
I was so scared when Lucy did the three initiations but she attempted to ‘fake’ it and she passed all three.
Unfortunately, this resulted in a demon being inside of her which needs to be exorcised and luckily, her friends came to her rescue.
Although the demon escaped which wasn’t good.
It turns out that Mistress Mara’s academy was just a front to create a demon in the students to be used in Seven’s plan.

Moments

I did not like when Lucy tried to impress the crowd and it turned into a disaster. Although she had good intentions, it wasn’t the best execution.
I hated it when she was kicked out from the fairy council, although it was reasonable, I still hated it. It had that feeling when you are kicked out of a friend group and your friends do stuff without you.
It was kinda sad and painful when Pip wanted to go to Mistress Mara’s academy but Brystal wouldn’t let her but she had to let go.
I loved how Lucy attempts to give Mistress Mara a nickname ‘Double EM’ but she did not care for it at all.
I really liked the scene where Brystal and Seven first meet at her brother’s wedding – however, that was just a ruse for Seven to enact his plan
I loved how Brystal described the scenery in the ‘In-Between’ after she died from the bloodstone.
I loved how Brystal overcame the curse and got out of the pit with the help of her friends.
Tbh, I feel like the thoughts in Brystal’s head were quite relatable. Those harsh feelings make you feel like you can’t do it, you are gonna fail etc.
It was interesting to find out that Mistress Mara was Death’s daughter.
It was relieving to read Brystal finally telling her friends the truth about what has been going on with her.
I hated when Brystal and Lucy fought when Lucy found out about Madame Weatherberry’s Snow Queen’s body in the ice cave.
Although it was nice that Lucy caught the Fairy Council up on everything that Brystal has kept from them so they are not in the dark anymore.
It was quite disturbing to find out that the lynxes at Mistress Mara’s academy were all the disobedient students that were cursed so they can learn a lesson.
Tbh it was kinda fun to read Pip and Lucy get revenge on their past tormentors, while I don’t condone it, it was fun to see their tormentors get what they deserve.

Overall it was an amazing book, one that I would love to read again if I could!!

Comment down below which part of the book was your favourite!

Also, comment down below any parts, characters and plotlines that I missed!

Lack of Proper Asian Representation in The Media

This is just a little rant that I have wanted to get off my chest.

I’m pretty sure that girls of all ethnicities want to see themselves portrayed on the big screen. Media has portrayed the Caucasian identity for as long as cinema has been around and in many different forms and genres. However, on the downside, when it comes to representing the Asian identity, it gets the short end of the stick. From stereotypes to tired-out cliches, the movie industry has a lot that needs to change.

The first aspect is the lack of Asian lead roles in movies and why in almost every movie, the Asian character just follows the white character. For example, in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, there’s this white girl named Tamara that’s like the “leader” and then we get this one Asian girl named Eva who just “follows” her actions or instructions and doesn’t have her own opinion or anything and it’s frustrating. Another example in Harriet The Spy, there’s a white mean girl named Marion who just acts like a leader, and the Asian girl Rachel just follows her. Also, the Netflix movie Moxie has the same kind of traits as the Asian girl Claudia following a white girl Vivian. It’s exhausting and it’s the same for Asian boys. They act like followers instead of leaders and it diminishes Asians, specifically Asian girls and boys and it creates a toxic mindset that Asian people can’t be leaders themselves which isn’t true. Now there is more inclusivity in Netflix shows like Never Have I Ever, with the main girl Devi being Indian, To All The Boys I Loved Before with the main girl Lara Jean being Asian- American and more which includes more Asian leads.

Another aspect is Hollywood writing stories for Asian characters which only include war, traumatic experiences and etc. It doesn’t have to be that way. There can be multiple stories for Asian characters which show a multitude of aspects of life such as sexuality, family dynamics, friendships, the individual themselves and more. Fortunately, we are seeing more of these in shows such as The Babysitters Club with Claudia Kishi, played by Momona Tamada, who has stories that range from family situations to her friends and more.

A final aspect is Asian characters with an emphasis on their friendships. We seldom see Asian characters with genuine friendships with ups and downs along the way. They are usually seen by themselves or with their families. Thankfully we see more genuine friendships with Asian characters in movies such as Turning Red, with Meilin and her friends.

In conclusion, these cliches are reused constantly regarding Asian characters and representation, which is tiring. However, with the increased exposure of social media and the news media as well as up-and-coming directors, we are getting more inclusive stories in terms of Asian representation. Hopefully, it will be better in the long run.

These are a few examples that I could think of, I’m pretty sure there are a ton more examples out there.

However, feel free to discuss any of these in the comments below or if you agree or disagree with the above.

Roe Vs Wade Overturned

EDUCATIONAL POST

WHAT IS ABORTION:

Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy.

OVERVIEW:

On 24th June, the US SUPREME COURT overturned ROE V WADE issuing a ruling that upholds a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and striking down constitutional protections for abortion acre.

The decision, leaked in early May, meant that abortion rights would be rolled back in nearly half of the states immediately, with more restrictions likely to follow. This will mean that abortion will not be available in large parts of the country, for all practical purposes.

This decision as well as the abortion question itself will most likely be a focal point in the upcoming fall elections and in the fall and thereafter.

The ones who made the decision were Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.

The ones who dissented from the decision were Justices Stephen Breyer, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. They said that this court decision meant that “young women today will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers.”

It means that “from the very moment of fertilisation, a woman has no rights to speak of. A state can force her to bring a pregnancy to term even at the steepest personal and familial costs.”

They wrote, “ With sorrow,- for this court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today, lost a fundamental constitutional protection – we dissent.”

HISTORY BEHIND THE THE ROE V WADE LAWSUIT

The ROE V WADE lawsuit formed in 1973 famously led to the Supreme Court, making a ruling on abortion rights. Jane Roe*, an unmarried pregnant woman, filed suit on behalf of herself and others to challenge Texas abortion laws. A Texas doctor joined Roe’s lawsuit, arguing that the state’s abortion laws were too vague for doctors to follow. He had been previously arrested for violating the statute.

At the time, abortion was illegal in Texas unless it was done to save the mother’s life. It was a crime to get an abortion or to attempt one. In ROE V WADE, the Supreme Court decided two important things:

The United States Constitution provides a fundamental “right to privacy” that protects a person’s right to choose whether to have an abortion.
But the abortion right is not absolute. It must be balanced against the government’s interests in protecting the health and prenatal life.

LEGAL ARGUMENTS:

Down below are each side’s arguments before the Supreme Court

Texas Defends Abortion Restrictions:

– States have an interest in safeguarding the health, maintaining health standards and protecting prenatal life

– A fetus is a “person” protected by the 14th Amendment

– Protecting prenatal life from the time of conception is a compelling state interest

Roe Claims Absolute Privacy Rights:
– The Texas law invaded an individual’s right to “liberty” under the 14th Amendment

– The Texas law infringed on rights to marital, familial, and sexual privacy guaranteed by the Bill Of Rights

– The right to an abortion is absolute – a person is entitled to end a pregnancy at any time, for any reason, in any way they choose

HOW THE SUPREME COURT DECIDED ROE VS WADE:
– It split the difference between the two arguments being made

– First, the Court recognised that abortion does fall under privacy rights

– The constitutional right to privacy comes from the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

-> The Due Process Clause doesn’t explicitly state that Americans have a right to privacy. However, the Supreme Court has recognised such a right going all the way back to 1891.

– Just 1 year before Roe, the Supreme Court held that “in a Constitution for a free people, there can be no doubt that the meaning of liberty must be broad indeed.”

– The Court decided that this right to privacy extends to control over pregnancy

The justices acknowledged that being forced to continue a pregnancy puts a lot at risk such as :

– Physical health

– Mental health

– Financial burdens

– Social stigma

The Court was sceptical of the state’s argument that Constitutional protections begin at conception.

The Constitution doesn’t provide a definition of a “person”. But it does say that its protections cover those “born or naturalised” in the United States. After examining other cases relating to unborn children, the Court concluded that “the unborn have never been recognised in the law as persons in the whole sense.”

The Court did not agree that the Constitution guarantees an absolute right to an abortion. In other words, privacy rights do not prevent states from putting some regulations on abortion.

The Court created a framework to balance the state’s interests with privacy rights. The Court defined the rights of each party by dividing pregnancy into three 12-week trimesters:

During a pregnant person’s first trimester, the Court held, a state cannot regulate abortion, beyond requiring that the procedure be performed by a licensed doctor in medically safe conditions.
During the second trimester, the Court held that a state may regulate abortion if the regulations are reasonably related to the health of the pregnant person.
During the third trimester of pregnancy, the state’s interest in protecting potential human life outweighs the right to privacy. As a result, the state may prohibit abortions unless an abortion is necessary to save the life or health of the pregnant person.

IMPACTS:

Many think of ROE V WADE as the case that “legalised abortion”. However, that isn’t actually true. What it did was change the way states can regulate abortion, and characterised abortion as something that was covered under constitutional rights of privacy.

It may come as a surprise that Roe didn’t have much of an impact on the number of abortions performed each year in the United States. According to the Guttmacher Insitute, in the years before Roe was decided there were over 1 million illegal abortions performed in the US annually. After Roe, the number remained around 1 million, performed legally. Plus, the rate of deaths resulting from abortions dropped dramatically in the years following Roe.

There wasn’t much public reaction to Roe when the Supreme Court first released its decision. However, in the decades that followed, it became a significant issue in American politics and more so now today.

As Justice Harry Blackmun ( who wrote the decision in Roe) points out, abortion will never be a simple issue. It remains a hotly debated topic because someone’s opinion on it depends on their view of the world, and when they believe life begins.

WHAT WE CAN DO:

Here are 7 things you can do today to help people seeking care:

Donate to abortion funds

These directly support people seeking abortion care including financial and practical support like transportation, lodging and language translation and are a critical part of ensuring abortion access

Donate to independent abortion clinics at Keep Our Clinics

Small, community-based clinics provide the majority of abortion care in the U.S. and are more likely to be located in states hostile to abortion rights. When clinics close, entire communities lose access to abortion and other essential reproductive and sexual health services

Show up and protest

Attend a rally or event near you – make your voice heard. Events supporting abortion access are continuing across the U.S. – visit the We Won’t Go Back map and find one near you.

Speak up and activate your network. Speak to your friends, family, business colleagues, professional associates, community leaders – and anyone else you can think of – and tell them why the right to abortion is so essential to a person’s life and future. Activate your networks by creating your own message or sharing some sample #AbortionIsEssential posts.
Learn more about abortion laws in your state. Click through the interactive “What if Roe Fell?” tool to learn about the laws in your state and all other states – and which states protect abortion, and which are likely to ban it.
Find out where your lawmakers stand on abortion rights. Do you know where your local, state, and federal legislators stand on abortion rights? Call or email them to find out – and urge them to act now to protect abortion rights and access in law.
Tell Congress to protect abortion access by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA). Congress can and should act immediately to protect the right to access abortion in every state. WHPA should protect abortion access from state-level abortion bans and restrictions, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe.

*an alias

LINKS TO THE WEBSITES BROUGHT TOGETHER IN THIS BLOG POST:

Seven Things You Can Do Right Now For Abortion Rights

https://supreme.findlaw.com/supreme-court-insights/roe-v–wade-case-summary–what-you-need-to-know.html

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/24/1102305878/supreme-court-abortion-roe-v-wade-decision-overturn

Life In Outer Space

Hi guys! Back again with another review. Today I will be reviewing a book called Life In Outer Space by Melissa Keil. This book is about a boy named Sam who is a geek and is completely fine with it. Then comes Camilla Carter who changes his whole life forever.

WARNING: SPOILERS UP AHEAD! (IF YOU’VE READ IT, GREAT! BUT IF NOT THEN DON’T SCROLL UP OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO SPOIL IT FOR YOURSELF THEN GO AHEAD)

My book review:

The Sam character is very interesting.
I love his film references especially his top 10 lists.
His friends are hilarious.
Loved his friends Mike and Adrian
I like how Mike came out casually to his friends and they don’t mind it or make a really big deal about it.
I disliked Justin at the beginning but when Camilla came in, he became tolerable in the middle and at the end.
I like how Camilla can seamlessly talk to anyone and everyone at the school and doesn’t mind how she appears to people.
I also like how she is big in the music industry but isn’t like a show-off when it comes to it.
I felt bad for Sam and his storyline with his split parents but it was nice for Sam to resolve the strained relationship between him and his dad
And in return, his dad gave him some good advice for his situation with Allison in the middle of the story.
I loved the costumes they were wearing at the end, especially Sam’s stormtrooper outfit.
It’s quite interesting to see the familial relationship between Camilla and her band friends although they’re quite older than her.
Adrian is so freaking funny and a great friend to both Sam and Mike like when Justin calls Mike a gay boy at the beginning, Adrian is ready to defend him.
I like that Sam invited Allison to the prom with him and they are still good friends despite the awkward situation between them earlier in the story and it’s refreshing to see a boy and girl friend dynamic that doesn’t automatically turn into a romantic relationship.
Sam and Camilla on the other hand, are an interesting dynamic. Sam meets Camilla and isn’t immediately attracted to her but is interested in her interests and points of view about the world. The same with Camilla as she appreciates Sam and his friends as they aren’t being friends with her just so they can get the numbers of celebrities and instead are just cool people to hang out with.
The end is something you would definitely see in a rom-com and it’s quite funny that Sam although he’s not into rom-coms, he has a rom-com style ending to his relationship with Camilla which turns from strangers to friends to boyfriend and girlfriend.
Camilla’s outfits were so cute!!!
I really liked that Mike found a guy he likes.
Mike’s plot with the karate center was really nice and it was good to see the resolution of that plot and how it related to Mike’s future at the end.
It was interesting to see Allison’s relationship with her brothers and how they go see movies.
It would’ve been nice to see a bit more into Adrian’s family life.
I can relate to Sam’s struggle with writing his screenplays and trying to write a great story and discarding them after one go.
Sam’s way of trying to get Mike to open up about his troubles was sweet in mind but bad and painful in execution. But in the end he’s a really great friend.

Overall this was a sweet book and I loved the cover.

Comment down below which part of the book was your favourite!

Metal Fish, Falling Snow

Hey guys, it’s been a long time since I made another blog post but here I am! Today I’m going to review a book called Metal Fish, Falling Snow. It’s an Australian-based book by Cath Moore. It’s about a girl named Dylan whose mother just recently died and she is left in the care of the mum’s boyfriend Pat. Both of them go on a journey together through outback Australia to meet her other family. Through this journey, she rediscovers her identity and her complicated relationship with Pat.

WARNING: SPOILERS UP AHEAD! (IF YOU’VE READ IT, GREAT! BUT IF NOT THEN DON’T SCROLL UP OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO SPOIL IT FOR YOURSELF THEN GO AHEAD)

My (mini) book review:

I think this is one of the only two books I’ve read that’s solely based in Australia but I still loved it.
It was really interesting to see Dylan’s perspective and how she sees the world through her eyes even though it gets her in trouble most of the time.
I can see that she really loves her mother and misses her a lot through flashbacks of her time together with her mom.
It was intriguing to see the contrast between how Dylan and Pat see things and Pat often thinks her way of seeing things is unique.
I really liked the character of Marge and I wished we could’ve seen her more with Dylan and her mum.
Pat definitely had a rough past with his father which Dylan tries to investigate and find more about which I really liked and it shows that she really cares about him and wants to make things right.
I like the transition between Dylan and the little kid from strangers to close friends as they have a secret language of their own and their own little routine that they built in the middle of the story.

Overall this was a great book and it had an interesting depth to it as well.

Comment down below which part of the book was your favourite and what character you liked!

Asian Hate Crimes

ASIAN HATE CRIMES EDUCATIONAL POST

ATTACKS ON AAPI/ASIAN PEOPLE

It first started with an elderly Thai immigrant who died after being shoved to the ground. Then it continues with a Filipino-American being slashed in the face with a box cutter. After that, a Chinese woman was slapped and then set on fire. The most recent attacks were at massage parlors in Atlanta.

There were more attacks following 2019, 2020 till now even.

These people were innocent human beings who were sadly taken from this world.

PROTESTS

There have been several anti-Asian-violence rallies that have been held across the United States in 2021 in response to racism against Asian Americans related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These have been called STOP ASIAN HATE.

Many of these occurred in the wake of a series of shootings that occurred at 3 Atlanta spas on March 16, 2021, in which 8 people were killed, 6 of whom were Asian American women.

However, the movement began to gain action after the killing of Vicha Ratanapakdee nearly 2 months earlier.

AT THE START

At the beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic which was 1st reported in the city of Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province, has led to an increased amount of racism against Asians and Asian Americans.

It has been believed that part of the hatred started with the repeated use of “China virus” and “Kung Flu” by former US President Donald Trump, conservative media outlets, and his supporters when referring to COVID-19.

RESPONSE TO THE HATRED

People have been responding by highlighting these hate crime incidents on social media, raising awareness and asking everyone to look out for their Asian American family, friends and neighbours.

Thousands took out to the streets to speak out against anti-Asian hate, calling for police reforms and criticising Trump for his hateful rhetoric against China during the pandemic.

WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THE COMMUNITY

Tackling personal prejudices

An unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge.

It is OKAY to admit to these opinions you may have. It is not OKAY to continue to display these negative and unjustified opinions after noticing them.

WHERE DO I START?

Educate yourself: Education is one of the most valuable things you can do, there are various websites and organisations online that will explain to you why it’s so important and what you can do to help.

Know your history: Educate yourself on anti-asianness, and the role you and your communities play.

Make your voice heard: Staying silent in times of injustice is just as bad as opposing justice. Use your platform to educate others and share what is going on!

Stay updated: Stay updated on what’s happening around, follow accounts on social media, so you are updated on the continuing action.

Normalise changing your opinion: Normalise changing your opinion, once you have educated yourself on this topic it is okay to change your opinion!

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

You may wonder why this is relevant to you:

This is important to you because it is your job as a global citizen and a human being to understand what is happening to people, even if it is not from your country.

Racism towards the Asian community is not as prominent in your country, but it is NOT a valid reason or an excuse for you to not understand what is happening to people. Injustice will never be justice if it is unheard, don’t stay silent! No matter where you come from, this is a global issue and is something we clearly should not be facing in 2020 or 2021. Please make sure you are not apart of this problem. If you are unsure of what is happening, educate yourself!

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THAT SOME OF YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE, BUT YOU HAVE TO STAND WITH THIS MOVEMENT, AND SHOW YOUR UTTERMOST RESPECT.

HOW PEOPLE HAVE HELPED TO STOP THIS

Organisations have been created to help stop the trend of Asian hate. One example is Stop AAPI Hate. It is a non-profit organisation that runs the Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center, which tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the US.

The organisation was formed in 2020 in response to racist attacks on the Asian community as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their approach is to focus on working to end all forms of structural racism leveled at the communities of colour to truly be able to effectively address anti-Asian racism.

HOW CAN I CREATE CHANGE?

Educate people in our community: Once you have educated yourself on this issue, educate others in your community don’t be afraid to speak out!

Speak up and speak out: SPEAK YOUR OPINION!! Don’t stay silent, spread awareness, and make sure everyone knows!

Donate and Sign petitions

Support Advocates: Support fellow advocates, making sure you are being respectful and understanding!

YOU CANNOT EXCUSE RACISM.

SIGN, DONATE, EDUCATE.

A NON-COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ARTICLES WITH A LIST OF WEBSITES IN IT TO LOOK AT TO STOP ASIAN HATE

https://vitruvi.com/blogs/impact-and-identity/stop-asian-hate-a-resources-list

https://www.stuvoice.org/updates/stop-asian-hate

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/anti-racism-resources-support-asian-american-pacific-islander-community-n1260467

The Magic Misfits 4

Hi guys! I am back after quite a while to review the 4th and final installment of The Magic Misfits series- “The Magic Misfits 4 The Fourth Suit” written by Neil Patrick Harris.

In this thrilling finale, we get 2 plots- another glimpse of another misfit named Ridley Larsen and the other is the appearance of Kalagan, a villain they come face to face with finally.

Whole Summary:

1st plot- Kalagan’s Appearance In Mineral Wells (finally!)

The misfits encounter trouble from Kalagan in the form of mesmerised attacks, specifically from the townspeople and who has been moving in the shadows in Mineral Wells.

2nd plot- A glimpse into Ridley Larsen’s life

In this book, we get to see a sneak peek into what Ridley Larsen’s life is like from her personality to her parents.

WARNING: SPOILERS UP AHEAD! (IF YOU’VE READ IT, GREAT! BUT IF NOT THEN DON’T SCROLL UP OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO SPOIL IT FOR YOURSELF THEN GO AHEAD)

WARNING: I AM GOING TO SAY LOVE A LOT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED 🙂

My book review:

1st plot–

I love that we now get to see more of Kalagan’s appearance and his motivations in his attacks.
I was intrigued by his method of attack- using people’s darkest secrets to manipulate them in order to attack the misfits or specifically coerce them into joining him.
It was interesting that each misfit got attacked in a way that was different and that it corresponds with their lives.
I love the dads. That’s it. I just love their relationship. It’s healthy and wholesome and they support each other. And the way they hold each other. It is beautiful. 🥰🥺
Oh. My. God. The plot twists in this one. It’s surprising how I didn’t figure this out.
Like Kalagan is actually Carter’s Uncle Sly?? That is just. Wow.
I was as surprised as Carter and the misfits. 😱😱
I was kinda surprised that the uncle followed Carter to Mineral Wells. And he looked different than I expected.
A nice and neat ending to Kalagan’s reign of terror.

2nd plot–

It’s amusing how Ridley shows her teacher Ms. Parkly a magic trick and she’s amazed like a little kid.
I was surprised when I found out that Ms. Parkly was a secret guardian of Ridley and that each of the Misfit’s guardians was someone they knew as a friend.
It was interesting to know about Mrs. Larsen’s profession
I love how the book includes all forms of schooling such as traditional and non-traditional like Carter and Ridley go to a public school, Theo goes to a private school, Olly and Izzy go to school at the Grand Oak and Ridley does homeschooling.
It was terrible when that librarian who was supposedly “mesmerised” ruined her invention which took her a long time to build.
I admire Ridley’s knack for invention building and I wish I could stand up for myself the way Ridley does for herself when talking to the misfits.
I did get suspicious at Ms. Parkly like how Ridley did because she knew nothing much about her except that she was her new teacher.
I loved that the Misfits had a private welcome back/congrats show for Ridley’s invention fair.

It’s intriguing how Ridley manages to stay calm when talking or arguing with the misfits. She’s trying to see their perspectives. I get it.
It’s cool how she has a lab of her own to do her inventions in and it’s kinda like her own personal space.
I love that she customised her wheelchair to include gadgets to defend herself, etc.
I really love that the story includes people who are disabled but still be able to have a story of their own that doesn’t always revolve around their disability.
It’s interesting how every time one of the misfits suggests they go to the adults, Ridley’s like nah we shouldn’t
I also love how Ridley’s personal arc in the story is something you can relate to as a kid.
It was really sweet and personal the way the story wrapped up Ridley and her mum’s understanding of each other.
I love their mother-daughter relationship at the end and that they bonded a lot over the course of the story. ❤️

Overall this was a great book and it created a fantastic ending for the Magic Misfits. It had a nice family aspect to it as well as the main plot.

Comment down below which part of the book was your favourite!

Pride + Prejudice + Zombies

Wassup guys! I’m back to review a graphic novel which is called “Pride + Prejudice + Zombies” which is based on the novel by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame- Smith, adapted by Tony Lee, and illustrated by Cliff Richards.

Whole Summary:

It’s about the Bennet girls, their family, and their journey through the zombie apocalypse.

My book review:

I love Elizabeth Bennet and her character in the story. She has such a strong, fearless, intelligent personality and takes no crap from anyone.
I love that her sisters call her Lizzie.
I love the enemies to lovers trope in this book between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
I love the gory images of them killing the zombies.
I felt bad for Charlotte who admitted to Elizabeth that she got bitten by a zombie and is now infected but it’s bittersweet that she wants to spend her last months with her husband before turning.
I like that Mr. Darcy redeemed himself in the middle of the book.
When Lady Catherine De Bourgh made her first appearance I thought she was a little too proud of herself for being the greatest female zombie slayer in Britain and was a little hesitant of Elizabeth’s fighting skills. Afterwards at the end of the book Elizabeth and Lady Catherine had a duel because of Lady Catherine’s insults towards Elizabeth’s family and supposed inferiority.
To be honest I would also be angry and challenge her to a duel. Thankfully she ends the duel for her dignity.
I love that the sisters care so much for each other and support each other in their endeavors.
I absolutely love that they did a retelling of the book with zombies and they incorporated it into a movie along with the original Pride and Prejudice novel and movie.
I like that they trained in the deadly arts and they’re not your typical girly princesses.
I like that they call zombies as “unmentionables” or “dreadfuls” or call the event “the strange plague”.
I loved all the plotlines in the book as it was all related to each other in a big or small way.

Overall this book was great to read and I love the pictures!!

Comment down below which character you loved the most!

Also, comment down below any more thoughts that you had from reading the book that I haven’t mentioned yet.

Chemical Hearts

Hi guys! It is now 2021 and I’m here to review a book for the start of 2021 which is called Chemicals Hearts by Krystal Sutherland and which is a movie as well.

Whole Summary:

It’s about this boy named Henry Page who wants to experience heart-stopping, breathtaking love at first sight. However a new student and girl comes into his high school named Grace Town who Henry falls for but isn’t your typical girl crush. She wears oversized boy clothes, carries a cane and smells like she hasn’t showered. After they both meet in the newspaper room where both of them write for the school’s newspaper they start a relationship which is raw, complicated and unique.

My book review:

I love Henry’s friends Lola and Murray and their friendship together.
I love that Grace is labeled as an enigma throughout the book and she has interesting quirks.
I like that we see all of this through Henry’s eyes and his perspective on all the people in his life.
His sister Sadie was hilarious and it was interesting and insightful to listen to what she had to say to Henry about his supposed parents being an “in love” married couple and the obstacles they faced.
I love the communication that Henry has with his parents. The dialogue was great and I found myself laughing at it.
Lola’s personality is amazing and I love her friendship with Henry and that she keeps him grounded and makes sure his judgement isn’t clouded when he begins a relationship with Grace.
Murray on the other hand is also amazing and his hardcore Australian side.
I love that he has inside jokes with his friends and that he has known them for a long time and has an individual past with both of them.
I like that Grace shows Henry her secret hideout and her feeding the koi fish and he does as well.
It was quite interesting to see that Henry could only talk well when he’s writing and Grace can talk well when she’s talking and it creates an interesting mirror or parallel moment between them.
I liked the part where Henry, Sadie, Lola and Murray went on a secret mission to see where Grace had always gone after she drops off Henry at his house which turns to be a graveyard where later in the book, Henry finds out it’s the grave of Dominic.
It was quite fascinating to read about Lola’s opinion of Grace and how she first assumed she was an MPDG, a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, a girl meant to fix someone preferably a boy who’s troubled in some way and I had to search it up to be honest and I get why she said that.
It was so sad to read in the climax that she had a previous boyfriend named Dominic who she loved so much and that they were both in a car crash and only she survived.
It was emotional reading the part where Henry stumbles onto the fact that she still lives with Dominic’s parents, in their house and that she sleeps in his bedroom, wearing his clothes.
It was thrilling to read the part where Grace is missing one day and Dominic’s parents are really worried and Henry knows where she’s gone and when he goes down to the koi pond he sees Grace in a white dress and she’s standing inside the pond and Henry tells Grace that she is suffering from survivor’s guilt as she cannot bear with the loss of Dominic and that she thinks she’s the one that should’ve died since she was the one who caused it, and not him. Also when she said that they were going to marry one day, that was quite cute.
Grace wasn’t an MPDG in my opinion. She was just broken literally by her limp from her leg and metaphorically as she cannot move on from the death of her boyfriend.
Grace’s mom was mostly absent in the book due to alcohol/drugs etc but we did get a glimpse of her in the middle and now I get why Grace wanted to live with her boyfriend.
Other than the main plot, we did get to see some fun parts like the school parts such as the school newspaper getting published, Henry, Grace and his friends just hanging out in his basement, new friends, relationship problems with the friends and the classes.
I really like that they added LGBTQIA representation in the book such as Lola’s sexuality as a lesbian.
It was heartbreaking to read the part where Henry is watching Grace on the school field trying to walk without her cane but she can’t and she screams in anger. It really made the part emotional.

My movie review:

The movie did follow the book mostly with some differences but did keep the original plot which is good.
Grace was played by Lili Reinhart a phenomenal actress and Henry was played by Austin Abrams a phenomenal actor.
Grace has a limp both in the book and the movie and one suggestion I could make is to actually hire an actress with a limp to make it authentic but no offense to Lili, she did amazing.
The movie itself was amazing and it captured the emotions of both Henry and Grace when they were in a relationship.

Overall this book was really good and I enjoyed it a lot. The book cover looked so pretty and a bit minimalistic with the fishes on it.

Comment down below which character you loved the most !

Also, comment down below any more thoughts that you had from reading the book that I haven’t mentioned yet.

Also, comment down below scenes from the book or movie that you liked or didn’t liked.

the Help

Hi guys! I’m back to review a book which is called the Help by Kathryn Stockett

Whole Summary:

It’s about three women named Aibileen, Skeeter and Minny. Aibileen’s a black maid who’s raising her 17th white child and is nursing the hurt caused by her own son’s tragic death. Minny is also a black maid whose cooking is nearly as sassy as her tongue. Skeeter is a white woman who comes back home from college and wants to know why her beloved maid has disappeared. All 3 of them however each have a story to tell and no one would believe they were friends. This story is about all 3 of their paths becoming intertwined and together they have an amazing story to tell….

My book review:

I love how one encounter from Miss Skeeter to Aibileen could result in her writing her own experiences aka her story and her telling everyone she knows that they have a once in a lifetime opportunity to tell their story and possibly change the perspective of the town they live in.
Minny is suspicious at first and doesn’t trust Skeeter at first but considers the offer at hand a bit in the middle of the book and takes a leap of faith at it.
I love how Minny and Skeeter’s relationship has grown from strangers to acquaintances to friends. It warms my heart and I love their little convos and Minny’s remarks to Skeeter.
I could say that Aibileen’s personality is calm, respectful, sweet, and nurturing to her white child Mae Mobley.
Minny’s is brash, feisty, and confident.
Skeeter’s is more reserved, opinionated, determined, and independent.
I love Mae Mobley’s personal attachment to Aibileen and I especially love that Aibileen tells her about the difference and similarities between black and white people in the form of a story and that Mae doesn’t feel threatened by Aibileen at all.
I love the perspectives of all the characters in the book especially Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeters.
It was so sad to read about Aibileen’s backstory and her son’s devastating death.
I was fascinated by Minny’s family and her interactions with her husband and her children.
I absolutely love Aibileen and Minny’s friendship and that they can tell anything to each other.
Minny’s interactions with Hilly are hilarious and I enjoyed every bit of it.
I also love the little feud that Minny has with Hilly and how it grew to a big one at the end.
Minny’s secret job with her new boss Celia was quite intriguing and the way that Celia pleaded with Minny to keep it a secret from her husband was quite interesting.
It was amusing that Celia didn’t know how to cook much and Minny had to teach her so she could impress her husband.
I love the comments from Minny’s perspective towards Celia as she navigates her house and her tasks.
It really scared me when Celia’s husband found out about Minny but didn’t mind it and actually appreciated her for the cooking.
It was heartbreaking to find out that Celia had a miscarriage previously and she didn’t want to disappoint her husband.
I love Skeeter wanting to be an author and wanting to write about important things that mattered to her and society itself.
I like the conflict in Skeeter’s mind when she meets a guy her friend sets her up with as she cannot tell him she’s writing a book on the experiences of black maids as that was frowned upon by the white people in the town.
I enjoy her rebellion against her mother because she didn’t want to be like her mother.
I like the first conversation between her and the guy as she did not care for his jerky attitude.
I like that he apologised to her and she gave him a second chance and they were good together and had grown.
I like that she was opposed to Hilly’s suggestion of toilets in the garage for the maids.
I love the main plot of Skeeter’s book along with Aibileen’s job and with Minny’s family and secret job.
I also love the side plots of the feud between Minny and Hilly and the horrible events that white people did to black people in the neighbourhood.
The drama between Hilly and Celia was really good especially in the scene of the donation event night.

A little hint: I’m probably going to do pretty long book reviews for the majority of my book blog. Not all but mostly. 🙂

Overall this book was really good and it explained the situation based on the time then really well.

Comment down below which character you loved the most !

Also, comment down below any more thoughts that you had from reading the book that I haven’t mentioned yet.