Loving the Language of Literacy: review

Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Cress : @marissa_meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3) | BookTalk w/ @sslluvsbooks

Rating: 67%

Series: Lunar Chronicles #3

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

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: February 4, 2014

Page Count: 550

Format: Audiobook

Source: Overdrive via Library

Goodreads ~ The Book Depository ~ Amazon ~ B & N

Synopsis : In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for the events that have taken place in the series previous novels - Cinder and Scarlet. On Loving the Language of Literacy, the term "BookTalk" refers to a thorough review including a clearly marked spoiler free and spoiler filled section.

Background & Backstory?

In my August 2015 Reading Wrap-Up, I expressed my distress having to do with the Lunar Chronicles. Besides Queen of Shadows, Winter is a many people's most anticipated release for 2015. I marathoned Cinder and Scarlet back in Summer 2013 and I actually purchased Cress upon its release last year. The first two books in the series never impressed me, both earning a 3.5/5 stars and I consider it pretty average. Everyone insists Cress changes everything in terms of reader's opinions but despite the hype from the bookish community, I never got around to reading it. Until last month when I started feeling left out because everyone wants to read Winter.

What Was My Reaction Upon Finishing?

I can see why everybody said Cress changes everything. Why isn't Winter here!?

Even though I had expectations for this novel, I don't think those are what hindered my enjoyment of Cress, and I'm sad to say this but my opinion of the series overall didn't change with the addition.

Something I didn't expect to enjoy was the third person point of view throughout the story. Often, I wish for first so as to get a more intense glimpse into their minds - I don't sound like an evil mastermind at all. However, there are simply too many characters to accomplish a 1st person POV and so many places to be simultaneously. I enjoyed seeing the opposing forces and the tension knowing I was powerless as a reader to do anything for them. Plus it was extremely funny to see confusion from two different characters on the same matter - you know what I'm talking about with that android escort body *winks*.

I suppose the largest factor established in Cress that we hadn't seen previously was the huge scope of the universe. I've got to admit at times it was difficult to distinguish Cress's voice from little Cress or even Iko. She seemed so justifiably innocent and naive. Of course the fact that the audiobook's narrator's intonations weren't that different for the two characters impacted that. It was interesting to see her discover the Earthen world as we see it as "the future," but from the perspective of someone not Earthen but not Lunar either.

***Spoiler Alert***

Scarlet Benoit had obviously been tested before but I personally recognized her strength as a character throughout the Lunar interrogations and torture sessions as she was used as no more than a play thing.

I finally know what everyone was talking about when they fangirled over Captain Carswell Thorn. I couldn't help but see him from Cress' admiring perspective even if he annoyed me to no end when I was reading Scarlet, and that admiration was multiple further when he protested against Cress' attempts in finding some shred of goodness in him. Plus, when he gave her a kiss to remember on the roof of the palace... that was just icing on the cake.

Emperor Kaito has always been a favorite of mine and his stale mate situation tugged at my feels - especially because of the serious Heir of Fire vibes, if you catch my drift. It's obvious that all he wants is peace and good for the commonwealth but in many ways he's stronger than his father because of his desire to stay true to his values. Even though a huge issue I had was not being invested enough in the characters, I HAD to fangirl when he finally kissed Cinder and it seemed that they were united against Levana for the good of the universe.

I couldn't help but feel frustrated most of the time with Cinder because of the serious middle-of-the-series syndrome she was suffering from in terms of character development. It's clear she's ready to undertake the responsibility as queen but at the same time, she has understandable albeit aggravating doubts about her own moral compass as her lunar powers increase.

Our glimpse of Princess Winter is brief when she asks for Scarlet as a plaything but it's enough to know that she is seriously off her rocker. Obviously Winter is the final retelling of Snow White but I always assumed she would be sane. Whether it's merely because of living her entire life on Luna or being the daughter of someone as power hungry as Levana, she is clearly not. I am extremely intrigued to see where her arc goes.

Despite severely disliking Dr. Erland I understood him and was heartbroken at the scene where Cress learned he was her father and the one after that where he was tortured by Levana and died. He played a crucial role throughout the series and I'm a bit nervous to see how the characters will cope without him.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read Another Book By This Author?

75% | With everything said, I begrudgingly have to admit I will probably read Winter because the last chapter of Cress was too enticing not to continue with the series.

Conclusion: Even though my thoughts on the series as a whole are still extremely mixed, Cress was hands down the best addition to the series and set up the series for a hopefully stunning arc to be completed in Winter.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

{ARC Review} To This Day: Shane Koyczan

Rating: 9/10
Series: None
Genre: Picture Book, Non-Fiction, Poetry,
Publisher: Annick Press
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Recommended For Fans of: Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher), Falling Into Place (Amy Zhang)
Page Count: 74
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Synopsis: An authentic rallying cry for anyone who has been affected by bullying.

In February 2013, Shane Koyczan's passionate anti-bullying poem "To This Day" electrified the world. An animated video of the lyric narrative went viral, racking up over 12 million hits to date and inspiring an international movement against bullying in schools. Shane later performed the piece to sustained applause on the stage of the 2013 annual TED Conference.

Now this extraordinary work has been adapted into an equally moving and visually arresting book. Thirty international artists, as diverse as they are talented, have been inspired to create exceptional art to accompany "To This Day." Each page is a vibrant collage of images, colors and words that will resonate powerfully with anyone who has experienced bullying themselves, whether as a victim, observer, or participant.

Born of Shane's own experiences of being bullied as a child, "To This Day" expresses the profound and lasting effect of bullying on an individual, while affirming the strength and inner resources that allow people to move beyond the experience. A heartfelt preface and afterword, along with resources for kids affected by bullying, make this book an invaluable centerpiece of the anti-bullying movement.

Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC from Annick Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Backstory: The first time I heard of this poem was a few months ago when scrolling through one of my friend's Google+ feeds. I had no idea what the video was going to be about, and I was wondering why everyone in the comments was saying, "Wow! This is so deep." I ended up loving the poem and its message, but pretty much forgot about it until I saw it on Netgalley a few days ago. I also want to say that I have never reviewed a picture book before, and haven't read one in a long time, so we'll just see how this goes.

Physical Book Premise 10/10: If you didn't know, Shane Koyczan rallied 30 artist from around the world, and assigned a verse of the poem to each one to illustrate both sides of a page. I think this was an astounding idea, and it feels like To This Day couldn't have been translated into a book any other way. Each and every one of those 30 artist brings their own unique floor to the table, and creates vivid depictions of each verse, and I think it is so cool how each one interpreted their verse.

Title 10/10: As a reader, I will either love or hate a title. In my opinion, To This Day couldn't possibly have had a better title. The phrase means so much to the characters, the story, and the reader. It stresses the theme of "Everything effects everything." To me, it means that what may have seemed like a minor thing said can effect a person to this day, even if it happened/was said decades ago.

Cover 6/10: How on earth can I talk about a picture book without talking about the cover? I don't know what I expected, but I know that this isn't the cover I was expecting. I'm not saying it isn't a good cover, the idea behind it (the bullies' shadows and the boy standing up for himself) is great. I expected something more.... something more powerful and striking to adorn my shelves with. Over 30 artists worked on this book, and there were a few that I think could have made something closer to what I expected.

The Introduction 7/10: Shane introduces himself, and then explains how he started writing and what it did for him throughout his childhood. He shares a few statistics and facts about bulling, as well ad what inspired him to write To This Day. The page before his poem starts, Shane explains that everyone is an artist, all they have to do is find their medium to express themselves. This rang so true for me and I think it will resonate with others trying to discover who they are and find their voices.

Plot 8/10: The poem tells three people's stories about bullying, mostly focusing on the overweight narrator who is perpetually teased after causing a full-scale social worker investigation simply because he used two words interchangeably, and then telling us about a girl with a clearly visible birth mark on her face, and a suicidal boy who's dealing with ~~idiots~~ a society that just doesn't understand what he's going through. After introducing the three of them, the rest of the poem proceeds to describe the pain, rejection, and the feeling of being an anomaly that so many young kids have to go through.

Quotes & Pictures 10/10: AKA the category where I attempt to describe pictures and fail.

"She looks like a wrong answer that someone tried to erase but couldn't quite get the job done."

When teachers talk about figurative or descriptive language, THIS is what I would like them to show us. I know you guys have to wait until September to see it, but the particular picture on this page is so simple, but powerful. It looks slightly cartoonish, but at the same time, feels like a perfect representation.

"To this day he is a stick of TNT lit from both ends,

could describe to you in detail the way the sky bends in the moments before it's about to fall"

I don't necessarily like the picture on these two pages, but it is powerful and striking, the way it should be for the phrase that resonated the most with me after I read it. There are three funnel tornadoes, and a destructive, fire-breathing creature. It embodies the destructive nature of this verse, and seems almost like a scene you would find in an X-Men movie.

"He remains a conversation piece between people who can't understand

sometimes becoming drug free has less to do with addiction and more to do with sanity."

The verse isn't one of my favorites, because I feel that I have not experienced enough to understand it, but the translation is a wake-up call. There is a larger-than-life orange prescription bottle, filled to the brim with blue and white pills, and on the lid, there is a little boy who hardly looks old enough to take pills, yet alone experience the reasons why he has to take them. Surrounding this bottle, are three grey wolves, trying to make him come down, and more rushing towards him from the next page. The best comparison I can make is Katniss and Peeta on the top of the cornucopia, trying to fend off the mutts.

"This is just debris leftover when we finally decide to smash all the things we used to be

and if you can't see anything beautiful about yourself

get a better mirror"

One of my favorite (I can say this practically about the entire book) pictures in this book is of people in little boats, surrounded by debris, on course to an island with a sleeping giant whose face is full of sorrow. In the left hand corner, there is a figure of a person, similar to a shadow, looking at herself in a mirror as the poem depicts. The entire image is full of rich, vibrant colors, and shading.

"We are graduating members from the class of

WE MADE IT

Not the faded echoes of voices crying out names will never hurt me

of course they did"

My (actual) favorite picture isn't until almost the very end with this verse. A lot of dark colors that give an almost watercolor effect show a scene of a little town framed against mountains. What I love is that this place could be almost any other little town, just like bulling can happen any and everywhere.

The Ending 6/10: This just gives a little more background information on the poem itself (a more professional version of my back stories), and how it has impacted people, with snipets from some of the illustrators about their experiences with bullying.

Conclusion: The decision to translate this poem to a picture book was risky, but those risks were well-worth it when you see the startling, beautiful, powerful, and painful images adorning these pages. Although I would have liked it if more of Shane's story was told, as well as how to deal with bullying, this picture book is a new favorite of mine and I cannot wait for it to grace my bookshelves.

Friday, June 13, 2014

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Review} Fury (Book 1: Cure): Charlotte McConaghy

Tour Page and Schedule

Fury: Book 1 of The Cure by Charlotte McConaghy
Page Count: 348

Publication Date: March 25, 2014

Publisher: Momentum Books, Pan Macmillan

In the tradition of Divergent comes a novel about a world where negative emotions are stolen ... and only those with fury can stand up and fight.

Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes naked and covered in blood that is not hers on the same day every year—when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the "Cure"—an immunization against anger mandated by the government—and believes herself to be a threat to others.

Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different to the other "drones"—and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon.

But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of?

Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity.

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:

Charlotte started writing her children’s fantasy series ‘The Strangers of Paragor’ as a teenager and has since gone on to publish five novels. After a Masters degree in Screenwriting she wrote ‘Avery’, the first in her adult fantasy series ‘The Chronicles of Kaya’, published by Random House. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, and has just released a new dystopian sci-fi novel called ‘Fury – Book One of The Cure’, published by Momentum.

Connect with the author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received this book from CBB Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

"I am a flame of fury. The last flickering flame in a world long since burned out. I have rage threaded through my skin, whispering against my ears, tied tightly around each of my bones. My eyes, one brown and one blue, leak with it.

Most of the time this frightens me.

But sometimes I like it."

--- 1% September 11, 2065 Josephine

Can I just say that I loved this book? Oh well, too late, I said it. This quote encompasses and explains what I can't say about it. Not only is this one of the best beginnings of a book that I have ever read, but it displays Charlotte McConaghy's excellent writing, as well as portrays exactly who the main character -Josephine- is.

Premise: Fury was such an interesting novel to read because of how it dealed with emotions, a subject I am very interested in. I suppose that's what I enjoyed most about the novel as well. Even with the cookie cutter dystopian plot line, an author has to come up with some sort of selling point. A world where anger is eradicated, simply fascinates me. When I told my mom about the book I was reading (for the umpteenth time I might add), she thought it was great that anger had been eradicated.... until I told her what the effects of this were. An example the author gave was when she said that wives whose husbands had cheated on them, didn't react, and a family who was being burglarized just sat there and laughed while their possessions were stolen.

Romance: So the romance in Fury was a bit of an insta love situation, something deeply despised by 99% of the blogging community. I actually am not usually effected by instalove, but in this particular situation, I was. There is some background that would spoil things that would explain why it isn't so creepy that Luke picks up Josephine and takes her home after just meeting her, but it still doesn't compensate for the instant connection the two of them had.

On the other hand, no self respecting teenage girl can deny the swoonworthiness of Luke. I mean, WHHHHHY does he have to be so old? Not in general, but for me at least. Even though we learn that his motives weren't exactly pure 100% of the time, he was still so charming, and attractive, and charismatic, and all the other adjectives that I can't think of at the moment.

Points of View: We all know that I gotta have my good narrators, and Fury does not disappoint. I think the best way it can be described is if it were to be compared to All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. All Our Yesterdays is a book set in two separate times, before and after a horrific event, and told in in two points of views from different times.... so basically four points of view, even though there are only two people narrating. It is the same way with Fury, but better with three different narrators. Present and Past Joesphine and Luke, as well as present Anthony. McConaghy does this in such an amazing way, making each person (even if they're the same) have their own voice, and making it 100% understandable. Fury could have been confusing when it jumped from one time period to the other, and the narrators could have all sounded the same.

Characters:

"Perhaps you're right.... I did imagine them. Sometimes I think I must have, I don't know how something so wild could exist within a world like this, one that is so unforgivably void of life."

I don't tell her what's on the tip of my tongue: that this is exactly what I see when I look at her.

--- 29% September 13, 2065 Anthony

I simply fell in love with the characters of Fury, both their past and present selves. Anthony, is one of the many in this world thas has been given the Cure, yet there is still emotion left in him, and a lot of times throughout the story, that emotion is love for Josephine. While his thoughts about making Josephine love him, despite Luke, were malicious to say the least, you could still feel empathy because you knew where that desire came from. He was a very puny character at times, kind of like Nathan in All Our Yesterdays, in that he was a geek when it came to some of his different talents.

Josephine was also a little spitball of fire, as she was not given the Cure, and still feels anger and other emotions. She was an independent, strong female character that could take care of things by herself, and didn't want to accept help from anybody, but realized that she still needed it, like Josephine March from Little Women.

"Music," he says, but not to me. "Blue and white."

Music starts to play from speakers, something I've never heard that's fun and lovely. "Blue and White?" I ask, assuming this must be the name of the band.

"I'm synesthetic," he explains. "Means I remember things in color and shape and texture. Blue and white music for me is upbeat, something with a lot of bass, stuff that makes you want to danc. I programmed my sound system to understand color cues."

--- 17% September 20, 2063 Josephine

Not only is this a unique character trait for Luke, but I just had to share it with you because it sounds insanely cool, similar to Josephine's eidetic (remembers EVERYTHING) memory, but without all of those nasty repercussions and side effects.

Cover: Oh my god! Somebody give me a hard copy of this novel so I can stroke and caress it to death. I don't know where McConaghy got the image, or even what the image is, but it is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It appears to be the Earth surrounded by a ring of fire, and manages to express everything this novel is about.

Plot: What did make me stumble at times during Fury were certain events, as well as chains of events that I didn't understand because I didn't understand what triggered that chain. I will definitely be rereading Fury, so I will be able to catch more of the subtle nuances and explanations, but it was definitely confusing at times. The whole situation between the Bloods and the Greys and the Reds and the Blues was difficult to understand at times, and I would totally explain what each of those are.... if I could comprehend them myself.

Writing Style: Need I say more than the quotes below? I have now concluded that Charlotte McConaghy is the goddess of setting the scene in stories. She offers so much description to her readers without it being tedious, or boring.

Ending: What I was disappointed in, was the ending of Fury. It's not as if it let me down, trust me it was freaking EPIC. What I mean is that it seemed too predictable after the roller coaster of thoughts, emotions, and relevations that had just unfolded. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's along the lines of Reboot (Amy Tintera) and Uglies (Scott Westerfeld). That's all I'm going to say.

Continuation 85%: If CBB Book Premotions does another tour for the sequel, somebody reserve me a prime spot on it this very moment. I loved Fury so much and am extremely interested to see what Charlotte McConaghy does to capture her readers.

Conclusion: I will definitely be recommending Fury because it was a fabulously written novel, in terms of narration and characters, as breath of fresh air concept wise.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

{ARC Review} The Dare: Hannah Jayne

Rating: 5/10

Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Contemporary

Publication Date: July 1, 2014

Reccommended for fans of Pretty Little Liars & The Lying Game

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Page Count: 288 (according to Amazon)

Source: Netgalley

Format: eARC

Goodreads ~ Barnes & Nobles ~ Amazon

Synopsis: Two jumped off the pier that night...but only one came back alive

Bryn did everything with her best friend Erica. So when someone dared Erica to jump off the pier one night at Harding Beach, Bryn was right by her side. But when Bryn made it back to the surface, Erica was nowhere to be found. Bryn tries to make a fresh start by burying her memories of that awful night. But when a Twitter post from "EricaNShaw" pops up on her feed and a chilling voice mail appears on her phone, she realizes that someone isn't ready to let go of the past...

Disclaimer: I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Intial Thoughts; This book.... how do I begin to describe this book. As some of you may know from Twitter, I am currently going through a bit of a reading slump. I could get into why I am in that reading slump *cough* the last 10 months of school *cough* and the fact that I am just tired of effort. Being on vacation hasn't helped either with this reading slump because of all the excitement that makes it feel like the world is coming to a standstill when I pick up a book to read. Anyway, my point is that my opinions about "The Dare" are different because of this reading slump, but unlike make of my fellow book bloggers, or readers in general, I feel like the book was better because of this reading slump.

I have to admit that I almost gave this a 2 star rating, or lower, but my reading slump really affected my opinions. I just had waaaay top many problems with the characters, romance, ending, writing style, mystery.... basically almost every technical aspect of the novel.

Characters & Narration 3/10: You know those books where you would imagine the narrator's voice as monotone and boring? Well that's how I imagined Brynna. I just wasn't feeling her voice, and most certainly didn't have a feel for who she was as a character. The way Bryn narrated events could be compared to the difference between hearing about something via text message versus actually being there and experiencing it. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EVENTS. I felt like I was just being relayed a story instead of experiencing everything as if I was Brynna.

Premise 9/10: The premise is what truly drew me into the book, and triggered my click happy self on Netgalley. I live in a house with a mother who is addicted to murder mysteries, and this just seemed like a refreshing novel that might turn out to be an insane page turner. What I did not notice until I started "The Dare" was how similar is was to PLL/ TLG (see more on that below) which also would have helped me make the decision to click the "Request" button since it had been a long time since I had read a book like that.

Romance 3/10: Okay... so there was romance in this book. That's all you can pretty much say. I dislike Brynna's love interest -Teddy- because he just seemed one dimensional. I had no feel for him and if he cared about her. The other fact was that Bryn was closer to her friend Evan than Teddy. I totally shipped Brynna and Teddy together, and then we found out he was gay, which is absolutely fine with me, but I believe a poor choice on the author' part in relevation the dynamics and chemistry between Bryn and Evan.

Pacing 7.5/10: Let's just put it this way - I was in need of a page turning mystery that would hook me in and keep me hooked. Period. And I am happy to say that's what I got. So if you were perusing B&N, which I know we all do (don't you dare lie to me), and in the need of a light mystery, buy "The Dare." I read almost the entire book while in a doctor's office waiting for my aunt. It was just - READ. TOUCH SCREEN. REPEAT. And then I got to the end, which made hardly any sense to me for that matter.

Similarities to Other Novels: You might have noticed the "Recommended for fans of Pretty Little Liars & The Lying Game" up there. The reason I put that is because I have read both novels, and think that "The Dare" is reminiscent of them. Minus the multiple teenage girls as MCs. Other than that, the three books were extremely similar. There was that whole "mysterious death of best friend, maybe murder" appeal as well as the "mysterious girl's death being drugged up from the past by none other than that mysterious girl presumed to me dead" and "the MC's life is promptly ruined because of all of this." As you can see, a lot of similarities.

Ending 5/10: One word: FRUSTRATION. I don't want to spoil anything, but, THAT's FREAKING IT? I was expecting something bigger or something MORE and THIS is what Hannah Jayne gives me? I admit that I didn't see it coming, but I felt there was no connection between it and previous events.

Conclusion: While I had many problems with the technical aspects of the novel, it was a quick fun read

, reminiscent of Pretty Little Liars, that woke me from a reading slump.

Monday, June 9, 2014

(Season One) The Attack on Titan: Media Mondays (5)

Hey world, I (Sofia) am still in New York, Rochester this time, and am having a great time with my aunt. By the way, if you're in the area, stop by the French Quarter, the food is to die for. Anyway, this is another Media Mondays coming from Joyce. You a taste of her style earlier when she was introduced in The Sunday Post as well as her manga review last week. All credit goes to her for this I didn't edit anything. Without further ado, The Attack on Titan, Season One.

Aired on April 6, 2013

Season 1 ended September 28, 2013

Synopsis: Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by Titans. Titans are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest Titans. Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a Titan in over 100 years. Teenage boy Eren and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a Colossal Titan that appears out of thin air. As the smaller Titans flood the city, the two kids watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Eren vows that he will murder every single Titan and take revenge for all of mankind. (Taken from the Attack on Titan wikia page)

HELLO LADIES...this is Joyce *insert sexy smirk*

I dunno about the whole ink jars thing, but I would give this anime a 9/10 jars. Why? Wee-e-e-ell, I really loved the character development and stuff, but one question lingered at the back of my head...WHY IS EREN SO ANGRY, IT'S LIKE HE'S ON AN ETERNAL MAN PERIOD (sometimes though, he can be pretty hilarious) Another reason why I love AoT were the questions the anime left me with. Why did the titans eat the humans out of pure pleasure? WHY was Annie on the Titans' side? What's in the basement? You get the picture, right? Right.

The feels just about killed me and the gore left me speechless. I mean, really, the first episode SLAYED, and the graphics were just...ACK, TOO AMAZING. Kudos to the animators and artists, they did a beautiful job of designing and drawing all of the scenes.

The Titans were either creepy or cute. There is no in between. The fact that the Titan's lacked genitalia kind of made me wonder how they reproduced too. Do they go through mitosis or something? Or do Titan babies just fall from the sky? Your guess is about as good as mine.

However, one thing sort of bothered me, and that was the lack of answers the anime gave me. I know this goes against my earlier statement about how I enjoyed the questions and such, BUT WOULD IT KILL THEM TO GIVE ME ONE WIDDLE HINT?! I am literally praying that they'll explain some more in Season 2. (I didn't read all of the manga yet, so please bear with my complaining. Oh, and NO SPOILERS. THAT IS AN ORDER.)

The character development was awesome (I mean in the beginning Armin was a whiny lil bish, but now look at him. He's like a psycho genius who will kill you with his mind) And of course, Eren is the passionate Titan killer we all know and love. Sometimes, his exclamations of 'IM GONNA KILL ALL OF THE TITANS' kind of ticked me off, but he's hilarious. MIkasa is well...Mikasa. Personally, I liked Sasha more than Mikasa, since she was a goof and a massive potato lover (like me), so yeah. Levi is well... LEVI.

And yeah, that's about it. Sorry if this was super long. All of these opinions are mine, you don't have to like them, and I respect that.

Peace out,

Joyce

Do you know of any book/anime/other forms of media characters that are SOOO annoying because they're on their man periods?

Are you ever frustrated when writers leave people (such as myself) hanging by a thread, and make us guess/wait/wonder what and why they made something the way it is?

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Tricks: Ellen Hopkins

Rating: 9.75/10

Standalone

Genre: Poetry, Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Young Adult,

Publication Date: August 20, 2009

Publisher: Margaret K. Elderry Books

Page Count: 627

Format: Hardcover

Source: Bought from $1 Bookstore in Long Beach

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Nobles

Synopsis: Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words "I love you" are said for all the wrong reasons.

Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story -- a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, "Can I ever feel okay about myself?"

Oh my gosh, this book. I believe it might be my favorite book in the entire month of May. Where do I begin? What do I say? How do I express all of the immense feels that radiated from my body as I read this masterpiece of contemporary/realistic fiction?

What I would first like to point out was that this was an Ellen Hopkins book. Yes, I do believe that there should be a dictionary definition for a book written by this wonderful poet. What you really have to be warned about, is that you HAVE to read her books when you're in the right mood, otherwise you will end up hating them. They are usually written in verse or prose, extremely unique, well-written, and 99% of the time, deal with teenagers going through hell.

IDENTICAL was about twins that both were suffering from various issues after their mother died. BURNED was about an extreme Mormon family and a young girl who tried to break free of it all to find love.

CRANK was based on Ellen's eldest daughter that got caught up in the world of drugs.

Needless to say, these WERE NOT pretty tales. TRICKS is no different, especially because of its particular subject. Teen Prostitution. I know a lot of readers will be stopped at those words, want to run away, and never look at another Ellen Hopkins novel again. And I would completely respect you if you did that, Hopkin's books -especially this one- are not for the faint of heart.

TRICKS is extremely unique because it follows/is narrated by not one, not two, but five different teenagers. Three girls. Two boys. All with their own stories, pasts, situations, and personalities. I have to admit, it was darn confusing at times, but everything weaved together beautifully at the end.

I admit, I was a little squeamish at the thought of reading about teen prostitution, I was hesitant, and a bit anxious to see how everything would play out. I will also say that the first character to make that leap didn't until I was around halfway through the book. So, if you think you will be reading a book entirely about dumb kids selling their bodies so that others can do horrible things to them, you will be wrong (and hopefully, relieved).

What I would like to point out, is that, at the beginning, the five main characters, Ginger, Cody, SEth, Witney, and Edna are like any other normal teenagers you would see walking down the streets. They want freedom from their families, they have relationship issues, they want the latest iPhone (well, not really, but you get my point). Which just proves how easy it is to do something you never thought would before. Not that I'm saying that all normal teenagers will suddenly start becoming prostitutes. TRICKS just proves how easy it is to go down the wrong path in life. Yet, I also don't want people to think that it's all doom and gloom in the book. There is positivity, and humor, and most of all, there is hope (and killer quotes).

As a teenager in the throes of life, I know as well as anybody else that has gone through it, or is going through it that being a teenager aint easy. A lot of problems that arise come from the fact that you are surrounded by people trying to find themselves. This is a huge aspect in TRICKS because each character is just trying to carve their own path in the world, and find out who they are.

A Poem by Ginger Cordell ~ Faces

I wear too many faces some way too old to fit the girl glued to the back of them.

keep my faces in a box, stashed inside of me. It's murky in there, overcast with feelings I

don't

allow anyone to see. Not that anyone cared enough to go looking. No one wants to

know

what bothers me. Too hung up on their own problems. Sometimes I think I have to see

the real

Ginger, so I open the box, search inside. But no matter how hard I look, I can't find

Another thing, when you read this book, you have to know what's in it. I know I have been saying it's about teen prostitution, but it's one thing to hear about it, or read about it. It is an entirely different thing to read it. In classic Hopkins style, she doesn't hold a thing back, everything is right there, out on the table, for the whole world to see. She doesn't sugar coat, she doesn't plaster on smiles, she doesn't pretend that things don't happen. As a reader, you get to learn the mechanics of the trade, and the emotional side of it. Hopkins gives you an almost inside look at these people's heads, which can be quite gruesome at times.

When you sell your body, you also sell what's inside. Piece by piece, you sell your soul.

An issue that is also brought up a lot when you're a teenager, or in general with life is, "What ___ I do?" That blank spot could be filled with the worlds, "should," "would," "could," or "do." The bottom line is that people struggle with decisions, especially at adolescent age when there is so much indirectly and directly effecting a decision - peers, parents, school, environment. There is also the question of "Would I regret doing this more than I would regret not doing it?" Decisions are something that are not supposed to be made lightly, especially in regards to selling ones body for others use. The quote below really embodies just how hard it is to make decisions, and how much you regret the wrong one. There's also the psychological question of -Do I now make further decisions based on what I have done in the past versus who I am now?

A Poem by Cody Bennet ~ Afterthoughts
Why can't an afterthought be a forethought? Where does
                                                                                                                                                hindsight
take you if you're focusing behind you? What important
                                                                                                                                                is gained
when the lesson defies recollection? When Alice stepped
                                                                                                                                                through
the looking glass, did she see herself backwards, or did the whole rabbit hole
                                                                                                                                               experience
simply make her close her eyes?

An issue with TRICKS that people had were the multiple POVs. I have got to admit that they were confusing as heck. While Ellen Hopkins did an admirable job at giving each character its own voice, I was still mixed up at times. The thing was that as a reader, I was so immersed in one Point of View, that even though I saw the name at the top of the page signifying anothers, I still had to do a double take at times because I didn't know how I got from one situation/location to another. So just be warned when flipping the page, and pay attention to the top of it.

Conclusion: This was simply an astounding masterpiece that deals with a tough subject in a way that isn't overly graphic, but gives readers a brilliant picture of loss, regret, and hope.

Quotes 10/10: Almost every freaking page in this book could be an award winning quote, but I am just sharing a few of my favorites here.

A Poem by Eden Streit ~ Still Here
At least I think so, what's let of who I used tp be
                                                                                                                                           a shadow
on the sidewalk, I look up, try to find a rainbow, but the only thing there is
                                                                                                                                        a lone cloud,
stretching thin and thinner, clear to almost not there across
                                                                                                                                  an upside-down sea.
I lower my gaze onto a puddle, close my eyes at what I see. Don't want to believe
                                                                                                                                   the ghost is me.

A Poem by Cody Bennet ~ Don't Know
He looks a lot like me.
But his flame has been extinguished,
buried too far beneath the soil to find enough to smolder.
It is not more vague than a memory, all oxygen gone.

Monday, June 2, 2014

(Vol. 1) Hellsing: Kohta Hirang: Media Mondays (4)

Hey, I (Sofia) am currently in New York, having heaps of fun doing god knows what, and this is a scheduled post written by Joyce, otherwise known as crazy #1 that you read the bio of last week during my Sunday Post. Her review style is a bit different from my own, but I thought it would be nice to have a fresh voice on the blog, and all credit goes to her. Without further ado, this is a review of volume one of the manga Hellsing by Kohta Hirang.

Chapters: 92

Volumes: 10

Serialization: Young King Ours

Status: Finished

Publication Date: 1997 --- Sep 30, 2008

Synopsis: Hellsing, a secret organization of the British government, have long been battling supernatural threats to keep the people safe from creatures of the night. The current leader, Integra Wingates Hellsing controls her own personal army to eliminate the undead beings, but even her highly trained soldiers pale in comparison to her most trusted vampire exterminator, a man by the name of Alucard, who is actually a powerful vampire himself. Along with Integra's mysterious butler and Alucard's new vampire minion, Seras Victoria, The Hellsing Organization must face not only regular ghouls and vampires, but a rivaling secret organization from the Vatican, and Millennium, an enigmatic group of madmen spawned by a certain war over 50 years ago...

A bloody battle between monsters is about to begin, The dead are dancing, and all hell is singing...

SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I'M BACK. And you thought that you've seen the last of me *snickers* Well, I'm back to review a lovely manga by the name of Hellsing. Does that ring a bell? No? Yes? Whatever. I would give this manga a whopping 7 out of ten ink jars. I gave it a 7, because, firstly, I COULD NOT HANDLE THE LEVEL OF GORE THE MANGA THREW AT ME. It was unbelievable. The eye for detail was great, but did it have to be THAT detailed?

I was gagging through the bloodshed (The scene where Alucard shish-ke-bobbed those soldiers really made me cringe. Another scene was also where Yumie sliced up some weapon dealer's eyeballs and...UGH). The plot was great, with the 'I want to take over the world' sort of thing, but seriously, the bloodshed was overkill. The manga was gory, visceral, and explicit. I would not recommend this manga to fans of girly shoujo mangas, because A) There is very little romance in this series, and to be honest, it's kind of refreshing to flip through a few pages without encountering any lip locking, and B) Most people who are used to cute, fluffy romances would experience a rather rude awakening to the darker (and gorier) sides to different types of manga. There wasn't much character development in my opinion, other than Seras overcoming her apparent distaste for drinking blood and her progressively becoming more violent as the series went on (I don't know if that's a good thing). Alucard was bad ass as usual, with a hint of insanity...or a lot. I sorta get an anti-hero vibe from him, even though he's on the good guy's side. Maybe it's his violence or the fact that he'd rip apart anything in his path. You tell me. In some parts of the manga, I was a little confused, but maybe it was just me not paying attention to the details. The whole manga was centered on various religious beliefs, and it might appear offending to most people, so didn't say I didn't warn you. I loved the little side stories, though. They provided some insight on the Vatican, which was awesome.

Not a huge fan of the artwork, because in the first volume, I mistook Integra for a guy, and it didn't help that everyone was addressing her as Sir Integra either. I thought the manga's artwork was unique, but it wasn't exactly my cup of tea either.

So there you have it. I was rushing a bit, so sorry if it isn't to your liking. All opinions are mine, blah blah blah.

Peace out,

Joyce

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Music of Nashville- Season 2 Volume 2: Media Mondays (3)

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the third ever Media Mondays. I am here to review something that I have been waiting to review for you since like forever....totes. You might know, from the first ever Media Mondays that I enjoy the ABC Drama Nashville a lot. You might also know that the show recently had its season finale for its second season and it was #EPIC! And we #Nashies are on for a 22 episode season 3 which we almost didn't get due to budget cuts. You also might know that Nashville has some of the best music in any genre, and if you think it is confined to purely country, yo are wrong because it has a lot of diversity in sound from good ole hill billy music, to ethereal love ballads, to rocking out "Go to Hell!" songs.

One thing I would like to point out is that if you go to Target, they offer a deluxe edition of the album with 21 songs, including some never-before-released ones, and coming from the person that bought it, I will say that the extra money was completely worth it. But, if you are so inclined to go the cheaper route, those songs which are included on the regular iTunes version of the album are started.

I am going to do something different with this review, and categorize each song into a different genre and/or subgenre of coutnry music in order to prove my point that Nashville has music for almost every taste.

Track Listing

***1. He Aint Gonna Change ~ Connie Britton (Rayna James). Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes)

***2. I Ain't Leaving Without Your Love ~ Sam Palladio (Gunnar Scott). Chaley Rose (Zoey Dalton). Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley)

***3. Believing ~ Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne). Lennon & Maisy Stella (Maddie & Daphne Conrad)

4. Hurtin' On Me ~ Chris Carmack (Will Lexington)

***5. Lately ~ Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor). Sam Palladio (Gunnar Scott)

6. Wrong for the Right Reasons ~ Connie Britton (Rayna James)

7. Everything I'll Ever Need ~ Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes). Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley)

***8. Joy Parade ~ Lennon & Maisy Stella (Maddie & Daphne Conrad)

9. Come Find Me ~ Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor)

***10. It's On Tonight ~ Chris Carmack (Will Lexington). Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne). Will Chase (Luke Wheeler)

11. Hennessee ~ Sam Palladio (Gunnar Scott). Chaley Rose (Zoey Dalton). Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley)

***12. It All Slows Down ~ Aubrey Peeples (Layla Grant)

***13. Is That Who I Am ~ Chris Carmack (Will Lexington)

***14. This Time ~ Connie Britton (Rayna James)

***15. Black Roses ~ Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor)

16. Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet ~ Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes)

17. A Life That's Good ~ Connie Britton (Rayna James). Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne). Lennon & Maisy Stella (Maddie & Daphne Conrad)

18. Carry You Home ~ Chaley Rose (Zoey Dalton)

19. Then I Was Loved By You ~ Chris Carmack (Will Lexington)

20. Falling ~ Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor)

21. Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet [Orchestral Version] ~ Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes)

***1. He Aint Gonna Change ~ Connie Britton (Rayna James). Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes): 5/10: I think this song really wasn't needed on the album of the show itself, I suppose it was included because it's the only Rayna/Juliette song that was meant to try and have the same success that "Wrong Song" had, but I just don't like it too much. The lyrics are generally bland, and what one would cinsider sterotypical country music. The vocals aren't particularly stunning, there aren't many high notes, or particularly inrtiguing riffs. I truly think this was uneeded in the album, and especially as the first song.

***2. I Ain't Leaving Without Your Love ~ Sam Palladio (Gunnar Scott). Chaley Rose (Zoey Dalton). Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley): 8/10: Most of my opinions on this song can be found on Nashville On the Record: Media Mondays (1) because there isn't a huge difference between the live version and studio. I will say that I like the trio (Avery/Gunnar/Zoey) better because of this song.

***3. Believing ~ Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne). Lennon & Maisy Stella (Maddie & Daphne Conrad): 9/10: I absolutely fell in love with this song when it first aired on the show last January, and almost forogt about it because it wasn't offered on iTunes or Spotify, I believe so vieweres would specifically have tobuy the album. Any song with Lennon and Maisy in it is Stellar (get it, because their last name is Stella), but adding Deacon into it made it even better, especially with the certain turn of events that commenced while the song played. Lennon and Charles's voices harmonized beautifully, and I positively adored Maisy in this song, even if her only parts were "ooooooh, ooooooh" and "you keep me believing".

4. Hurtin' On Me ~ Chris Carmack (Will Lexington): 6.75/10: I never really liked the songs Chris sang on the show until the second half came along. I know "What If I Was Willing" was a big hit on both the show and real life, but I never saw what made it so popular. This song is very generic 'guy' country music, but I like it a lot anywway, and I had a fun time embarassing myself while dancing wildly as it played.

***5. Lately ~ Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor). Sam Palladio (Gunnar Scott): 4/10: I'm truly sorry, but I never liked this song. I didn't like it when I first heard it on the show performed for Kelly Clarkson. I didn't like it when it came on Spotify. I don't like it now. So much pressure is put on a 'Scarllett and Gunnar Song', and this just isn't one, at least in my personal opinion. The lyrics, seem too lovey dovey, and there aren't any very unique notes sang throughout the song.

"Think of all the morning stars you would have missed....

if you hadn't weathered through the dead of night.

Every single heartbeat you didn't skip....

was the answer why."

6. Wrong for the Right Reasons ~ Connie Britton (Rayna James): 9/10: Don't ask me why, I'm still trying to figure it out myself, but there is this pattern with Connie Britton songs and myself. When I first hear them on the show, or even the second and third time after, I don't like them because I think she doesn't have much vocal range. But something, after a while makes me fall in the love the Connie Britton Specials. For one, the lyrics are usually very inspirational, and for another, she usually builds up from the beginning and ends spectacularly.

"Even if you think you're at a standstill....

even when you've got not place to call home.

Everyone goes past you running uphill....

just be here.

You don't have to understand the if and when....

you just need to understand it's part of life.

Never certain where you're going.... but you'll always arrive"

7. Everything I'll Ever Need ~ Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes). Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley): 7/10: This is frankly just a sweet love song between two people, obviously Juliette and Avery. The circumstances of the song were sweet as well because it was at a point in the show where Juliette was getting a lot of hate from people, so Avery took her busking to prove that people liked her actually for her voice instead of the glitter and teen pop stuff.

"I will hope and I will love.

I will give 'til there's enough.

That's the life I'm dreaming of,

I won't give up."

***8. Joy Parade ~ Lennon & Maisy Stella (Maddie & Daphne Conrad): 9/10: So this song has been on repeat so much that my mom thought it had been around since like 2009, or some previous year that was obviously not this one -THAT is how much I had been listening to this song even before I purchased the CD. It's not the best Lennon & Maisy song, it was actually quite ordinary when I first heard it, but now I love it just because of its positive message and ability to make me happy.

"I will bend and I will sway

I will fight to stand up straight,

When troubled winds blow my way,

I won't break."

"I will stumble, I will crawl.

Bang my head against these walls.

In the end I won't have it all,

But I'll stand tall."

9. Come Find Me ~ Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor): 10/10: Holy sweet mother of something. This song is so good. I think we all remember the episode this was sung on, and how much all of us #Nashies wanted this to go on iTunes. It was literally only a one minute clip between Scarlett and Liam (by the way, I shipped them), but it was magical all the same. While watching the "On the Record" segment about this song, was the fact that this song was a really big step for Scarlett, branching off of her usual comfort zone.

***10. It's On Tonight ~ Chris Carmack (Will Lexington). Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne). Will Chase (Luke Wheeler): 7/10: Country Disco. That is what my mother called this song. I don't know if #Nashies should be offended.... or glad with this interpretation of "It's On Tonight." Basically, it is a rocking country trio between Luke, Will, and Deacon, that is along the lines of Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan's single -This is How We Roll. It is a fun, get up and dance song with classic male country lyrics.

11. Hennessee ~ Sam Palladio (Gunnar Scott). Chaley Rose (Zoey Dalton). Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley): 5/10: This is the song I did not like from the trio very much because the words weren't very distinct and I couldn't hear the individual voices as much as I would have liked.

***12. It All Slows Down ~ Aubrey Peeples (Layla Grant): 6/10: I admit, I like the song, it's nice, it's catchy, but it is totally tween music. This is EXACTLY what Juliette was trying to break away from the entire season, and her counterpart does this song. The lyrics, are just about some love story (I'm assuming Layla and Will's), and are not at all unique. Aubrey has only had three songs on Season Two -Gonna Get Even, Tell Me, and It All Slows Down- all of those songs were classic tween songs, and that was the purpose, I believe, but during the acoustic version of "Tell Me" you can definitely 'tell' that she has a voice and a lot of potential for the show.

"I've always been broken underneath my smile,

So you thought that I was happy for a while,

If I'm being honest I didn't stand a chance,

Is that who I am?"

***13. Is That Who I Am ~ Chris Carmack (Will Lexington) 10/10: This *might* be my favorite song on the entire album because it shows a very different side of Will. This is all about how he is gay, and that is who he is. Yet, he can't tell anybody for fear of ruining his image. Some of the lyrics just hit home, for me, and people that struggle with their identity and who they are -so basically, every teenager on this planet.

"Staring at my shadow for way too long,

If I never did nothing then nothing could go wrong,

I've always been singing, I never had a song,

Is that who I am?"

***14. This Time ~ Connie Britton (Rayna James): 7/10: This was the first single we hear off of Rayna's album (the one the entirety of Highway 65 is depending on), and it is a rockin single. It's unlike a lot of her other songs, such as "Buried Under," "Wrong Song," "The End of the Day," "Stronger Than Me," "Ball and Chain," and "Wrong for the Right Reasons." It has this edge to it, and a catchiness some of her others haven't had. Personally, my feelings were mixed when I first listened to it, but I am happy to say I now love it.

"I can see your eyes,

staring into mine,but it's a battlefield and I'm on the other side.

You can throw your words,sharper than a knife,

and leave me cold, in another house on fire."

***15. Black Roses ~ Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor): 10/10: All my feelings are found on my review of "Nashville On the Record," but basically, this is the best song on the entire album and the entire show. The emotion conveyed, the narrative, the backstory. All and every element of it is incredible and leaves goosebumps on my skin every single time.

"And I'm done trying to be the one picking up the broken pieces

And I'm done trying to be the one who says I love you dear but I'm leaving

Now you only bring me black roses and they crumble into dust when they're held

Now you only bring me black roses but I'm not under your spell"

16. Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet ~ Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes) 8/10: This was a firecracker song that Juliette and Avery wrote together that was basically saying "Go to Hell" to all of country music. Besides that, there are great vocals, lyrics, and instruments.

17. A Life That's Good ~ Connie Britton (Rayna James). Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne). Lennon & Maisy Stella (Maddie & Daphne Conrad): 9/10: I think a lot of us have also heard this one, I mean it is the best narrative/heartfelt song that on the show. It was originally sung by Maddie and Daphne, as a cover of Deacon's song, and when the four of them go to Fort Campbell, it's magical. I personally do not like Rayna singing on the record quite as much as the girls and Deacon, but she does give it more perspective.

18. Carry You Home ~ Chaley Rose (Zoey Dalton): 9/10: Zoey. Zoey. Zoey. You have blown us away again. I am not that into churchy hymns, but "Wayfaring Stranger" was one of the most honest and pure songs we have had on the show, so I was very glad to have another inspirational ballad.

"I was lost as lost could be,

I was running aimlessly....

down a road that only leads to nowhere fast

Couldn't no one slow me down....

lift me up on solid ground

Yeah our love was nothing more than broken glass,

Then I was loved by you."

19. Then I Was Loved By You ~ Chris Carmack (Will Lexington): 8/10: I really enjoy this song, but something about it makes me wish it was sung a little more acousticly. I know there is just a guitar and maybe some other instrument, and I love the lyrics, but I wish it was a little more pure like "Is that Who I Am"

"I've been a mover and a shaker....

a sinner and a taker....

a big mistake maker all my life,

I was a sucker for the good times,

A crosser of the straight line,

A shadow in the sunshine and I was blind,

Then I was loved by you."

20. Falling ~ Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor): 9/10: This is bad, but I actually don't remember when this song was sung on the show -I believe for the stock holder's showcase, but I could be totally wrong. I don't believe this song was written by Scarlett, but if it was, it is a perfect song for her and Gunnar, and especially her and Avery, because like she said in Your Good Girl is Gonna Go Bad [episode 20] Avery was her first love, and was there for her when her mother was being.... out of the ordinary.

"I thought things couldn't get much worse

But guess what they did

You hit my heart upside with a wrecking ball

Oh but that's what I get

But I'm not going nowhereI can live on my prayers

'Cause I'm done playin' nice

I'm done running for life

'Cause you think that you got me scared"

21. Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet [Orchestral Version] ~ Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes): 10/10: I actually enjoy the orchestral version better than the original, because it seems even more sultry to myself, and the circumstances in They Don't Make Em' Like Daddy Anymore [episode 15] were quite unusual.

Stand Up and Dance Country Music