Prodigy, by Marie Lu (Legend #2)

Synopsis:

Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

After reading Legend, I instantly knew I had to read Prodigy soon, that I needed to read it as soon as possible. So I did. I think I read it in a couple of days, back in the beginning of November, and I couldn’t stop for a second. It was the week after Champion had been released, so I started to freak out thinking on how long it would take it to be translated to Spanish and to get here. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to wait. I think I’ll just try to find it in English. 

Prodigy was as good as Legend in every aspect, or even better. I know that there’s a popular opinion that first books are always the best ones. But it is not true, at least not in this case (and I can imagine many more). The relationship between Day and June, which is what I loved the most in Legend has continued developing in Prodigy and that’s one of the reasons I love it so much. The other one is Anden. I’m just so in love with him… My friend got mad at me because I suggested I could see June with Anden instead of Day, but I’ve been thinking about it lately and saw that both Anden and Day are different parts of June’s life. They represent different parts of her that she may or not like. So don't think I prefer Anden to Day. And then putting also Tess into this love triangle, now a square… I thought that was a bit rushed, and it made me dislike Tess more and more as pages went by. I don’t think I like her at all, but it’s not because it’s a possibility for Day’s love life, because Anden is also there competing with Day and I still love him, maybe even more now. And then there’s Thomas, who I started disliking on the very first page of Legend he appeared in, and now it’s just getting worse. There’s something I don’t like about this series, and it’s that most things are expected. Metias’s killer, who’s giving money to Razor and the Patriots, Tess’s crush… So, because of that, my favourite part in Prodigy, even if it’s also the one that made me sadder (I honestly cried), is the ending, since Day’s discovery about what’s happening to him, because that was just so shocking… I think it may have been too surprising. It looks like it had just occurred to Marie Lu about a page before, so she just wrote it down. But the last three pages were so heartbreaking… 

To sum up, I really liked the book, and I think the storyline is quite good, even though Day’s discovery about himself at the end was rushed, but that was another reason for Champion to exist, so I won’t criticize it. I’m really enjoying this trilogy, and it’s definitely one of my favourite books of 2013. Thank you, Marie Lu.

Old blog

I used to have another blog where I used to write what I write here... It's http://dreamsescritos.blogspot.com/, and I still don't know what I'll do with it. I can change it and publish here the posts I have published there, even if they're old, only so people can see them. The people with that blog was that it was in Spanish, so I didn't have as many readers as I do now. But I'm trying to find a way not to waste the effort I used to put in it.  I'll let you know soon. While waiting, please check it out if you know Spanish. And simply thank you for reading what I write and caring. Thanks. 

Orphan Black

One of the best TV series I have ever seen is Orphan Black. A Twitter friend recommended it to me, and I started watching it as soon as possible. I couldn’t stop until I finished the whole season, completely obsessed with it.  

There’s only a season, with ten episodes, so I’m waiting like crazy for April 19^th, when the second season starts. I really need to watch more!!

The Canadian science fiction series is about Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany), a quite normal young woman who comes back home, escaping from her abusive boyfriend, and who runs into a woman at the train station who commits suicide right in front of her, jumping in front of a train. But the strangest thing isn’t the suicide, because the woman, Elizabeth Childs, looked exactly like Sarah, they could’ve been twins. Sarah, alarmed by such a weird thing, steals Beth’s purse with all her information and keys, phone… And she thinks what to do with it. Sarah’s purpose back in town is to get enough money so Felix (Jordan Gavaris), her best friend and foster brother, Kira (Skyler Wexler), Sarah’s seven-year-old daughter, and her can run away together. But things aren’t that easy. She ran away ten months ago, leaving Kira with Sarah’s foster mother, Mrs. S (Maria Doyle Kennedy), and now Mrs. S doesn’t want to give Kira back, concerned about the child. So Sarah has to convince Mrs. S that she won’t leave Kira again, she has to get enough money, which dead Elizabeth Childs seems to have had, besides having a really hot boyfriend, Paul Dierden (Dylan Bruce), and deal with the fact that Beth isn’t the only person worldwide who looks like Sarah, and starts doing so by supplanting Beth’s identity.

Everyone should watch this show. There is no way your life is complete without having seen this. Tatiana Maslany is so good acting… Not only she plays Sarah, but also Beth and the rest of clones, in a way that each of them has a different way of walking, speaking, acting… They are all so different, even though they look the same. It’s just awesome. There’s always something happening in every episode. It isn’t like all those series with filler chapters, all those series with never ending episodes where nothing happens. In Orphan Black, if you just get distracted for a couple of minutes, you can miss the key in the series.

An absolutely amazing TV series, one of the best I have ever seen, so everyone should at least give it a try (you won’t be able to resist it). Just watch it. 

Legend, by Marie Lu (Legend #1)

Synopsis:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. 

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

I had been recommended that book by a friend so many times, just like I recommended her some of my favourites, but I just didn’t have time and decided to wait for a while. But when I got it, I couldn’t stop. There have been many dystopias going on around here lately, since The Hunger Games and Divergent, and all authors are trying to write something original around this gender, because if it looks too much as a previously written novel, dystopian fans will not be pleased, that’s how we are. 

I read Legend on the last week of October, and then started Prodigy around the time where Champion, the last book in the trilogy, was released. I read Legend so fast and I liked it so much that the day I finished it, I started the next one, Prodigy. Day and June conquered me on the very first moment. June, The Republic’s most treasured person, is such an unconventional main character, an unconventional heroine, and that’s mainly the thing I love about her. And Day… he is just perfect. The most wanted criminal in The Republic, but still the most caring and lovely boy anyone could ask for. I like the way their relationship grows as the story goes on, how they start hating each other, then trusting each other, then hate again… There’s a mutual respect both characters share for each other that is a really important part in their relationship. 

I love this depth that the main characters have. I like how every detail is well taken care of, producing a well-written novel that is definitely one of my favourite discoveries this year. I absolutely loved how everything developed in the book, and couldn’t wait to continue with June and Day in Prodigy. 

My comments: just read it. Flawless.

The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancey

Synopsis:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I hadn’t heard anything about The 5th Wave until I had it in my hands, nothing besides the fact that there were different narrators during the book. That single fact I knew about made me think that I wouldn’t like the book, because different people talking about what’s going on is quite nice to know what everyone thinks and feels about each other, but it makes me really nervous, it bothers me a bit when reading. The last books I read like that were all by Simone Elkeles, who gives the opportunity to the readers to know what the girl thinks in a chapter and the boy in the next one, always one for each. But with The 5th Wave… I could read more than 100 pages from Cassie’s head and then suddenly I knew what Ben was thinking, but only for less than 10 pages, and then Evan for 20, Cassie for 5 more… It was a complete mess. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, and it’s an original way of writing, I have never seen that before.

But the story itself, it was good. Everything that happened was really unexpected. The main character, Cassie, may spend three full pages debating about what to do in a specific situations, and after them, she may act as the completely opposite of what I thought she would do. I liked that, because I dislike books which are too predictable. 

But The 5th Wave was different from all books, not only from Yancey’s writing style, which I really enjoyed reading (besides the narrator thing), but because of the plot, the dystopian topics the book is about, like the apocalypse. It’s not a book that changed my vision of life, but it earned a place in my heart.

The Fiery Heart book trailer

So there's a little more than a month until The Fiery Heart is released, and the book trailer came out a couple of days ago. I don't particulary like book trailers. I mean, I like getting to know something about the book, but I can't stand the way they portrait that particular scene. For example, in this book trailer, there's this scene between Adrian and Sydney, and, just like it happened in other books, the scene I see is in no way the same one as in my mind. My mind's Sydney and Adrian have a lot more chemistry than these actors, for sure. They try to look really natural, but they don't look like that to me. 

I'm not saying that I hate these book trailers, because I don't, I just don't like them. They also have good things. Even though Adrian and Sydney aren't as the ones I imagined, they're better than they would be if this was a real movie. Because that's what I do, I compare book trailers to what a movie about it would look like. And in that sense, book trailers are amazing, mainly because they respect what's going on in the book.

So about The Fiery Heart in particular, I like this scene we've seen. And I know that, after three books of liking-not liking each other, this one's going to be all lovely and perfect, besides the fact that they are going to have to hide their relationship from everyone else. And a sudden thought that just came to my mind is the possibility of them telling Rose, because she's the expert on dealing with impossible relationships but then, why would Adrian tell her? They didn't really end up in good terms (that's one of the things that still bothers me...). So I have no idea of what's going to happen in the book. Now Zoey's here, so everything's different. And will Sydney finally realise that she doesn't want that kind of Alchemist life, even if that's everything she is? I don't know how is Richelle going to solve this... So I guess we'll just have to wait. 

November 19 is almost there! And lots of things have to happen until then (Allegiant!!)... 

So in case you haven't watched it, here's the link to the trailer: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7RdweJTnAw

Switched, Amanda Hocking (Trylle #1)

Synopsis:

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

So a lot has happened since the last time I posted something, a month ago. I've been really busy with school, having started this International Baccalaureate thing that's taking all of my time, because I have to read all these books for school and don't have much time for read what I really like. So this is just a review about a book I read this summer.

I have this friend who strongly recommended me this series, so I had to listen to her, because she's one of those who know how and what to read. So I bought the book as soon as I found it and read it in a couple of days. 

I loved it! I mean, I didn't expect as much as I usually do, because my hopes usually get turned down lately... But I really liked it. It kind of surprised me that a topic like that could be treated as good as Amanda Hocking did. So after the first five chapters or so, which were more or less the introduction to the series, I started liking it more and more. I like Finn, he's a really nice guy, really good and charming. He's not one of those book-guys I will always be in love with, like Dimitri Belikov and Damon Salvatore, to mention only some, but he's nice enough to make the love story in the book work. And about Wendy... I don't know. I don't usually like the main female characters, but Wendy is a nice girl. And I've noticed that I'm saying "nice" all the time... But that's what I think, even if it's been two months since I read it. And I don't know why, but every time I think of the book the word "innocent" comes to my mind. No idea why. I have to think about it... 

So the story is not bad, the characters could be much better, but they're fine. The plot seems weird at first (with the troll thing, which sounds bad but it's not), but then it just reminds me of books I've read before, with that kind of society divided into classes, such as the Wings series, which is a lot alike, now that I think of it. That's become typical, lately. And in my opinion, the author writes with a natural language, not particularly amazing but good. 

So the book totally deserves to be read, and I personally can't wait to read the other two and finish the series. So read it. Give it a try. 

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie

So I finally went to watch City of Bones last night! I was so excited about it... I expected a lot from that movie, because The Mortal Instruments is one of my favourite sagas and I wanted it to be perfect. And maybe that's the reason why I'm so disappointed and mad, because I expected a lot from it. 

Let's keep this straight. It's not a bad movie, it's quite good, with all those special effects and the storyline and everything, but it's not the right movie for the book. It's a movie made for those who haven't read the book. 

But not completely, since the movie didn't really talk about the Clave, the Downworlders, the Accords, the Circle, the Silent Brothers..., which makes it difficult for people who haven't read the books to understand everything. It didn't really explain anything about the Shadowhunter world. It didn't say that Jocelyn had been married to Valentine. So I'm complaining because it didn't explain enough, but also because it showed things that weren't from the first book. Like, why has Simon been bitten by a vampire and doesn't need glasses anymore? How is that happening so early? Without mentioning that he didn't even become a rat...

I could complain about it all day, but I don't think you want to read my post if I keep complaining all the time. So I'm just going to say the key problems in the movie (or good things).

Before watching the movie, only with the trailer and some pictures, I didn't like most of the cast. I absolutely loved Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane, but I wasn't sure about the rest of them. But after watching the movie, I love Robert Sheehan as Simon, he's perfect. And I even started to adore Lily Collins as Clary. I wasn't sure about it mainly because I have never particularly liked her, but after seeing her as Clary, I saw what a great job she did. I imagined Clary as a perfectly normal girl who ends up in a complicated situation, and that's exactly what Lily portraits in the movie. In my mind, Isabelle is a tall, slim, extremely beautiful girl, and Jemima West looked... well, more normal. But in the movie, with all the Marks and the Shadowhunter look, that was Isabelle Lightwood. Kevin Zegers as Alec wasn't that bad, but it could be better. Seeing Lena Headey as Jocelyn was weird; I couldn't stop thinking of Cersei Lannister... And the main character I have left: Jace. I don't really like Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace. That's it, I said it. The main problem with all these movies based in books is that the main male character is always imagined as completely flawless and perfect, and there's no one, no one in real life who could be that person. So about Jace... all those witty comments Jace says in the book were said by Jamie in the movie, but they weren't funny or anything, just simple words. So when Clary starts to fall for Jace, it doesn't feel like it was in the book, it doesn't feel real. And why does this Jace were an earring? Book Jace's personality was enough for a bad boy. But this is all my opinion, so maybe someone loves him. I mean, I don't hate him as Jace; I know it could be worse (it can always be worse), so with his blond hair, his Shadowhunter looks and all, he's not that bad. If I hadn't read the book and had a very concrete image of how Jace looks in my mind, I may like him. Maybe.

Another main problem in the movie was the fact that things weren't in their right order. Why do Clary and Simon go to Eric's poetry reading before going to Pandemonium? Why does Clary meet Valentine before finding out that Luke's a werewolf? Why does Hugo, Hodge's bird, catch Jace and Clary in the greenhouse before they even kiss? Mystery. And there have been two scenes which were like the ones in the book. Only two; the one where Alec tells Clary to leave the Institute, which is quite like the book one, and the one where Jace is kissing Clary and Simon opens the door. Every sentence Jace says after that, the ones about having someone else in her bed and about their love, were the exact same ones as in the book. I loved that scene. 

And you want to know the worst of it? The ending was completely different. Since the moment when they get the Mortal Cup, everything is wrong. Everything is different! That ruined the movie. And the worst part? Why does Clary keep the Mortal Cup at the end of the movie? This is all wrong! And how are they going to make Valentine have it in City of Ashes if he doesn't? Even if he believes he has it... And all those special effects at the ending, with the demons and all those birds..., who needed that? They spent money in effects that weren't necessary! Why is Hodge good at the end? Hodge isn't meant to be good! He gave the Cup to Valentine? And why doesn't he earn his freedom? And why does Jace kill everything? The Ravener, Abbadon... He's taking Clary and Simon's opportunity of killing demons! And that obsession with the Nephilim rune that Clary had? That's all made up! And can someone tell me why is there a Portal in the Institute? And where's Raphael? And how is it possible that Jocelyn's been in the Institute the whole time and no one's found her?! 

I could keep asking more and more questions forever, but there's no answer that I can accept. If making it the right way would mean spending lots of money or being too difficult to make it, I would undertand. But that's not it. Making it the book way is easier in most cases. So why does this happen?

I'm pretty sure that this is the longest post I've written until now, but I can't help it. If anyone wants to talk about the movie or anything, tweet me or email me or whatever (About Me page). I love analyzing movies and books :)

So I'm really mad and disappointed at the movie, and it's only been the first one of the series... They better fix it. Please. I do not hate the movie, it just let me down. A lot. But if you liked it, that's great. I'm honestly happy for you. Because I hate having great expectations about something that will end up disappointing me. And, even though, I still expect a lot from the Vampire Academy, Divergent and Catching Fire movie. I expected a lot from The Host and loved it. And I know it could have always been worse.

Divergent trailer

On August 25th, the VMAs were on on MTV, and I stayed up until 5.20am watching them. I really looked forward to the Video Music Awards because my favorite artist, Taylor Swift, would be there and was nominated to a couple of awards, and also because I love watching award shows, seeing all those people I like (or not), tweeting while watching it, seeing the performances and the dresses... And I specially looked forward to this VMAs because the Divergent trailer was going to be revealed at some point that night. When I watched it, I was so excited about everything I saw that my brain didn't process it that well, so I had to watch it again and again. That's what I do with trailers, anyway. I've seen the Catching Fire, TMI and Vampire Academy trailer thousands of times, just like The Host and other movies's, so this was not going to be an exception. 

I loved the trailer. It showed a lot of meaningful scenes, not as many as in Blood Sisters, but a lot. I'm going to take this opportunity to comment about the cast too, because we can't say we hate someone as our favourite character until we've seen them acting as them. I absolutely love Shailene Woodley as Tris. When I imagined her in the book, I pictured a completely normal girl, not too beautiful, not too confident, not too shy, I pictured her as completely average, because that's what makes us relate to the character. I find very important that the main character is relatable to us, because otherwise everthing would be completely unbelievable. I like Theo James as Four, I do, but I just find him maybe too old for the role next to Shailene. When we see him tell Tris that he's not going to let her be killed, he doesn't look as a potential love interest, at least for me, but maybe when I see the movie I'll think differently. 

I really like the fact that Kate Winslet is in this movie, because having a well-known actress as her gives to the movie a different look from the outside, like it's not just a new teenage dystopian story. 

So, after seeing The Host, which was a good adaptation of the book, I expect this, only from the trailer, to be as good, more or less. The scenes look great; jumping from the train, learning to fight, going up the fair wheel... I expect a lot from this movie, even if that's what has made me be disappointed in some other movies. 

If you haven't watched the trailer yet, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6HHCxLZftQ

Arcadia Burns, Kai Meyer (Arkadien #2)

Synopsis:

Following the brutal deaths of her sister and aunt, Rosa Alcantara has become what she never thought possible: the very rich and very powerful head of the Alcantara clan. Saddled with this immense responsibility, Rosa must now conduct all business matters--legitimate and not--while negotiating among the greedy, bloodthirsty members of her own family. Not to mention convincing everyone that her blossoming relationship with enemy Alessandro Carnevare won't put the family business in danger.

But loving Alessandro comes at a price. As Rosa continues to fall for him, she discovers the dark secrets of his family's dealings and how they intersect with her own painful past. She wants to believe she can trust Alessandro, but they're so different: Alcantara and Carnevare, snake and panther. How can she love someone whose family wants her dead?

When Rosa and Alessandro uncover an ancient conspiracy intent on destroying both clans, they will do anything to stop it. Racing to put the pieces together, evading their relatives' murderous feud, and learning what it means to control the most influential families in all of Sicily--the two teens must risk everything to love each other and survive.

After reading Arcadia Awakens earlier this year, I couldn't wait to get the next Arkadien book in my hands. Author Kai Meyer has resulted to be one of my new discoveries this year, and I love everything by him that I've read until now, and I can't wait to read more things by him. 

Just like I thought when I read the first book, I liked the story way more than I thought I would when I first knew what the story is about. People turning into animals, a Romeo-and-Juliet-type love story, betrayal and friendship, Mafia clans... this story has everything anyone could ask for. The idea for this trilogy is great, really original, which is what makes it good. 

In this second part, the story is mainly focused on Rosa's past and what happened the night she was raped, the night she erased from her memory. When she travels to New York looking for some answers that her mom can maybe give her, she'll find out more than she imagined she would, not only about her questions but about that fatal night. When everything seems to turn up to be about the Carnevares, Alessandro's family, both teens will have to trust each other to help themselves. This second book is also about Rosa and Alessandro's relationship, forbidden because they belong to families that have been enemies for centuries; and also about getting to know how to control their transformation to animals, both Rosa into a snake and Alessandro into a black panthera. 

I love how Kai Meyer writes, how he gives the exact amount of information needed, not too much action, but enough more relaxed scenes to make it believable. While the story is getting more and more complicated with TABULA and Rosa's discoveries about her dad and her grandmother Constanza, Alessandro's always there for her, like a rock that can't be moved by the ocean, no matter how strong is the wind. 

I must confess that I expected Alessandro to betray Rosa at some point, because he's capo of the Carnervares and he's the one who really knows what his family expects from him. I don't really know why I expected that, but I'm more than glad that Alessandro has appeared to be the best boyfriend anyone could ask for, with his true "I love you" and his soft paws and panther fur. 

I love how Kai Meyer makes her characters deep, as in with second intentions or who seem to be different people than what they really are. Everything seems to go in one direction and there's suddenly a twist that makes everything complicated again. And the introduction of new characters has been perfect, not too many and introduced at the best moment, which is something that I really admire, because I hate it when dozens of characters are presented in a couple of chapters, and I hate it because that's what I unconsciously do when I start a novel. 

So, anyway, everyone should read the Arkadien series, and I can't wait to read the next one! Kai Meyer isn't that well-known worldwide, but it's only matter of time until everyone knows the name and, when vampires, werewolves and angels stop ruling the world, it will be the turn of the Arcadians.