I have decided that procrastination is one of my few true talents. When I should be doing science homework pertaining to the elements and atom structure, I find myself spending three hours looking up pictures of poison dart frogs. THAT takes talent.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
I'M BACK!
Hello everyone! I'm back! I really want to continue this blog but I've decided to try a new direction! I want to give my honest opinion on books. I'm still new to this whole blogging concept so bear with
me as I try to work out the kinks (well my currently nonexistent readers
need to bear with me) my name's Allie and I like fiction. I like any
sort of fiction you put in front of me. I like books and TV shows and
anime and movies, and manga and comic books and radio shows (yes a few
of those actually still exist) and pretty much anything that can help me
procrastinate at any time.
Today, I have determined that I am going to review one of my least favorite genres of books, despite me being within the target age group: young adult fiction, or YA for short.I don't know what it is about the genre that bugs me. It could possibly be the way they seem to underestimate teen intelligence, or oversimplify teen desires, but I think when it comes down to it its the protagonists.
Today, I am reviewing Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. The book is about an apocalypse stemming from a rather unrealistic (however interesting) lunar disaster. it is from the point of view of
Miranda, a...GRATING PROTAGONIST at best, as she and her family are trying to survive the consequences. To be honest, I was excited about this book, it provided a view of the apocalypse that isn't a popular one: the point of view of a teenage girl. NOW I KNOW WHY.
I found the idea of the book good, although very unrealistic. However when I read the book, I found it dull and Miranda and her family were annoying to me. Miranda got to me the most. I hate how she is portrayed.
She is whiny, selfish, and immature. I know other teenagers like that, but I hate the whiny teen writing in a diary theme. I'll admit it, I'm a teenage girl and at one point I kept a diary, but a diary isn't really a good way to carry out a story like this. You can't expect a teenage girl to be a brilliant writer, but it wouldn't be a continuous monotone either. She's more focused on writing about food and Prom than about really describing the life that she now must lead, and its annoying that all she seems to do is complain about what she's lost.
The right wing and religon bashing was uncalled for and doesn't really have anything to do with the story, it seemed to just be the author's views coming through. I'm more liberal (even though I'm technically not old enough to vote) and I'm not very religious, but I try not to let that show through in my work.
Another thing that annoyed me is how a family in a suburban neighborhood with no guns who didn't loot survives. In reality, they would be easy pickings for anyone with a few guns and fewer morals. The family never does anything, and the potential plot lines like leaving go to waste. No one attacks them, no one tries to steal from them, and none of them have the thought to go attack or loot someone else. Wouldn't it have even crossed their minds? No, instead they're spending their apocalypse cosying up in their home, counting peas.
I would have preferred to follow Miranda's friend Sammy (If I remember her name correctly) as she travels with a forty year old man, or Dan as he tries to find a place on a motorcycle. That would have been more exciting.
Now I'm back to complaining about Miranda's brattiness. She whines about there not being a prom when it was really not important and she's just plain stupid. Anyone that stupid wouldn't live long in an after the apocalypse scenario.
Therefore, I give this book one star. I found the companion novel more interesting, but the last novel wasn't worth reading in my opinion.
So. How was my very first review?
Today, I have determined that I am going to review one of my least favorite genres of books, despite me being within the target age group: young adult fiction, or YA for short.I don't know what it is about the genre that bugs me. It could possibly be the way they seem to underestimate teen intelligence, or oversimplify teen desires, but I think when it comes down to it its the protagonists.
Today, I am reviewing Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. The book is about an apocalypse stemming from a rather unrealistic (however interesting) lunar disaster. it is from the point of view of
Miranda, a...GRATING PROTAGONIST at best, as she and her family are trying to survive the consequences. To be honest, I was excited about this book, it provided a view of the apocalypse that isn't a popular one: the point of view of a teenage girl. NOW I KNOW WHY.
I found the idea of the book good, although very unrealistic. However when I read the book, I found it dull and Miranda and her family were annoying to me. Miranda got to me the most. I hate how she is portrayed.
She is whiny, selfish, and immature. I know other teenagers like that, but I hate the whiny teen writing in a diary theme. I'll admit it, I'm a teenage girl and at one point I kept a diary, but a diary isn't really a good way to carry out a story like this. You can't expect a teenage girl to be a brilliant writer, but it wouldn't be a continuous monotone either. She's more focused on writing about food and Prom than about really describing the life that she now must lead, and its annoying that all she seems to do is complain about what she's lost.
The right wing and religon bashing was uncalled for and doesn't really have anything to do with the story, it seemed to just be the author's views coming through. I'm more liberal (even though I'm technically not old enough to vote) and I'm not very religious, but I try not to let that show through in my work.
Another thing that annoyed me is how a family in a suburban neighborhood with no guns who didn't loot survives. In reality, they would be easy pickings for anyone with a few guns and fewer morals. The family never does anything, and the potential plot lines like leaving go to waste. No one attacks them, no one tries to steal from them, and none of them have the thought to go attack or loot someone else. Wouldn't it have even crossed their minds? No, instead they're spending their apocalypse cosying up in their home, counting peas.
I would have preferred to follow Miranda's friend Sammy (If I remember her name correctly) as she travels with a forty year old man, or Dan as he tries to find a place on a motorcycle. That would have been more exciting.
Now I'm back to complaining about Miranda's brattiness. She whines about there not being a prom when it was really not important and she's just plain stupid. Anyone that stupid wouldn't live long in an after the apocalypse scenario.
Therefore, I give this book one star. I found the companion novel more interesting, but the last novel wasn't worth reading in my opinion.
So. How was my very first review?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Why do Shoujo guys suck?
Okay, so I admit, I am a little biased towards the shoujo genre. I have been traumatized by Twilight and similarly bad teenage girl aimed literature, therefore, I was a little hesitant to pick up the Manga equvilant of it. I found some I love, and some that I think should never have graced my computer screen/book shelf.
There does seem to be a reoccurring problem though. Most of the mangas I didn't like went a little like this: Girl with no backbone meets controlling guy, or Girl with a fake backbone (Just being loud and protesting for no reason about everything) meeting an equaling loud and CONTROLLING guy. I'm going to break it down further, by providing a list of reoccuring things that just annoyed me a bit.
1. The girl usually ends up with the first guy introduced (Way too predictable)
2. The girl usually ends up with the guy who she argues with the most. (What's wrong with liking someone you would actually admit you like?)
3. The girl usually has very little personality, allowing for the reader to put herself (Yes usually herself, this is aimed at teen girls after all) into the character's shoes (This annoys me in any genre of any sort of media, but it is more blatant here. Maybe it's the fact that I don't fantasize about having three people at once randomly start liking me someday, I don't know)
4. If the girl has a personality, she will either be an extreme doormat, or suffer from what some people call rebellious princess syndrome.
5. They seem to suggest that the girl will only be happy if she has a boyfriend.
6. Some of the guys featured are rather sadistic individuals. (THEY WOULD NOT BE ROMANTIC IN REAL LIFE THEY WOULD BE JUST PLAIN FRIGHTENING)
7. Girls seem to want to drop everything, just to develop a relationship.
8. They go on for seven chapters before anything happens when you're just waiting for the inevitable, and THERE IS NO REAL OBSTACLE standing in their way.
9. The shy girls are too naive, (Oh, because the girl who's been a bitch to you you're entire life is going to suddenly be nice. There's absolutely NO trickery in the works there, none at all.
10. The randomly tripping and being saved by guy of choice (Wait, where the hell was he when I fell down the stairs after school today?)
11. The really nice guys never win. Plucky comic relief! Plucky comic relief never seems to win:(
All right, I still have to put a disclaimer out there, this doesn't apply to the entire genre! I have found works that I actually enjoy reading, these are just complaints about the less well done. among it.
Well I'm signing off!
There does seem to be a reoccurring problem though. Most of the mangas I didn't like went a little like this: Girl with no backbone meets controlling guy, or Girl with a fake backbone (Just being loud and protesting for no reason about everything) meeting an equaling loud and CONTROLLING guy. I'm going to break it down further, by providing a list of reoccuring things that just annoyed me a bit.
1. The girl usually ends up with the first guy introduced (Way too predictable)
2. The girl usually ends up with the guy who she argues with the most. (What's wrong with liking someone you would actually admit you like?)
3. The girl usually has very little personality, allowing for the reader to put herself (Yes usually herself, this is aimed at teen girls after all) into the character's shoes (This annoys me in any genre of any sort of media, but it is more blatant here. Maybe it's the fact that I don't fantasize about having three people at once randomly start liking me someday, I don't know)
4. If the girl has a personality, she will either be an extreme doormat, or suffer from what some people call rebellious princess syndrome.
5. They seem to suggest that the girl will only be happy if she has a boyfriend.
6. Some of the guys featured are rather sadistic individuals. (THEY WOULD NOT BE ROMANTIC IN REAL LIFE THEY WOULD BE JUST PLAIN FRIGHTENING)
7. Girls seem to want to drop everything, just to develop a relationship.
8. They go on for seven chapters before anything happens when you're just waiting for the inevitable, and THERE IS NO REAL OBSTACLE standing in their way.
9. The shy girls are too naive, (Oh, because the girl who's been a bitch to you you're entire life is going to suddenly be nice. There's absolutely NO trickery in the works there, none at all.
10. The randomly tripping and being saved by guy of choice (Wait, where the hell was he when I fell down the stairs after school today?)
11. The really nice guys never win. Plucky comic relief! Plucky comic relief never seems to win:(
All right, I still have to put a disclaimer out there, this doesn't apply to the entire genre! I have found works that I actually enjoy reading, these are just complaints about the less well done. among it.
Well I'm signing off!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
You know you're in America when....
I can finish this sentence for you in many ways.
1. When your nutrition teacher breaks a bench by sitting o it
2. When you see someone not getting up to get the remote, which is a whole four feet away.
3. When someone leaves their entire fortune to their cat.
4. When someone declares agriculture among one of the top ten most useless degrees.
5. When a show like Jersey Shore can come into being.
6. When a girl like me can get into Algebra Honors.
7. When a certain book that I shall not name TWILIHT can get published.
8. When an entire industry can be built around preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse.
9. When someone complains about a family of nineteen having the older siblings care for younger siblings.
10. When a student throws half of their lunch tray away because it tasted a little odd. (I'm guilty of this one)
11. When you can see people dressing up like lady gaga nowhere near halloween.
12. When a kid complains about only getting half a dozen presents for Christmas.
13. When Hollywood spends a lot of money to produce a movie with practically no plot whatsoever, that becomes a box office hit only due to the actors starring in ut.
14. When your opinion suddenly matters the day you turn eighteen.
15. When a model becomes more important to the public than a guy trying to find a cure to cancer
16. When intelligence is considered second to beauty.
17. When a dog has his own rustic style oak bed with a built in doggie bowl.
More to come!
1. When your nutrition teacher breaks a bench by sitting o it
2. When you see someone not getting up to get the remote, which is a whole four feet away.
3. When someone leaves their entire fortune to their cat.
4. When someone declares agriculture among one of the top ten most useless degrees.
5. When a show like Jersey Shore can come into being.
6. When a girl like me can get into Algebra Honors.
7. When a certain book that I shall not name TWILIHT can get published.
8. When an entire industry can be built around preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse.
9. When someone complains about a family of nineteen having the older siblings care for younger siblings.
10. When a student throws half of their lunch tray away because it tasted a little odd. (I'm guilty of this one)
11. When you can see people dressing up like lady gaga nowhere near halloween.
12. When a kid complains about only getting half a dozen presents for Christmas.
13. When Hollywood spends a lot of money to produce a movie with practically no plot whatsoever, that becomes a box office hit only due to the actors starring in ut.
14. When your opinion suddenly matters the day you turn eighteen.
15. When a model becomes more important to the public than a guy trying to find a cure to cancer
16. When intelligence is considered second to beauty.
17. When a dog has his own rustic style oak bed with a built in doggie bowl.
More to come!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Zombie Apocalypse...Yeah okay then
Today, I spent a huge amount of time wandering the high school library after school, long after it was meant to be closed because I'm friends with the librarian's daughter. I have been having trouble getting into books with a lack of time due to school and extra curricular activities. I checked out a book on illustrations, a book on different art mediums and methods of using them, and the prize of the bunch The Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide: Complete protection from the living dead, by Max brooks.
Now I honestly do not believe in the Zombie Apocalypse in any way shape or form, but with the hype came the books about it. I found myself enjoying it immensely, due to the fictional paranoia inducing "eyewitness accounts" and the mild use of sarcasm.
The biggest issue I have with the book is the fact that nearly anyone who would actually seriously worry about the apocalypse wouldn't be the best survivors. I am aware that this is somewhat of a stereotype, but take the overweight nerd with a zombie obsession living in his (or her) parents' basement. Being physically fit is listed as a huge requirement and I think that any Americans' survival could be increased significantly if they were to go on a walk around the block every once in a while.
I do not consider myself a physically fit person, mainly because I am comparing myself to some of the star athletes I go to ROTC class with. When pitted against any of my other friends, however, I realized that my standard of being physically fit is a bit higher than others. That being said, I do not think I in this current state would be fit enough to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. How many of you truly think you could?
On another note, I have to think about my schedule for next year, and plan the rest of my high school career. It is a frustrating process because aptitude tests state that I could pretty much to anything. They aren't helpful at all in deciding what career I should have. I've thought about going into the Navy, being a research scientist, being a translator, being a writer, being a herpetologist, being an animator, being a director, I even have hair stylist on there. It's so hard to choose, and everyone keeps acting like I have to choose now.
Well have an enjoyable evening everyone, or whenever you decide to read this, and good morrow to you (reading Romeo and Juliet in class right now, I had already read it and found it awful. I prefer Hamlet.) Bye Bye!
Now I honestly do not believe in the Zombie Apocalypse in any way shape or form, but with the hype came the books about it. I found myself enjoying it immensely, due to the fictional paranoia inducing "eyewitness accounts" and the mild use of sarcasm.
The biggest issue I have with the book is the fact that nearly anyone who would actually seriously worry about the apocalypse wouldn't be the best survivors. I am aware that this is somewhat of a stereotype, but take the overweight nerd with a zombie obsession living in his (or her) parents' basement. Being physically fit is listed as a huge requirement and I think that any Americans' survival could be increased significantly if they were to go on a walk around the block every once in a while.
I do not consider myself a physically fit person, mainly because I am comparing myself to some of the star athletes I go to ROTC class with. When pitted against any of my other friends, however, I realized that my standard of being physically fit is a bit higher than others. That being said, I do not think I in this current state would be fit enough to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. How many of you truly think you could?
On another note, I have to think about my schedule for next year, and plan the rest of my high school career. It is a frustrating process because aptitude tests state that I could pretty much to anything. They aren't helpful at all in deciding what career I should have. I've thought about going into the Navy, being a research scientist, being a translator, being a writer, being a herpetologist, being an animator, being a director, I even have hair stylist on there. It's so hard to choose, and everyone keeps acting like I have to choose now.
Well have an enjoyable evening everyone, or whenever you decide to read this, and good morrow to you (reading Romeo and Juliet in class right now, I had already read it and found it awful. I prefer Hamlet.) Bye Bye!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Invisible
The difference between me and any shy Shoujo genre protagonist is that I TRY to be invisible. If you’re invisible, everything’s easier. There’s less conflict, you don’t get made fun of for being a little different, and you blend into the masses. Going with the flow isn’t that bad. I do have friends, I just don’t go out of my way to make them.
I’m the sort of person who has their head up in the clouds, and I don’t really like to come down much. I’d rather be reading manga, drawing, or writing than go out on a Friday night. It’s not as if I have a choice in the matter either. I live almost half an hour away from any of my friends or from a city I’d enjoy. I’m stranded here on this island until I can drive, and even then only if I have a car or money for gas would I be able to get anywhere. So excuse me, if I decide to live in my head for a while.
Another difference between me and a Shoujo heroine is that I do not expect to be saved by a boy, or ever be a part of a love triangle. It sounds like there would be too much conflict there, considering how the manga Koko ni Iru Yo goes on for nineteen chapters and counting. Dating sounds like too much effort, and seems more confusing than algebra.
I started reading Shoujo as a semi secret guilty pleasure. Usually I don’t go for that sort of stuff, but I am a teenage girl, and no you don’t have to be stupid to like that sort of thing. I’m no Twilight fan or anything don’t get me wrong.
To be honest, I don’t understand Twilight. It was a pointless read to me, and about ten minutes into watching the movie at a friends house, I was reading Harry Potter. By the end of the movie, I had finished the seventh one and began reading Carrie by Stephan King. It doesn’t sound too promising for a movie does it?
I realize I’m posting only a couple hours after my first, but hey, when things come to mind, they come to mind. My weekend has been fairly empty and dull. I should be happy that I got a day off, however, tomorrow can’t seem to come fast enough. I hate weekends. They make me feel trapped. All well, at least I got my homework done.
I’m the sort of person who has their head up in the clouds, and I don’t really like to come down much. I’d rather be reading manga, drawing, or writing than go out on a Friday night. It’s not as if I have a choice in the matter either. I live almost half an hour away from any of my friends or from a city I’d enjoy. I’m stranded here on this island until I can drive, and even then only if I have a car or money for gas would I be able to get anywhere. So excuse me, if I decide to live in my head for a while.
Another difference between me and a Shoujo heroine is that I do not expect to be saved by a boy, or ever be a part of a love triangle. It sounds like there would be too much conflict there, considering how the manga Koko ni Iru Yo goes on for nineteen chapters and counting. Dating sounds like too much effort, and seems more confusing than algebra.
I started reading Shoujo as a semi secret guilty pleasure. Usually I don’t go for that sort of stuff, but I am a teenage girl, and no you don’t have to be stupid to like that sort of thing. I’m no Twilight fan or anything don’t get me wrong.
To be honest, I don’t understand Twilight. It was a pointless read to me, and about ten minutes into watching the movie at a friends house, I was reading Harry Potter. By the end of the movie, I had finished the seventh one and began reading Carrie by Stephan King. It doesn’t sound too promising for a movie does it?
I realize I’m posting only a couple hours after my first, but hey, when things come to mind, they come to mind. My weekend has been fairly empty and dull. I should be happy that I got a day off, however, tomorrow can’t seem to come fast enough. I hate weekends. They make me feel trapped. All well, at least I got my homework done.
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