I kind of like college now…….

Hey Guys! Yes, it’s true….. I’m weird…… I know……

I hope you’re all having an awesome Tuesday and I hope that this week only gets better from here. I don’t really know if I’m going to post this, I just feel like it’s been awhile since I’ve written anything just for myself. On top of that, I don’t really want to start my english essay (and in all honesty I can’t yet, because I haven’t interviewed all the people I need too). But man it’s kind of been a great semester for me so far. I haven’t fallen behind (yet)  and I actually had my first story published in a newspaper! It might have been a simple college paper but it still counts! These past three (I think) weeks have been awesome. I absolutely love my journalism classes. The students and staff are all incredibly nice and incredibly patient with me! I find myself wanting to go to school when I wake up (at least on Mondays and Wednesdays). It all makes me very excited for what is yet to come. It kind of goes to show that once you find a major that you really enjoy, then going to school ain’t half bad. If you enjoy your job, then it’s a little easier to get out of bed every morning. the morale of this story, is to find something that you love doing. The only thing I dislike about college now, is that I’m not done with those stupid basics.

My first story about Kristy Urbick

Guitar Lessons!

On top of being introduced into journalism, I am also teaching my first guitar lessons ever this week, which is awesome. My first lesson was yesterday actually with this cool 12 year old kid. I was a little nervous at first but the lesson went alright and I’m actually kind of looking forward to it next week again! The kid was picking it up fast! It makes me very excited for the future with him. He told me I was a pretty good teacher (I’m serious). I have another lesson tonight, with an old friend of mine. He is looking to play the electric, so I’m gonna have to find something to teach him. Still not 100% sure with how we’re going to start out. With the other kid, he wanted to learn acoustic so we just started out with a few simple chords. With this other guy though, he wants to learn some AC/DC so I guess that’s what I’ll be teaching him. I’ve been playing the guitar for almost 7 years now and even though I’m not the best, I think I’m good enough to teach people.

Then there’s the band

Just Alice, the band that I am in has kind of hit a roadblock this past weekend. It’s nothing major to worry about, we aren’t breaking up, but there is a slight problem. Recording the music on our own without any help is kind of a challenge (especially when we don’t know what we’re doing). We’re going to be putting a hold on the recording process for now, find someone to help us out and then resume. I’m not sure when that will happen but we will let you know as soon as we know. And trust me, the songs are getting better and better everytime we play them. In the meantime, however,  this gives us the opportunity to write more songs! That’s the part that I’m really excited about. It looks like this EP might be more than 5 songs after all! Worst case scenario: We aren’t able to release an official EP until around April, maybe even later (sad face). But hey! There is some good news! We are already confirmed for playing at Windfest! We don’t know all of the exact details yet, but we’re set to play! We’re really excited for this, we have a lot of songs to play for you guys.

So basically….

I just really wanted to type some stuff, whether it was for me or for you guys (I totally wrote it for you guys). That’s my life currently, and you’re all caught up with it. Again, I hope you guys are having a good week. Has anything interesting happened to you recently? By the way sorry I haven’t posted so much, I was really busy the last two weeks, focusing on my newspaper story. Thank you for giving this a read, if you did! Have a great week guys!

Misery Book Review

It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed a book….

What’s up guys! I hope you are all in good health and are having glorious days. It is currently, 8 o’clock on a monday morning and I finally decided that it’s time to review a book! I know, it’s been awhile right? Well another one of my new year’s resolutions is to read more and more in my daily life, so hopefully I’ll be cranking more book reviews out. And yes, I am still reading the Game of Thrones series, but I’m going to have to start A Storm of Swords over. I had started reading it right before college, but once college started, that book fell to the bottom of my priority list. Sorry about that. I do, however, have this little nifty review about a book by Stephen King, called Misery. So if you haven’t read this book yet, and are looking for a new horrific, suspenseful read, keep on reading my friend.

The Story

I’m sure everyone has heard of the one and only Stephen King, considered to be one of the greatest novelists that ever was. His book, Misery, which was published June 8, 1987 is about a writer named Paul Sheldon. Paul Sheldon was in a serious car accident due to a huge blizzard that hit him as he was driving through Colorado. Lucky for him though, his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes, was driving by on the same road. She saw the car and then she saw him. Annie took Paul back to her home where she cared for him for the many months to come. The unlucky part for Paul, is that Annie is undeniably and terrifyingly crazy. After Annie finds out that Paul had killed her favorite character in his new book, she tortures him and forces him to bring that character back to life, making this story an interesting psychological battle. That is a basic summary of the story and frankly it is an awesome one. This story is filled with suspense and will keep you turning the pages, even at two in the morning. Every time you turn the page, you’ll wonder if on the next page, Annie will do something terrifying again. Props to Stephen King for making me scared, not for my life, but for Paul’s life. We’ll get to that later however. But yes it is in fact a great story that was well written. I have one complaint, however, and that is in response to the excerpts of Misery’s Return that were put in. Misery’s Return is the novel that Paul Sheldon was being forced to write, thanks to Annie. Frankly, every time an excerpt from the book came up on the page, I was always tempted to skip it. I didn’t care much for it. It’s like we were being dropped into a new world with new characters we don’t even know about in the middle of a book. We hear a little about the Misery novels that Paul wrote in his lifetime but it’s not like we know the story of Misery ourselves. Any time an excerpt showed up, I just wanted Paul and Annie back. And the excerpts would jump a wide frame of time too, which was annoying. What was the point of sharing the book, if you won’t even show the whole thing? That’s probably my only real complaint however. Overall, this is a very entertaining story that uses realism, and suspense to keep you hooked.

The Characters

For the most part, there is really only two characters in this whole story, Paul and Annie. Every once in awhile, someone new will show up but they don’t play a huge role, leaving room for Annie and Paul to grow. King has always had a talent for crafting great characters, a talent that most writers long for. This book is no exception. Paul Sheldon, a selfish, full-of-himself writer is stuck in a jam. Annie is a psychotic ex-nurse that  is obsessed with Paul Sheldon. Annie is constantly punishing Paul for being a bad boy. She considers to be his mother and says she is only doing what is right for him. Before you know it, you’re honestly just as scared of Annie as Paul is, which is awesome. Like I said earlier, props to him. There were also moments when I was reading, and I wasn’t scared of Annie, but instead, I felt bad for her. She earned my sympathy quite a few times, then would go back to being crazy. Then there is Paul, the self-centered writer who is rendered completely useless in the situation from the immobilization of his legs. His thinking during the situation is actually really interesting. He is either trying to think of a way out, or thinking about Annie and analyzing her craziness, or just falling into despair. You get to know both of the characters really well in just 320 pages. Overall, anyone that likes good characters that will jump off the page at them, would really enjoy this book.

The Verdict…………. 4.0 out of 5

• great, suspenseful story
• excerpts from Misery’s Return were boring to me
• awesome characters

Thank you!

Hey guys! Thank you for giving this a read! WHy don’t you just give yourself a pat on the back? Yeah, right there. Thank you again! Yes I am hoping to get more book reviews up on this site, just give me some time (I’m a slow reader). Do any of you have any book suggestions for me? I’m looking for any good ones. Let me know in the comments! Have yourself a great week! Please check out my other reviews please!

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Cover picture is thanks too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misery_(novel)

Star Wars The Force Awakens Movie Review

A long time after the movie was released, I finally wrote a review…..

Okay so I saw Star Wars (a couple of weeks ago) and it is definitely something that needs to be talked about. I’m sorry I’m a little late with this one (and the Danger Days review is also on it’s way) but I was gone on vacation for the entire span of opening weekend and week. I had a good vacation though and now I’m back. Let the reviewing of one of the most hyped movies of this generation begin……

Rey (played by Daisey Ridley) and Finn (played by John Boyega) are running from a Tie Fighter Photo courtesy of IMDB found here.

The Story

Alright let me say this first: this movie is worth seeing. It is a way better experience than those prequels that plagued the screens all those years ago. J.J Abrams has brought a beloved series back from the dead and did a great job doing it. One thing I must admit, (because there is really no way around mentioning this) is that the story is very familiar. The writers of this movie seemed to have pulled a lot of story concepts from previous movies and put it into this movie. Now I won’t lie, the story is fun to watch and a great, nostalgic experience but with updated visuals and new characters. I won’t be explaining much of the plot of keeping this review spoiler free, but you should know that it is an enjoyable ride. When you look at the plot as a whole it can be easily confused with the plot of another Star Wars movie (trust me, you’ll know which one it is similar too).  In my opinion, it is the small story arcs that really made this story interesting to me. When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I had so many questions that needed answering. In this movie they were in fact answered, but the movie also gave me even more questions to be answered. Some of these questions are just for the pure joy of nitpicking but some of them are questions that I need answering NOW (and there’s still seventeen months to the next movie).  So yes, the story will feel familiar but there are also a ton of new things that will catch your attention. This is a new generation of Star Wars and frankly, I’m excited to see the universe continue to grow with new ideas.

The Characters/Actors

This movie was structured around introducing new faces and filled in with some old faces from the original trilogy. Your heart will flutter from seeing old faces such as Han and Chewbacca, and your mind will peak with interest from seeing new faces such as Rey and Kylo Ren. Everyone really does a spectacular job on the acting side. Despite the short screen time they have together, you can tell that Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) have this great chemistry. You can tell right from the get-go that the pair will make a great friendship for the movie trilogy. I look forward to seeing those two on screen yet again in 17 months. There was such a vibrant life on screen when those two were on it. I actually think that is one of my favorite things about the movie. Rey (Daisy Ridley) is surrounded in mystery which makes her all the more exciting to the viewer. Like the story, this movie leaves a lot of questions about the characters, specifically the new ones. Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Carrie Fisher return as well and it’s awesome.

The new villain, Kylo Ren, is played by Adam Driver Photo is courtesy of Imdb found here.

They’re still the same characters but you can tell that it’s been a long thirty years full of history and happenings (Which I’m also really wanting to see or read about). Seeing these characters back on screen is amazing and a whole lot of fun. Oh and how could I forget our new villain, Kylo Ren? I love him. Yes, I said it. LOVE. I’ve seen more than a handful of wannabe critiques in comment sections just write him off as a little brat who has no character development but that’s not necessarily true. Trust me, he’s a brat but there’s a little more too him than that. For the sake of spoilers I won’t go in-depth about him. If you wanna read my opinion on that, then you’ll have to request a spoiler review. Overall, I was very satisfied with the acting and the characters in this movie. I’m excited to see what is yet to come for the characters in the series.

The Verdict………… 4.0 out of 5

• Great build up to release
• borrows elements from past Star Wars movies
• New Actors play great characters
• Han and Chewbacca are in it

Anyways that is my review for Star Wars The Force Awakens! Once again, I apologize about how late this review is. The funny thing is, I actually started this review a couple of weeks ago, right after I saw the movie. Anyways, thank you for reading. If you liked it, why don’t you just click the subscribe button on the sidebar over there? Yeah that’s the one. Share the review with your friends! What did you like about the movie (if you liked it at all that is)? What didn’t you like? Check out my other reviews!

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Header image is courtesy of Imdb.com found here.

Star Wars The Force Awakens (New Trailer)

(My insides are bursting with joy!)

Okay so if you haven’t heard yet, a new Star Wars trailer premiered last night during monday night football. Let me just say that this is the best one yet. The trailer introduces the new characters with a bit of dialogue to give you a hint about their story. Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) seems to be some sort of scavenger on Tatooine. Finn (played by John Boyega) is a stormtrooper that seems to have “nothing left to fight for.” We finally get to hear Kylo Ren speak which was pretty awesome! His voice kind of reminds me of Darth Vader’s voice actually. There is breathing that resembles Darth Vader’s in the trailer but I don’t know it it’s Kylo Ren’s breathing or Darth Vader’s. Probably Darth Vader’s. Then Han Solo shows up to tell Rey and Finn that all of the stories they have heard about the wars were true. Does that mean that the wars that have happened in the past (i.e the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War) were secret? If so then how? I mean the battles that took place were pretty large scale and took place across the galaxy. I’m just speculating on the possibilities here. The rest of the trailer shows various scenes in the movie. A lot of action scenes of TIE fighters being shot down by X-wings. Another scene of the Millennium Falcon flying around a wrecked star destroyer. One of my favorite scenes was the one where Leia is hugging Han Solo. I was so excited when they announced that Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill would be reprising their roles in this movie and I am very much looking forward to seeing it on the screen! What are your thoughts on the trailer? What was your favorite part of the trailer? CHeck it out below and leave a comment! Thank you!

By the way, I’m really sorry that I haven’t been posting much lately. I’ve been focused on a lot of other things lately such as school and my band Just Alice. I promise I’ll start posting a little more!      

That’s The Spirit Review

But if we sing along…….

Hey there. So if you haven’t heard BMTH’s new album yet, then you should keep reading. I know that I’m a few weeks late on this album and I apologize for that. Better late than never though right? That’s the Spirit was released on September 11, 2015 (awkward) and is ultimately a departure from the older work that BMTH has done. In the past year, BMTH has released three singles that prepared us for what the album would sound like. A Lot of people liked it, and a lot of people hated it. Don’t worry, I’m one of the people who liked it, but it’s not my favorite BMTH album.

The Sound

So the sound is ultimately different and every person should expect that. There are no more heavy breakdowns, no more brutal death metal screams. BMTH’s music has officially become as melodic as they could, and it’s not a bad thing. The heaviest song that you’ll find on this album is “Happy” and even that song isn’t the heaviest. Am I a little disappointed with the new sound? Let me just say this: I really dug Sempiternal because of the sound. I thought the way Sempiternal sounded was the perfect blend of heaviness and melody. I wish the music in this album was a little bit more on the heavy side than it is. Whether you like the new sound or not, is up to you. Oh and by the way, the songs are catchy, whether you are a fan of the heavy stuff or not. Like I said these songs are more melodic than BMTH has ever done before and their melodies do impress me. BMTH still has a dark sound that is just beautiful. The whole album has a dark undertone that will seem like home to all BMTH fans. The keyboard/synth player, Jordan Fish plays a bigger part in the music than before and he has created some really cool sounds to accompany the album. Bottom line is, I wish this album was heavier, but it doesn’t sound bad the way it is. It’s depending on how you like it.

The Lyrics and Vocals

In my opinion, the lyrics are the icing to the cake that is BMTH. Of course there is no change there in this album (thank goodness). The album is a “celebration of depression. . .” as said by Oliver Sykes in an interview with Alternative Press, found here. That becomes very plain to see from the very first song that is played, titled “Doom.” The song has some great lyrics that portray a depressed person’s acceptance of his fate and his depression (or at least that’s what I get from the lyrics). This song ultimately sets the tone for the rest of the album. I think my favorite song so far is “Follow You” which is the first actual love song that BMTH has ever written (I think. Don’t hate me if I’m wrong.) It’s a love song with a dark undertone though with some creative lyrics such as, “I will follow you cause I’m under your spell and you can throw me to the flames I will follow you, I will follow you.” I think this really shows how far Oliver Sykes has come since when BMTH was first started. The rest of the album features some more amazing deep lyrics that bring reality to depression. It’s actually quite amazing how well Oli portrays it. Oh and Oli has an absolutely beautiful voice when it comes to clean singing. I know we kind of already knew it due to the singles that came out before the album but man! He has a GORGEOUS VOICE!

The Verdict………… 4.0 out of 5

• Beautiful, dark melodies
• I Personally wish it was a little heavier
• Awesome lyrics and vocals (as usual)

Thank you 

Than you guys for giving this a read! What are your thoughts on the album? Let me know! Share this with your friends! Check out the rest of my website!

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The Beauty of Music

Everyday, we find ourselves listening to music. Some people listen to music as a distraction, an escape from the real life. Some people use music as a type of therapy, to calm themselves when stressed or depressed. Other find music as a fun way to get turnt up for a good time. Either way, I think we can all agree that music makes life a little more exciting than it actually is. Anybody who personally knows me, knows that I’m a big fan of music. I listen to it day in and day out, all the time. I have been playing guitar for four years now and I still enjoy playing it everyday. To me, music is a way to express yourself. Every song that you have ever listened to, are the feelings of the writer of that song. Music has found a way to connect people with other people halfway around the world. Music is a universal language…….

When I first got into music (like hardcore bruh) was in 7th or 8th grade. I remember my friend showing me a couple of Green Day Songs from their album American Idiot and I was hooked immediately. I started to spend my money on buying Green Day albums more than I did video games. This was around the time that I was just starting to learn how to play guitar as well, so I was looking up Green Day songs to learn. I listened to Green Day exclusively for 2-3 years. Yeah I listened to other bands every once in awhile, but none of them did it for me. Not like Green Day. I’ve heard every officially released Green Day song since their debut in 1988. For those that are wondering, yes I do think that Green Day deserved to be inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. If there was one thing I could thank Green Day for, face to face, it would be that they introduced me to a wonderful world of some pretty awesome music.

Eventually in high school, my freshman year, I was expanding my horizons with the music I listened to. It was no longer just Green Day, but bands like Of Mice & Men, Pierce the Veil, Falling in Reverse (I like them okay? Deal with it), Blessthefall (these guys are probably my favorite out of the rest of them), Bring Me the Horizon. Basically I became a big fan of metalcore and hardcore music. Why? Because I loved the emotion. No matter what your opinion is on metalcore music, whether you hate it or you love it, you can’t deny that those bands are full of emotion. You hear it in their playing, their voices. You see it on stage on their face. I loved the heaviness of it. The brutality of the screams. The whole thing just resonated very well with me.

This brings me to where I am now. Now I listen to a much much wider range of music than ever before. I listen to alternative more than anything else though. I love Gerard Way’s solo debut Hesitant Alien, I have fallen deeply in love with the electronic band known as M83, and many others. I even enjoy the mainstream artists like The Weeknd (that new album is great actually),Walk the Moon, and even Taylor Swift. My two favorite bands (currently) are My Chemical Romance and Twenty One Pilots. Both of those bands are truly great and everyone should check them out. They have written some of the best songs I’ve ever heard, ever. Every band I have mentioned so far, I still listen to them. Every one of these artists have all been with me at different times. Their music has helped me and others overcome so much.

Another great thing about music is the nostalgia. Has anybody else listened to an album that they originally listened to a long time ago and had a nostalgic memory about the first time they heard it? The first full length Green Day album I ever bought was 21st Century Breakdown. I bought it right before I went on a boy scout trip. For the two hour bus ride, I listened to that album while reading The Stand by Stephen King. Now everytime I listen to that album, I remember reading that book. I
remember how the story went, the heat on the bus as the sun shone through the window. Every album I’ve ever heard has this kind of effect on me. It’s a sweet experience that makes music that much more great.

No matter what you listen to, you know what I’m talking about. Quit bickering and arguing about that bands are good and what bands are bad (unless you listen to BOTDF, cause that band is terrible). Enjoy the music you listen to, and enjoy it. Music is a beautiful thing that makes life a little bit more livable. By the way here’s a suggestion list of artists that I think anyone could like and love:

• Green Day
• Blink 182
• All Time Low
• Gerard Way
• My Chemical Romance
• Twenty One Pilots
• PVRIS
• Panic! At the Disco
• Mayday Parade
• M83
• Bring Me the Horizon’s new album That’s the Spirit

Enjoy life, and always keep listening.

What has music done for you? Who are your favorite artists?

White Noise Album Review

Why Aren’t you listening to them yet!?!?!

PVRIS is actually a new band (I consider them to be new). They just released their full length debut, titled White Noise, on October 31, 2014. Yes I know that was awhile ago, but I bet you haven’t listened to them either. I had heard about them through the year, all good things. But I had never actually heard them. Finally, I saw their album and decided to download it, excited to hear them. I can honestly say I understand the hype that surrounds this band. PVRIS consists of members Lyndsey Gunnulfsen, Alex Babinski, and Brian MacDonald. They had made a couple of EPs and demos before signing to Rise Records in June 2014. They were actually originally called “Paris” but due to legal reasons they had to change the name to PVRIS (but it’s still pronounced Paris….. I didn’t know that). Anyways, after signing to Rise, they created this totally awesome album. This is a great album, by any rock standards.

The Lyrics and Vocals

Lyndsey Gunnulfsen fronts this band, with engaging, aggressive vocals. She doesn’t scream in this album, but you can just hear the energy in her voice. Not only does she have an aggressive voice, she has an absolutely beautiful one too. There were many moments in this album, where I just fell in love with her voice. In my opinion, I think her vocals are the best part of the album. The lyrics pretty great too. They aren’t the best lyrics or anything. They aren’t mind blowing, but you can tell that Lindsey can write lyrics. They paint some awesome images in your head though, and you have no trouble understanding them. The dark lyrics and gorgeous vocals pull you right in and hold you there for the entire span of the album.

The Sound

PVRIS is a rock band that integrates electronic music with their standard rock music and I gotta say, they blend it pretty well together. The band creates a dark atmosphere in the album, that sounds really cool and unique. Not only is the music dark, but it is quite catchy. I caught myself humming some tunes to the album. There are some awesome guitar riffs in the album too, that would impress a lot of you guitar players out there. The album gives the instruments a very distinct sound in it, making it sound unique. I think this is what makes PVRIS a very distinct band. I think it’s also why a lot of hype surrounds them. They are one of the most unique bands I have ever heard. I’m very excited to see what this band will create in the future, because they sound solid on this album!

The verdict………. 4.0 out of 5

• gorgeous, aggressive vocals
• great, vivid lyrics
• awesome and catchy sound

Thank you!

How did you like my review? Do you want to buy it now? If so, leave a comment below! Let me know what you think of this review! Please share this with your friends and family if you liked it! CHeck out my other reviews on the website too! You might find something else that catches your attention! See you guys later!

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A Clash of Kings Book Review

Well hi there…..

Long time no see! I know it’s been awhile since I last posted and I apologize for that. I don’t really have an excuse for it. Every time I had time to write, I didn’t want to write anything, and when I didn’t have time to write, I wanted too. Anyways I’m back with a review for A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. This is the second book in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. I know I’m probably really late on this review. All the friends I know have read it already, but still. I want to write about this so I’m going to write about it! Let’s see if I can still do this.

The Story

This book picks up right where Game of Thrones left off. If you read the first book, you know exactly what is happening from the start. The kingdom of Westeros is in turmoil, with four kings claiming the iron throne……… which leads to a huge war……… which leads to a lot of deaths. The king that currently sits the iron throne is King Joffrey Baratheon (pretty much the Lannisters). Stannis Baratheon, Robert’s older brother, has also lain claim to the throne, making himself another king. Not only has Stannis lain claim, but Renly Baratheon as well (Robert’s younger brother). The wonderful cherry on top is Robb Stark of Winterfell, the new King of the North. I have to admit, right off from the start, I was very intrigued with where this story has led. I haven’t seen this kind of story that often. It’s absolutely awesome to see how these men interact with one another, all for a throne. Stannis and Renly Baratheon have nothing but cold feelings for each other, while Robb Stark just wants to be rid of the Lannisters. The Lannisters in turn, just want to cling to as much power as they can take. You could say this is more action packed than Game of Thrones. I definitely felt the intensity being stepped up while reading this one, compared to Game of Thrones. The kings fighting each other was the most exciting part of the novel, no doubt. Princess Daenerys’s story honestly bored me. She didn’t do much in this novel, which was really disappointing. Nothing really significant happens to her in this book, and she doesn’t do anything very significant either. In this story she just seems to be there. Sometimes, I even wanted to just skip her chapter and get back to Westeros, where things were actually happening! However, I hear that her story gets exciting later in the series, so I’ll have my fingers crossed for that. Now while the king fighting is cool, and Daenerys’s story was boring, Jon Snow’s story just keeps getting better for me. Jon Snow is a man of the Night’s Watch and a steward for the Lord Commander. The last book ended with the Night’s Watch riding out beyond the Wall to find answers they’ve been searching for. This entire book takes place with them beyond the Wall. Not much actually happens to the Night’s Watch in the novel, but it was the atmosphere that was so brilliant. Martin has created a beautiful, but terrifying atmosphere beyond the wall. The Wildlings all disappeared and they were nowhere to be seen. They supposedly were gone to join Mance Rayder, the King Beyond the Wall (also a former man of the Night’s Watch). It wasn’t the wildings that bothered the Night’s Watch so much as the ever-growing sense of the Others. The Others are back after thousands of years and are ready to wreak havoc on the kingdom. The only thing standing in there way, is a force of 300 men, the Night’s Watch. It creates this feeling of helplessness and intensity in a frozen environment. The odds are against the NIght’s Watch and you know it. Overall, this story doesn’t slow down after the first one and continues to drive forward into your head.

The Characters

Ah yes, the characters (or the ones that are still alive at least). ALl of the Stark children are still alive and well. Robb Stark is now King of the North, fighting to avenge his father. You don’t see much of Robb in this novel. He disappears towards the beginning, because he’s off fighting in a war. You occasionally hear about him through letters and other people’s points of view. There isn’t much character development behind him though. Of course there is the Lady Sansa who is being held hostage at King’s Landing, still betrothed to Joffrey. Sansa still does a lot of the same thing since the end of Game of Thrones which is crying. I mean you can’t blame her though. If I was to marry someone like Joffrey, I would have just taken the easy way out, and killed myself (yes that’s how bad he is). In the end, however, you learn a great deal more about the people around her, than herself (which is still totally cool). Of course there is Jon Snow, who was faced with a series of tough moral decisions in this novel. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say you do learn a lot about Jon in this book. Bran and Rickon Stark, currently residing at Winterfell, are holding down the fort while everyone else is gone. Bran undergoes some interesting times in this book, which was very cool to read about. Then there is Arya Stark who is currently disguised as a boy, recruited to the Night’s Watch by Yoren. Arya’s luck will continue to get worse as this book goes on. She finds a group of friends, however, and sticks with them. You can tell she cares about them a great deal. My favorite character continues to be Tyrion Lannister though, and he did not disappoint in this story. I feel as though he had the most development. I feel like this novel was written for him and his character. You learn so much about him, why he hates his father, why he doesn’t trust his family. On top of all that he’s still that wise-cracking, sarcastic but clever, dwarf that manages to keep the Lannisters afloat.

The Verdict……………..4.5 out of 5

• Awesome story that continues to be awesome
• Awesome set of interesting characters to invest yourself in
• The huge vastness and expansion of the world in the story is overwhelming and sometimes confusing

So what did you think of A Clash of Kings? What did you think of my review? Leave a comment below! Share this with your friends! Give me some tips for crying out loud! Check out my other reviews on here! Thank you so much for reading this and anything else on my website. It means a lot for someone to take an interest in my work. I really enjoy doing this, and I hope to do it for a long time.

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Looking for Alaska Review

From the creator of Fault in Our Stars…..

This book was written by John Green, and was published in 2005. This book was the first book that John Green had published, and it won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2006, from the American Library Association. Let me just say first, that this book does not disappoint. It is just as good as Fault in Our Stars (if not better). You will fall in love with every character in this book, and you will care about what happens to them. Will their be laughing? Of course. Will there be crying? Of course. WIll John Green rip your heart out like he did in Fault in Our Stars? Of course……. Let’s do this.

The Story

So Looking for Alaska has a pretty cool plotline actually. It’s about a kid named Miles Halter, who has a love for last words. He loves learning the last words of all kinds of famous people. Eventually he comes across the famous last words of Francois Rabelais, who said “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” right before he died. Miles decided he wanted to find his own “Great Perhaps” elsewhere besides his public school in Florida. He decides to go to Culver Creek Boarding school all the way in Arizona to find the “Great Perhaps”. Once he gets there he meets a group of friends and he is immediately brought in as one of their own. One of those friends include the one and only Alaska Young (yes Alaska is a character). Miles is thrown into a world of mischief and shenanigans with this group of friends. Little did Miles know, that his life would never be the same after this year at Culver Creek.

The Characters

Like I said before, the characters in this story are likely to make you love them. You will grow to care for characters in the group of mischief. John Green knows how to write about high school students and he does it well. There are all the typical types of people that go  to high school. John Green writes them all perfectly, just like the story. I’m not going to tell you much else about the characters because half the fun of this book is meeting the characters, especially the eccentric Alaska. I can give you my word though, that these characters are worth investing your time in, and worth learning about.

The Verdict…………5.0 out of 5.0

• Great story about learning to live
• Awesome characters to bond with
• Great writing style (As always)

If you love books you should definitely check this one out (if you haven’t already of course) So how did I do? What did you think of this review? Comment below and let me know! Check out my other reviews! Share this with your friends!

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Furious 7 Review

LONG LIVE FAST AND FURIOUS! 

This blockbuster movie franchise seems to be turning into one of those series that will continue on no matter what. This is the 7th installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, which means they have made as much installments as the Saw franchise (so forgive me if I’m wrong but shouldn’t that mean that we should start making jokes about how long this movie franchise is now?). The franchise is still making a ton of money so that probably means that there will be more on the way (yes even after what happened to Paul Walker). But for now, let’s just review this one.

The Story

SO if you don’t know the story behind the characters of Fast and Furious it is actually quite simple: just about every person that is in this movie is an adrenaline junkie. They know how to find a thrill and they have a great time doing it too. There was a very consistent story all the way to Fast 5, where in my opinion, the main story was concluded (Seriously Fast 5 had the best ending ever). If you saw the 6th movie then there isn’t a whole lot to catch up to. Turns out Shaw in the 6th movie has a big brother. Well once the big brother hears about the crew that took down his brother he decides to come after them too. That is the basic premise for the story, not much else. The story itself is super predictable and isn’t anything super significant. It’s actually a lot like the 6th one (I’m afraid they will all be a lot more similar after the 5th one). 

The Action

But who cares about the story right? We are all here for the action! And let me just say, the action does not disappoint. As unrealistic as the action sequences have become (there will be a few scenes that will make you question it, trust me) you still can’t help but have fun with it. This movie is made purely for action junkies and it does not disappoint. Even when you might be questioning if this would really happen this way, you can’t help but enjoy watching it. The movie knows it’s being unrealistic, and it uses that to it’s own advantage. There is a lot of cgi in this movie and you notice it but it doesn’t necessarily take away from the fun, just something you notice. All in all though, it is a great mindless action packed flick!

The Characters/Actors (and Dialogue)

We have all the classic characters back! Every actor from the past two Fast and Furious movies has come back to reprise their roles for this movie. The acting is spot on of course, since the same actors have been molding these characters into their own for the past few years. The movie has solid acting throughout. The actual characters are all very well done too. They all continue to contribute in some way to the story. Any time a character in this series dies you really feel the loss of that character. The crew just doesn’t feel the same without them, and I think that is all thanks to the actors and the writing and the chemistry that is had between the actors. You really grow to care about the characters which really helps the movie. The movie is filled with the most cheesy one liners too. It’s actually quite funny, but still just really cheesy.

The Verdict………. 3.8 out of 5

• awesome action scenes
• great acting
• very cheesy dialogue (whether that adds or takes away is your opinion)
• very unrealistic 
• super predictable

Happy Easter!!!!!

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