If You Like This, Then Try... Snow White and the Huntsman and Holly Black

Most of remember last summer’s blockbuster, Snow White and the Huntsman (SWatH), if for no other reason than it caused the breakup of K-Stew and Robert Pattinson. But for the rest of us that didn’t give two shits about the relationship status of the aforementioned A-listers, we might remember the film for different reasons.

For me, it was a film with potential that, sadly, went underdeveloped. In particular, the plot and world suffered from the film’s pace. When I wanted the film to linger, it moved too quickly, and when I wanted it to speed up, it dragged. However, what compensated for all of its faults--including Stewart’s lackluster acting (if one can even call it that)--are the visuals. Hate on that movie all you like, but you have to admit that it is one of the most stunning films, aesthetically, to come out in recent years. (While I might question director Rupert Sander’s choice in lovers, his vision embraces the grotesque and makes it gorgeous.)

If you happened to be like me, not outright hating the film but wishing it could’ve been more, there’s a solution for you: Holly Black. Best known for her middle-grade chapter books, The Spiderwick Chronicles, she began her career in YA and still cranks out some great material for an older audience. (Just check out her most recent Curse Workers series and tell me I’m wrong.)

In particular, though, Ms. Black retains very similar aesthetics to Sander’s dark vision for SWatH. She takes the frightening and horrific and--often--turns it into something both disturbing and beautiful.

Her first novel, TITHE, is a perfect example of what Black is capable of. She takes the faerie stories of old and gives them a much darker, sinister take. (And she was doing this long before the resurgence of fairy-tale retellings by way of Grimm and Once Upon a Time and other such nonsense.) This story follows an outcast of a teen as she comes across a wounded knight. After this chance encounter, she’s soon sucked into the world of the fey, a place much darker than the chipper and technicolor presentation of Disney’s Tinkerbelle and crew. Black’s faeries are frightening creatures, full of sinister plots and working towards humanity’s destruction.

These themes and tropes follow through a number of Black’s other writings as well, from her other self-dubbed modern faerie tales VALIANT and IRONSIDE, to her graphic novel series THE GOOD NEIGHBORS. (The latter is gorgeously illustrated by the super talented Ted Naifeh.)

So if you loved the darker and--dare I say--grim stylings of SWatH, you’ll no doubt love the equally creepy and beautiful worlds Black offers. Better still, you’ll come away satisfied.

Awkward Book Review: ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell

It's that time again! We've tried a new format, again, and hope you like the new style. Let us know what you think!

Awkward Book Review: Book vs. Movie - THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Time for another dose of awkwardness! And today we discuss the wonderful PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky. Enjoy!

THE BOOK:


THE FILM:


(We're still playing with the format for these, so don't be surprised if/when the video style changes. And if you have any suggestions/recommendations for what program we can use to record a chat between the two of us, we'd be most appreciative.)

If You Like That, You'll Love This: The Unfinished Begins Where the Sidewalk Ends

Although this is the first poem in Shel Silverstein’s classic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, it could just as easily be an invitation to The Unfinished Swan (TUS). Available for download via the PSNetwork for Playstation 3 (sorry, all you Xbox folk), TUS is distributed by Santa Monica Studios—better known for their God of War series. And while you might not be tearing the heads off medusas or driving your sword down a minotaur’s gullet, TUS provides a gaming experience that’s so unique and gorgeous that you’ll forget all about that testosterone-charged Kratos.

TUS follows the story of Milo, a boy who has never known his real father and has recently lost his mother, a woman that painted often but never finished a single work. Forced to live in an orphanage, Milo only has room for one of his mother’s paintings and her special paintbrush. He takes her painting of a swan, which is—of course—unfinished. 

From The Unfinished Swan

From Where the Sidewalk Ends

On his first night away from home, the painting comes to life, the swan flying off the canvas and leading him to a faraway land, where we learn of The King, who built this world as he saw fit. You, as Milo, must navigate the bizarre landscapes, armed only with paintballs or water drops, splashing the pristine world so that this

becomes this.

As Milo navigates the world, we learn more and more about The King, his story, and how it relates to Milo’s. The story, however, is told in verse, with wonderful line drawings that make the whole game feel like an interactive storybook—a fact that the developer, Giant Sparrow, exploits even further by making the game menu look like a book, too.

Within minutes of playing the game and watching the first storybook scene, it’s easy to see similarities between TUS and the works of Shel Silverstein. From the story told in verse, to the—mostly—black and white drawings to the overall tone of the game, it feels like something Mr. Silverstein might’ve written—or, at the very least, played and enjoyed.

From Where the Sidewalk Ends

From TUS

Throughout the game, the story and narration feel playful and light, the verse adding to the levity. However, there is that darker undercurrent that’s found in much of children’s literature, particularly Silverstein’s. There’s that feeling of dread and darkness that lurks just below the surface, since as all children know—and adults seem to forget—the world can be full of beauty and also freak you the fuck out within the span of a few moments.

In essence, TUS feels like reading one of Silverstein’s verses, like “Lester,” where a boy spends his life wishing for wishes but never living, or “For Sale,” where a brother tries to sell his crying sister—or even an interactive version of The Giving Tree. These poems and stories are funny and poignant and heartbreaking all at once. The same can be said for TUS, as Milo’s story is a fantastic one of beautiful lands and an incredible journey, but one that’s tinged with sadness and darkness as well. Like the best and favorites of our childhoods, this game will linger longer after the final credits roll.

So, as most of this series of posts will go, the recommendations go both ways. If you grew up with and love Silverstein’s works, you will love the tribute that TUS creates (as long as you can handle the First-Person aspect of the game). And if you played through and enjoyed TUS, sit down and spend some time with Silverstein’s works; you won’t regret it.

From TUS

Awkward Book Review: THE EVERY BOY by Dana Adam Shapiro

Hey, All! Here is the first of what will--hopefully--be many Awkward Book Reviews. This one is fairly straightforward, but be on the lookout for reviews in song and other non-traditional forms in the future.

when pop culture gets it right...or wrong: healthy vs. thin

Hey Peeps!

It seems over the last couple of years, the two things I've been bombarded with are photos of thin girls...

photo pulled from: http://www.komonews.com/news/health/5582811.html

and advertisements for fast food.

photo property of Wendy's

Oh, and let's not forget the thin girls eating fast food.

photo property of Carl's Jr. and Hardees

Every time I saw these things, I couldn't help but think of the two extremes these must lead to.

And I don't think I'm far off. According to WIN (http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/):

• Among children and adolescents ages 6 to 19:
• Almost 1 in 3 (33.2 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese, and 18.2 percent are considered to be obese.

And According to ANAD (http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/):

• Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as       skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives.

On that note, I'd seen a lot of "Thinspiration" blogs pop up on my Tumblr, a good number of which are girls who binge on fast food then punish themselves by starving the next day or shaming themselves for their lack of self-control. 

Luckily, I've also seen change, and again, a lot of it is on Tumblr.  A rise of  "fitspiration" is coming around. Posts that used to look like this:

post pulled from: http://skyscrapersandskylines.com/2012/04/20/thinspiration-dangers/

Are now looking like this:

And celebrities, used to be known for saying say this:

photo pulled from: here

Are now saying things like this:

And on the obesity side of things, I've seen more of  this:

article pulled from Apil 22nd's issue of People magazine

It's empowering to see my fellow peeps using food as nutrition, not punishment or comfort. It's also great to see people like Jennifer Lawrence who refuse to be stick-thin, and instead opt for health. So, next time you see an advertisement for fast food, look up the nutrition facts, and decide whether or not these restaurants have your health in mind. And next time you see an impossibly thin girl in a magazine, assume that it's just some photo editor who's had the keen idea to do this:

And if you're looking for a good book about a girl that tackles body issues, check out THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG, ROUND THINGS, by Carolyn Mackler. 

Until next time...

Peace, love, and spaghetti squash

Welcome!

Hello, officially, all you wonderful folks! As you can see, we've put together a short introduction to us, the blog, and what you can expect. We were able to shoot this during the recent Savannah mind-meld, which allowed us to meet face to face. (Finally!)

Now that the two of us have met, it's time for us to meet you. Thank you for joining us on this new venture, and please drop us a line if you have a minute. (Be warned, the sound might be a bit off at times, so bear with us. These will get better. We promise.)