MOVIE MADNESS: Pitch Perfect (2012) + Christmas Break

Advance Merry Christmas everybody (or to anyone reading this). It is officially the start of my Christmas break! Yahoooooooo!!! I have a week and approximately 6 days until classes start again, and I am going to make the most out of my unsupervised days!! hahahahahaha!!! Well, my idea of fun is just simple - movies and books. What? Disappointed? No parties? No getaways? Hahahahaha... Sorry, that's not really my thing. I'm more of a home girl :).

Anyway, I just finished a book last night (Lost in Time by Melissa dela Cruz), and I think I'm going t start reading another later (Showtime by Chloe Kayne). I plan on reading a lot of books this Christmas break. Wish me luck! :)

Also, I have just recently watched PITCH PERFECT.

Rotten Tomatoes:

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is that girl who'd rather listen to what's coming out of her headphones than what's coming out of you. Arriving at her new college, she finds herself not right for any clique but somehow is muscled into one that she never would have picked on her own: alongside mean girls, sweet girls and weird girls whose only thing in common is how good they sound when they sing together, in the new out-loud comedy Pitch Perfect. When Beca takes this acoustic singing group out of their world of traditional arrangements and perfect harmonies into all-new mash-ups, they fight to climb their way to the top of the cutthroat world of college a cappella. This could wind up either the coolest thing they'll ever do or the most insane, and it will probably be a little of both.

***

I liked the movie. It is funny and the songs were covered wonderfully. I love musicals and the movie reached my expectations. The blending of voices and their song choices were great. It definitely focused on the musical aspect of the movie. Musical in a sense that they are singing because they are required to sing, for a competition, not the musical wherein the songs tell the story. I like it both ways. The focus on music made the plot a  bit bland, though. Nothing goes on much with the story. No deep emotions or drama or even romance. It was okay, for the plot part. Not really very remarkable.

What I also liked about the movie is Anna Kendrick. She seems to be gaining popularity nowadays. She had a lot of projects this year, and though I haven't seen a lot of her movies, I think I can say that she already played a lot of different/diversified roles. From Twilight, to Up In The Air, to Pitch Perfect. I didn't even know she can sing.

So there!!! I think their songs are going to be stuck in my head for a few days. If you ever watch it, I hope you would like it.

And another thing... I love this song.. SUPER LSS with it.

teepee J

BOOK BLURB: Pandemonium (Delirium #2)

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

***

Date Read: June 11, 2012

Reaction while reading the last two pages: "OH MY GAAAAAWD!" (while pulling my hair)

Initial reaction after reading: "F*CK!!!" (I don't swear a lot. I promise. But that's just what I felt saying/screaming after reading the last word in the book.)

I would have given this book FIVE STARS just for blowing my mind off at the end. But all in all, Pandemonium's 375 pages seemed to drag on and felt longer than Delirium's 480. I liked it a lot, even though I read it with less enthusiasm and excitement, but equal anticipation, than Delirium.

Well, the only downside I could think of is that the second book introduced a "Then and Now" way of reading, with the past (after Lena ran away from Portland) and present alternating chapter after chapter. At first, I found it a bit difficult getting into my reading mode because it's a little hard for me to recall some of the events from previous chapters of a different setting (and because it's new to me). But as I read on, it became easier. The "Now" chapters are far more interesting than the "Then" chapters. Maybe that's why they alternated the chapters, to keep the readers going.

The second book is quite at the opposite end of the first one -- new characters, new setting, etc... A new Lena emerges. The story is more action-packed and more intriguing as you continue nearing the end. What interests me the most, though, is Julian.

If you have been scouring the internet for Pandemonium reviews or other related things, it may not be a surprise to you that there's a new guy in the scene. In Delirium, after her escape, Lena has been shattered and heartbroken because Alex got left behind, got caught between the cruel hands of the government. Then, in Pandemonium, her path gets tangled with the Mayor's son Julian. (That's it. No more spoiling.)

Julian? Alex? I love Alex! But let me tell you this: I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO CONFUSED IN MY WHOLE BOOK-READING LIFE! Usually, there's always a certain guy I am rooting for in love triangles and I stick with that guy 'til the end. But Julian and Alex? Urghhh!

Aside from that, I like how Lena grew in Pandemonium. She's stronger and tougher, and in a way, more independent and smarter. Lena has renewed herself as she tried to bury her past. She has new found friends and a new life.

To sum it all up, I guess the book deserves five stars. But you know, I'm a little devil inside (sometimes), so I'll give it 4.5. The beginning of the book was okay. Nothing really happened much. Some fighting, action, and romance in the middle, then, BOOM! IT ENDS WITH A BLOW. :)

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teepee J

BOOK BLURB: Hana (Delirium #1.5)

Hana by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Lauren Oliver's riveting, original digital story set in the world of her New York Times bestseller Delirium.

The summer before they're supposed to be cured of the ability to love, best friends Lena and Hana begin to drift apart. While Lena shies away from underground music and parties with boys, Hana jumps at her last chance to experience the forbidden. For her, the summer is full of wild music, dancing—and even her first kiss.

But on the surface, Hana must be a model of perfect behavior. She meets her approved match, Fred Hargrove, and glimpses the safe, comfortable life she’ll have with him once they marry. As the date for her cure draws ever closer, Hana desperately misses Lena, wonders how it feels to truly be in love, and is simultaneously terrified of rebelling and of falling into line.

In this digital story that will appeal to fans of Delirium and welcome new admirers to its world, readers will come to understand scenes from Delirium through Hana's perspective. Hana is a touching and revealing look at a life-changing and tumultuous summer.

***

Date Read: June 7, 2012

Lena and Hana's friendship once drifted apart. Both of them pulled to the opposite ends of the road by their conflicting beliefs. We knew how Lena felt about that, and this book told us how Hana felt.

Hana is said to be prettier and bubblier than Lena. She's the carefree rule-breaker, the risk-taker, the girl who goes to underground parties and listens to illegal music. She hates the feeling of being watched and monitored all the time. She wants to feel free and to fly high. She's the exact opposite of Lena, who's afraid of breaking the rules and is very eager to get cured immediately. But beneath her eccentric personality lies her true self.

The story showed how scared and vulnerable she was. I actually felt sorry for her, though there were times I felt a little annoyed that her hormones were completely screwed up. Hahahaha.. Or maybe not. I like how she and Lena ended up. They're still best friends, but something has changed.

And this line...
"I'm sorry, Lena."
...this broke my heart. :(

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teepee J

BOOK BLURB: Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story (Divergent #1.5)

FREE FOUR: Tobias Tells the Divergent Knife-Throwing Scene
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Number of Pages: 43
Date Published: April 23, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth retells a pivotal Divergent scene (chapter 13) from Tobias's point of view. This thirteen-page scene reveals unknown facts and fascinating details about Four's character, his past, his own initiation, and his thoughts about new Dauntless initiate Tris Prior.

***

My Thoughts:

BOOK BLURB: Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

***

Date Read: June 6, 2012

...home isn't a place. It's a person. And we're finally home.

A sweet story set in the city of love, Paris. Now who wouldn't want that? Aside from the ups and downs of Anna Oliphant and Etienne St. Claire's story of family, friendship and love, the book magically transports the reader to one of the most romantic cities on the face of the planet. Paris was magnificently explored by the readers through this book.

Maybe I'll just stop now. I'm not even admiring how wonderful the book is. I'm admiring the beauty of Paris. Hahahaha... I suck! :)

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teepee J

BOOK BLURB: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

***

Date Read: June 1, 2012

I am very disappointed with myself after reading this book. I really am.

The Fault In Our Stars is about a life of a teenage cancer patient, Hazel, who meets and eventually gets deeply attached to Augustus Waters. Their story is both compelling and heart-wrenching at the same time. You'll feel bad for both of them, but I think the sense of pride and admiration will overpower it. They're strong like that.

The book didn't disappoint me. I loved the humor, the honesty (eventhough it is a bit hurtful), the sincerity of the characters, etc... I even like the big words and complicated sentences in the book that I barely understand. Maybe my mental capacity has reached its limit and can't process those things.

Anyway, the entirety of the book got me on a tight grip that sometimes, I really felt what they felt. The only problem is, myself. I'm the disappointment. I don't feel enough, I guess. The book was like this object that triggered tears, cause most readers did cry, but I didn't. I felt like it, but I didn't.

*can't keep my thoughts together.

Come to think of it, the story is a bit simple. But it's unique in a way that it's sweet, sincere, sensibly humoruos, tragically beautiful, and painfully honest. :)

** My thoughts aren't well-organized today because (1) I just finished a brilliant book and I can't stop thinking about it and (2) it's 2am and I think I'm sleepy.

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teepee J

BOOK BLURB: Insurgent (Divergent #2)

INSURGENT (Divergent #2)

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Number of Pages: 525

Date Published: May 1, 2012

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Goodreads:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian DIVERGENT series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

***

My Thoughts:

BOOK BLURB: Delirium (Delirium #1)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

THEY SAY that the cure for Love will make me happy and safeforever. And I've always believed them. Until now.

Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected
with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

***

Date Read: May 19, 2012

I'm still finding the right words to describe how I felt after reading this book. I actually thought I wouldn't like it that much. I thought it will be just some sappy story about love. But it wasn't. I think it's much more than that. And there were a lot of things in the book that actually got me thinking hard. It really got me, the plot and the characters and all the other stuff in between. Now, I guess I have to admit that my first impression was definitely wrong. I loved it. It's a smart book.

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teepee J