Grand Prix Series - Rostelecom Cup 2017 - Medalists

   Welcome to my medalists post for the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, Russia. Previously I wrote about the men's short program (and planned on talking about their free skate) and today I will be talking about the finals for the men, ladies and ice dance. I don't follow anyone in pairs (who was present) so unfortunately nothing about them, I'm sorry. 

   Reminder - I'm not a pro when it comes to figure skating, so this isn't a technical analysis of the programs or anything by any means, therefore I might (accidentally) get something wrong. If I do, please do correct me. This is more of me just gushing or talking about my thoughts and opinions. I hope you'll still enjoy it.

Anyway, without further ado, let's get right into it.

Men

   Nathan Chen - USA - Gold - Where do I begin with Nathan? If you read my previous post you know that, even though I enjoy seeing Nathan in competitions and going up against my favorites, especially Yuzuru, you know I am not really a fan of his short program. I'm also, what surprise, not a fan of his free skate either. His costume (is this the final one?) is almost the same one as during his short program, the only difference being that the shirt is a dark blue instead of black. That's it. Maybe it iss supposed to be less special so that his skating can shine, maybe not, I don't know, but as much as I usually like simple and elegant costumes, I expected something...more? Last season he had an amazing costume for his free skate that fit it perfectly, so I guess I hoped he'd have something as interesting this year, too. Aside from his costume, his choreography wasn't really my thing either. Sure it is technically on a high difficulty level, it has a lot of jumps and spins, but that by itself doesn't make a  good choreography. To me, as someone who, among other reasons, watches figure skating because of its aesthetic beauty, it was just very lacking. Lots of arm flapping and going in circles while preparing for the next jump and not much else. Maybe as the season will continue I will warm up to his programs, but so far it's not my jam. (Side note - can we please also remember that, even though Nathan perfectly skated his free skate, his points were lower than Yuzuru's, even though Yuzuru missed out on a couple points?) The next time we will be Nathan will be November 24-26 at Skate America in Lake Placid, NY, USA.
   Fun Fact - Nathan is the first American male skater to win gold at the Rostelecom Cup (or back then the Cup of Russia) since the time Johnny Weir won it back in 2007.

   Check out his short program (100.54 points) and free skate (193.25 points, total of 2903.79).

Embed from Getty Images

   Yuzuru Hanyu - Japan - Silver - His fans were crying, I was sad, everyone was sad, because Yuzuru didn't get gold, despite landing his quad Lutz in this competition. But, he struggled with some of the jumps, and had to turn a quad into a double (I think, though correct me if I'm wrong), which was such a shame but I have absolute faith that Yuzuru will rock the season regardless. This program is absolutely phenomenal and just perfect for him. His costume, the music, the artistry, it's wonderful to watch, filled with passion and showing just how much work went into all of it. Yuzuru is an amazing skater and he showed that once again at the Rostelecom Cup, despite a few struggles and wobbles here and there. Do I wish he would've won? Hell yeah. But being a very close second place is also totally fine for the first serious competition of the season. There is still so much more to come, especially the Olympics, so Yuzuru has a lot of time left to perfect both programs, easy. The next time we will see him will be November 10-12 at the NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan

   Check out his short program (94.85 points) and free skate (195.92 points, total of 290.77).

Embed from Getty Images

   Mikhail Kolyada - Russia - Bronze - As much as I want to like his free skate to this rather oddly put together Elvis medley, I just don't. I mean the costume isn't as awful as the one previous season, but it still doesn't really convince me, neither does the music. The skating is good, although it is pretty evident that Mikhail is very much still struggling with it quite a lot. At this point, after watching him more or less crash through this program, I kind of do wish he would just switch back to a different one, maybe the one from previous season, to give him a better chance at medaling at a competition where he would have to stand up against the big six. He is a very good skater so seeing him struggle is just a really sad thing, but I'm still hoping that he'll continue working on both of his programs and that, when we see him again November 3-5 at the Cup of China in Beijing, China, he'll be stronger and more confident. (Side note - why is it so hard to find pretty/good looking pictures of Mikhail from his programs?)

   Check out his short program (85.79 points) and free skate (185.27 points, total of 271.06).

Embed from Getty Images

Ladies

   Evgenia Medvedeva - Russia - Gold - Is anyone really surprised that Evgenia won? I don't think so because, let's face it, she is perfect in every way possible. If I understood Russian commentator Tatiana Tarasova correctly (my Russian is a bit shaky so excuse me if I got something wrong), she said that in all her years as coach, and just in the figure skating world, she has never seen such a remarkable athlete as Evgenia. She is graceful, her artistry is captivating, her choreographies perfectly showcase her abilities (I mean did you see all those Rippon jumps?). The one surprise that I'm sure stayed in all of our minds after watching her Free Skate was the fact that Evgenia fell after landing her double axel toward the end of her program. A collective gasp went through the arena. But I love how Evgenia wasn't bitter about it, she rather laughed at it all and that was amazing. The next time we will get to see her will be at NHK Trophy.
   Check out her short program (80.75 points) and free skate (150.46 points, total of 231.21).

Embed from Getty Images

   Carolina Kostner - Italy - Silver - Carolina is definitely an established and experienced skater and I really like watching her a lot, she's also the only Italian skater I follow. Both of her costumes are great, her programs intricate and artistic, and it's just a delight to watch her. The point difference between her and Evgenia is quite something though, but I can understand it. Maybe I would've actually given her a few more points for both programs, but I'm not in the know-how enough to really be the judge of any of it. I certainly can't wait to see her again at the NHK Trophy, and certainly hope to see her in the Grand Prix Final. She definitely would deserve it.

   Check out her short program (74.62 points) and free skate (141.36 points, total of 215.98).

Embed from Getty Images

   Wakabe Higuchi - Japan - Bronze - I live for both of Wakabe's costumes as well as programs, especially her Skyfall Free Skate with her dark blue dress. It's amazingly choreographed and the music fits seamlessly to it. Both of it is rounded off by Wakabe's artistic expression and with how much passion and emotions she performs. I think she definitely deserved her spot on the podium and I can only hope that she, too, will make it to the GPF, and that her performances will just keep on getting better and better. Also, hi, please send her to the Olympics, that'd be awesome. The next time we will see Wakabe will be at the Cup of China.

  Check out her short program (69.90 points) and free skate (137.57 points, total of 207.17).

Embed from Getty Images

Ice Dance

   Maia and Alex Shibutani - USA - Gold - Usually Ice Dance isn't really on my radar, since I'm not that into any of the pairs, or at least so I thought until the Free Dance and the Shibutani siblings took the ice. I loved their red and black costumes, their choreography, music choice, and their artistic expression. Watching them was just fun and I enjoyed it a lot, which really surprised me. I can't say that it necessarily made me more curious about ice dance, but I will definitely keep an eye out on how these two are doing across the season, that much I know. The next time we will see the Shibutani siblings will be at Skate America.

   Check out their short (77.30 points) and free dance (119.94 points, total of 197.24 points).

Embed from Getty Images

   And these were all my thoughts on the medalists from the Rostelecom Cup 2017. Next up is Skate Canada, November 27-28 2017. Thank you so much for reading!

Grand Prix Series - Rostelecom Cup 2017 - Men's Short Program

   Welcome to the start (technically the Challenger Series started the season but shhhh) of the figure skating season kicking off the Grand Prix Series with the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, Russia. If you've been following me on twitter and Instagram since last year, or just the last month even, you know that I love figure skating, both the viewer aspect as well as the skater side. I've been skating myself for almost a year now, so of course I am no expert at all. So, since I am the type of nerd who keeps track of all of her favorite skaters to the point that I have an actual list with all their scores from the Grand Prix events etc, I thought I might as well share my thoughts and opinions and thoughts on my favorite skater's performances with you guys.

   Before we get into it, once again, I am not an expert so don't expect this to be some kind of super smartly worded and technical analysis of their programs and scores post, there are other people that are way better qualified for that than I am, this is just my ramblings. But, despite that I hope you'll enjoy this little addiction to my usual posts.

Group One

   Denis Ten - Kazakstan - Denis skated third and I am quite excited to see his short program. He was the only one from my list of favorites whose programs for this season I hadn't seen yet. Right off the bat I really liked his costume choice of black pants and a loose white shirt, classy and elegant. But, unfortunately, his program certainly left a lot of room for improvement. His jumps were shaky, and he even fell twice, which was truly a shame. I hope he will improve the more he performs his short program but, if his jumps stay as inconsistent I really don't see him getting any medals, and certainly not landing a spot in the Grand Prix Final. His choreography itself was very nice and promising though.

   For his short program Denis received a total of 69.00 points. He is currently in 10th place. If you want to watch his performance you can do it right here.

Embed from Getty Images

   Nam Nguyen - Canada - Nam skated right after Denis and I was basically holding my breath throughout his entire program. Nam caught my eye during his previous competition, being the Autumn Classic International 2017 in Montreal (Challenger Series) where he came in 5th. His costume is quite simple yet elegant with his shirt being a light shade of blue and black pants. It very much complements his more artistic skating style, which I personally very much prefer over the more athletic throw-in-as-many-quads-as-possible style tbh. Unfortunately Nam lost points by flubbing a jump landing on the ice with a painfully looking fall that made me gasp out loud. But besides that his choreography was very nice to look at and I have very high hopes that he will improve as the season continues and maybe, with a little luck, he will make Team Canada for the Olympics, I certainly would be very happy.

   For his short program Nam received a total of 80.74 points. He is currently in 7th place. If you want to watch his performance you can do it right here.

Embed from Getty Images

   Misha Ge - Uzbekistan - I like Misha a lot but what is that costume, and why? His choreography is emotional and beautiful to look at, but I certainly struggle to see the connection between that and the costume. Now that I have that rant out of my system, let's move on to everything else. I was quite surprised when I heard that Misha would be competing this season, since I though he'd announced he's retiring after Worlds earlier this year, but if I understood the Russian commentators correctly, his family urged him to continue so here we are. I certainly don't mind. Misha works as choreographer and I'd say it definitely shows. He puts a lot of thought and emotions into his skating making it wonderful to look at, artistic in the best way. His performance was definitely solid but I hope he will improve some more as the season continues and wish him luck for his free skate.

   For his short program Misha received a total of 85.02 points. He is currently in 5th place. If you want to watch his performance you can do it right here.

Embed from Getty Images

Group Two

   Deniss Vasiljevs - Latvia - Deniss has a special place in my mind. His talent captured me (as well as Russian commentator Tatiana Tarasova, I mean did you listen to her comments last season, she was so excited every time he performed) last season with his boyish young looks and artistic skating. Deniss is coached by Stephane Lambiel, former Swiss figure skating champion whom I adore. They are a very fun duo and you can see how well they get along and how much of an effect Stephane had on Deniss. But, as much as I love these two, I unfortunately really don't like Deniss short program for this season. The Aria, as well as his costume, seem much too mature and stoic for a young boy like him, seem to lock him down and that means his performance lacks this certain spark that his short program from last season had. Whereas last season you could see I-am-having-so-much-fun-performaing-this written across his face every time, I don't see it this season and that is truly a shame. It also seemed like Ms. Tarasova also wasn't too fond of the program either and that certainly means something (for those of you who might now know it, Tatiana Tarasova is a big number in the figure skating world as commentator and former Russian coach, possibly the most successful one ever coaching more world and Olympic champions than any other coaches, so her opinion certainly weighs a lot). Also that costume, just no.

   For his short program Deniss received 82.44 points (solid as for the fact that he doesn't have any quads in his program). He is currently in 6th place. If you want to watch his performance you can do it right here. 

Embed from Getty Images

   Nathan Chen - USA - Remember those skaters I mentioned before that have more of a athletic throw-in-as-many-quads-as-possible style? Nathan is one of them and, unfortunately, I am not a fan. I know people love Nathan and he is basically the US standard every US skaters aspires after right now, but the one thing that his programs for this season lack for me is artistry and a proper choreography. All I see is some arm flapping here-jump-a spin here-more jumps-arm flapping-jump combo, you get the point. I can see how Nathan is something like a sensation in the figure skating world right now as the first skater who is able to jump five out of six quads, and that's awesome, especially considering how young he is, but to be completely honest, he is what I think is wrong with figure skating right now. When I think of figure skating, I think of beautiful choreographies, artistry, a few jumps, gorgeous spins and all of that perfectly matching the music. Nathan lacks most of that for me, except for the nice jumps, those he certainly can do. Last year his programs were nice, okay, but this year, well, it's easy to see his plan is basically to quite literally jump gold for himself hoping his high TES (technical scores) alone will do the trick. Hm.

   For his short program Nathan received 100.54 points. He is currently in 1st place. If you want to watch his performance you can do it right here.

Embed from Getty Images

   Mikhail Kolyada - Russia - Out of all the Russian male skaters, and there is quite the number of them, Mikhail is the only one I like to be completely honest. He is a really good skater with solid programs, his style is artistic and emotional, very nice to look at, but somehow this season hasn't been quite kind to him. During the Finlandia Trophy he crashed and burned during his free skate, the ending of his program being quite painful to watch as though he held on quite literally by only sheer power of will while his body just wanted everything to end. Today his short program was solid but again his jumps weren't quite there. When it comes to his program in general, my question would be who chose that music for him? If I understood Tatiana Tarasova correctly, she wondered the same thing, why this particular piece? I like the piece by itself, but somehow I would've wished for Mikhail to skate to something a little different, maybe something a little more positive or just...different. Compared to his tragic costumes from last season, this one is definitely a bit of an improvement. Not quite something I would call nice or pretty, but also not bad. I dearly hope Mikhail will calm down and improve some more as the season continues so he'll be able to perform his short program at its fullest potential during his next competition, being the Cup of China in two weeks.

   For his short program Mikhail received 85.79 points. He is currently in 4th place. If you want to watch his performance you can do it right here.

Embed from Getty Images

   Yuzuru Hanyu - Japan - Yuzuru was called the 'Japanese God' by the Russian commentators and honestly I can only agree. He gets on the ice, everything turns still and quiet as though everyone is holding their breath and trying not to move or even blink, and he performs magic right in front of our very eyes. Yuzuru and his style are the perfect mix between artistic and athletic, his choreographies beautiful (quite evident also by the high PCS (presentation scores) he receives every time) and mesmerizing, his jumps high and consistent, his costumes gorgeous and fitting. I love watching his programs and personally he more than deserves to be the reigning King of the figure skating world when it comes to the male senior division. I love his short program for this season. His costume fits it marvelously, as well as his music. It all just works, easy as that. So imagine my surprise and loud protest when he sat in the Kiss & Cry (the area where skaters wait with their coaches for their scores) and somehow he only got second place with way less points than Nathan. Sure, Yuzuru struggled with two of his jumps, but overall his program is way better than Nathan's, in my humble opinion. Well, at least the whole Nathan vs. Yuzuru thing makes for quite the show and it is just such a delight to see those two perform during the same competition and wondering which one will end up in first place. Yuzuru is a tremendous inspiration to me, as well as so many other skaters around the world, and he definitely deserves all the love he receives. I mean did you see all the gifts and Winnie's that the audience threw onto the ice after he finished his program?! None of the other skaters got that much!

   For his short program Yuzuru received 94.85 points. He is currently in 2nd place. If you want to watch his performance you can do it right here.

Embed from Getty Images

   And that's it, all my thoughts and opinions on my faves from the men's short program. Next up later tonight the ladies short program featuring, among others, world champion Evgenia Medvedeva. I certainly hope you enjoyed this post. If you did let me know in the comments below, or via twitter (@Alice_Reeds).

Blog Tour: Review - Seize Today by Pintip Dunn

   Here we are for the grand finale of the Forget Tomorrow trilogy with my review for Seize Today. When I saw that there is a blog tour for it, I knew i had to be part of it, as well as get my hands on an ARC, the later coming before the former surprisingly. I've loved this trilogy to pieces so let's find out if Seize Today lived up to my expectations, shall we?

   Also, before I forget, thank you to Chapter by Chapter for giving me the opportunity to be part of this blog tour (and also go and check out all the other fabulous posts for it right here once you're done reading my review)!

Seize Today by Pintip Dunn

Released: October 3rd 2017 by Entangled: Teen

Number of Pages: 300 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: Yes, #3 in the Forget Tomorrow Trilogy

   The third book in the New York Times bestselling and RITA award winning Forget Tomorrow series is a thrilling conclusion to an epic trilogy.

   Seventeen-year-old precognitive Olivia Dresden is an optimist. Since different versions of people's futures flicker before her eyes, she doesn't have to believe in human decency. She can literally see the path to goodness in each person—if only he or she would make the right decision. No one is more conflicted than her mother, Chairwoman Dresden, and Olivia is fiercely loyal to the woman her mother could be.

   But when the Chairwoman captures Ryder Russell, a boy from the rebel Underground, Olivia is forced to reevaluate her notions of love and faith. With Ryder's help, Olivia must come to terms with who her mother is in the present—and stop her before she destroys the world. (goodreads.com)

Check out my reviews for the previous books in the trilogy: 

Before Tomorrow (prequel) // Forget Tomorrow // Remember Yesterday 

* Thank you to Entangled TEEN for providing me with 

an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion *

   The Forget Tomorrow trilogy is, without a doubt, one of my favorite trilogies I've ever read. I've loved the previous two books in this trilogy, as well as the prequel, so I had impossibly high hopes and expectations for this finale. Of course, since Pintip is a brilliant author, she mangled to exceed my hopes and expectations by a tenfold with ease. Seize Today ties up all the questions that were left open, all the little plot points and facets that needed more explaining or revealing, and gave us even more intriguing visuals, more future tech, and more awesome science than the precious two books.

   Our lead in this one is Olivia Dresden, the Chairwoman's daughter, and she was an amazing POV character. Seeing the world through her eyes was fascinating, even more so because of her ability to see every single possible future path a person can go down depending on the choices they make, the good and the bad ones. The way Pintip described the visuals of Olivia looking through those paths was done incredibly well and definitely added that extra something to her narrative. Just like everyone else in this world Olivia isn't perfect so she makes mistakes, has flaws and all, but the character development she goes through across these twenty days that the book spans is amazing and incredible.

   Ryder, the love interest in this one, also has a special place in my heart. He was tough and had major trust issues, but in the end he was an amazing character and I would've loved to read more about him, and those two together. I also loved the glimpses we got into the lives of the other two couples from book one and two, where they are now and what the future holds for them.

   I still smile every time I think about the epilogue.

   Trilogies sometimes have the tendency to disappoint you with an ending that still leaves questions open, or somehow answers them in a non-satisfactory manner, but that definitely wasn't the case with Seize Today. It was a worthy part of this trilogy and even more of a worthy ending to it. Sure I wished it would've been longer so I could stay in this world just for a few more pages, enjoy Pintip's writing longer (I should mention that I devoured the entire book in under 4 hours because I simply couldn't stop reading once I started), but I am very happy nonetheless with every aspect of the story.

   All in all I can only say that I am very happy that I got the chance to read this trilogy, to receive an ARC of Seize Today, and I will literally recommend this book, and the trilogy, to everyone ever because it is amazing. Then again I will literally read anything Pintip writes so theres that.

I give Seize Today by Pintip Dunn 5 out of 5 stars.

About the Author

   Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School.
   Pintip’s novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. It is also a finalist for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, the MASL Truman Award, and the Tome Society It list. In addition, THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, SEIZE TODAY, and GIRL ON THE VERGE.
   She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.

Website // Twitter // Facebook // Goodreads // Newsletter // Instagram

Release Day: Seize Today by Pintip Dunn (Excerpt)

   As you guys know I love Pintip Dunn's writing, and especially her Forget Tomorrow trilogy, so I am more than excited to celebrate today's release of Seize Today, the final book in the trilogy, with an amazing excerpt from the book. But before we get to that, if you want you can find my review of the prequel, as well as book one and two following those links to remind yourself what happened in the story so far. My review of Seize Today, which I am very excited to share with you, is coming October 13th as part of the blog tour for it.

   But enough of my talking, let's just move on to the book details as well as the excerpt. Enjoy!

Seize Today by Pintip Dunn

Released: October 3rd 2017 by Entangled: Teen

Number of Pages: 300 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: Yes, #3 in the Forget Tomorrow Trilogy

   The third book in the New York Times bestselling and RITA award winning Forget Tomorrow series is a thrilling conclusion to an epic trilogy.

   Seventeen-year-old precognitive Olivia Dresden is an optimist. Since different versions of people's futures flicker before her eyes, she doesn't have to believe in human decency. She can literally see the path to goodness in each person—if only he or she would make the right decision. No one is more conflicted than her mother, Chairwoman Dresden, and Olivia is fiercely loyal to the woman her mother could be.

   But when the Chairwoman captures Ryder Russell, a boy from the rebel Underground, Olivia is forced to reevaluate her notions of love and faith. With Ryder's help, Olivia must come to terms with who her mother is in the present—and stop her before she destroys the world. (goodreads.com)

Excerpt

   "Are you sifting through my possible pathways?" he asks, his voice husky.

   I freeze. But if I'm a block of ice, his fingers do their job, tracing my lips again and again until I melt. "How…how do you know?"

   "Your eyes," he says. "They dilate when you're reaching into the future. I'm starting to learn when you're not here."

   I blink. Nobody's ever told me that before.

   "You…noticed?" I ask.

   "I notice everything about you," he says easily. "So, tell me. What did you see in our possible futures?" His voice is low and liquid, and it reaches inside me and caresses parts I didn't know existed. "What did I do? More importantly, what did you like?"

   Heat floods my face. "What, exactly, are we talking about?"

   "I don't know." His eyes gleam wickedly. "What do you think we're talking about?"

   "Future pathways," I snap. If I have to electro-whip my attention back on track, I'll do it, damn the Fates. "I see everything from me slapping you to…" I trail off, and my cheeks flame even hotter. Oh my. I can't possibly put into words the images flying through my head like a hailstorm.

    "Now I'm really intrigued." He moves his hand to my hair, tugging slightly. I feel the tension all the way to my toes. "Are you really not going to tell me? Because, you know, then I'll have to guess."

   "I'm not going to tell you," I whisper.

    His lips curve in a mischievous grin that makes me want to tuck him in my pocket and keep him forever. And then, while I'm still reeling from his cuteness, he leans in.

   I'm not ready. My mouth is partway open, and I'm in the middle of a breath. He kisses me anyway. I shut my mouth in a hurry. Lips, so soft. His back and shoulders, so hard. Holy Fates, that was his tongue. His tongue, slipping between my teeth. Sparks. So many sparks, igniting in the air around us.

   "How's this?" he whispers against my mouth. "Did you see this in our future?"

   I nod helplessly.

   He moves closer, scooping me up and shifting me on the mattress so that he can lie next to me. Our foreheads touch; so do our knees. "And this? Was this in some of our pathways?"

   I nod again, but that doesn't seem to satisfy him anymore. His eyes intent on mine, he catches my lower lip between his teeth. "Do you like it?"

   Do I like it? What kind of question is that?

   I've tasted every emotion in our world. I know the sorrow a mother feels when she clasps her deceased baby to her chest. I know the pride of a gold-star athlete when he stands on a podium and accepts North Amerie's highest honor. I know the rage that silences the heart of a murderer as he cuts short another's life.

   I even know kisses—hot, frenzied, passionate, fumbling, sweet, aching, innocent kisses. I've seen them all in other people’s futures, thousands of kisses, millions of kisses, as varied as the pathways themselves.

   And yet…and yet…I've felt nothing like kissing Ryder. Even the vision of this moment itself.

   So, yeah, I like it. It scares me how much I like it.

About the Author

   Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School.
   Pintip’s novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. It is also a finalist for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, the MASL Truman Award, and the Tome Society It list. In addition, THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, SEIZE TODAY, and GIRL ON THE VERGE.
   She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.

Website // Twitter // Facebook // Goodreads // Newsletter // Instagram

Review: Everything, Everything

Everything, Everything
Release Year: 2017
Length: 96 minutes
Cast: Amandla Stenberg (Maddy Whittier)
Nick Robinson (Olly Bright)
Anika Noni Rose (Dr. Whittier)
Ana de la Reguera (Carla)

   A teenage girl (Amandla Stenberg) is unable to leave her home because she has an immunodeficiency that makes her allergic to almost everything. However, her life changes for the better when she begins to communicate with the boy next door (Nick Robinson). Everything, Everything was directed by Stella Meghie, and was adapted from the YA novel of the same name by Nicola Yoon. (rottentomatoes.com)

Trailer reaction // Book review

   If you've read my trailer reaction post, you know that I've been skeptical of this movie from the get go. The trailer spoiled a lot of the movie, and after watching it, I can say it probably showed all the best bits and really it was kind of enough. As someone who read the book, and loved it, I knew exactly what would happen so I was rather watching it to see how they've translated this book that I loved into a movie I hoped to at least like.

   Unfortunately that didn't happen. I really wanted to like it, enjoy it, but in the end I unfortunately didn't.

   Everything, Everything is very much a teenage movie, another coming-of-age story starring good actors playing in nice sets with pretty dialogues and all of that. That is of course totally fine, the movie isn't trying to be more than that, but something was lacking for me in it from beginning to end. As I said I liked the actors, though maybe they weren't like the best actors in Hollywood as of right now, but they were convincing enough. The dialogues were okay, too, with a few funny bits that did make me chuckle, but also a lot of it that just came across a bit too forced for my liking and to be natural.

   The sets and places we get to see in the movie are great. Seeing the house, getting a visual representation of his bubble in which Maddy grew up, the airlock entrance and everything, that was amazing. It was a stylish high-tech house that didn't seem too over the top but like a house I'd love to live in. Then we also had the other place, that I won't spoil even though we see it in the trailer, but it's undoubtedly beautiful.

   Speaking of which, a lot of the movie is exactly that: beautiful. All the clean rooms that don't really look lived in at all, nice and clean windows, wrinkle free clothes. What Everything, Everything really lacks is this feeling of reality. It all just feels like some kind of fairytale were everything is easy and perfect, an even if something goes wrong, there are only small short complications and we swiftly move on to the next thing.

   We know that Maddy is sick, it's the first thing we find out, yet throughout the whole movie everything lacked this sense of danger. Even when she walked outside, we had her mom panicking and it still wan't one of those moments that would push you onto the edge of your seat in suspense and worry of what would happen to her now. It was just kind of...there? The metaphore with the astronaut, that Maddy could identify with him, it was another one of those pretty things, but it unfortunately got lost somewhere along the way and just felt like it was randomly thrown in there a few times without having any real meaning to things.

   All in all I really hoped that the movie would surprise me and be fun and enjoyable, a nice YA book-to-movie adaptation you could sit down and watch with friends and have a nice time. But unfortunately I found myself feeling bored in a lot of places, or just sighing because of some odd turn of events or wondering how some of it was possible exactly. I know there are a lot of people who loved the movie, and maybe it is a good one, but it simply wasn't for me even though I really had high hopes for it.

I give Everything, Everything 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Blog Tour - Review: Girl on the Verge by Pintip Dunn (+Giveaway)

   I'm very excited to be part of the blog tour for this book. Pintip Dunn has become one of my favorite authors so I was very excited to receive her book early and be part of this.

Girl on the Verge by Pintip Dunn
Expected publication: June 27th 2017 by Kensington
Number of Pages: 256 Pages (Paperback)
Series: No

   From the author of The Darkest Lie comes a compelling, provocative story for fans of I Was Here and Vanishing Girls, about a high school senior straddling two worlds, unsure how she fits in either—and the journey of self-discovery that leads her to surprising truths.

   In her small Kansas town, at her predominantly white school, Kanchana doesn’t look like anyone else. But at home, her Thai grandmother chides her for being too westernized. Only through the clothing Kan designs in secret can she find a way to fuse both cultures into something distinctly her own.

   When her mother agrees to provide a home for a teenage girl named Shelly, Kan sees a chance to prove herself useful. Making Shelly feel comfortable is easy at first—her new friend is eager to please, embraces the family’s Thai traditions, and clearly looks up to Kan. Perhaps too much. Shelly seems to want everything Kanchana has, even the blond, blue-eyed boy she has a crush on. As Kan’s growing discomfort compels her to investigate Shelly’s past, she’s shocked to find how much it intersects with her own—and just how far Shelly will go to belong… (goodreads.com)

*I received an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you.*

   I love Pintip's writing and I have read all of her books, so I was very happen when I got to read Girl on the Verge early. Unlike with her other books, this one took me a few pages to really get into the story, but once I did, I couldn't put it down anymore. Personally I love books that can show me something I'm not familiar with, like in this case Thai culture and the struggle you face when trying to balance two cultures within you and figuring out who you want to be.

   When asked for #ownvoice recommendations, this is the story of book I would honestly recommend since the level of discussion and exploration in it is truly amazing and makes it easy to understand how someone like Kanchana must feel. For that alone I'm already very happy that I've gotten to read this book. I'm sure it would be even more valuable for someone who is Thai-American like Kanchana and could thus truly identify with her experience and struggle.

   Speaking of which, I really liked Kanchana, her voice was interesting and she seemed like someone I could genuinely imagine being friends with. Shelly on the other hand was quite...something. You could immediately feel that there was this weird aura around her that definitely made me curious and coaxed me into wanting to continue reading to find out more. Pintip does an amazing job when it comes to characterization.

   The mystery aspect of the story with all the details that were uncovered about Shelly across the story was amazingly orchestrated and well paced. I definitely enjoyed slowly seeing Shelly show her true self and the effects she had on Kanchana's life the more the story progressed.

   All in all Girl on the Verge is an amazing read that I can more than recommend. If you've read any of Pintip's other books you'll definitely enjoy this one, too, at least I did. She has shown how amazing of an author she is in this one once again and I will definitely continue to read anything she decides to write in the future.

I give Girl on the Verge by Pintip Dunn 5 out of 5 stars.

* * *

Purchase

Amazon // B&N // iBooks // Kobo

   Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL.

   Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. Her debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. Her other novels include THE DARKEST LIE, REMEMBER YESTERDAY, and the novella BEFORE TOMORROW.

   She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com

Website // goodreads // Facebook // Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour - Review: True North by L.E. Sterling

   Thank you so much to YA Reads for making me part of the blog tour for True North. When I saw the sign up post for this tour, and L.E. Sterling had tweeted me (and a few others) about it, I just knew I had to be part of it.

True North by L.E. Sterling

Published: April 4th 2017 by Entangled TEEN

Number of pages: 400 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: Yes, #2 in the True Born Trilogy

   Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely upon the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Margot. But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there's been whispered rumors of Plague Cure.

   While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters' blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.??

   As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled TEEN and NetGalley for providing me 

with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion *

   Ever since I read True Born last year, I was anticipating book two, curious to see how the story would continue. After reading True North I can safely say that I wasn't disappointed and that the wait was definitely worth it. Now the only problem I have is that I'd like to read book three right about now.

   Since this is a second book in a trilogy I don't want to say too much so I won't spoil anything, so I'll start off by saying that I love the cover. It's just as amazing as the cover of True Born, so I can't wait to have both books on my shelves sooner or later to show them off.

   Okay, let's go into plot and character thoughts but trying to stay spoiler free, of course.

   I loved following Lucy throughout the story once more as she tries to find Margot and figure things about with Jared. They are amazing together and their tension is off the hooks. She remains an amazing and interesting character which makes following her and her thoughts a lot of fun once more. True North is full of mysteries and also a few answers, though leaving a lot of them still unanswered and thus the reader hooked and thirsty for more and more. The world building continued to amaze me in this one, adding more details to the world L.E. Sterling created. Also the fact that we go to Russia made me happy because I love books that play there in any sort of way.

   All in all True North is a worthy successor to True Born, fast paced and amazing beginning to end. I am definitely looking forward to the final book in the series and seeing how everything ends, even if saying goodbye to this trilogy will be a sad moment.

I give True North by L.E. Sterling 5 out of 5 stars.

About the Author

   I was a voracious devotee of sci-fi and fantasy novels all through my childhood, so I suppose it doesn’t come as much of a shock that I’ve returned to the genre with a vengeance.

   For a while I turned my back on the genre in favour of ‘high-brow’ literary texts. Ironically, it was my doctoral degree that saw me circling back. There’s something about the way postmodern literature plays with the arcane that had me utterly fascinated, and it wasn’t long until I fell headlong back into my old ways and haven’t looked back since.

   My first novel, which isn’t in the Urban Fantasy or Fantasy genres, isn’t high literature, mind you, even if it tangles with some serious statements about politics and the way our western world runs. My editor described it as something between Charles Dickens and The Catcher in the Rye: Serious Fun, in other words.

   My second novel, Pluto’s Gate, is where I’ve come home to myself: it’s a contemporary retelling of the Demeter-Persephone-Pluto story from Greek mythology. Folded into the mix is a Shaman-in-training, a magical book, Underworld Gods, a world covered in ice, a three-headed dog, and one lousy ex-boyfriend.

   But I’ll tell you this much: I believe in the power of words and stories to transform our inner worlds. Whether the characters be vampires or vagabonds, a good narrative sucker punches so-called reality anyhow.

Website // Goodreads // Twitter

Read the first 6 chapters HERE

So this happened...

   I didn't think I would get to write a post like this any time soon, especially not for this particular manuscript, but here we are and I am beyond excited. But, let's start at the beginning, shall we?

   As you guys know I've been writing, as in taking writing seriously and everything, since somewhere between age 17 and 18. In those past almost six years I've completed eight manuscripts ranging between 72.000 and 112.000 words across various genres. One of them was a YA manuscript that is now known as ECHOS.

   I've written ECHOS about two years ago, queried it with marginal success getting a few partials and full, but ultimately all of it led to rejections. So, in true Alice Reeds fashion, I decided to shelf this manuscript and move on to other projects. But than #PitMad rolled around sometime September 2016. I didn't plan on pitching ECHOS but a different manuscript of mine, one that ultimately landed me a spot during Pitch Wars. But, my mother who always loved ECHOS urged me to give it a shot because what's the worst that could happen? So I did. And lo and behold, I got a request from an Entangled TEEN editor and right about died.

   Of course used to rejections upon rejections I didn't promise myself too much off of this request, but I went on and submitted it. A round of revise and resubmit later, along with some help from my brilliant friend Mia Siegert (JERKBAIT), my manuscript was accepted.

*queue the happy freakout right about now*

  Basically one of my biggest dreams came true, one of my manuscripts finding a home at one of my absolute favorite publishers. It's been over a week and I still can't believe it, still find myself occasionally wondering if it actually happened.

   So, take it from someone who's been in the query trenches for years, who wrote story after story, who received rejection after rejection, who barely got any requests during pitching events on twitter: don't give up. It might be hard to keep going at times, but if you keep going, keep writing, keep fighting for your stories, you will eventually get there. Feeling shy of participating in #PitMad or similar events because you don't think you'll get any requests? Try anyways because you can never know.

   Also don't be afraid to make some friends along the way. For years I sat in the query trenches alone until I got to know Mia and Judi (who was my Pitchs Wars mentor and is now a dear friend) and somehow everything started to feel that little bit easier. I'm basically the personification of 'someone with exactly zero social skills' and social anxiety, so if I can do this, you can, too.

   If you love writing, don't give up. Maybe your first stories will suck and, looking back at them years from now you'll want to set them on fire (at least that's how I feel about a bunch of my first manuscripts) but keep going. Practice makes perfect.

   As always this post has turned into a way longer thing than I originally planned, bravo me. Basically all I want dot say is OMG MY BOOK IS GOING TO BE PUBLISHED BY ENTANGLED TEEN AND I'M FREAKING OUT but it somehow turned deeper than anticipated.