The Host, By Stephenie Meyer

By: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little Brown
Publish Date: 2007
ISBN: 0316068047
Page #: 624
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Science-Fiction

Age Level: Adult
Series Titles: No sequel has yet to be published, alhtough Meyer has said she intends to release it as a trilogy.
Subjects: Romance

Reader's Annotation: Earth has been taken over by an alien race of parasite's called Souls who implant themselves in their hosts. A small group of human's fight back but are faced with a runaway host who has taken over the body of one of their own.

Synopsis: The famed author of the Twilight Series introduces herself to the adult market with her first novel. Like twilight it revolves around a grand quartet of love and temptation, death and life. For Melanie Stryder, the world is an evil, apocalyptic place taken over by something unthinkable. To her, her boyfriend Jared, and her younger brother Jaime, life is only about survival. But when she suspects that another of her family may be alive, she leaves Jared and Jaime to find her. She never makes it having instead been captured by the Souls and used as a host. When the host is placed inside her the Soul called Wanderer is astounded to find that Melanie's voice not silenced. She see her memories and images of Jared and Jaime. Instead of taking the normal path a Soul takes on Earth (living a violence free, happy pseudo-life) she sets out to see if they are still alive. But when she finds them, she quickly realizes that they want her dead, not knowing that inside her Melanie still lives.

Notes: Although directed to adults, the story line is generally harmless. Small amounts of sex and violence do exist, but for the most part it echoes the feel of Twilight's innocent nature even with war, beatings, love, and loss. Ok, for teens.

Stars: 4

Extras: Official Book Trailer from Little Brown here: The Host's Website http://thehostnovel.com/

(I think mine is better, laugh out loud.)

Author Website http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/thehost.html

Extra's: Book Trailer (Made by Courtney)

Twilight, By Stephenie Meyer

By: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown 
Publish Date: 2005
ISBN: 0316160172
Page #: 544

Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Age Level: Older Teen

Series Title: 

The Twilight Saga: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn

Reader's Annotation: Bella Swan moves to the small town of Forks, Washington and falls in love with something that wants to eat her. Can anybody resist temptation in this pop culture phenomenon?

Synopsis: The fame of Twilight has gotten by few people in today’s literary world. Stephenie Meyer penned the first book Twilight, in her beloved Twilight Saga quartet, from the idea of a dream she had the night before. Intensely personal and sometimes with the feel of a diary entry, Meyer wrote her first novel with her baby on her lap. The story of Bella Swan, a clumsy self-sacrificing teen leaves her newlywed mother (to let her travel with her baseball player husband) to go live with her father, Charlie Swan. She leaves sunny Arizona to arrive in the small town of Forks, Washington in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Under an near constant cover of clouds, Bella meets Edward, a "vegetarian" vampire (meaning sans human blood), and they quickly fall in love. The love between these two is so intense it is clearly modeled after the dark literary greats such as Romeo & Juliet and Healthcliff & Cathy. mean the grandest kind of love you can image. Evoking the chivalry of yester years, Meyers gives a new, cool name to the literary vampire as well as to reading books without sex or drugs: quite a feat in today’s society. Meyer’s writing may be weak, but her story telling is well done and intensely relatable (at least to girls and women). 

Notes: 

A movie by the same title was released in 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/

Offcial Movie Site: http://www.twilightthemovie.com/

As the sequel to Twilight, the film currently in production to be released November 2009. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/

Stars: 5

Yalsa's BBYA

Extras: 

Are you O.C.D. (Obsessive Cullen Disorder)? Get your fix here: http://twilightersanonymous.com/

Author's web page for New Moon: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/newmoon.html 

The immensely popular fan site for the film & book: http://www.newmoonmovie.org/

The Golden Compass (FILM), Film By Chris Weitz, Book By: Philip Pullman

Director: Chris Weitz
Actors: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliot, & Dakota Blue Richards
Film Company: New Line Cinema
Release Date: December 2007
Length: 113 min
Classification: Drama, Family Films (Book: Fiction)
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Age Level: Teen
Series Title: Movie based on the series "His Dark Materials" though no more films have been made yet to date.
Subjects: Religion, Alternate Universes,

Reader's Annotation: In a alternate reality, Lyra Belacqua go to the far North to help her friend & other kidnapped kids from hideous testings by a dark, deadly, & mysterious administration.

Synopsis: The Golden Compass is the movie version of the book by the same. The first installment in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Material Series. The story centralizes itself around Lyra. An orphaned young girl who lives at Oxford with her uncle (played by Daniel Craig). The plot is set into motion after an assassination attempt on her uncle and the overhearing of a dubious and dark mysterium called "The Dust." In Lyra's universe, the Magisterium (a religious group threatening to take over her world), she is lurred to the North with Mrs. Coulter (played by a scarily goddess-like Nicole Kidman) with the golden compass in her possession. Children are missing, one of which is Lyra's friend. The golden compass (or alethiometer), is said to tell the truth of things. Can it help Lyra figure out how to save disappearing children and solve the mystery of "the dust"? In a world of animal souls and shape shifters, Weitz translate this adventure into a special effects triumph.

Fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia will enjoy this film (but love the series). Fans who don't usually watch fantasy films may enjoy this regardless. This is a series that has a little bit of something for everyone and the movie delivers a faithful (however faithful any two hour movie could be to any book). I had a hard time with the film so I can not enthusiastically endorse it however I am not fully slamming it either. Fans of the book will be the most disappointed audience.

Notes: There is no nudity or bad language in this film. Parents should be more aware of violence and philosophical and religious provocations (in case religion is an issue). Personally, I didn't find it overly provocative, however I have gotten this feedback from religiously conservation parents and thought it appropriate to mention.

Other Notables of Interest: Director Chris Weitz is currently directing the teen film "New Moon" sequel to the immensely popular Twilight film. It is based on the book(s) by Stephenie Meyer.

Extras: Official New Line Movie Site
Book Series Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/
Video Game (10 & up) for PSP, Wii, PS2, Xbox 360, & PC Computer, Check it out Here: Trailer

Rhetoric on religious backfire (Note: This does not reflect the view of Courtney in either direction.)

New Moon, By Stephenie Meyer

By: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown 
Publish Date: 2006
ISBN: 0316160199
Page #: 608
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Age Level: Older Teen
Series Title: The Twilight Saga

Twilight

New Moon

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn
Subjects: Romance, Heartbreak, Vampires, Shapeshifters, Native Americans

Reader's Annotation: The saga continues in the second installment of  Twilight but the romantic idealism of Twilight is gone. Bella Swan finds herself severely depressed after Edward dumps her, but her best friend Jacob, gives her hope until he has to face his own porblems (leaving Bella more broken then ever).

Synopsis: Meyer’s saga continues in the second installment of the Twilight series. After Edward leaves Bella, she is faced with an overcoming zombie-like depression. In a desperate attempt to challenge her mortality and in the hopes of provoking the lost, protective voice of Edwards, Bella reconnects with her childhood pal Jacob. Jacob, more reckless then Edward, falls hard for Bella while Bella still mourns the loss of Edward. With Jacob as her new best friend, Bella begins to feel happy again. Jacob wants more and he has some secrets of his own. Unfortunately for Jacob, Edward may not be gone forever unless he has anything to do with it.
The most depressing of the four novels, New Moon is a stunning break from the first book. However, Jacob is enduring in a monstrous way, and Edward retains your affections. While Bella just keeps falling down.

Notes: As the sequel to Twilight, the film currently in production to be released November 2009. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/

Stars: 5

Yalsa's BBYA

Extras: Author's web page for New Moon: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/newmoon.html

The immensely popular fan site for film & book: http://www.newmoonmovie.org/

Posted by Coco at 11:31 PM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)