Author: Jessa Hay

Let’s Talk About the Gotham Awards!

Posted in Awards ShowsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

With 2023 coming to a close, awards season for this year in movies is about to get started!  The start of awards season begins with the annual Gotham Awards, this year taking place on November 27th at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.  Now, you may not have heard of the Gotham Awards before as they are not as popular amongst the general public like the Oscars or Golden Globes may be.  Nevertheless, they are just as fun and important when it comes to potentially seeing who could end up on top when the season comes to a close in March.

But what are the Gotham Awards?

The Gotham Awards, presented by the Gotham Film & Media Institute, are a smaller award show that focuses on independent films, being one of the largest  membership organizations to do so.  Given for both film and television, these awards are a great way for smaller films to get recognition at the beginning of awards season, that could eventually give the film some steam when it comes to nominations for future award shows.

Today, the nominations have been announced and here are this year’s nominees for film:

Best Feature

-Passages

-Past Lives

-Reality

-Showing Up

-A Thousand and One

Best Screenplay

-Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers)

-Justine Triet and Arthur Harari (Anatomy of a Fall)

-Samy Burch (May December)

-Christian Mungiu (R.M.N.)

-Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)

Best Documentary Feature

-20 Days in Mariupol

-Against the Tide

-Apolonia, Apolonia

-Four Daughters

-Our Body

Best International Feature

-All of Us Strangers

-Anatomy of a Fall

-Poor Things

-Totem

-The Zone of Interest

Breakthrough Director

-Raven Jackson (All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt)

-Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean)

-Michelle Garza Cervera (Huesera)

-Celine Song (Past Lives)

-A.V. Rockwell (A Thousand and One)

Outstanding Lead Performance

-Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Origin)

-Lily Gladstone (The Unknown Country)

-Greta Lee (Past Lives)

-Franz Rogowski (Passages)

-Babetida Sadjo (Our Father, The Devil)

-Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers)

-Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla)

-Teyona Taylor (A Thousand and One)

-Michelle Williams (Showing Up)

-Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)

Outstanding Supporting Performance

-Juliette Binoche (The Taste of Things)

-Penelope Cruz (Ferrari)

-Jamie Foxx (The Cloned Tyrone)

-Claire Foy (All of Us Strangers)

-Ryan Gosling (Barbie)

-Glenn Howerton (BlackBerry)

-Sandra Huller (The Zone of Interest)

-Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret)

-Charles Melton (May December)

-Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)

Some noticeable absences are OPPENHEIMER and KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON as they did not submit for the award show.

“Bottoms” Review

Posted in Movie ReviewsLeave a comment

General Information

Directed by – Emma Seligman

Written by – Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott

Starring – Rachel Sennott (PJ), Ayo Edebiri (Josie), Ruby Cruz (Hazel), Havana Rose Liu (Isabel), Kaia Gerber (Brittany), Nicholas Galitzine (Jeff), Miles Fowler (Tim), and Marshawn Lynch (Mr. G)

Synopsis – To avoid getting in trouble while also trying to get with their crushes, best friends PJ and Josie start a fight club for girls at their school who are afraid of the rival school the football team is playing, leaving the duo with a newfound popularity the jocks are not happy with.

Where to Watch – In Theaters

Review

2023 seems to be not just the year for raunchy comedies, but raunchy comedies starring and about women.  We have lived through years of “Hangover”s and “Ted”s, but now is the time for women to be at the front of these ridiculous kinds of stories.  High school and young adult females deserve to have their crazy antics shown on the big screen and “Bottoms” is another great entry to end the summer with.

The main premise of this movie is that the best friend duo of PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Edebiri) want to sleep with their crushes before they head off to college.  All of the performances from the cast are outstanding as they are as crazy and deadpan that fits with the tone of the film.  Sennott and Edebiri have amazing chemistry as best friends that if you told me they have known each other their whole lives I would absolutely believe you.  Sometimes, friend characters do not vibe with each other as much as they should but that is not a problem with these two.  They bounce off of each other’s energy in the best way possible, leaving room for some of the funniest moments between friends I have seen in film all year.  They also bring that awkward-around-your-crush cringe-worthy moments that had me reflecting on how I was as a young adult trying to find love.  Without the two of them, this film would not be as funny and enjoyable as it is.

The rest of the cast is also bringing all of the energy a film like this needs.  The crushes of Isabel (Liu) and Brittany (Gerber) play on the stereotypical roles of popular girls by making them have those traditional aspects of the character but also making sure they get development throughout the film.  You get to know more about them as people while they also continue to play into the popular cheerleader role we have seen so many times before.  Speaking of stereotypical roles, we have two traditional football characters in Jeff (Galitzine) and Tim (Fowler).  Not only do they have this role of being the manly football players the entire school looks up to, they take it to the greatest extreme.  Their characters are laughable about how ridiculous they can be and Galitzine and Fowler are the only ones that could have pulled it off.  You expect them to be football players but they are just so much more and I love every second they are on screen.  Each of the club members bring their own chaotic energy to the mix that never ends until the credits roll.  The standout is the third-in-command Hazel (Cruz), who is so dedicated to the club and not in on the plot like PJ and Josie are.  Then we end with the club advisor Mr. G (Lynch), recruited to be that advisor who would never show up but ends up becoming the new proponent of feminism.  Lynch is another athlete-turned-actor and surprisingly brings so much to his character that I cannot wait to see what he is in next.  Each of these actors matches their characters perfectly and makes for great cast chemistry, something that can make or break a film like this.  And it is thanks to their performances that the film performs the way that it does and has instantly become a classic in the teen girl genre of movies.

The other strong point of the film that brought this from potential cringe to enjoyably laughable, where you can feel for the characters while also understanding that what they did was wrong and should not have been done.  The script, written by Seligman and Sennott, is able to deliver some of the most chaotic lines that could have been unfunny if done incorrectly, and while not everything worked for me and it did try a little too hard in places, the majority of it will have you laughing.  There is an ending that I was not expecting because of how absolutely ridiculous it is, but it works with the movie and how they are trying to approach the subject.  There is a moment in this film for everyone, especially if you love classic female-driven films from the late 90s/early 00s.

Overall, this film is a fun reminder of how powerful stories about women by women are and that girls are allowed to have fun as well.  Come for the names behind the film and stay for the amazing performances who bring an enjoyable script to life.   

“No Hard Feelings” Movie Review

Posted in Movie ReviewsTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

General Information:

Directed by — Gene Stupnitsky

Starring — Jennifer Lawrence (Maddie), Andrew Barth Feldman (Percy Becker), Matthew Broderick (Laird Becker), Laura Benanti (Allison Becker), Natalie Morales (Sarah), Scott MacArthur (Jim), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Gary)

Synopsis — Desperate for a car after hers gets towed, Maddie answers a Craigslist ad from helicopter parents asking for someone to “date” their shy son before he heads off to college, in hopes that it will get him out of his shell.

Where to Watch — In Theaters

Review:

I like to think that I am finally at the age where I can appreciate the raunchy comedy genre to the fullest extent.  It seems like Hollywood has not really put one out recently, so I was ecstatic to hear that Jennifer Lawrence was going to be producing and starring in one.  I fell in love with Lawrence as an actor during her reign of “The Hunger Games” franchise, but have stuck with her filmography ever since.  Based on a real Craigslist ad the director found and the greater amount of control parents seem to have on their kids nowadays, this was the perfect film for the modern young adult.  And it did the job pretty well if I do say so myself.

The best part about this film was the chemistry between Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman, who plays the shy high school senior that Lawrence’s character Maddie is paid to seduce.  Not only are they absolutely hilarious in their scenes together, but their characters also have so much heart between them.  You can see them grow to care for one another that when the inevitable third act blow up happens, your heart breaks for what the characters are going through.  Even though there is an age gap between Maddie and Percy, that does not mean that they cannot go through the same types of struggles.  The entire cast just seems like they are having the best time filming this movie and that comes through with each of their performances.

The story follows a very typical three act structure with the conflict coming towards the end of the film and things working out for everyone at the end.  So many moments had me laughing to the point of tears in my eyes, but other than that, I could easily predict what was going to happen.  That does not make it a bad movie, however, just a predictable one.  However, there was one heart-warming moment that took me for a bit of a surprise that happened between Maddie and her friends Sarah (Natalie Morales) and Jim (Scott MacArthur) who are expecting their first child but struggling financially.  Other than that scene, you probably know how this film will play out.

Lawrence and Feldman having charming chemistry in this pretty standard comedy film.  Come for the actors, stay for the hear.

Rated 3 out of 5

“Spare” by Prince Harry Book Review

Posted in Book ReviewsTagged , , , Leave a comment

General Information:

Format Read — Audiobook

Synopsis — In his memoir, Prince Harry details his life in three main sections of importance — when he was a young boy who lost his mother, when he was a young man in the army and when he fell in love with the woman the press hated from the very beginning.

Review:

I have never really been a big fan of the Royal Family — I do not care either way for or against them — but I am always down to read a memoir with potential family drama in it.  I also wanted to listen to it on audiobook as I am a sucker for a memoir read by the author.  The only things I have really know about Prince Harry is what the media and press puts out about him.  Because of his family’s past, I wanted to hear from his perspective of everything that has happened to him.  But his memoir, while I like how it was divided into three parts, adds nothing new or interesting to this traditional genre and needed to be edited down as it began to drag in multiple places.

What I liked most about Harry’s book was that he decided to break up his pretty eventful life into three major eras.  When you have a life like his and try to talk about as much of it as you can, breaking it up can help your reader.  That was what kept me invested into his story; I always knew a new chapter of his life was coming up next.  That is an interesting way to divide and conquer your story and that helped Harry with the story he wanted to tell.  But I wish that along with breaking it up into different parts of his life that he did something like Jeanette McCurdy and speak from the perspective of him at those ages.  Instead of having his current voice reflect back on his time as a child, if he approached this section by writing from a more child-like voice or style of writing, that would have made this a more interesting memoir.  Without that, you just have someone doing the bare minimum for what is required for this type of novel.

It is interesting to hear about goes on on the opposite side of the tabloids.  People take everything they see online as the true and only fact, but most of the time, there is so much more to the story.  What I liked about Harry’s book was that he was not afraid to get personal about how some of the stories told by the media affect his life.  I think that was the general premise for Harry writing this memoir — to get his voice out there.  He is still pretty young and can accomplish a lot more in his life but now he felt was the time to release it.  There have been enough false or dangerous statements made about him and his family, I would want to put out my truth as soon as I could too.  But even if that is the case, that does not mean you need to add every small detail of your life.  This was not a “Buckingham Palace Tell All” like some people may have wanted, but it was still too long.  As intrigued as I was I got easily bored with all of the small details he felt like needed to be in there and that is when I checked out.  Interesting stuff did pop up here and there, but it took a lot to get to those parts.

If you are a fan of the Royal Family or want to know some more details about Prince Harry’s life, this is the book for you.  But as an average-knowledgeable person like myself, you will learn some interesting stories but they will be covered by pages of not needed details. 

Rated 3 out of 5

“Jagged Little Pill” Review

Posted in Theater ReviewsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

General Information:

Production — North American Tour

Cast — Heidi Blickenstaff (MJ Healy), Chris Hoch (Steve Healy), Lauren Chanel (Frankie Healy), Dillon Klena (Nick Healy), Jade McLeod (Jo Taylor), Allison Sheppard (Bella Fox), and Rishi Golani (Phoenix)

Venue — Citizens Bank Opera House in Boston, MA

Synopsis — With songs from Alanis Morissette’s album of the same name, “Jagged Little Pill” tells the story of the Healy family, who seems perfect on the outside but their lives are shaken up and their hidden truths are revealed to the world.

Review:

As a little post-school year treat to myself, I got tickets to the latest show in the Broadway in Boston series “Jagged Little Pill”.  Ever since seeing “Beetlejuice” at the same venue a month earlier, I have been inspired to see live theater shows again.  A fan of musical theater, it was a good feeling heading back to the place that I spent my young years in.  There are so many great shows all around the country, so do not think that you have to be in New York City to see great musical theater.

“Jagged Little Pill” is a jukebox musical, where all of the songs are from the Alanis Morissette album of the same name.  Jukebox musicals can either be fan favorites or a theater goer’s worst nightmare.  Because the music and lyrics are already written, the playwriter (Diablo Cody) has to form a story around the songs themselves instead of creating songs alongside the story that is being written.  Depending on the story you are trying to tell, this can either work easily for you or against you.  “Jagged Little Pill” I think is the perfect example of a mix of good and bad choices.  The story itself I think is wonderful; it tells of a family who wants to present well to those around them but are suffering on the inside, going against their “perfect” image.  There are a lot of present day messages that are told so a general audience can listen and understand them.  However, at certain points it seemed like the creatives wanted to plug a song in just to hit a certain number in their production.  The story felt interrupted when these songs would come up and I think the show would have flowed a little bit better with the omission of a few songs.  This musical also made me realize how many of Morissette’s songs I was familiar with and how empowering they can be when put with modern situations like the musical does.

  Everyone in the cast was so enjoyable to watch.  You could tell this was not Heidi Blickenstaff’s first go at the tole of MJ, as she is the heart and soul of the production.  Lauren Chanel as her adopted daughter, Frankie, is another performance that stuck with me until way after the show.  But the absolute standout that deserved all of the cheering and applause they got at my show was Jade McLeod as Jo.  Best friend and girlfriend of Frankie, McLeod brings the humor the show asks for but their vocals are phenomenal.  Their rendition of “You Outta Know” is a showstopper and can only be performed and executed by someone with vocal chops like McLeod.  They are the reason why you should see this musical, along with the great performances by their fellow castmates.

The sets are what I expect modern Broadway to be transitioning to.  There were neon lights and moving screens to represent where each of the scenes were taking place.  It was something I had not seen done on stage before, but it was interesting to use as it matched the present day tone of the show.  There were also a lot of furniture and bigger pieces — like school desks and swing sets — that were on wheels, making for fun watching musical numbers.  Simple sets compared to “Beetlejuice”, but perfect for this type of show.

If this tour makes it to a city near you, I highly recommend checking it out.  With its standout cast to familiar musical numbers, it is made to be enjoyed by any type of theater goer, no matter if this is your first show or your tenth.

Rated 4 out of 5

“The Flash” Movie Review

Posted in Movie ReviewsTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

General Information:

Directed by — Andy Muschietti

Starring — Ezra Miller (Barry Allen/The Flash), Sasha Calle (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), Maribel Verdu (Nora Allen), and Michael Keaton (Bruce Wayne/Batman)

Synopsis — Based on the comic book storyline “Flashpoint”, Barry Allen realizes he can use his superspeed to travel back in time to save his parents, but he learns the consequences of what happens with you mess with time.

Where to Watch — In Theaters and VOD

Review:

Going into this movie, I was not necessarily a fan of the DCEU but I did not have anything against it.  I like superhero movies even though I got into them pretty late for “traditional” fans.  But my boyfriend is a DC comics and movies enjoyer, so I checked this out with him.  “Flashpoint” is one of his favorite storylines and he was excited to see it on the big screen.  This is a good movie to watch if you are a casual superhero fan or know next to nothing about the DECU like myself.

I am familiar with the present day iterations of the famous DC characters, but Barry Allen was the character I knew least about.  If you want to know more about how the Flash came to be, this is the perfect movie for that.  When you hear something is a part of a cinematic universe, it can be intimidating trying to catch up.  But as someone who was in this position, I think the high point of this movie is the fact that it is not only an origin story with heart, but that no matter how many movies you have or have not seen, you will not be lost with the story.  Nowadays, that can be hard to come by.

The story had its high moments, especially when  it came to Barry and the moments between his parents.  But other than that, it was your typical superhero flick.  It was a lot of fun to have the two Barrys of different universes banter with each other but they do not really branch too much past that.  The same goes for the acting.  Some were fun to watch, but you could also tell that some people did not really want to be there.  I am hoping that with James Gunn at the head, we keep Sasha Calle as Supergirl, as she was my favorite performance outside of the lead.  We were able to get a little bit of her backstory with this movie, but I want her character to be explored more.  Hopefully,  Gunn is on the same page as me.

With the typical story with some funny and heartfelt moments with uneven performances from the cast, this was an occasional enjoyable movie but littered with stereotypical superhero clichés that make it just a pretty average movie. 

Rated 2.5 out of 5

“White House Plumbers” TV Series Review

Posted in TV Show ReviewsTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

General Information:

Created by — Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck

Starring — Woody Harrelson (E. Howard Hunt), Justin Theroux (G. Gordon Liddy), Lena Heady (Dorothy Hunt), and Domhnall Gleeson (John Dean)

Synopsis — Based on the novel “Integrity” by Egil and Matthew Krogh and the real life events that took place, we follow the masterminds of the Watergate break-in during the Nixon presidency, doing whatever they could to secure the president’s upcoming reelection.

Where to Watch — Miniseries on Max

Review:

One day, I saw my boyfriend watching the first episode of “White House Plumbers” and I asked him about it.  He said it was about the people behind the famous Watergate scandal.  Now, I was not a huge history buff in high school but I knew that this scandal was the reason Nixon resigned before he could be impeached.  That was as in depth that we really seemed to go into (or at least that is what I gathered from school), so I was down to see what happened.  Turns out, this was a lot more complex than I had originally thought nearly 10 years ago in the classroom.

This miniseries adds nothing too original to the biopic-style of show, but the reason why I found this so entertaining was because of the acting.  Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux star as the main idealists behind the break-in and their chemistry on screen is amazing.  Theroux is a riot as Liddy to the point where I could not stand his character.  Harrelson and Theroux are great when they have their individual scenes throughout the show, but it is when they are together that makes the show thrive.  Lena Heady as Harrelson’s wife is also another scene stealer; I did not even recognize that I was watching Cersei Lannister at first because she was so deep into this role.  Her and Harrelson also work well together — you believe them as a struggling couple but they need to keep it together for the sake of their family.  Their children — Saint John (Liam James), Lisa (Zoe Levine), David (Tre Ryder) and Kevan (Kiernan Shipka) — also each have the opportunity to stand out and give us more of a background of how the Hunt family operates.  And everyone’s favorite best girlfriend, Judy Greer, is here as Theroux’s wife Fran and she is bringing all of the Judy Greer-ness that you can expect from her.  Everyone works so well together it makes the show worth watching.  If anything, I wish we were able to go into more depth with the characters that helped with the break-in alongside Hunt and Liddy.  Each of them were fun to watch, but if they were given more screen time, I feel as though they could have only elevated the show as they all had great chemistry with their counterparts as well.

The main format of the show is that you are not really sure if what they are doing is what actually happened.  There is a lot of secrecy between the characters that it adds to the mysterious element of the show.  Even though we are taught a lot of our history and how the government works, we will never have the full story of what really goes on behind the scenes.  This aspect also made me realize how much I either 1. did not pay attention to this lesson in class or 2. we were not taught much about the details of Watergate.  I genuinely was confused about the history behind this scandal because the show kept me questioning.  At certain points, I think it was because the dialogue can get lost with some of the scenes, but I also think it was done intentionally to give it a mysterious undertone.  While I can see some viewers may not feel this way about the format and writing, I think it worked in order to elevate the show from basic biopic to an intriguing story.

If you are a history buff or want to learn more about a mysterious part of America’s history, then you should check out “White House Plumbers.”  Even if the writing is not up to par, stick around for the chemistry between all of the characters. 

 

Rated 3.5 out of 5

“The Little Mermaid (2023)” Review

Posted in Movie ReviewsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

General Information:

Directed by – Rob Marshall

Where to Watch – Theaters

Starring – Halle Bailey (Ariel), Jonah Hauer-King (Eric), Daveed Diggs (Sebastian), Awkwafina (Scuttle), Jacob Trembplay (Flounder), Javier Bardem (King Triton), Melissa McCarthy (Ursula)

Synopsis – Ariel, the youngest mermaid daughter of King Triton, is fascinated by the world outside of her sea home, but her father forbids her from learning more about the humans.  After Prince Eric’s ship wrecks in a storm, Ariel bargains her voice to the evil sea witch, Ursula, in hopes of finding him and, more importantly, being a part of the human world.

Review:

In May, we were greeted with another installment of the Walt Disney Company trying to milk the millennials for all they are worth with nostalgia by creating another live-action remake of a beloved classic.  You could say it was this movie, “The Little Mermaid (1989)” that basically saved Disney Animation as the company was not in the best of spots during the 70s and 80s.  It jump started the Disney Renaissance, which has been one of the most loved grouping of Disney movies of all time. “The Little Mermaid” may not have been at the top of my watchlist as a child, but I would be lying if I said I have never done the classic “pushing yourself on the rock while the waves crash behind you” in the pool.  Even though I am not the biggest fan of Disney just repackaging the exact same movie but with real people, I am always a sucker for them so of course I was going to see this.

I was absolutely shocked with how much I loved this movie; I may even like it better than the original.  I have not seen the original in a little while, but this film brings that same magic and whimsy that makes Disney movies feel so amazing.  I think the biggest component of this was Halle Bailey’s performance.  She does not try to imitate Jodi Benson’s Ariel from the original – Bailey makes the character her own and she is charming anytime she is on screen.  When you make something new and different, even if it is based on previous source material, can make a movie go from copycat to unique.  Jonah Hauer-King as Eric also brings a fun charm to his character that I cannot recall the original Eric having.  Both of them have amazing chemistry on screen, making every scene they have together smile from ear to ear.  Even if you did not like the idea of remaking “The Little Mermaid”, you cannot deny how powerful they are together.  I also think I am a bigger fan of Javier Bardem as King Triton more than others.  Bardem just seemed like he wanted to give the character a little bit more of a darker and more strict king, which for certain scenes comes off completely different than what works for the film, but you can just tell he is here for a good time and taking roles that seem fun to him and I like that a lot about his performance.  All of the voice actors were fine in their roles, nothing too wild and crazy about what I thought of them.  I think Awkwafina was a lot better than I expected and made me laugh a lot throughout the film.  Melissa McCarthy is the only one I would really say falls flat when it comes to trying to recreate such an iconic character.  McCarthy tries to mimic what Pat Carroll did with the voice in the original and it just never lands.  Nothing against McCarthy as an actress, but this was not the role for her.  Or at least she should have tried to do something to add a new and exciting aspect of Ursula.

When it comes to music for the film, some of the lyrics of songs have been changed and arrangements are slightly altered, but I think they are all for the benefit of the actors.  Bailey’s voice is an absolute show stopped and the fact that this is her first movie role is such a surprise to me.  I have not heard her music beforehand so I was not familiar with her range or what she was strong at singing, but this film caters to what she can do in the best way possible.  “Part of Your World” is such a strong song and changed enough to make it original for Bailey that it can be appreciated as its own without trying to determine which “version” of the song is better.  Alan Menken and Howard Ashman,  the original creators of the music for the animated version, are still credited with the songs for this version, but Lin-Manuel Miranda was also consulted and he gave his input for updated lyrics and new songs.  And you can definitely tell which songs he helped with and created.  Some are fun, like the new song for Prince Eric, and others are The Scuttlebutt Song.  But overall, I like how they wanted to honor the two men that basically helped restart Walt Disney Animation while trying to put a current spin by one of the most well-known composers of the present day.  Even though I do not think that all of the changes made or songs added were needed, the new additions we did get helped to elevate what the actors could bring to the role.

The major downgrade of this film, that brought it down a little but not a whole lot, was the special effects.  After seeing “Avatar: The Way of Water” and what they could do with underwater CGI in that movie, you would think a movie that falls under the same company would be able to do the same thing just a few months later.  Anytime we were underwater, everything just felt off.  I was not a fan of the underwater scenes because everything just felt so fake in this movie that is being made for the sole purpose of being in live-action.  I know that they are not able to actually have real people perform everything underwater like that can on land, but I just wish they were able to use a little bit more of that Disney magic so I felt like I was underwater with the characters.

Aside from questionable CGI and some weird song choices, “The Little Mermaid (2023)” is still able to capture that Disney magic.  With unforgettable performances from the cast to the witty and charm of the original elevated to its own level, there is a reason that this remake should exist.

“Now is Not the Time to Panic” by Kevin Wilson Book Review

Posted in Book ReviewsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

General Information:

Format Read – Audiobook

 

Synopsis – Aspiring writer and outcast teenager, Frankie is expecting to have another boring summer, until Zeke enters her life.  Together, they create a poster combining their talents to post around town.  It’s all fun and games until more and more of their posters start popping up not by their doing, causing the small Tennessee town to panic about potential Satanic meanings behind their work.

 

Review:

This was one of the sweetest and simplest books I have read all year and I enjoyed every second of it.  While it is not very long, Wilson is able to greatly capture that feeling of being young and an outcast while finding that person that is just like you.  This has been one of the GoodReads Choice Awards nominees for Fiction that I have been able to relate to the most.  The characters are fun and enjoyable and I was captivated by their journey.

 

Frankie is a teenager who wants to be a writer and just likes to keep to herself as she sees herself a little bit as an outcast.  She has been writing a novel all summer and it is her pride and joy but also does not really show it off to anyone else.  She is expecting to have another boring summer until Zeke moves in with his grandmother, changing the course of both of their summers.  While Frankie is an aspiring writer, Zeke wants to get into the field of illustration.  Both of them hit it off right away, bonding over their love for their crafts while finding the meaning behind what they are creating.  One day, they decide to make a poster combining her writing and his art and post a few around town.  It was just meant to be a fun creative project to keep them entertained over the summer, but it turns into so much more.  They begin to notice that their posters are being posted all over town in greater quantities than they have put up.  More people their age are talking about the saying on the poster, and it is making Frankie and Zeke feel like rebels; their work is getting out there and means something to the masses.

 

This is a story that anyone can read and relate to, especially if they have felt left out at some point in their lives.  That is what I loved most about this novel; it is simple but means so much.  There is nothing really special about the way it is written but because it is so simple, that is what makes it accessible to a wider range of audience. What pulls me out of the story a bit is when we see these same characters in the future when a reporter comes in contact with Frankie inquiring about the Panic that took place in her hometown.  It was something about how the characters were written during this time period that just seemed off.  They were not as enjoyable as their younger selves were and I think that is what pulled me out of the story for a bit.  But there was enough good and young love and inspiration that overtook the lack of character building in the final act.

 

Everything about the characters made me fall in love with this story and to just keep reading on.  As simple as it may be, I think that this is something everyone should pick up.  If you have ever felt like you do not belong, there is someone out there that will match your energy that also needs you.  

“Lucy by the Sea” by Elizabeth Strout Review

Posted in Book ReviewsTagged , , , , Leave a comment

General Information:

Format Read – Audiobook

 

GoodReads Choice Awards – 2022 Fiction Nominee

 

Synopsis – Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucy Barton and her ex-husband William decide to leave New York City and head up to Maine to wait out the pandemic over the next few months, learning what it means to be isolated and how to look at all the positives that life has to offer.

 

Review:

Another book I picked up on my quest to read all of the GoodReads Choice Awards nominees, I am not surprised that we had another one that focused on the pandemic.  I feel as though we are going to be getting a lot more of these kinds of stories that focus on either the actual pandemic that took place in 2020 or stories having themes of a disease or pandemic (like in “To Paradise”).  While I think that a lot of these authors found a creative outlet in writing about what was going on, it can begin to feel repetitive, especially when you are doing a challenge like myself where a lot of these types of books are getting published around the same time.

 

I did not know that this story was the fourth in a series going into it, but I did not find any issue jumping into the story without having the appropriate background knowledge of who the characters were.  I really like that about a story that may be a part of a literary fiction series but you do not need previous books to catch up.  I bet if I had read the three former books –  which I do plan on reading now – I would probably have more information on the relationship between Lucy and William with their children and their relationships, but I felt as though I knew enough about them from what I was given in this novel to know what was going on.  That means a lot to someone like me who is new to reading adult literary fiction and gives me confidence in the series as a whole.

 

Overall, I think the book was just pretty average.  There was nothing that took me out of the story too much that made it hard to get through but also there did not seem to be a lot of uniqueness or creativity that made it an absolutely amazing read.  The main idea behind the story was something that I have gotten a lot of recently with pandemic-focused books, but I also took a lot away from it and was something I needed to hear during the time I was listening to it.  The characters had their own unique personalities but nothing too different that separated them from the average family going through this time like everyone else.  I enjoyed a lot of parts of the book with Lucy just contemplating the simple things in life that she had not noticed before.  Going through an event like the pandemic changed a lot of people; they were more focused on the little things that happened every day in their lives as they were missing them.  The basics of seeing someone cross your path or people watching as individuals do their jobs became such a rarity during 2020 that hearing what Stout had to say about them through Lucy made it all worth it.  Those were some of the best aspects of the book and the reason why I was able to enjoy it the way I did.

 

Overall, there is nothing too different about an average family set during the pandemic, but when you think back and listen to Lucy explain the simple things in life, it makes the novel all worth it.