Be Kind Rewind: Veronica Mars Movie Edition

 

DANGER!  SUPER SPOILERS AHEAD!

IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE VERONICA MARS MOVIE

TURN BACK 

NOW!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

 

 

 

In which Evil Eva fangirls whilst also pondering some ponders she couldn't help but ponder while viewing the Veronica Mars movie.

Alrighty, fellow marshmallows, the Veronica Mars movie has been out for a little over two weeks now.  I feel like that's plenty of time for all of us to be sufficiently caught up with our Neptunian pals.  Thus it is finally time to sit down and discuss the ever-loving shizz outta this movie!  So let's dive right in, shall we? 

     
A Long Time Ago We Used To Be Friends

So the very first thing I couldn't help but sqeeee over happened at the beginning of the movie.  When Veronica and Piz (!) are walking out of a building there's a guy with a guitar on the street singing We Used To Be Friends!  I LOVED THAT!  I felt like it was a total wink to faithful marshmallows everywhere!  I might have actually applauded at that moment.  Yes, that's nerdy.  Nope, I don't care.

For The Love Of Piz

Now, as most of you probably know, I'm Team Piz all the friggin' way.  So, hells yeah I was psyched that Veronica was with him living blissfully in sin in New York at the beginning of the movie!  And New York Piz seems even better than Hearst College Piz, y'all!  I mean, for one thing his hair is a major improvement.  As is his wardrobe.  Don't get me wrong, I loved Piz's cute, nerdy T-shirt and jeans combo, but his post-college look is super sexy and sophisticated.  Just check that dope trench!  And homeboy even makes that man purse look hot!

 
And even 10 years later, Piz still seems to be a major catch.  I mean, how could you NOT fall even more in love with him when he totally didn't act like a jealous prick at the mention of Logan Echols?  Or the fact that Veronica was heading back to Neptune specifically to help Logan out of a pickle?
And how amazing was it when Piz showed up at the Neptune High reunion and busted some sick dance moves whilst further bonding with V's old skool besties, Wallace and Mac?  
I mean, how can you not like this guy?!?  Well, don't ask me.  Ask Veronica. 
Because her judgment is for shit and she totally leaves Piz high and dry and doesn't go back to New York even though Piz's parents flew in to see her and even though it's totally obvious that Keith likes Piz waaaaay more than he ever liked Logan and Piz has been so great to her and FOR her but she just breaks his adorable little heart anyway and stays with Logan because she's got some serious addiction probs. 

        
I mean, look at that face.  He's so cute.  And he's sweet.  AND he's funny.  Oh Veronica! For real, what are we gonna do with you?  When will you learn, girl?

Anyway, as you can tell I'm still a little bit angry.  And sad.  And confused.  I mean, why can't Veronica look beyond the shiny Logan veneer and see the amazing Piziness that is Stosh Piznarski?!?! 
Ok.  Ok.  I'll let it go.  For now. 
Moving on.

You Give LoVe A Bad Name

So speaking of Logan, he's in the Navy now.  Yeah.  He never really struck me as the patriotic, do-for-your-country type either. But here he is in his dress whites:

I guess it's good that he's given up his past careers which were poker and bum fighting.  Anyhoo, so Logan is in the Navy and he's dating a pop star named Bonnie DeVille.  She winds up dead and obvs the police think Logan did it.  So of course Logan calls Veronica.  And of course V motors all the way back to Neptune to help Logan, subsequently leaving an adorbs Piz unattended.  *sigh*

The REAL Mystery

I have to admit, the mystery wasn't the best.  And the reveal of the baddie/reasons for the murder weren't all that great either.  
For me, the REAL mystery was who in the actual hell is Bonnie DeVille?  Oh, she used to go to high school with us, you say?  Oh, she used to be Carrie Bishop?  But wait a motherfucking minute here, who was Carrie Bishop?  Not this girl:

                
I'm sorry but who are you, madam?  NOT Carrie Bishop.  This is Carrie Bishop:

 

 

As you can see, Leighton Meester played the original Carrie Bishop.  So why then is Leighton Meester not in the movie reprising her role?  Carrie's new career is singing terrible pop music which Leighton has experience with.  And what else has Leighton Meester been doing lately (other than apparently marrying Seth Cohen) that she couldn't squeeze in a lil' cameo?

And if Leighton Meester couldn't be in the movie for whatever reasons, then why make Logan's unfortunately murdered girlfriend Carrie Bishop in the first place?  Why not make Logan's girlfriend some random chicky?  Why did it have to be someone from high school?  I get that this is exciting and we want all the cameos we can get, but if you can't get the cameo then just make up an entirely new character.  The fans won't mind.  I promise.

 

I'm Sorry. What Was Your Name Again?

 

That scene with Deputy Leo was all kinds of amazing!  I loved that he pretended not to remember Veronica and then innocently commented that whenever she needed a favor before she'd get all dolled up for him and bring him pizza.  Oh Leo, you're still so doofy but I still love ya!

 

 

 

In Memoriam

 

Um.  Was the In Memoriam portion of the reunion merely for people Logan may have murdered?  I mean, no offense but who actually cares about Felix Toombs?  Or Carrie Bishop for that matter.  What about poor Meg Manning?  And that whole bus full of kids from season 2?  And where oh where was Lilly fucking Kane?  I mean, Lilly's death is what kicked off this whole show!  I guess the snubbing is that bitch Madison Sinclair's doing.  Which makes her even more deserving of Veronica's face-punch!   

 

Whatever Happened To Duncan?

 

I know, I know.  Some of you hate Duncan Kane.  And it's not like I was a Duncan super fan back in the day either but I was a little surprised that the character wasn't in the movie at all.  I mean, I guess I kinda, sorta get why he couldn't come to the reunion but I'd still like to see where life has taken him and his baby.  Am I the only one?  Ok.     

 

Some Things Never Change

 

And by some things, I mean Dick Casablancas.  Welp, we all basically knew before this thing even started that Dick would most certainly NOT be winning Most Changed For The Better at the reunion.  And of course Dick bein' Dick, didn't disappoint.  I mean, truthfully, what would we even do with a mature, well-mannered, self-actualized Dick Casablancas anyway?    

 

        

 

 And Some Things Do (Hopefully)

 

And by some things, this time I mean Weevil.  I LOVED that Weevil was basically the only one to grow up and have a serious adult relationship.  I was so proud of him with his super hot wifey and his adobs baby.  Like Glen Coco before you, you go Eli Navarro!  

But then... oh but then.  There was that ending.  Weevil gets shot by Celeste Kane (hello random cameo!) and gets blamed for getting shot and then may perhaps rejoin the PCHers?  What?!?!  Nooooooo!  Don't rejoin your gang!  You've got a wife and a kid at home!  Think of them, Eli!  Think of them!!! 

 

In Closing

 

All in all I really liked the movie.  I don't know that you would necessarily "get" how awesome it is if you didn't have a major appreciation for the show that came before it though and that's ok.  Because there are plenty of happy marshmallows out there enjoying it for you!  Plus I think it's really cool that an "old" show could be spiffed up and made new again.  (This opens up sooo many possibilities for other cancelled-too-soon shows like Roswell, Alias, Pushing Daisies, and Dollhouse. Just to name a few.) 

I also think it's cool that it's basically rebooted the whole Veronica Mars franchise what with the after-movie-books, the Dick spin-off, and the rumblings of a sequel!  And if that sequel is more than just a myth, my suggestion would be this: more Wallace and Mac please!   

       

 

 

             



Evil Eva Reviews... Pandemonium

EvilEva reviews ...... Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver.  

WARNING!

This is the SEQUEL to DELIRIUM!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Dissecting The Cover:

Um, I don't get this cover at all. I mean, I get that it matches the second Delirium cover (which also didn't make any sense.) (I'm also a little peeved because even though it does match the second cover, it totally does not match the first cover which is the copy that I own. So now my Delirium series won't look cohesive on my bookshelf. I'm being  punished for buying this book BEFORE it got out-of-control popular! I call shenanigans, Harper Collins!)
Anyway, I guess the foliage is supposed to represent the Wilds? Although there was never a point (nor would there ever be a point) when Lena would be frolicking among the flowers. It makes me wonder if whoever is responsible for these covers has even read the book between them.

Let's Review:

Lena made it over the fence and into the Wilds. Alex wasn't so lucky. Now Lena will have to learn to survive without him. Luckily she meets a girl named Raven who saves her from near-death and introduces her to a whole homestead of people like her and Alex.
People that don't believe love is a disease. People that believe you should have a choice. People against the Deliria-Free America organization. People with a plan to overthrow them.
After what happened to Alex, Lena is determined to join the fight.
With the help of her new found friends, Lena heads back to the city to put their plan into action.
But an incident with Julian Fineman, the son of the DFA's leader, could ruin it all. Or it could completely change everything.

Here's What I Think:

You may recall that I abso-fucking-lutely LOVED Delirium. Also that I've been stalking Lauren Oliver (in my mind only, of course) since reading Before I Fall. So obviously I was completely stoked when Pandemonium, the much anticipated sequel to Delirium, FINALLY came out.
And, of course, Lauren Oliver being the unbelievable author that she is, didn't disappoint this time around either.
Pandemonium starts off with Lena at some school in the present which is really the not-so-distant future because, if you'll remember correctly, last we left Lena she was headed for the Wilds NOT algebra class. The book ping-pongs from chapter to chapter, starting with this future "now," followed by "then" which chronicles Lena's time in the Wilds. It sounds confusing, I know, but give it a few chapters and I promise you'll sink into the story.
Even though this is the sequel to Delirium, it couldn't be more different. Where as the first book was more about falling in love, Pandemonium is more about survival. And while Lena was gutsy in Delirium, this time around she's downright badass. Cos, as it turns out, surviving in the Wilds is tough business, y'all. Especially when you've been sheltered your entire life.
So Lena has to harden herself and toughen up not only to make it through the day to day challenges of her new life but also so she can be ready to seek revenge against the people that took Alex away from her.
While we're on the subject of Alex--- and here's a bit of a SPOILER ALERT and also a mini rant for those that have read Delirium and thus feel my pain--- I CANNOT believe that Lauren Oliver would make us fall so completely butt-crazy in love with Alex only to let him be captured and possibly killed in the sequel! Yes, I know that's how Delirium ended, so I shouldn't be shocked that that's how Pandemonium starts, but I'm an optimist. All those many months anxiously awaiting the release of Pandemonium, my mind turned over the hundreds of thousands of scenarios in which Alex could have escaped, could still be alive, could have made it over the fence and reunited with Lena. But no. He's just gone. AWOL.
Lena thinks about him, sure, but then there's that Julian Fineman fella and that whole "trying to save their lives" thing that occupies her mind a little more. So it was kinda hard for me as an Alex fangirl and a Lena/Alex shipper, to suddenly be Alex-less and having this new guy thrust upon me that I'm supposed to be all swoony over now. But Alex is irreplaceable, y'all. I can't just jump on the Julian train simply because it's currently pulling into the station and my boy Alex is nowhere to be found. I'm completely loyal to my fictitious peeps that way. And crazy. I'm also crazy. ;)
Anyhoodle, other than the Alex withdrawal, Pandemonium is yet another fine feather in Lauren Oliver's awesome-writer cap.
And, my God!, with that ending!, it makes me even more excited for the final book! I can't even begin to imagine how it's all gonna end. But I can't wait to read it!

Swoony Times:

Since swoonypants Alex from Delirium is MIA in Pandemonium (is he dead!? is he imprisoned?! we don't know!) Lena needs a new guy to take her mind off her guilt/grief/sadness/Alex obsession.
Enter Julian Fineman, son of Thomas Fineman, the founder of the Deliria-Free-America organization. And while Julian does sound like a dreamboat being all blue-eyed and blond-haired, and while he does show amazing strength under pressure, and while he does seem to genuinely care about Lena, he's just not Alex. Lena may have been able to move on but I just can't. For me, it's as simple as that. Team Alex 4ever!

Bonus Shizz:

Dystopia!
Dystopias are really hot right now. Sequels to dystopias? Even hotter.
And Pandemonium totally delivers. There's action, adventure, romance, drama. Everything you could possibly want in a futuristic world-gone-to-hell thriller!

Survival Of The Fittest!
The Wilds is a brutal place. You've got to know your shizz in order to survive. Lena's lucky enough to meet people right off the bat that are willing to show her the ropes.
Being a crafty MacGyver-type my damn self, I'm always interested to read about people finding inventive ways to do normal things they can no longer do normally. Plus there's the added bonus of totally preparedness for when that whole zombie apocalypse happens. Y'all come on over. I've got backup generators! :)
(P.S. sorry to tell anyone that hasn't read Lauren Oliver's series yet, but there are no zombies in it. Just an evil corporation that hates love.)

Cliffhanger!
Some people don't care for cliffhangers but I love 'em. And Pandemonium has one hell of a cliffhanger. Obviously I can't (and won't) say more but let me just tell ya--- You. Will. Be. SHOCKED!

If You Liked That, Try This:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Divergent by Veronica Roth.

The Scale Of Judgment Says:

...... 5!
This is Lauren Oliver. Blowing my mind. Yet again.

EvilEva Reviews... Pretty Little Liars: Ruthless

EvilEva reviews ...... Pretty Little Liars: Ruthless by Sara Shepard. 

WARNING!

This Is The 10th Book In This Series!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Dissecting The Cover:

Typical PLL cover. Real girl on the back, doll version made to look like the real girl on the front.
It's gimmicky, I guess, but this particular gimmick seems to work on me cos I love these covers!
They're bold, they're sassy and they make me slightly nostalgic for my old Barbies.

Let's Review:

Spencer, Hanna, Emily and Aria can't seem to stop it with the secret-keeping. Which is bad for them but good for the ever mysterious A. That bitch is still in business, stalking and toying with the girls and generally wreaking havoc on their lives.
A continues to torment them with the terrible truth about what happened in Jamaica. As well as a few other secrets.
Spencer did a bad, bad thing over the summer. And she feels super guilty about it. Not guilty enough to confess though. See, she needs to keep a squeaky clean record to get into Princeton. Which is tough since she went all Jessica-Spano-on-caffeine-pills-singing-"I'm So Excited"- to-a-bewildered-Zack-Morris and someone got hurt.
Now Spence is trying to put it behind her and focus on her part in the school's production of Macbeth. But it seems the role of Lady M is hitting a little too close to home what with all that Out, damned spotting.
Aria has the misfortune of being paired with her arch nemesis and possible boyfriend thief, Klaudia, for an art history project. Which Klaudia is all about leaving for Aria to deal with.
But things start looking up when Aria reconnects with her old flame/English teacher, Ezra Fitz. And he's written a novel! About their inappropriate relationship! And it's called See Me After Class! Eww!
Emily's found a really sweet girl who reminds her of Ali. (Cos that worked out so well for ya the first time, sweetie?) But she finds out that Kay has a secret of her own. Oh and there's the slight possibility that Kay might be A!
Hanna's all about helping her dad with his campaign..... until she meets a super hot guy named Liam! So of course she gets all whipped up in a clandestine relationship with him. And of course Liam isn't being 100%  honest with her.
It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same in Rosewood.
Can't anyone just tell the truth?

Here's What I Think:

I was a little disappointed in this book because to me it seemed like none of the storylines from Twisted were picked up in Ruthless.
In fact, the book starts out with Spencer in trouble with the police, worrying that a girl named Kelsey might rat her out. And I was like "wait a second. who's Kelsey? should I know her? was she in Twisted? why is Spencer in jail? what's she so concerned about being ratted out for? I'm sooooooo confused!"
Then I realized that most of what happened in the previous book was pretty much moot now. Ruthless is basically a whole new story.
True, Klaudia is still a thorn in Aria's side, trying to ruin her relationship with Noel Kahn. But not with as much gusto as before. Aria's mainly fangirling about having Mr. Fitz back in her life. Even though he comes off as an insecure d-bag.
And Hanna's still helping her dad with his Senate campaign. But early on in the book she comes clean about the whole Patrick Thing, how he blackmailed her with racy pictures and she had to steal money from petty cash to pay him off and someone else got fired because of it. Hanna's dad is actually pretty understanding about it but then we never hear about the situation again. Instead, Hanna gets all twitterpated over a guy she just met.
Emily and Spencer have completely new secrets this time around.
Chloe Roland and her skeevy father that hit on Emily aren't really mentioned in Ruthless.
Instead of worrying with that shizz, Emily lets her hair down when her sister Beth comes to town for like four chapters. I guess her sister's visit was just supposed to set up Emily meeting a girl named Kay at a party she attends with the aforementioned sister because from that point on Beth's back in Arizona and Emily is all  about her new girlfriend. 
Spencer's story is the most dramatic shift. Her mom and Mr. Pennythistle's relationship is no longer a topic and her soon-to-be stepbrother Zach who was sent to military school because of his homosexual tendencies is pretty much forgotten. 
In Ruthless, Spencer is in some deep doo doo. Like trouble-with-the-law, betrayed-a-friend doo doo. 
And while it's fun to read about all the secrets and lies, I would have preferred if the storylines were more cohesive. Maybe things will come back together in Stunning (coming to a bookstore near you June 5th.)

Swoony Times:

So it seems like each girl had a little somethin' somethin' going on in this book. But none of the moments were particularly swoontastic. Or memorable.
I was kinda rooting for Spencer and Beau. There were a few does-he-like-her-or-not moments. I thought Beau was a good match for Spencer. They could have benefited from Sebastian the crab paddling up in his rowboat though.

Bonus Shizz:

Red Herrings!
Sara Shepard is pretty much the queen of red herrings. Just when you think she's gonna zig, she surprises you by bustin' out a zag. I like that about this series. Even though we're 10 stories in, it's never short on twists and turns.

If You Liked That, Try This:

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard.
Private by Kate Brian.

The Scale of  Judgment Says:

...... 3 and a half.
The little liars secrets are getting a little stale.

The TBR Back Burner Challenge: Round 11 Reviews

I've gotten somewhat behind in the many series that I'm involved in. So this month will be dedicated to catching up with the girls from Private and The Lying Game.

Warning!

These reviews are of books that are in a series!

Spoilers ahead!

If you haven't read the first books, you may want to stop here!

EvilEva reviews...... The Lying Game: Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard.

 
The games are back. And the stakes are higher than ever. 
Someone murdered Sutton Mercer, and it's up to her long-lost twin sister, Emma to figure out who. But the deeper Emma digs the more suspects she uncovers. And the more danger she finds herself in. 
Because Sutton's killer is still out there and whoever it is knows Emma's little secret. Now Emma must play along or she could be next.

It's been awhile since I read the first book in The Lying Game series so I admit that my memory of Emma, Sutton and Co. is a little hazy. Made hazier still by the fact that I watched the TV series which is nothing like the book. So when starting Never Have I Ever I was very confused because I didn't know if I was remembering what happened in the book or what happened in the show.
So my advice to you would be to skip the show because a) it's not very good and 2) it'll fuck with your memory of the book.
Speaking of the book, let's, well, speak of the book.
Never Have I Ever continues the mystery of who offed Sutton Mercer. Emma, Sutton's long-lost sister, is forced to be Sutton, to pretend that Sutton is still alive and well. But Emma's also trying to piece together who her sister was so that she can figure out what happened to her and who would want her dead.
Unfortch for Emma, it seems that Sutton's amassed a large following of haters, some of which are her own friends. So the suspect list is a very long one.
Luckily Emma has Ethan, the only person in Tucson that knows her true identity.
Emma and Ethan get their Nancy Drew on and while they clear some names, they're still no closer to any resolution. Sutton did a lot of shitty things. She pissed off a lot of people. But who was angry enough to kill her and blackmail her sister? We still don't know.
But there are a few reveals this time around.
We find out the cause of the Twitter Twins beef with Sutton. We get a few flashbacks to Sutton's past. We discover Madeline's dark secret. And we have new suspects that weren't even considered before.
Plus the swoony times between Emma and Ethan are upped for our reading pleasure. Never has a game of Marco Polo been rife with such sexual tension!
The mystery is unraveling slowly but steadily. The Lying Game seems to be going the way of its older sister, Pretty Little Liars. Meaning if you want a problem-solved-by-the-final-page book you're barking up the wrong tree with this series. But if you're like me and don't mind the twists and turns and cliffhangers being spread out through several books, then I would advise that you catch up with The Lying Game. Cos nobody does a fun, soapy, drama-filled whodunit quite like Sara Shepard!

The Scale of Judgment says...... 4.

EvilEva reviews...... Private: Vengeance by Kate Brian.

A lot has happened to Reed Brennan in the past two years. But this year she'd like to put the past behind her. Reed wants to enjoy the present and look forward to the future.
Because life is short. So Reed is ready to do something big.
She wants to rebuild Billings!
She has the money and draws up the plans and soon enough Billings is on its way to being restored to its former glory. 
But someone wants to stop the process of revamping Billings---permanently. And they'll go to dangerous lengths to make sure Reed doesn't get what she wants.

This is the final book in the Private series. And while I'm sad to see it go, I do think it's time. There are only so many times that a person can narrowly escape murder by various individuals before it gets a little ridick. 
That being said, surprise surprise, someone's trying to kill Reed- AGAIN! This is book 14 and I'm surprised that Reed still has any friends at this point. I think I'd be like "no offense, girl, you're great and all but I'd kinda like to make it to senior year so... see ya." And then you'd see a me-shaped hole in her dormroom door.
Anyway, Reed is still public enemy number one for Eatson's resident psychotics. She's still super obsessed with Billings. And she's a little emotional because most of her friends, including that hot toddy Josh, will be graduating this year. But mostly she's just obsessed with Billings. This is something that's always bugged me about Reed. Her lack of interest for anything not Billings related. 
I mean, it's like she would choose this inanimate nothing over everything else in her life. To me it seems like she prefers the idea of this legendary sisterhood over the actual sisters of said sisterhood. 
Because really Reed hardly ever hangs out with any of the girls. She's always off doing some sort of Billings bullshit. It makes me think that even after Reed graduates she'll never leave Billings. She'll be the Mrs. Rochester of Easton.
So that can be frustrating to read. Especially when you know that Reed's super fine boyfriend, Josh is being left unattended and uncared for. If it were me I'd say fuck Billings and I'd go rock Josh's world in the Art Cemetery. But that's just me. 
Anyway, as a final book, Vengeance, took the Private series out with a "meh." It could've been better. There were a few parts that seemed rushed and some parts that just seemed thrown in.
I hate saying that because I really liked this series. The first books, I was so totes all in. 
Then there was that stranded on a deserted island thing. And that whole "hey we're descended from witches" thing. And after awhile I just got tired of jumping that shark, knowwhati'msayin'? 
So I was a little disappointed that this is how it all ends. I wish the series could've gone out with a bang. But--- meh. 

The Scale of Judgment says...... 3.

EvilEva Reviews... Moby Clique

Last month I reviewed the first two books of the Bard Academy trilogy for my TBR challenge. Here's my review of the final book, Moby Clique.

Warning!

This is the third book in the series so this review may contain spoilers!

EvilEva reviews...... Moby Clique by Cara Lockwood. 

Miranda Tate is actually looking forward to starting her junior year at Bard Academy, a reform school that doubles as purgatory for famous dead authors. Her sunny outlook changes however when her sister Lindsay wrecks their dad's car, an offense that lands her at Bard as well.
And of course, Lindsay wants to be in the clique of Parker Rodham, resident mean girl and Miranda's nemesis. With Lindsay being a total Parker kiss-ass, a teacher brown-noser, and president of the Ryan Kent (ahem, Miranda's ex) fan club, Miranda is so over her sister's foray into badness.
Then Lindsay disappears. Miranda suspects Lindsay may have been tricked by Parker into finding a hidden cove that may contain a long lost treasure. But Lindsay doesn't know the dangers of the woods or the secrets that they hide. She could be in serious trouble. So, once again, it's up to Miranda and her friends to save the day.

Y'all know that I love Cara Lockwood. Her chick-lit totally rocks my socks. But this Bard Academy, I just don't know. I liked the first two books ok but Moby Clique, well, it seemed kinda sloppy. There are pirates and kidnapped students and mention of a buried treasure and yet none of this has anything to do with the plot of this book. It was just kinda stated and then pushed aside.
I mentioned in my previous post that this series is too crammed full with stuff. A case of too many cooks in the kitchen.
Well this one actually didn't involve nearly the crazy shizz as the last two books but for me it still didn't work. Even with less chaos the story didn't flow well.
I found Miranda to be kind of annoying this time around. Her relationship with Heathcliff bugged the fuck out of me. I haven't really been a fan of Heathcliff's from the beginning but I found him even less swoonworthy here. Miranda seemed so cliched in this one. She would fall or slip or lose her grip and things would seem dire and then Heathcliff would swoop in (sometimes seemingly out of nowhere) and rescue her with his super strong, muscle-y arms. And yes, ladies, I know this can be swoon city sometimes. But when it happens like 20 times during 294 pages, well it's so not swoony anymore. I mean, a book ago our gal was facing down Dracula and a pyromaniac and now she can't even walk through a fucking forest without Heathcliff holding her hand?!?! WTF!?!?
Umm, sorry for that little rant.
Anyhoo, pretty much the only saving grace for this book was the badassness that is Blade. She's my total fave. She kicks ass, she takes names, she takes shit from no one, she's her own person and that person is awesome!
We did finally get to hear the real story behind Ryan's mysteriously dead girlfriend but the explanation was so ridick that I don't even wanna talk about it.
Plus, for the faculty to be comprised of FUCKING GHOSTS who can walk through walls and disappear from one area only to appear in another, they were particularly useless in this "adventure."
So. I really wanted to like this series but, well, now I'm thinking I should just stick with Cara's chick-lit.

The Scale of Judgment says...... 2 and a half.

The TBR Back Burner Challenge: Round 9 Reviews

Since it's September and thus the start of a new school year I thought I'd kick it off with a series about a boarding school! Truth be told, I loves me a good boarding school story. I would probably feel a lot differently if I actually had to attend a boarding school but alas I was "poor" growing up and so I was shipped off to public school which isn't nearly as glamorous as I imagine boarding school to be. But we did have awesome foot-long hot dogs every few weeks! Do boarding schools have foot-long hot dogs? I like to think they don't. So yay public school for your long ass hot dogs! Anyway, here are my reviews for Cara Lockwood's Bard Academy series.   

EvilEva reviews...... Wuthering High by Cara Lockwood.

 
After crashing her dad's car and stealing her stepmom's credit cards, Miranda Tate is shipped off to Bard Academy, a boarding school for unruly teenagers.
Miranda so does not belong with these freaks, goths and other assorted delinquents. But she tries to make the best of it, you know, since she has no other choice.
But there's something very off about Bard.
There's a strange boy named Heathcliff who thinks he hails from Wuthering Heights and is semi-stalking Miranda, an occult-crazed roommate who swears a vampire is on the loose, a ghost story about a girl that disappeared in the woods that might actually be true, a group of very suspicious teachers, a crazy woman that starts fires, AND Miranda's crush from her old high school!
So yeah, something is definitely off. And even stranger, Miranda seems to be at the center of the off-ness which could put her in grave danger. But what's the connection between Miranda and this bizarre boarding school? And can she figure it out before it's too late?

This book is extremely crazyballs. There's just so much going on.
There's, of course, Miranda and her trials and tribulations, trying to survive in this new place in which she feels doesn't belong.
Add to that a nutty roommate, an oddball creepster, weird teachers, an arsonist, a ghost, a hot crush, daddy issues and dish duty and you get a whole lotta subplots. Maybe too many, especially considering there are two other Bard Academy books. 
As a main character, Miranda is semi-spoiled but she's not so bratty that it makes her unreadable or unlikable. She's got a snappy Juno-esque quality about her. And she has a few witty one-liners that made me laugh.
She also unconsciously forms her own Scooby gang courtesy of friends Hana, Samir and Blade. I liked their crew and wouldn't mind getting mixed up in a caper with them. Miranda's also lucky-ducky enough to have two guys vying for her attention. There's Ryan Kent, her crush from her previous high school who's got a secret of his own (mysteriously dead girlfriend, anyone?) And then there's Heathcliff, the strong silent type that always seems to be saving Miranda in one way or another. Oh and he might also be a fictional character come to life.
Bwhaaaaaaa?!?! Yeah, the premise of this book is kinda cray cray. And it's not what we're used to from Cara Lockwood but it's not complete suckage. It's a fun, light read that might just spur you to get interested in the classics.
My only complaint would be the last few chapters. It was like there were so many storylines and the author was trying to wrap all of them up at once. It felt kinda rushed to me. But, other than that, a fun, light read.
Now on to the next!

The Scale of Judgment says...... 3.

WARNING!

This is the second book in the series so this review may contain a few spoilers.

EvilEva reviews...... The Scarlet Letterman by Cara Lockwood.

Miranda & Co. are back for a second semester at Bard Academy, a boarding school for delinquents run by the ghosts of famous authors.
But if Miranda thought it was just gonna be sexytimes with her new boyfriend, the Ryan Kent, and fun with her besties, well, she's got another think coming.
Two teachers have mysteriously disappeared and Miranda's the main suspect! Now she's being shunned by the whole school and even worse, forced to wear a hideous red sweater vest of shame!
Can she prove her innocence, unmask the Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker, fight off A TIGER, find out if Heathcliff is still hanging around and keep Parker Rodham from stealing her boyfriend?
It's just another normal day at Bard Academy.

Mysteries abound yet again at Bard and Miranda and her friends seem to be the only ones who can solve them.
Coach H and Ms. W have vanished (Wait. Didn't they "vanish" in the last book too? Yes. Apparently out of the entire staff of Bard Academy, Coach H and Ms. W are the only ones that are kidnap-worthy.) Miranda becomes the prime suspect for, if you ask me, very stupid reasons.
Anyhoosies, much like the books semi-namesake, Miranda gets Hester Prynned. She has to wear a fugly red vest, she can't talk to anyone and no one is supposed to talk to her. But this shows the awesomeness that is Blade and Hana because they find a clever way to communicate with Miranda that is so very Nancy Drew. Their characters got more face time in this book and I'm glad because I needed them to balance out Miranda's wishy-washiness in the great debate of Ryan vs. Heathcliff. I mean, one is a basketball star and the other is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER, for Vaughn's sake! The answer should be fairly clear. Not that I myself don't loves me some fictional boys but I wouldn't pick them over a living, breathing, very much into me hot tottie. I may be nerdy but I ain't that nerdy. So Miranda kinda got on my nerves with that bullshizz.
The Scarlet Letterman is packed with just as much crazy business as Wuthering High. Again, maybe a little too much crazy.
There's the missing teachers, a campus shover, The Scarlet Vest Of Shame, boyfriend troubles, a shunning, Heathcliff, magical drawings and a motherfucking tiger!
So a lot going on.
These books aren't bad, they're just not up to snuff. And I'm a big fan of Cara Lockwood so I know her snuff is better than this.

The Scale of Judgment says...... 3.

Since the TBR Challenge is two books per month, I'll be reviewing the third and final book in the Bard series separately. So check back for my review of Moby Clique: coming soon.

EvilEva Reviews... Pretty Little Liars: Twisted

EvilEva reviews...... Pretty Little Liars: Twisted by Sara Shepard. 

Pretty Little Liars series.

Warning! Spoilers!

It's been a year since that ill-fated trip to the Poconos. A year since The Real Ali died in that fire. A year since the last of A's torturous texts were sent.
So Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Emily should be feeling relieved, happy and semi well-adjusted now.
But 10 months ago, something happened in Jamaica during spring break. Something the girls can Never Speak Of Again. Something so bad that it has fractured their friendship.
Now the girls aren't even talking. But A is. Oh yes, A is back from the dead, knows all and is ready to use their secrets against them.
Seems those Pretty Little Liars will never learn.

So, much like the girls, we thought this was all over but then A (and Sara Shepard) gives us another scandalous secret and pulls us back in (and will continue to do so for at least 3 more books!)
This time around the girls have done a VERY dirty deed, like waaaaay worse than The Jenna Thing. It's so bad that they can't even talk to each other anymore. They don't wanna be reminded of what went down. But, of course, the Little Liars secrets never stay buried for long. And, as I mentioned before, A is suddenly back with a vengeance.
But what of our Pretty Littles?
Here's a rundown of the naughtiness of each girl:

Aria is still dating Noel Kahn and things seem to be going well. Until a super hot foreign-exchange student named Klaudia moves into Kahn manor. Now Aria is totally jealous. And she has a right to be. Even though Klaudia is nice to Aria's face, she definitely has her eye on Noel and is ready to push Aria's ass completely out of the picture.

Emily has a juicy secret of her own. It's why she quit the swim team and is now scrambling for a scholarship. On the plus side, she's made a new friend. A girl named Chloe whose family just moved into the Cavanaugh's old place. Chloe is nice and her dad is a big donor for the University of North Carolina and he's more than willing to help Em get a scholarship. But he's also a pervert, making advances toward Emily and generally making her uncomfortable. She doesn't know if she should say something to Chloe and risk losing yet another friendship or if she should just toss this secret on top of her growing pile.

Hanna's dad is running for Senate. So things in her world are very red, white and blue right now. When a photographer favors her over stepsis Kate, Hanna thinks that she's on her way to becoming America's Next Top Model (completely bypassing Tyra and The Jays, no less.) But it turns out this guy might not be totally on the up and up. So Hanna gets in a little hot water and needs some serious cash to keep the photographer quiet and remain in daddy's good graces.

Spencer got off fairly unscathed in this book. Her mother has moved on from her lying, cheating, Ali-fathering ex, to a new man, the ridiculously named Mr. Pennythistle who plans on marrying Spencer's mom. Which would be totally fine if Spencer didn't have the hots for her soon-to-be stepbrother, Zach, who has a secret of his own. But the "What Happens Next..." portion promises that Spencer has been just as bad as the other girls and we'll find out her secrets soon enough.

And there's still the whole Jamaica Thing. We find out what happened on spring break in Twisted. And lets just say it wasn't ta-ta flashing for a couple of lousy beads either. But we don't get all the info. Duh! That's what books 10-12 are for!
And there's this new A. That could possibly be the old A. Maybe? Could it be? But she died in that fire! Didn't she? DIDN'T SHE?!?!
We'll have to stay tuned for book #10: Ruthless. (Coming to a bookshelf near you December 6th.)
If you liked the first 8 books and are a fan of the TV series then you'll probably like Twisted. There's a new mystery and a few new characters. But more importantly there are all new secrets and lies and a creepo stalker just waiting to let them out!

The Scale of Judgment says...... 4.

Books Into Movies News Plus Spoilerrific Harry Potter Finale Goodness

One of my favorite YA book series, The Luxe by Anna Godbersen, will soon be getting a Hollywood movie makeover. Which has me kinda concerned as it's being described as "a young Moulin Rouge."
That worries me because, for one thing, this book is NOTHING like Moulin Rouge, and secondly, i HATED Moulin Rouge! So. Fingers crossed they won't fuck this one up.

Ally Carter's Heist Society (which is TBRing it on my shelves right now) will also be going from book to movie soon, with Drew Barrymore signed on as one of the producers. No word on who will star in it yet but i'll keep you posted.

Popular kid-lit, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, which will apparently be known simply as Hugo in Martin Scorsese's movie version, finally has a trailer out. Check it out:



Two words. Hit. Girl!!! i think Chloe Moretz is beyond awesome! Plus she's got a really good British accent! The movie looks pretty interesting. i still haven't read the book yet but i'm thinking it might need to be added to the ol' teetering TBR pile.

And now, finally, the Harry Potter finale goodness! So...

Depending on how far you've read/viewed:

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

So, other than breaking all kind of box office records, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is fucking AWESOME!!! OMG!!! So obvs i just got back from seeing it. i went with 2D but, honestly, i kinda wish i had sprung for that extra D.
The special effects were incredible. The whole movie is so super tense. When i left the theater my legs were stiff from being scrunched up so tight. i was worried bout my peeps, y'all.

Stand-out moments? Lets see...
Not to sound like a perv or anything but the Ron/Hermione kiss was swoontastic!
Molly Weasley kicking Bellatrix's ass. And calling her a bitch!
Neville champing it up all while rocking a Cosby/Mr. Rogers hybrid sweater like only Neville can.
Also Neville slicing Nagini is truly a cheerworthy moment.
Snape! Oh the Snapeyness!
Harry's badass wand fight against Voldemort.
Snape's emotional flashback. Alan Rickman did a phenom job of taking his character from monotone to vulnerable.
The dragon ride was so visually amazing.

Ok. For reals? i totally wanna go see this movie again!
However, my advice to you, dear friends, would be this:

When you go--- DON'T take a Muggle with you. They ask too many questions which then distracts you, a Hogwarts alum, from completely enjoying the movie. Seriously. At one point my mom turned to me, gasped and said "Oh my God! Is Snape Harry's daddy?!" Mom. Seriously? Calm it down with this ridiculousness. Now lets go get our 3D tickets for next weekend. :)



EvilEva Reviews... Private: Ominous

EvilEva reviews...... Private: Ominous by Kate Brian. 

Private series.

Warning! Spoilers!

Reed and Noelle have discovered a shocking secret about the original ladies of Billings. Noelle thinks it's ridiculous but Reed is intrigued. Until she starts to have nightmares in which terrible things happen to her friends. Suddenly the nightmares are coming true and Billings Girls are disappearing. Reed tries to use her newfound power to save the girls but it puts her even further in danger. Will Reed be able to squeak by yet again? Or is she truly cursed this time around?

This is the 13th book in the Private series. And about the thirteen-hundredth time Reed's life has been in danger. I swear, this girl is like a magnet for trouble. And it was fun. About 14 failed murder attempts ago.
And I hate saying that! You have no idea how much I hate saying that. Because I heart Kate Brian! And I heart these books! One of the main reasons I hearted them so was because they were completely void of all the other YA trendy trappings like vampires and werewolves and angels and dystopian settings that are so prevalent these days.

Private was high school and mean-girl bitchery and mystery and intrigue and crushes and parties and friendships. Now I feel like all of that has been stripped away and it's just another paranormal teen book. So I'm a little disappointed that that seems to be the way the series is now going. I wish Kate had just ended the series a few books back on a high note and then maybe began writing a new supernatural series. I just don't like that, even though all the characters are the same, it reads like a completely different book.

All that being said, if I semi-forgot the past 12 books and just focused on the story at hand, it wasn't a bad read.
I still like Kate Brian's writing style. The pacing was crisp and there was still wonder and guessing. I wanted to find out who the kidnapper was. And in true Private fashion, the story ended with a cliffhanger. The 14th book, Vengeance, will be in stores September 6th.
And yes, I'll be picking it up because even though I'm not a fan of this whole "light as a feather, stiff as a board" direction it's beginning to take, I AM a fan of Josh! And I want to see if sexy times will be in his and Reed's future! ;)

The Scale of Judgment says...... 3 and a half.

EvilEva reviews... Mockingjay

EvilEva reviews...... Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.

The Hunger Games Trilogy. 

Warning! Spoilers!

Warning. This is the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. There will be spoilers. If you haven't read the first two books stop here.


After Katniss is rescued from the Quarter Quell arena she is whisked off to a place she thought no longer existed. District 13. An underground community that was responsible for Katniss' exit from the Games. With the help of some District and Capitol insiders, they have planned a rebellion. It starts now. And Katniss is to be the symbol for the rebellion. Their very own Mockingjay. A sign of hope and freedom. The only problem is Katniss doesn't know if she can be everything they want her to be. And as someone that has been playing games for far too long, her trust has worn thin. Can she put her worry, her mistrust, and her anger away in time to save Peeta, her country and herself?

Well y'all, after 3 books, 9 parts, 81 chapters and 1155 pages I have finally finished The Hunger Games trilogy. And I must say, I loved every minute of it! The final book did not disappoint. In my opinion anyway. I've read a few blogs that weren't particularly thrilled with the end result. I, however, am not one of those bloggers. I thought that Mockingjay was just as amazing as Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I felt like it had the perfect mix of action, romance, uncertainty, thrills, chills, surprises and all of the other things needed to make a great book. I especially liked the amazing UNBELIEVABLE ending of chapter 26! (NO! Don't read ahead! Stop flipping pages! Get to it when you get to it and be as surprised as I was. I promise it'll be better if you don't peek!) I SO DID NOT see that coming! I thought it was a really good twist to the story though. And, obvs, I looooooved the ending! (KnowwhatI'msayin' teammates!) 
I felt that Mockingjay, on the whole, was a great way to wrap up the series. I think Suzanne Collins tied up all loose ends beautifully. I like when endings feel final, like there's no real need for another 8 million books to be written on the subject, but when there's also that little bit of lingering, like you can easily imagine that the characters are still there living, loving, moving forward. 
That being said, these three books are perfection. 
You should read them. Then get you friends to read them. Then get their friends to read them. Pull your own Oprah-BookClub-Magic with these books! 
They would be a great gift for the coming holiday season. And for anyone really. (I'm getting my 14 year old cousin started on them!) 
I'm a little bummed that my trip to Panem is over but hey, I've still got the movies to look forward to! 

The Scale of Judgment says...... 5!

EvilEva reviews... Catching Fire

EvilEva reviews...... Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.  

The Hunger Games Trilogy.

Warning! Spoilers!

Warning. This is the sequel to The Hunger Games. There will be spoilers. If you haven't read the first book STOP HERE!

After winning the Hunger Games by publicly defying the Capitol, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have started their new lives in District 12. Living in the Victor's Village, having plenty of food and money, being safe. Or so the Capitol would like them to think. But Katniss knows that she is not safe, that she will never be safe. Her fears are confirmed when President Snow himself shows up at her home. Katniss and Peeta's defiance could cause an uprising, something that P. Snow is not down with. He doesn't believe the whole tragic star crossed lovers bit, at least not on Katniss' end. So while she and Peeta tour the other Districts she is to play up the romance, convince people that it was not defiance but true love. But Katniss is sick of the Capitol and their games and secretly longs for an uprising. President Snow, however, has ways of making sure Katniss will comply. Like having Gale killed. So with Gale's life hanging in the balance, Katniss and Peeta embark on their Victory Tour.
Things don't quite go as planned. There are rumblings of a rebellion. When Katniss and Peeta return to District 12 they find a new, harsher Peacekeeper, the Hob has been destroyed and the fence separating District 12 from the woods has been activated. As if that's not bad enough, they find out that they will now be forced to participate in the Quarter Quell.
The Quarter Quell happens, appropriately, every 25 years between Hunger Games. Always with a twist, this year former victors compete in an island/jungle arena covered with many hidden dangers as well as force fields that'll fry your ass if you're not careful. The rules are the same though. Survive at all costs.

Unlike the first book, Katniss finds herself with a whole host of allies this time around. But can she really trust them? This is the question that plagues her throughout the book. 
Her newfound "friends" and former winners of the HG include, Finnick, the athletic, attractive, adored wonderboy; Johanna, the hard-shelled gladiator girl; Beetee, the techno whiz; Wiress, Beetee's slightly off often brilliant District counterpart; and Mags, the hard to understand yet selfless elder of the bunch. But who can she count on and who is she willing to kill to ensure that her plan, of Peeta winning and taking on the Capitol with his beautiful mind and insightful words, will come to fruition. 

This book, very much like the first, is so gut wrenching. I swear, with every page I read, Suzanne Collins just impresses me more and more. She has such an incredible way of making you care for these characters so deeply. I want Katniss to live. I want her to really fall in love with Peeta (Yep. I'm Team Peeta, y'all!) I want her to marry him and have adorable little baker babies. And I want those babies to grow up in a safe, Capitol-free world. And I want Gale and Prim and Katniss' mother to be ok. And Haymitch too! And I want him to lay off the sauce. And good Lord I hope Cinna is alright! See, this is why Suzanne Collins' books are so friggin fantastic! Long after the book is closed, long after the story is over, you're still thinking and worrying and yes, obsessing about these characters. Even right now as I'm sitting here writing this review I keep sliding glances over at my nightstand where Mockingjay is patiently waiting for me. 
Catching Fire was a wild ride from start to finish. And Holy God, what a finish!!! What a crazy, unexpected, awesome ending! Ok, I HAVE to go read Mockingjay now. I can't stand the suspense any longer!

The Scale of Judgment says...... 5!