I actually only read one book in November and that's deppressing. I've been so busy with school I've had no time for reading at all. I won't reach my Goodreads goal but oh well. 1- Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (4/5) I really wanna write a full review on this book but I know I probably won't have time 😢 I absolutely loved the characters. I really needed a supernatural book to read during Halloween, and although this wasn't a scary read, it was just what I wanted. I've been obsessed with werewolves for the past few years and the pack of wolves in this book is probably my favourite. I love how there are many different supernatural creatures (and some of them are quite unusual) and it was super interesting and entertaining to read about. I really recommend this book if it's the kind of read you're into. DECEMBER TBR Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone HP always feels like a Winter read. So I decided to reread the first one then keep going with the whole series. When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he's the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous – or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
A Christmas Carol I got a beautiful illustrated version and I can't wait to read it! A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. After their visits Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.
Well, hopefully I'll read another book before the year is over. But it's okay if not. It's not about how many I've read, but about how many I've loved. Merry Christmas everyone ❤️
If there's one thing you can count on, is that I'll always post my Wrap-Ups and TBRs. Here we are again, another month has passed and I only read two books this month, which is okay I guess... Here they are: 1- The Glass Castle (4.5/5) I loved this book. It made me happy and sad just like the movie did. I cried and had very strong feelings about the characters, particularly since they are actual real people. I don't usually autobiographies, but this one is so good and I really recommend it. I recommend the movie too. It is fantastic. 2- The Death Cure (3.5/5) Finally read the third book in the Maze Runner series. Since the movie is coming out soon, I just had too. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the Scorch Trials. But it still wasn't as good as The Maze Runner... It was an interesting ending, but not really what I wanted. Also no spoilers, but if you've read the book you know there's a part that I really hate and that I wish hadn't happened. But I was spoiled for it so I wasn't really surprised when it happened... NOVEMBER TBR Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things I know I know, the title is kinda weird... But I really wanted to read a Halloweeny book and this ebook was free on Amazon and it really got my attention. I am halfway through it and I low key am loving it. The characters are great and there are werewolves and I love werewolves packs so much. 17 year old Ember Denning has made an art of isolating herself. She prefers the dead. She spends her days skipping school in old cemeteries and her nights hiding from her alcoholic father at the funeral home where she works. When her own father dies, Ember learns her whole life is a lie. Standing in the cemetery that’s been her sanctuary, she’s threatened by the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen and rescued by two people who claim to be her family. They say she’s special, that she has a supernatural gift like them…they just don’t know exactly what it is. They take her to a small Florida town, where Ember’s life takes a turn for the weird. She’s living with her reaper cousins, an orphaned werewolf pack, a faery and a human genius. Ember’s powers are growing stronger, morphing into something bigger than anything anybody anticipated. Ember has questions but nobody has answers. Nobody knows what she is. They only know her mysterious magical gift is trying to kill them and that beautiful dangerous boy from the cemetery may be the only thing standing between her and death.
As Ember’s talents are revealed so are the secrets her father hid and those in power who would seek to destroy her. What’s worse, saving Ember has put her cousins in danger and turned her friend’s lives upside down. Ember must learn to embrace her magic or risk losing the family she’s pieced together. I'm definitely reading at least another books this month, but I have no idea which one yet. I'm gonna see what I'll feel like reading after finishing this one...
I'm a little late, but to be honest, uni has been keeping me so busy I didn't even realize it was October and that I hadn't posted this yet until today. Unfortunately, I had to change my Reading Goal on Goodreads from 50 to 40 books. I'm upset but it is what it is. I literally have almost no free time anymore so I've been reading fewer books than usual.
2- A Bollywood Affair (4/5)
I'm planning on writing a review for this one soon!
OCTOBER TBR The Glass Castle
Saw the movie recently and loved it. A family friend lent me the book and I'm already halfway through it. Might do a book + movie review once I'm done.
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever. Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
The Death Cure
The trailer came out and I've been putting off reading this book for far too long. Let's just say I got spoiled (if you've read the book, you know which spoiler I'm talking about) for something I really wish didn't happen. But oh well, here I go.
It’s the end of the line. WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends—the Gladers. But it’s finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test.
Will anyone survive?
What WICKED doesn’t know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it’s enough to prove that he can’t believe a word of what they say.
The truth will be terrifying.
Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He’ll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all.
The time for lies is over.
Kinda wanted to read something Halloween like since it's almost upon us but I don't know what. If you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments below! SaveSaveSaveSave
My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
Rating: ★★★★.5
I love this cover. I mean, it's hard not to, right? It has these beautiful colourful doodles and it's just so pleasing to the eye. Well, I picked up this book because the movie is coming out this month and I wanted to read it before seeing it. This book follows the main character, Maddy, who has SCID, which is a deficiency in the immune system which makes the person susceptible to severe infections and diseases. Maddy has never been outside her extremely protected house, at least since she was a baby; but now a new family has moved to the house in front of hers and as she meets Olly, the new boy next door, she begins to really yearn for a life out there. This book was really cute. And it honestly was different than what I thought it would be. I watched the movie trailer before and it looks a little bit cheesy. (Not that I don't love cheesy romantic books). But it was actually really nice and entertaining. It is one of those books that aren't super fantastic but that are enough to make you happy. It's a simple story that is perfect for those days when you just want to read something fast-paced, good, and relaxing (is that the right adjective? I don't really know how to explain the feel of it but you get me right?). But anyways, my favourite thing about this novel is the author's style. The short chapters, the doodles, the text messages, it was all really cool and just really beautiful. I love it! The characters were likable and I was really rooting for Maddie to get a happy ending. Because not being able to go outside for 18 years really sucks. So this is pretty much it. I don't have anything negative to say about this, to be honest... That's good! So yeah, I super recommend it if you are into contemporary books or if you're looking for a book that has a style that I don't see much anywhere else. Have any of you guys read it? If so, what did you think of it? I would love to know! Here's the movie trailer (Also Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson are perfect for these roles 💗)
Happy New Year everyone!! I hope all of you get to read amazing books this year! I plan on reading 50 books in 2017, the same goal I set for myself for last year. The month of January started well, I read the three books that were on my TBR for the month! Here they are:
1- Night I don't really want to rate this book since it's a true story and all. I don't feel comfortable doing so. But I can still say that this was a very well written book. With a good pace and, although really sad, super interesting as well. The ending felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the story, but I learned a lot about the terrible thing that was the Holocaust, from someone who was in a concentration camp.
2- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - The Original Screenplay (5/5)
It was absolutely amazing to read the screenplay of this incredible movie. I have never read a full screenplay before, so it was very insightful and really cool to see how the movie came to life from this script. I love the cover and the little illustrations in it. I hope she publishes the screenplays of the next movies in the series as well.
3- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor (4/5) As some of you know, I am not the biggest fan of Magnus Chase. (I have a review of the first book if you wanna check it out) I went to Rick Riordan's book tour for the Hammer of Thor and it was really cool. I definitely liked this one more than the first. I've moved on from my initial shock of comparing it to the Percy Jackson series. I know I shouldn't compare them! But I can't help it! This novel was funny and entertaining through out. Unfortunately it wasn't one of those books where I can't put it down. I have to admit I spent one or two days without even opening it. But overall it was a good read and I recommend it if you are a Riordan fan. FEBRUARY TBR Oblivion I read Obsidian almost three years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!) when I got a free ebook copy. I saw this recently for a very cheap price on Kindle, so I bought it. It is Obsidian, but from Daemon's point of view. I have yet to read the next books in the series. Hopefully by reading this one, I will get excited to read the rest. I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it. And trouble’s the last thing I need, since I’m not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that humans can’t be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. ‘Cuz they are.
But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her—or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I’m the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy—the Arum, and I need to stay on my game.
Falling for Katy—a human—won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that’s one thing I’ll never let happen... Code Name Verity This is my Book club's book of the month and I quite excited to read it. I've been quite interested in reading World War II related books recently, and I've heard a lot of good things about it! That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine - and I will do anything, anything to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again. He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France - an Allied Invasion of Two.
We are a sensational team.
Anna and the French Kiss I have been wanting to read this book for so long! I just picked its name out of my TBR jar (yes, I made a jar. I have too many unread books on my shelves, I need a way to finally force myself to read them), and I'm so glad I did so because I've been feeling like reading a romance contemporary for a while now. Can Anna find love in the City of Light? Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.
But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?
Hi guys! Well, as you can see, I only read two books in December (even though I was planning to read four books), but that was because I was kinda busy during the break (aka binge watching Jane the Virgin, omg that show is a-m-a-z-i-n-g). But that's okay. 1- Prodigy (4.5/5) I really liked this book! It was my favourite of the trilogy. I was kinda iffy about Legend, but this book definitely picked up the pace and made me more into the world building, the characters, and the plot. Definitely recommend continuing with the series if you have read the first book. This book was on my December TBR so √ 2- Champion (4/5) Quite an interesting final book for a trilogy. Lots of stuff happened and after reading it I was finally certain that I really like Marie Lu's writing style. I wasn't sure at first, but now I can't wait to read her other books! This book was on my December TBR so √ JANUARY TBR Night Finally reading this book. Can't wait to be able to compare it to the other Holocaust book that I read in October.
Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author's original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man's capacity for inhumanity to man. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Original Screenplay I can't wait to finally read this! I loved the movie and I feel like reading the screenplay is going to be so interesting!
When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone… The Hammer of Thor After getting this book signed by Rick Riordan himself, I can't wait much longer to finally read the second book on the Magnus Chase series! Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high.
1- Nation (4/5) This was my Book Club book of the month for November. At first I thought it was very slow paced and kinda boring, but it got better and better and by the end I thought it was very entertaining. I really liked Terry Pratchett's writing style and the characters and the story that he created were truly awesome. This book was in my November TBR so √ 2- Of Mice and Men (3/5) At school my English class read 1984 for our novel unit, but some of the other English classes read Of Mice and Men. Some of my friends had really liked it and when I saw that the book was super short I thought "Why not?" and then I read it to see what all the fuss was about. I definitely thought it was entertaining and well written, but it didn't spark much emotion in me so then I didn't really love it or anything. It's okay, but I don't think I would ever read it again.
3- Legend (4/5) This is my book club's pick for December. Although it did remind me a lot of other dystopian novels that I have already read, I think that the plot was well done and the characters were quite interesting. I personally thought that Marie Lu's writing style was quite similar to my own, so it was kinda weird to read it. The romance in it felt a bit too instant for me, but I just started reading Prodigy and I can see that things are taking a different turn than the first book. DECEMBER TBR Prodigy After reading Legend I can't wait to read the rest of the series! Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?
Champion June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. Night This is a non fiction book about a Holocaust survivor. I read one last month, and this other one was recommended by my History teacher and apparently it is way better than the one that I read, so I am excited to read it. Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author's original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man's capacity for inhumanity to man.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay After watching the movie I just had to buy this! When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…
I read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children more than a year ago, and I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I have a review on it if you'd like to check it out before reading my thoughts on the movie adaptation. After watching the teasers and the trailers, I realized that this movie would probably not be a very good adaptation. But I still had a flicker of hope that it wouldn't be a total failure. The movie is about Jacob, as he goes on a journey to find the mysterious children's home that his grandfather used to live in when he was younger. Jake finds out that the stories that his grandfather told him were real, and the children that lived in the house had special powers, or peculiarities, like super strength, invisibility, and the ability to bring life to someone or something for a short time. What Jake wasn't expecting was to find that the kids are still alive, and in incredible danger, and Jake is the only one who can help them. My favourite part of this movie was the setting. The island where the house is situated, is exactly like what I had imagined, and the house was beautiful and magical, like in the books. Some, although not quite all, of the characters were just as I had pictured them to be, and the actors did a great job in portraying them. Particularly Millard, Fiona, Bronwyn, Claire, and the twins. Asa Butterfield wasn't as bad as I thought he would be for the role, but he still didn't embody Jake as well as he could've. Although I hate that Emma's and Olive's powers were switched (something that Tim Burton decided to do to so that the plot would work better), it is definitely not the worse thing in the film. Ella Purnell did a decent job in bringing Emma's personality to life, it wasn't her fault that the character wasn't well depicted. Other characters' ages were pumped up, like Olive and Enoch, to add feelings like jealousy and romance to the plot. In my opinion, the actress who played Olive looked to old for the way she was acting. In the book she's about five years old if I remember correctly, and she's absolutely adorable. I wish she was kept like that in the movie. I was expecting Eva Green to be a great Miss Peregrine, since Burton called her a 'scary Mary Poppins', but instead, she was something else entirely. Not like Miss Peregrine. She is supposed to be scary but in a cool way, and she loves the children. In the movie she was extremely theatrical and would change moods so quickly for no apparent reason. She was also too young. The main Wight villain, Barrow, was played by Samuel L. Jackson, and instead of being scary, he was trying too hard to be funny. There were so many out of place lines in this movie, it was ridiculous. The book has a creepy feeling to it, and I wish the movie had it too, but unfortunately it felt more childish that serious. Now let's talk about the fact that the second half of the movie is not from the book at all! I'm pretty sure I spent the entire movie turning to my friend (who has read the book as well) and repeating how confused I was. For some reason, the characters had to go to this whole other place to rescue Miss Peregrine, and there were a bunch of wights and hollows (which are huge in the movie by the way), and they were in this amusement park, and I don't wanna spoil you, but I gotta say, the most ridiculous thing that could've happened happened. I know this review is all over the place, but it's mainly because I was (and still am) very confused. I understand that movies can't be exact replicas of the books, but they certainly can do the best they can to make it similar. And for some reason, this movie was completely different. If you've read the book, I recommend you to watch it just so you understand what I'm talking about. And trust me, it will make you cringe and laugh because it's just so terrible, there's nothing else you can do.
THERE ARE SPOILERS UNDER THE PICTURE. DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE.
Here's a list of some of the problematic things in this movie:
- Very theatrical. - Skeleton war. - Everyone already loves Jake after knowing him for ten minutes. - Instant love between Emma and Jake. - The whole second part of the movie. - Horace's awkward dream of Emma and Jake kissing - Emma has magical shoes that she never loses even when she drops them in random places. - Awkward eyeball animation. - Barrow's shapeshifting hand. - The Wight who is also an animal hybrid. - "and then I joined the navy." - Jake is too chill the whole time. - Hollow chalk outline. - And many others...
I didn’t know that the Pete’s Dragon remake was going to be a thing until I saw the trailer at the movie theatre when I went to see Finding Dory. I have never seen the original one and I knew nothing about it (besides that it had a dragon in it). The trailer looked a little bit similar to the new Jungle Book remake that just came out a few months ago, so I was a bit worried. But did look pretty great and it made me super excited to watch the film.
I came back from vacations less than two weeks ago, and the movie was already out. So I went to see it. And oh boy, was I in for a surprise.
This remake is slightly different from the 1977 one. In this one, Pete is an orphan that lives in the forest with his friend Elliott, who happens to be a dragon. When the people of the town nearby find Pete, they obviously can’t let the 10 year old go back to the woods alone. So Pete and Elliott’s lives change completely.
I obviously was expecting to like it, and I knew it would be cute and all. But that movie moved me in a way that I hadn’t been moved for a long time. It reminds me of when I watched The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep when I was a kid. And it made me cry just the same.
Anyone who is planning to watch this movie should definitely bring tissues. I didn’t, and I regretted that a lot. With it’s great actors, amazing cinematography and plot, and a wonderful soundtrack, Pete’s Dragon is another movie that Disney can add to it’s growing list of remarkable remakes.
I don’t know why, but I literally spent the whole movie trying not to cry. I mean, as many Disney movies (Tarzan, Up, Finding Nemo, etc), this one starts with a heartbreaking scene. And even though there are many happy ones, I couldn’t stop myself from getting all emotional. Maybe it was the soundtrack, which was so amazing and the movie would have been a whole other thing if it was different. (Listen to this song, it's so good!). Or maybe it was the little boy and the dragon, whose relationship was so cute, it made me not want to see them apart ever.
Then movie can be a little too dark at moment (particularly at the beginning scene) and I don’t think it would be very appropriate for young children. To be honest, it might have been the reason I spent the whole time with tears in my eyes. It was extremely sad to imagine a kid going through all of that and then spending years with only a dragon as company (don’t get me wrong, the dragon is great! But it’s not enough for a kid to spend 6 years with!). I guess the director and screenwriters didn’t really think about what kind of audience they were going to get.
If you are a fan of the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, then you are probably are aware of two things:
1- A City of Bones (aka the first book in the series) movie came out in 2013 and it totally flopped.
2- It was decided that the series would be made into a tv show on Free Form (former ABC Family) and it came out in the beginning of this year.
The movie had many complications but it also had some positive factors. Starting with the cinematography, which looked stunning. Places like Clary’s house and the New York Institute looked just like most of the fans had imagined. Some of the scenes were also really entertaining. Although it was a bit different from the book, the fight scene at the Hotel Dumort was very badass. However, the screenwriters had decided to alter some of the scenes from the book and cast actors that wouldn’t be the reader’s first choice (I am looking at you Jonathan Rhys Meyers), which not only created a few plot holes (No one could possibly believe that “naturally blond” Jace was dark haired Valentine’s and redheaded Jocelyn’s son) but also left fans very disappointed.
My case was a bit different than most fans since I watched the movie before I read the novels. That tends to change your mind a little bit. I loved the movie and it made me want to read the series. I obviously see that it is far from being a good book to movie adaptation but weirdly enough I can separate both things and enjoy the movie without comparing it too much to the book.
The news that they would give the series a second chance and turn it into a tv show left the fans overjoyed but also worried that the same thing that happened to the movie would happen to it. When people found out the actors who were gonna play their favourite characters, there were some mixed reactions. For example, I was really excited to see Emeraude Toubia and Matthew Daddario play the Lightwood siblings, but wasn’t very thrilled about Alan Van Sprang as Valentine (better than the one in the movie but still…) or Katherine McNamara and Dominic Sherwood as the main characters, Clary and Jace. I just couldn’t imagine them as the characters. But I, and many fans, still had hope that the show would succeed and the actors would be the perfect choices.
Trailers and Sneek Peeks were released, and we started to doubt that this would be better than the movie. But we still had a flicker of hope. Then, January 12th came around and I stayed far away from social media, because I would only be able to watch the show on the next day, since I didn’t live in the US. On the next day I was at a friend’s house and I told her about the show. She and I decided to watch it. I'm sad to admit that I was very disappointed with it. It was still enjoyable, and I was still excited to watch the next episode. But a part of me couldn’t believe that the second chance that this series got was going to be ruined.
As I expected, Emeraude and Matt were great in their roles. Perhaps not exactly as I had pictured the characters to look like and act, but they won me over with some funny lines (and great acting). I’m not saying they are perfect, since Isabelle is (as I remember correctly) more badass and she definitely wouldn’t be the “distraction” or seduce someone for information (I also feel that the show is concentrating too much on her body. We get that she’s sexy but she doesn’t have to wear revealing clothes 24/7). I was very surprised to find that my favourite character on the show was none other than Simon Lewis! Someone who I never really liked in the books. Alberto Rosende is, hands down, one (if not the) of the best actors in this shown. He is a funny, believable character, and the actor crushed it with his acting. My doubts were, unfortunately, confirmed with Dom’s and Kat’s characters. Their lines felt forced and the characters totally different from who they actually are. Their chemistry felt awkward and I cringed a lot. But I guess this is more of the writers' fault. They are the ones who wrote those lines and made those characters act that way. (Can we get new screenwriters for the next season please??)
There were ups and downs as the series progressed. Sometimes it would reach a point where the fans would think: Oh, this is actually pretty good. I hope it keeps up this way! But then they would be disappointed again as they watched the following episode. We all knew that it would be different from the books, the characters are older and we understand that a tv show might need a little bit more of extra plot and cliffhangers, but we weren’t expecting it to be this different.
So basically there are many things that we wish we could take out of the movie and switch it with the show. Let’s be honest, the Institute is not supposed to be that modern, full of technology, and the amount of Shadowhunters in New York makes me so frustrated that I hate to even think about it. The movie did that right, the show didn’t. Also the special effects in the movie is 100% better than the ones on the show. And I wouldn't mind switching some of the actors as well. (I like Lily Collins. What can I say?)
The characters’ chemistry is also a problem. Yeah, I have to agree that Magnus and Alec has some cute scenes, but sometimes it just doesn’t feel right. Simon and Isabelle are cute but not right either. And don’t even get me started with Clary and Jace. Every time they are together in the same room the scene’s quality decreases. Their lines never (well, almost never, I’m sure there are some good ones, right?) feel natural, and I just don’t really understand how they fell in love with each other. Plus, I need better scenes between Alec and Jace. They are Parabatai, for goodness sake! Don’t the writers know what that means?
But as many fans, I kept watching it. I can’t give up on it. We just have to hope that it will get better. I was quite surprised when it was renovated for a second season, so now we’ll just have to wait. I’m not sure if I recommend it. I believe most of the fans already watch it, so if you don’t know about this series. At least read the books, it’s worth it.
