Review and Comparison – She's All That & He's All That

She's All That & He's All That

Review and Comparison

Like most things on this blog, comparison posts is something I said I would do and then never got around to doing.

I remember my Mum giving me a copy of She's All That when I was maybe 13, and I loved it. So, when I'm scrolling through Netflix looking for something to watch, and adding copious amounts of movies to my list, to watch later, I stumbled across He's All That, a 2021 remake. And get this, it's also a gender flipped remake.

So, I decided, what a perfect excuse to do a comparison post – to rewatch She's All That, then watch He's All That, and make the post as I go!

Let us start with She's All That!

Soccer team captain Zack (Freddie Prinze Jr) is one of the most popular guys at his High School, and he's a little upset when his girlfriend Taylor (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) dumps him so she can go out with a TV star (Matthew Lillard). Nevertheless, he insists that she is replaceable and makes a bet with his best friend Dean that he could turn any girl at the school into a Prom Queen. Dean takes the bet and nominates miserablist wierdo Laney (Rachael Leigh Cook) as the lucky girl. Undaunted, our hero sets to work...

Amazon UK 

(I don't think it's currently available on Netflix, or Amazon Prime, unfortunately.)

My Review

This movie is, in my opinion, timeless. It doesn't matter if you watched this in the late 1990s, when it first came out, or if you watch it in the modern day, the effect is still the same, and the message still comes across.

On the first day back at school after Spring break, Zach learns that his girlfriend, Taylor, has left him for a guy called Brock Hudson, who she met while she was away. Zach doesn't let her get him down for too long, and makes a bet with his best friend – he can make any girl as popular as Taylor, and he can prove it by turning an outcast into prom queen. When his friends choose Laney Boggs as the girl, Zach certainly has his work cut out in getting through to the closed off artist.

I remember first watching this film, and hating Zach, and loving Laney. I felt like Zach was pestering her, when she just wanted to be left alone, and that Laney deserved better than him. But, in the end, even Zach doesn't really know what he's doing, and even at 18, when people are considered adults, they still don't know what they're doing. What Zach knows, is popularity, and when Taylor humiliates him, there is a sense that he has lost something, something that he wants back – a hot girl on his arm, and people to look at him and not think about how he was so publicly dumped.

There is a certain quality to this film that makes you know it is a 90s film (apart from the clothing and the hairdos, that is). It is a romantic comedy aimed at teens, but it's something that everyone can watch, and everyone will be able to find at least some joy in watching it. There is a joke for all, and with the overall message of 'don't judge a book by it's cover', everyone can benefit from the lessons it shows. Laney may be a struggling artist, always wearing paint covered clothes, talking about doom and gloom, and with glasses perched on her nose, but that is only what the outside perspective sees. Once you get to know Laney, you quickly learn that she isn't just the dorky girl picked as a bet, she is a girl who looks after her brother and father, who works hard at everything she does, and puts everyone else above herself.

And yes, it is a romantic comedy from the 90s. It is not going to be perfect, and it is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who watch it and fall in love, it will be a movie to put on repeat.

And now, let's move onto He's All That!

An influencer specialising in makeovers bets she can transform an unpopular classmate into prom king in this remake of the teen classic "She's All That."

I'm not going to lie, I didn't spend long looking for a description of this movie, which is why we've ended up with the very short one we have. I can't find this film on Amazon, I think it's only available on Netflix. That might not be true, but if you want to watch it, it is on Netflix!

My Review!

I have now, officially, watched this entire movie three times, on three consecutive evenings. The first two were because I wanted to, the third time was because I wanted to write this directly after watching it to have it fresh in my head (and also because I wanted to).

I'm not going to lie, I didn't really watch this movie because it was a remake of a film I had already watched, and loved, I mainly clicked on it because the first thing I saw was Tanner Buchanan. I have looked at some other reviews of this movie, and a lot of them are being overly critical because of Addison Rae, who plays Padgett. I actually have no idea who she is, outside of this film, so I can't judge anything about that (not that I would anyway – it's wholly unfair to judge a film by what the cast do outside of acting).

When influencer, Padgett Sawyer, learns that her boyfriend is cheating on her, she loses it live on camera, and goes viral. Unfortunately, that sort of behaviour isn't what her sponsors want to see, and she loses the sponsorship she was relying on to pay for her college tuition, not coming from wealth in a town where to fit in, you must be rich. In a desperate bid to try and get over the embarrassing moment everyone is talking about, Padgett makes a bet – that she can take any loser from her school, and make him into prom king. And her friends pick Cameron Kweller, the school outcast who no one knows anything about.

This film is incredibly cheesy at times, but it's a romantic comedy about a beauty influencer trying to give a makeover to a socially awkward photographer, without him knowing, so a little bit of cheesiness is unavoidable. Once again, I clicked on this movie for Tanner Buchanan, and I can definitely say, I was not disappointed. And his character loves horses? Sounds like we'd make a great match, if I'm being honest!

There was one extra character I must say, in particular, I loved, and that was Cameron's grandmother. She sits in the background while Cameron has conversations with Padgett and his little sister, Brin, and chimes in with less than appropriate comments every now and again. She was certainly a bonus to this movie, and I would love to know just how often she embarrasses her grandchildren with the things she says.

This movie has a message about being true to yourself, and not hiding behind lies and playing make-believe with your life. With the age of social media, anyone can create whatever persona they would like online, and no one would know any different. But living a lie can destroy your life, and coming clean about who you are, who you truly are, behind all the photos, and the posts, and the edits, is the most important thing to do if you want to start living your life how you want to live it.

Comparison

First off, I absolutely loved that they brought back Rachael Leigh Cook (Laney) and Matthew Lillard (Brock Hudson) for He's All That. Granted, they take on different roles, but to carry them forward, to include two incredibly recognisable actors from She's All That in the remake, tied He's All That into the original, and showed that, while things change, and actors play different roles, the movies are still one and the same in terms of the story idea.

Obviously, there are some stark differences with the two movies. First off, making a modern remake of a 90s film is difficult enough, without trying to wrap the story around the technology that consumes the everyday lives of school students, not to mention trying to find a way to include social media to, not hinder, but add to the story. As well as that, switching the genders of all the characters? A lot was taken on in trying to replicate, and update, She's All That.

And while the overall story was mostly replicated, He's All That seemed less like a remake and more like someone had taken the idea of a bet to turn someone into a prom queen/king, and taken the characters, and created their own modernised story around just that one aspect. The characters are all there, Cameron (Laney) has a younger sibling, and Padgett (Zach) is dealing with personal issues while trying to maintain the persona that everyone associates with them, but the story itself is very different.

However, while She's All That is timeless, He's All That is clearly not. With the inclusion of so many things relevant to today's society, and particularly the popular social media platforms that people use on a regular basis, this movie will, unfortunately, grow old very quickly. In five years, the way social media is used will be entirely different than it is now, and this movie will no longer be relevant to the world of the viewer.

That being said, though, He's All That is a film that, like I have said, I really enjoyed watching, and I have watched it multiple times. It is difficult to properly compare two movies that are so vastly different, even though they are both built on the bones of the same story. The thing about them both, is they both carry a clear message of acceptance, of accepting who you are, and of accepting people for who they are, without trying to change them, but rather getting to know them, past what they look like. People might look one way, but act another, and both movies tell you to pause before you judge someone purely on how they look, because inside, they might be someone that you absolutely have to know.

And done!

Sorry this is quite long, it turns out that when you are writing reviews for two different movies, and then a whole other review to compare the two, it turns into a bit of an essay!

Have I mentioned Tanner Buchanan in this post? Yes?! I might have to rewatch Cobra Kai.

That's it for now.

Bye!

Character Stories, making short stories for everyday people – Niamh

I was in a bit of a conundrum after finishing my Places To Read series, as I wanted to replace it with another series, but I didn't have any ideas ready to go.

Then, I remembered that I have a list of names waiting to be used, after asking Twitter to name a character for me.

So I decided to make a series about these names, to give them all a character, and a story. And thus, Character Stories was born.

Niamh

Panting, Niamh ran her hand across her forehead, and wiped the sweat on her leggings. She leant down to pick up her water bottle, and drank deeply from it, the cool liquid wetting her parched tongue.

Looking down at her smartwatch, telling her that she had achieved her workout goal, and that she was running late to get to work, Niamh quickly ended the workout tracker on her watch, and headed for the lockers.

Grabbing her keys and phone from a locker, she half ran out to her car, climbing in and turning it on, her car radio automatically turning on and blaring music at her, the heavy rock fuelling her blood as if she hadn't just spent an hour working out. She threw the car into first gear, and pulled away.

She showered quickly at home, rubbing shampoo that smelled of artificial strawberries into her hair, and coating her body in 'calming lavender' body wash. There was no amount of body wash capable of calming her down when she knew she had only twenty minutes left to get to work.

She didn't have time to dry her hair properly, so she knotted it up at the back of her head still damp. It was likely to fall in uneven and unflattering waves when she let it down in the evening, but she didn't care much. She would be washing it again the following morning anyway, after the gym.

Niamh climbed back into her car, her leggings exchanged for a pencil skirt, her old t-shirt for a white blouse, and climbed back into her car. The drive to work wasn't long, but her eyes kept flicking towards the clock on her car's dashboard, an hour behind, as she wasn't sure how to adjust the clock for daylight savings. Still, it wasn't difficult to read the clock, telling her she had three minutes to get to work, park, and make it into the building.

Her old boss wouldn't have cared much, he would've mentioned something about traffic and ask if she got caught in it. He would have asked how she got on at the gym that morning, or asked about evening plans. He would have already placed a cup of tea on her desk, and it would somehow be hot, no matter if she was five minutes early or ten minutes late.

Her new boss, well. Turning up to work late is harder to get away with when you aren't dating the boss.

She pulled up in the car park and practically sprinted into the building. She glanced down at her watch, and then up at her boss, as the clock on the wall ticked to 9 o'clock. Niamh smiled at her boss, and walked to her desk.

"Hi, Charlie," Niamh said, approaching his desk and he span around in his chair, grinning up at her.

"Morning, sweetie," he replied as Niamh leant down to kiss him. "You get up earlier and earlier every day." Niamh stepped away from him and sat down at her desk. Charlie might have been a convenient boss, but the role never suited him. He was almost relieved when he was informed that he was being demoted, and replaced. The one good thing about having the same job as him again? The spare desk next to Niamh's suddenly had a person in it, and it was a person she wanted to be near.

"Thank you for the tea," Niamh said as she sat down, smiling as she picked up the cup and blew gently on the boiling water before taking a sip.

"How was your workout?"

"Tiring." Niamh leant forward and turned on her computer, watching the screen slowly come to life, buffering slightly as it woke up. "It was leg day, I might not be able to move by the end of the day." She grinned, looking at Charlie. "You might have to carry me home."

"Can't, I biked," he replied, keeping his eyes on the screen in front of him. "Unless you're willing to sit on the handlebars." He glanced towards her, smiling.

"I think I'd rather drive." Niamh's computer made it's welcoming sound, telling her that it had finally managed to start properly, and she sighed as her work day started properly.

"Do you fancy pizza for dinner?" Charlie asked and Niamh looked over at him, pouting.

"Don't say that now. Say it at four when I start complaining. Now I'm going to spend all day craving pizza."

Charlie grinned at her.

"So is that a yes?"

"That's a definitely."

And done!

Apparently, Niamh is a girl who works in an office with her boyfriend, likes to stay fit, is a morning person, and has a deep love for pizza.

Who knew!?

Anyway, that's all I have for now...

Bye!

A Review – I'll Be There by Remy Marie

 

I'll Be There

by Remy Marie

A Review

I was fortunate enough to be gifted a copy of this book by the author, and while I can't remember exactly how the interaction leading to me receiving my copy came about, I do remember being incredibly excited to read it.

Unfortunately, it has taken me over a month to get around to reading it, and in that time, the book has been published (I was given a copy prior to publication) and I'm certain the author has wondered at least once whether I said I'd read it just to get a copy, or whether I was actually going to write a review!

I have left the waiting for long enough now, let me show you the book and we can get into the review!

Jasmine Phillips has always had her sights set high, and it seems like she has everything figured out. She has the grades, the looks, the money—and let’s not forget her perfect boyfriend. To anyone on the outside looking in, she has the perfect life. Little do they know, it’s not what it seems. Despite her stellar grades and top percentile MCAT score, her parents still aren’t happy. Jasmine’s surgeon parents want her to follow in their footsteps while she wants to pursue a career in pediatrics. However, this turns out to be the least of her worries. Her perfect, med student boyfriend is determined to ruin her future along with his own. When he lays his hands on her for the first time, Jasmine’s life is thrown into turmoil and Brock Givens seems to be the only one able to keep her life from spinning out of control.

Brock Givens might seem like an average dumb jock at a glance but to people who know him, he’s much more that. While a football star, he’s also smarter than most give him credit for and has a passion for more than just football, but that doesn’t mean he’s without issues of his own. Brock’s troubled past and childhood trauma are impacting his football career and threatening his future. Jasmine tries to be there for Brock as a friend but they seem to be getting closer and closer each day while denying there is anything more than friendship until their mutual need for comfort and support brings them closer than they anticipate.

Content Warning, contains scenes of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and racism.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

And now (finally) , my review!

I read this book in one day – that's how much this book will draw you in and not let you go! If you put it down, you'll find yourself picking it straight back up.

Jasmine Phillips seemingly has it all - supportive parents, a loving boyfriend, and a clear road forward to become a surgeon. But not everything is as it may seem, in any of the cases. Jasmine may appreciate her parents support, but with a dream to work in paediatrics, rather than to become a surgeon, she risks opposing what her parents want. However, as long as she has Trevor, her boyfriend, at her side, everything will be fine.

Brock Givens has come from a difficult background, with an abusive father and having had to work his way into and through college, without the support of wealthy parents to pay for his tuition. Everything in Brock’s life has been a struggle, until his new biology tutor explains things in a different way, and he starts to understand the subject. 

When Jasmine takes on the class of football players, she does not expect to find a friend in the quiet jock with a stutter, but it seems her and Brock have a connection that neither can deny. The only issue, is that Trevor is convinced there is more going on between them than meets the eye, and his relationship with Jasmine is already struggling. As Jasmine tries to make Trevor show her that the love between them is real, and that love really can survive through anything, Brock finds himself increasing infatuated with Jasmine.

This is not just a story of a jock and a nerd, falling in love despite all odds, it is a story of friendship, of finding the right people, those who belong in your life, and about not settling for less than you deserve.

Jasmine and Brock are both such easy characters to fall in love with. Jasmine is such a lovely person, always trying to do her best by everyone in her life. My heart felt for her as I read. She is so blinded by her love for Trevor, and so determined that he feels the same way, that the way he is acting is just a phase, just because of stress over studying and exams, that she can't see what those around her can – that her relationship is toxic, that Trevor isn't good for her, and that she's going to end up getting hurt. Jasmine loves so completely, and her belief in love is so strong, that she can't imagine Trevor, who has said that he loves her, could ever do anything to hurt her.

Brock isn't the classic book jock, overly confident but secretly a sweetheart. If anything, Brock is the opposite. He is shy, he doesn't talk much and he stays away from most people. But with Jasmine, it's different. She doesn't force him to talk, and understands him, even through the silence. Around Jasmine, Brock can open up, can become more confident, and can rely on her to never let him down. One thing in particular that I loved about Brock is that he never assumes – he asks Jasmine if he can hug her, if he can do certain things, instead of simply doing so. He doesn't assume that she will be okay with it, and makes sure beforehand, ready to back off if needs be. He is what can only be described as the perfect gentleman, and we certainly need more people like Brock in the real world.

While both Brock and Jasmine have other friends, they slowly seem to adopt the other's friends as their own, making their small groups into a family. I adored both Brock and Jasmine, and through everything they face, they know that the other will always be there for them. Even in the world we are living in today, there is a divide between people with different skin colours, and Brock and Jasmine see this firsthand, with the way Brock is treated differently from Trevor in certain scenarios, even though Brock is wonderful and Trevor is despicable (I honestly hated him with all my heart by the end of the book). There is a difference between good and bad, and this book shows that, while also proving that there is no difference between different skin colours, and nor should there be.

This book will take you along a rollercoaster of different emotions, and while some of the ride may be emotionally unpleasant, and make you hate characters (one in particular) and potentially make you cry, it is a rollercoaster that will also make you laugh, and smile, and you will inevitably get back on the rollercoaster when you are done, and read it all over again. Plus, there are some steamy scenes, and you don't want to miss out on that!

And done!

Once again, I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this review! Considering how quickly I devoured the book, and wrote the review on the same day, I'm sure I could have actually done this review much sooner. No harm done, it's here now!

If you like romances, with a bit of sport thrown in here and there, this book is the one you have to read! If not, I'm sure you know someone who would appreciate a copy!

That's all for now...

Bye!

Short Story – The Poisoned Village

I tried a new title generator today, which let me cycle through adjectives and nouns. This is what I ended up with. Let's go!

THE STORY

I walked down the street, on my way to work, and watched as the poison worked its way through the minds of those around me. Someone walking in the other direction, their eyes glued to their phone, didn't see me, and I had to step out of the way so they didn't walk directly into me. She only looked up momentarily, to glare at me, then look me up and down and scoff at my shirt, slightly creased from wearing it yesterday and not hanging it up properly overnight. I stared at her as she looked back down at her phone, and walked off.

When I reached my office building, a small building, only two stories high and housing four different companies, I walked in, pausing only slightly for the automatic doors to recognise that there was a person there and open for me. I pressed the button for the lift, and waited for it to come down and collect me. I had done something to my knee yesterday evening when I went out running, and going up the stairs in my apartment had been agony. I didn't want to repeat that.

I turned at the sound of the automatic doors opening again, and watched as one of my co-workers walked in.

"Morning," I greeted him, and he nodded in my direction, frowning at me as he noticed what I was doing. He turned away from me, shaking his head to himself as he mumbled something about people being lazy. I think he jogged up those stairs to try and make a point.

The lift finally shuddered down to meet me, and I walked in, pressing the button for the next floor up. The doors started closing as the automatic doors opened again, and a woman's voice called out "hold the lift!"

I stuck my hand out, hoping that the sensors in this thing were up to date enough to know not to close on someone. They took a moment, but the doors opened up again, and the woman hobbled in on crutches, her knee bent, holding up the cast on her ankle off the floor.

"Thanks," she said, leaning against the wall of the lift. "You don't know how many people have ignored me the last couple of days."

"It's no problem," I told her as the lift doors closed again. "I'm Noah."

"Marie," she held out her hand, the crutch dangling from her elbow, and I took it. "I haven't seen you around here before."

"I'm usually in much earlier than this," I explained, "I've had quite an ordeal of a morning."

"Really?"

"Yeah, slept through my alarm, couldn't find a clean shirt, almost fell down the stairs. The usual," I shrugged and she giggled.

The doors opened and we both walked out into the hall. I looked through the glass partition of my office and saw the man who ran up the stairs, his face red as he downed a glass of water.

"You'll never guess how I broke my ankle." I turned back to face Marie, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Skiing accident?"

"Nope, I didn't realise there was another step and tripped. I went flying, and somehow got my foot caught in the banister."

"Ooh." I screwed up my face. "Sound's painful."

"It wasn't the nicest of sensations. Look, I've got to get to work, but do you want to get lunch or something today? If I'm not being presumptuous or too forward, of course. It's just, I've been living here for nearly a month now and you're the first person who I've actually had a proper conversation with."

"Yeah, that would be nice. And the people in this town? They're all too wrapped up in themselves, to notice those around them. And if they do notice, they're trying to find flaws. Once you get past the judgement, you'll find that there's actually one really good thing about this place."

"Oh yeah?" She asked, as I tried to hide my grin. "What would that be?"

"The fish and chip shop down the street."

Fin.

I was trying to think of what the 'poison' could be without committing mass murder in my story, and I think judgement is definitely something that could class as a poison. Don't judge a book by it's cover, and don't judge a person full stop.

Also, I have a really long list of names after I asked for a girl's name for my last story, and I feel obligated to make a story for them all. This time, it was for Marie.

That's all for now.

Bye!

A Review – Ronstadt

Ronstadt
By QCODE, Wood Elf & Mythical
A Review

After being introduced to the world of podcast stories (I don't know if there's an actual name for them) through The Edge of Sleep (read my review HERE) I instantly wanted to listen to more.

In the Spotify playlist of The Edge of Sleep, there were two extra 'episodes'. These were both first episodes to two different podcasts. Episode one of Ronstadt was one of them. So, I clicked it, started listening, and the rest is history!

I'll introduce the podcast, and then we'll get into the review!

RONSTADT, starring Rhett & Link, is a supernatural noir comedy set on the mean streets of LA about a 9-1-1 phone jockey whose night job, along with a self-described “Craydar,” leads him deep into Side B - a world filled with magic, monsters, and all things Mythical. RONSTADT was created by Jonathan Strailey & Brandon Bestenheider and produced by QCODE, Wood Elf, and Mythical.

Apple Podcasts • Spotify

And now, my review...

Ronstadt's life has been a whirlwind, going from a job putting cherries on top of ice-creams to seeing supernatural creatures that no one else can see. With no doctor able to diagnose him, Ronstadt eventually gives up, and lets his ability to see the supernatural, and the voice talking in his head, land him a job that no one wants – to be given all the 9-1-1 calls that involve something freaky, strange, or simply unbelievable.

Amidst an onslaught of calls that do not involve actual danger, supernatural creatures, or any kind of emergency at all, Ronstadt finds himself on the phone with a young girl who is clearly terrified of something. Somehow, Ronstadt knows what the thing is the girl is describing, and tells her how to stay safe, how to stay alive. After saving the girl, it becomes clear that something is going on, and somehow, Ronstadt is mixed up in everything.

Ronstadt is the kind of character that you can't help but like. He's sarcastic, funny, and kind of strange at times, but overall he seems like a good guy. As he finally starts to make some friends, including Estevez, the new guy at work, and Faye, a girl who seems to be able to look past his weirdness, Ronstadt starts to get some answers – and they come in the form of Hattie Honeybutter, a witch who takes Ronstadt under her wing. Hattie may be the only mentor that Ronstadt has, but that doesn't stop her from holding him back at times. Ronstadt is powerful, clearly, and why his powers only recently started to show themselves is a mystery that they both must try to figure out.

As Ronstadt tries to learn everything he needs to know about Side B, the supernatural world hidden from the everyday lives of everyone without a connection to the supernatural, evil lurks around the corner. In particular, a dark corner. The Shadows are collecting people, marking them, and warding them off with light only keeps them away for so long. As Ronstadt tries to figure out how to keep the Shadows away from both himself and the people who are in danger, the Shadows seem to be one step ahead of everyone else.

The world that has been created is one that is both fun and intense at the same time. Ronstadt isn't an automatic hero, he's the kind of person who instantly gets the urge to do something as soon as he has been told not to. He is both relatable and entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to his story. The world presented gives a glimpse into a world hidden, that normal people aren't meant to know about, much less learn about. Through Ronstadt's fumbling discoveries, and Hattie's guidance, we learn alongside Ronstadt about the world and the creatures inhabiting it.

There are certainly a few loose ends in the story, such as characters who come and go without a conclusion and scenes that could do with more explanation. Ronstadt seems to have forgotten his past, and there was never a true conclusion to the how and why of this. However, the ending was very open, with the introduction of a new character and a cliffhanger, opening a wide door for a second season to swoop in and pick up where Ronstadt left off. I must say, I hope there will be a second season, as I am excited to see where Ronstadt will end up next!

Finished!

I will add, I mentioned that I did some colouring while listening to The Edge of Sleep. I continued this, as I never finished the whole picture, some fantasy world autumn trees, and even after listening to this podcast as well, which, according to my addition of the episode lengths, is about 6 and a half hours long, I am still not done. Granted, I spent one episode out walking, another doing household chores...

I guess I'll just have to find another podcast so I can finish my colouring!

That's all I have to say for now...

Bye!

Writing Prompt Stories, Mini Stories That My Mind Cooked Up – Part 6

She had missed the last train.

Kaisha had ran onto the platform, holding onto the strap of her bag, to keep it on her shoulder, her hair flowing out behind her as she desperately tried to reach the train doors in time. But as her feet touched the platform, the train doors closed tightly shut and the train slowly rocked forward, moving away from the station and leaving her behind.

"No!" She yelled in frustration, reaching up and grabbing hold of her hair, tugging at it. She had nowhere to go, and it was already dark outside. She was meant to be on that train, that was the whole plan. Leave early, and get to the train station on time. But David had insisted on driving her to the station, and he didn't know which way to go, turning the wrong way time after time, and taking her increasingly further from her destination.

She could always walk back to David's, but it was late. Walking through the city late at night wasn't something she wanted to do. She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, clicking it on. She stared blankly at the 'low battery' sign, flashing in front of her before the phone switched itself off, the screen turning black.

"Why?" She asked no one in particular, sighing as she put the phone back in her back. She didn't have much choice, it was either to walk back to David's or to spend the night in the train station, waiting for the first morning train to roll up to the platform.

"No, is it gone?" Kaisha spun around at the sound of a man's voice behind her. He was panting as he ran his hands through his hair, his cheeks red. He had obviously also run to try and catch the train.

"It left a few minutes ago," Kaisha offered the information. "I watched it go."

"That's just perfect." Kaisha looked away and back at the tracks, as if a train would suddenly arrive and solve all of her problems. "Do you have somewhere to go?"

Kaisha turned around to face the man again. "My friend has a place near here, but it's a half hour walk at least, and my phone's dead."

"I wouldn't want to walk through the city in the dark," the man said, pulling his phone out of his pocket again. "I just came from my girlfriend's house, I could give her a call. I'm sure she'll be able to drive you to your friend's place."

"Oh, I don't want to cause any trouble." Kaisha started, but the man waved away her concerns.

"Don't worry about it," he held up his phone to his ear again. "Artiann? Are you still up? Yeah, I missed the train. That would be great, thanks. There's a woman here too, and the closest person she knows here is a half hour walk away. Could we drop her off too? Arty, you're the best. I love you. See you soon."

Kaisha felt strange listening in to the conversation, so she turned away and stared at the rails again.

"She'll be here in about fifteen minutes, she said. Do you want to go and wait at the carpark?"

"Yeah, that'll be great. Thank you so much," Kaisha jogged over to him, and they walked in silence out of the train station. The lack of people gave it an almost eerie feel, and Kaisha shivered as the sounds of their feet on the floor echoed around the walls.

"I'm Mark, by the way," the man said, and Kaisha looked up at him.

"Kaisha."

"Do you come here often? To the city, I mean, not to an empty train station."

"Not really. The only person I know here is David, and he's busy a lot with work."

"That's the friend who lives here?"

"Yeah. What about you? You mentioned a girlfriend?" she looked up at him as a smile spread across his face.

"Yeah, Artiann. She's amazing. We take it in turns to commute to the other's house. I'd usually stay over, but I have a business meeting early tomorrow morning." He sighed. "Looks like I won't be getting there for that."

"What if you took one of the early trains?"

"I'd still be late. Even after the train ride, I have to get a car back to my place, change, and then get the bus into work. By the time the train arrived, the bus would already be leaving."

"I'm sorry." Kaisha said, not sure what else there was to say.

"Why? It's not your fault." he pulled open the door and held it, waving his arm to tell Kaisha to go through first. The crisp night air filled her lungs, and she pulled her coat closer around herself, shoving her hands into her pockets to protect her fingers from the cold.

"She shouldn't be long," Mark said, watching as Kaisha shuffled her weight between her feet, trying to stay warm. Winter was cold enough already, without standing around outside at night.

A pair of headlights shone across Kaisha and Mark, and Kaisha looked up at the old car pulling up in front of her. Mark ran around the front of the car, climbing into the passenger seat, telling her to get in. She opened the back door and sat in, awkwardly closing the door behind her.

"Hi! We'll do introductions in a minute, what's the address of your friend's place?" The woman in the drivers seat asked. Her hair was tied up on top of her head, and she was wearing pyjamas, with a jumper over the top.

Kaisha rattled off the address and the woman imputed it into her satnav. As the robotic voice started giving directions, and the car pulled away, the woman looked at Kaisha through the rearview mirror.

"Sorry about that, I would very much like to get back to my bed as soon as possible," she stated and Mark started apologising to her. "Oh, be quiet. What was I meant to do? Leave you out here? Anyway," she turned her attention back to Kaisha. "What's your name? I'm Artiann, Arty for short."

"Kaisha. I'm really appreciative that you could drive me back–"

"You're as bad as Mark. It wasn't like I was going to hang up the phone and leave you to fend for yourselves. Besides, a thirty minute walk isn't a particularly long drive. Look, it says we'll be there in five minutes." She gestured towards the satnav.  "Anyway, I like being helpful." She added.

Mark and Artiann started a conversation, and Kaisha fell silent in the back as she stared out the window, listening to them. Evey other sentence ended with one of them laughing, and they teased each other endlessly. It was the kind of relationship Kaisha had always dreamed of, but had never quite found.

"Okay, we're here!" the car rolled to a stop and both Mark and Artiann turned around in their seats.

"Thank you, both of you, so much. You saved me from a horrible walk." Kaisha said and Artiann smiled at her.

"No problem, now get inside and get warmed up. Tell your friend to make you some hot chocolate. You look like you need it." Kaisha smiled at Artiann and climbed out of the car.

"Thank you, again."

"Don't worry about it, Kaisha."

Kaisha closed the door behind her and walked up to David's door, aware of the fact that the car was still there. She knocked, and waited. A light clicked on inside, and the door opened, flooding Kaisha with light and giving off a wonderful feeling of warmth.

"Kaisha? What happened?"

"I missed the train. Can I stay over?"

"Of course, come on in." David moved aside and Kaisha stepped in, glancing over her shoulder, but the car was gone.

"Can I have a hot chocolate?"

And done!

This one is quite long, but I don't think it matters too much. I quite like it, actually!

Thank you to the lovely people on Twitter who named Kaisha and Artiann.

That's all I have for now.

Bye!

Movie Review – Snowpiercer – can humanity survive anything...?

 

Movie Review

Snowpiercer

I saw an edited clip of this movie on one of those Facebook videos, where it shows a very dramatic part and then doesn't tell you the name of the movie. Luckily, the comments helped me out, and I found the film. Within an hour, I was sat down watching it. Two hours later, and here I am.

Let me show you the cover, and let you know what it's about, and then we can get to chatting!

After a failed global-warming experiment, a post-apocalyptic Ice Age has killed off nearly all life on the planet. All that remains of humanity are the lucky few survivors that boarded the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe, powered by a sacred perpetual-motion engine. A class system has evolved aboard the train, fiercely dividing its population—but a revolution is brewing. The lower-class passengers in the tail section stage an uprising, moving car-by-car up toward the front of the train, where the train’s creator and absolute authority resides in splendor. But unexpected circumstances lie in wait for humanity’s tenacious survivors... 

Amazon UK

It's also available for free on Prime Video!

My Review

There is quite a bit to unload about this film. It covers some incredibly topical subjects, as well as including some themes that are incredibly prevalent in society.

A solution was found to global warming, a way to reverse the effects that humans have had on the planet, and to reverse the climate to it's natural state – a way to cool down the planet to the optimal temperature. Of course, such a perfect fix would be too easy, and instead, the solution caused a massive problem. The creation of a new Ice Age, the kind of thing that could wipe humans off the planet and rid the Earth of them once and for all.

Fortunately, humans are pesky things, and simply refuse to be wiped out. Although a low number, some survive aboard the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the world, never stopping, keeping it's inhabitants safe from the freezing conditions outside. It all seems idillic – but, again, not so.

There is a very clear class divide, with the lower classes at the tail end of the train, and the rich at the front. While the rich feast, party, and enjoy life, the poor starve in poor conditions, with little room, their lives controlled entirely by those with power.

And yet, there are those who simply cannot stand for it. This movie is about a revolt, the revolt to end all revolts. It's about taking back power, and Curtis is one of those who can't sit by and watch as children are torn away from their parents, as people are beaten and punished, as his friends slowly starve around him.

The rebellion leads Curtis and a group through the train, moving along the carriages. The carriages are almost like stages, complete one and then you can move on. But Curtis loses people along the way, and what ensues as the rebels clash with the guards trying to quell the rebellion is pure carnage.

Curtis is a clearly troubled man. He has spent seventeen years of his life trapped inside the dingy, ignored part of the train, surrounded by desperate people. The horrors that he has seen and experienced is enough to give someone the determination to want to seek justice and revenge, but at times Curtis can be incredibly cold towards those who are supposedly on his side. There is on scene in particular (if you've seen the movie, you know) where I was almost screaming at the screen. I actually said out loud 'don't you dare'. He dared. I was very upset.

There are many other characters in this movie that I liked. I loved Namgoong Minsu and Yona, and they played an incredibly interesting part in the plot. They are not from the tail end of the train, but the prison. But, if Curtis wants to open any of the carriage doors, he needs them. Yona was one of my absolute favourite characters, especially since you can usually see her doing something in the background, and it's usually rather amusing.

Another character I adored was Edgar, who just wants to help Curtis, and to be his friend, and yet, Curtis doesn't seem to care about the determination Edgar has to help. Edgar made me chuckle a couple of times, as he is young compared to most of the people he is around, at only seventeen, and all he really wants is to be able to eat a steak like those at the front of the train.

I have had a look at some other reviews for this movie, those on Amazon, and there seems to be a mixed opinion about it, with some people loving it and some people absolutely hating it. While I wouldn't say it was the best movie I have ever watched, it certainly wasn't bad, and I enjoyed watching it. I won't spoil the ending, but whew. I don't think the characters planned that!

And I'm done!

I haven't sat down to watch a new movie in ages, and I'm glad this popped up in one of those strange Facebook videos, because otherwise I wouldn't have looked in the comments for the title, then wouldn't have looked the movie up, and certainly wouldn't have found it by accident to watch.

If you've seen it, I'd love to know what you thought of it!

Okay, that's all.

Bye!

Places To Read, An Unintentional Multipart Short Story Series – Part 10

  

In an imagined reading haven

Everyone has a fantastical place that they want to sit and read in. This is mine...

When you open the door, you are immediately engulfed in books. The long wall of the room is a bookshelf, wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and it is full to bursting with books of all kinds, many of which you have not read yet, but bought with the thought that some day, you will get around to reading them.

The room is dim, not dark, but the window doesn't let in too much light. The sound of rain pattering against it is all you can hear, and you watch for a moment as the raindrops race each other down the window pane, pooling at the bottom before they drip to the ground outside.

You flick on the fairy lights and the room is bathed in their soft glow from where they are strung, around the room and above your head, across the ceiling.

The room is cool, but that gives you the perfect opportunity to go to the fireplace, on the wall opposite the bookcases, and kneel down to light a small fire, adding kindling when the sparks turn to flames. The sound of the soft crackling and popping joins the pitter patter of rain, and the warmth immediately jumps to fill the room.

You walk to the bookcase and pluck a book off the shelf, skimming the back cover before putting it back and picking up another. By the time you finally decide on one, the room is pleasantly warm and cosy.

Not too cosy, of course, to sit down in your oversized armchair, sinking into the pillows. You pull a blanket across your lap, and reach for the small table at the side of the armchair, the perfect distance away for placing a cup on. You pick up a cup of steaming hot chocolate, marshmallows melting on top, and take a sip before setting it back down and opening the book to the first page.

The sun starts to set outside, and the light dims even more, the light from the small bulbs around the room aiding you in seeing the words on the page and the fire casting flickering shadows around the room as it starts to die down. You have long since finished your hot chocolate, but the room is too warm and comfortable for you to even think about leaving it. Besides, you have an excuse to stay – you can't leave the fire alone.

You get up, stretching out your limbs, numb from being sat in the same place for so long, and close the curtains, barely muffling the sound of the rain, joined now by the whistling of the wind through the leaves of the trees outside.

You make your way back to your chair and curl up again, picking your book back up and pulling the blanket tighter around you, sighing in contentment as you begin reading the next chapter.

The fire has gone out, but the fairy lights still shine down on you as you rub at your bleary eyes and push the hair out of your face. Somehow, as you slept, you managed to wrap the blanket around yourself like a cocoon, and as you try to escape the blanket's embrace, you hear the soft thud of your book falling to the carpet. You lean over and pick it up, placing it on the table next to your empty cup.

You won't make it a habit, but curling back up and going to sleep wouldn't do any harm. You get up briefly to turn off the fairy lights, and curl back up in your blanket haven.

Doing something every evening isn't a habit, right?

And that's number 10!

Where's the trumpets and the fanfares?!

Pretend you can hear them.

I figured the last instalment in this series should be my imagined library in my imagined house in the country. In case you were wondering, the bookcases and the table are both wooden, and the books are all stacked haphazardly on the bookcase, some upright and some sideways. I haven't quite imagined the colour of the walls or the carpet yet.

Does everyone have a place that they have created in their mind, that would be just perfect for reading, or is it just me?!

Okay, that's all I have for now.

Bye!

A Review – Lucid: REM World Trilogy, Book One by L. R. Evans

Lucid:

REM World Trilogy, Book One

by L. R. Evans

A Review

I never, ever (ever, ever, ever) enter giveaways. As in never. I think in my whole life, I've entered maybe two. So I'm not sure what it was that drew me in so spectacularly, but I saw that there was a giveaway going on for this book on Twitter.

And I thought, you know what? It has a couple more days left to go. I'll enter.

And the end of the giveaway came around and lo and behold, I had a Twitter notification from the author telling me that I had won! Now, that day, I wasn't very well, and I spent the entirety of the day curled up in bed under a pile of blankets, and receiving that notification, and the following conversation I had with the author, brightened my day up exponentially.

So, enough chit chat, let me introduce the book, and then get into the review!

Thirty-one, funeral director, London. That’s pretty much all Julian Desmond remembers from his waking life.

He wakes in a dimension that can only be accessed via dreams (REM World).

A rock monster tells him dreams are real and they can kill him. The Resistance promises to protect him, but when he receives his Gift of premonition, he learns it’s at a price.

Laughing Man seems clueless, harmless, even doltish. But he’s evidently destined to join forces with an immortal tyrant.

Julian chooses to save his life. He intends to use him as leverage, but as the nights wear on and he grows more powerful, will he come to regret it?

A harrowing journey of self-destruction, addiction, grief, trauma, and healing.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

My review...!

REM sleep is the phase of sleep wherein you dream vividly. Reading this book is almost like dreaming vividly for hours upon hours. It's not that you can't wake up, or put the book down – it's possible, of course, but when people are asleep, in a dream that they are enjoying, waking up is the last thing they want to do.

Julian Desmond wakes up in a strange room, unable to remember where he was or how he got there. When a statue in the room starts to move, starts to speak to him, Julian freaks out. He tries to run, but to no avail. It seems there is no escape from this strange place.

The statue, who calls himself Jax, and Julian are joined by Rylann, an older woman with a head of rainbow hair. Julian slowly starts to understand the situation as it is explained – he is asleep, dreaming, and has woken up in REM.

The world that Julian finds himself in, is a world of seeming chaos, with a war raging outside of the Resistance bunker, and different worlds converging into one. Julian finds himself face to face with a hippodamus, dryads, and a vision of a laughing man, a premonition that showed the man leading a reign of terror alongside Lord Titus, REM's great tyrant.

Yet, when he comes face to face with the laughing man, he is not at all as expected.

This book is a whirlwind, to say the least! When we join Julian, he is as clueless as the reader, having lost his memory. As he gets flashbacks, and slowly regains snapshots of his life in the waking world, both he and the reader start to piece together the puzzle that is Julian Desmond.

One thing I liked about this book in particular was that many different things are represented, and that the characters react accordingly to certain situations. For Julian, knowing that he comes from 1720, trying to come to terms with the fact that he is attracted to, and feels a bond with, several of the male characters in this novel was interesting, and written exceptionally well. He doesn't want to accept who he is, because it is a crime, blasphemous. Yet, no one around him thinks so, the rest of the characters from the modern day. This book should not be viewed with discrimination, for it is all about acceptance, about learning who you really are and coming to terms with the fact that nothing's going to change who you are, so the sooner you find your friends in the world, the better. 

There are several characters that I really enjoyed reading about. One of these is Julian, for obvious reasons! He is not only the main character, but a compelling protagonist, and I thoroughly enjoyed following him on the journey of trying to figure out who his friends are, and indeed, who he is. Despite everything stacked against him, I also really liked Miles. He is a fun, carefree type of person, and he was, for the most part, a very fun character to read about.

The world that has been created between the covers of this book is astounding, the kind that you can imagine vividly. It is one that you want to go to and never ever visit, both at the same time. There were a few moments when I found myself slightly lost in the story, mainly in action scenes, where things moved a little too quickly and I grew confused as to the events that were transpiring. However, this seems to generally be answered by the fact that Julian also does not know what is happening.

This book ends as a television series might end, on the brink of everything. Everything has built up to this one moment, and then the screen fades to black, the last page is turned. There's even a dramatic closing line. It is the kind of thing that makes fans so incredibly hyped for the next series (or book!) that they start theorising, guessing what will happen next, desperate for more. I looked up when this book came out and I was DISTRAUGHT to learn that it has only been out for two and a half months, which means I will likely have to wait for AGES for book 2!

And done!

It did take me several days to read this book, mainly because I had a busy week the week I decided to start reading this book. At one point, I was so engrossed in the story that I accidentally spilt water all over myself, and just continued sitting where I was, with wet legs, because I didn't want to put the book down.

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of this book, I really enjoyed reading it and cannot WAIT for book 2!

Bye!