The Poison Apples

The Poison ApplesBy: Lily Archer

When three teens from very different backgrounds find themselves at a boarding school they discover a common bond (hating their new stepmothers) and decide to form a club to plot revenge against the women they believe have ruined their lives.

The majority of the book is about each girl’s respective background, how they each ended up at the Massachusetts boarding school, and how they came to be friends. While each girl’s story is vastly different they are completely believable (with the exception of the penguin...read it and you will see what I am referring to) and certainly every girl will find some aspect of one of the characters to identify with. However, once they have formed their club, “The Poison Apples”, and begin to plot their revenge against their wicked step-mothers the book loses some of its momentum. As much as these girls detail their intense despise of their evil step-mothers I was expecting (and quite honestly hoping for) some hilarious escapades as they enacted revenge…but that didn’t happen. I won’t spoil the ending but it certainly wasn’t the ending I was hoping for.

While I wouldn’t give it any awards or put it on a recommended reading list, overall it is a cute read perfect for a “chick lit” list and girls will surely overlook the lack of actual revenge and focus on the girl’s relationships as they mature and come to terms with their family as it is.

Found

FoundBook One in the series The Missing
By Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thirteen years ago a plane mysteriously appeared out of nowhere at an airport. The plane while completely unattended was filled with babies. Just as mysteriously as it appeared it disappeared. There were no news crews, no reporters, and only one person willing to admit what she saw. Thirteen years later, after finding out that they were both adopted as infants, Jonah and his friend Chip begin receiving mysterious letters with cryptic messages such as “You are one of the missing.” Along with Jonah’s sister, the three teens set off to find out about their mysterious past unraveling a series of events they could have never imagined.

This book is a real page turner! I read it in just over a 24 hour period because I could not put it down. It is the first in a new series by Haddix that is sure to be as popular as her The Shadow Children series. It has mystery, twist & turns you don’t expect and a cliff hanger ending that will leave you anxious for the next book in the series, Sent, coming to book shelves everywhere 2009.

Visit the author’s official page to learn more about her books. http://www.haddixbooks.com/home.html

Marley & Me

This review actually covers two versions of the book:

Marley & MeBy John Grogan

(ages 13+)
*Contains some mild objectionable material. Some mild language and discussion of topics related to family planning/sex (nothing graphic or detailed) and neighborhood crime including indecent behavior. Overall, the little objectionable material is nothing to be overly concerned about for 7th grade and up.

And

Marley: A Dog Like No OtherBy John Grogan
An adaptation of Marley & Me for all ages; mostly geared toward ages 8-12

Written as a personal memoir, John and Jenny, a newlywed couple living in the tropics of Florida, decide to extend their family by getting a pet. With very little research and planning they come home with their new bundle of joy, a yellow lab, they affectionately name Marley after the reggae musician Bob Marley. After getting kicked out of obedience school and eating virtually anything he can fit in his mouth, Marley is dubbed “the world’s worst dog”. His owners continue to look past Marley’s bad habits and incorrigible ways to see his loving demeanor, gentle nature, and loyalty. They love him unconditionally as a member of the family and look back on the life lessons learned during the thirteen years Marley was their cherished family pet.

As an avid animal lover, I just finished reading this book in anticipation of the upcoming Christmas Day release of the major motion picture. I laughed whole-heartedly throughout the entire book and cried my eyes out throughout the last chapters. In fact, I still get a little teary eyed thinking about it or speaking about it. Much like the couple in the book, my husband and I extended our family soon after marriage by purchasing a few little fur balls of dachshunds affectionately known and Chloe and Norman. They have been with us 16 years now and with the exception of a few additions along the way they are the only pets my children have ever known. While they certainly didn’t get into as much mischief as Marley in their younger days they certainly have been every bit as loving and loyal. Reading this book made me reflect on their lives and ours and how we have both changed so much over the last sixteen years. I have spent many days believing I was prepared to let my dogs go when the time came and the book served as a good reminder to our family that while our dachshunds are no longer able to run, fetch, and wrestle we should take every measure to continue to pamper them and make their last days filled with the same love and devotion that they have given us for so many years.

Anyone that is an animal lover and dog owner will enjoy this book. It is an openly candid look at the evolution of a couple’s life as earmarked by the major events in a marriage and mostly by the crazy antics of their loyal family fur ball, Marley. Marley, in his own rambunctious way, teaches the family about patience, living without inhibitions, and unconditional love.

Twilight ~ the movie

I have chewed and digested this movie for several weeks now. It was good, but wasn’t great…and certainly not as good as the book. To me, the movie had a feel of an “indy” (independently made movie). I wanted to love it. I wanted to be so awed that I couldn’t speak. Don’t get my wrong…I gasped when Edward entered the cafeteria. I sighed when they finally kissed and squealed when I first saw Jacob. I wanted more and ultimately, I left feeling very unsatisfied which, truth be told, is typically part of my nature. (or so I have been told).

Let’s call my critique: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Let’s start with the bad and the ugly.

I felt the movie moved too fast, especially the relationship between Bella and Edward. I wanted to watch them fall in love. I wanted to see her persistence and Edward giving in to his feelings despite himself.

I was irritated that they used film time to add superfluous characters and added the killings by the rogue vampires just to add heightened drama. It was pointless to the story; nothing to do with the plot.

The fact that they depicted Edward "flying" when really he could only run very fast (not fly or climb trees) was ridiculous; and the effects, for that matter, did not seem very ‘large budget’.

I hated that they took the meadow scene and had it following Edward and Bella arguing and Edward upset...when in the book it is a very touching scene where they realize they love each other and he takes her to the meadow on a date, their first real date, to reveal himself. (Not to mention he sparkled in the book much more brilliantly than in the movie.)

Bella continually insists that she isn’t scared but is in awe and very intrigued by the Cullens; but throughout the movie she did seem scared, in pain, and very jittery. The fact that she spoke almost entirely in incomplete sentences drove me insane! It was as if her thoughts were incomplete but while her character might have been very clumsy in body but she was very certain in mind of what she felt, thought, and wanted.

There was never a mention of the Volturi or the Denail Clan throughout the entire film.

Several important plot points that were left out of the film:

They left out Bella's dream about her grandmother which was important since her "realization" that she would grow old while Edward wouldn't was the real reason she pushed for someone to change her...and she was pretty pushy about that being done throughout the end of the book...which in the movie she mentions ONCE.

They didn't show the biology lab about blood typing where Bella faints...and the whole irony of her being 'sick at the sight and smell of blood' but in love with a vampire is kind of humorous not to mention a great example of foreshadowing for what comes in the other books.

I hated that they left out her birthday party and the paper cut. The paper cut was the whole reason Edward left in New Moon; therefore leaving the door wide open for the budding relationship between Bella and Jacob. Following the ending in the book would have been a much better and more accurate ending than seeing Victoria at prom.

I was very upset that there was no mention of the tour of Carlisle’s office, his family cross (again, great example of irony), and his history of becoming a vampire. That point is important to the plot because it was that reason they were 'vegetarian' to begin with.
There was no mention of Alice's history and lack of memory regarding her life…especially since it was James' doing to begin with and one of the reasons he felt his killing of Bella was poetic justice.

There was not much chemistry between Alice & Bella and the film did not allow that bond to blossom.

One of the funniest parts of the book is when Edward & Bella are in his room and Alice & Jasper come in and Alice says something like, “It sounded like you were having Bella for a snack and we wanted to see if you would share!” That wit is what made us all fall in love with the Cullen/Hale family and we didn’t see much, if any, of that in the film.

The initial meeting of Bella and Jacob was to take place at the bonfire on the beach and his telling her the "scary story" made more sense at night than them surfing during the day. (I'm being picky, I know.)

The time spent in the hotel and her 'escaping' from the airport was cut to minutes instead of lengthened to create the nerve wracking waiting and intensity that actually took place.
The character of Jasper all together was totally “Edward Scissorhands-esque” in the film...Hello?? Did he have more than 3 lines in the movie??

The fact that Bella was in her underwear when they kissed in her bedroom really annoyed me because she was much more reserved in her appearance, lacked the confidence it would take to kiss someone (for the first time) while wearing your undergarments, and I believe their first kiss was in a car.

They left out the whole spring dance and went straight to prom then left out the humor of Edward causing the traffic jam so Tyler could ask her to prom and then the real humor of Tyler showing up to pick her up for prom.

Okay, finally the good.

Here is what I loved:

The soundtrack. I will admit that I listened to many songs before the movie and already loved the fact that Rob Pattinson sang two songs on the soundtrack.

Charlie (I didn't think I would like the actor that played him but I loved him!)

Emmett (He was fabulous and just spot on with that character!)

Edward (of course, he certainly has that sad brooding down PAT and he is so hot especially when he smiles...holy cow.)

Carlisle (Good call on casting, appeared about 10 years older than in the book which was more believable so I didn’t mind that change.)

The supporting cast (all the kids from school were hilarious!)

James (He was spot on...hot, sexy, and scary as all get out!)

Jacob. I just love Jacob...love, love, love me some Jacob. I can't wait to watch his character grow and evolve and hopefully they will stay true to his character. I did, for some reason, imagine him with short hair and still very boyish looking in Twilight, then becoming manlier with longer, wilder hair in New Moon.

I guess I am a purist and want it to follow the book exactly. The book read well enough alone that it should have just been transferred to the screen. No need to change, add or delete anything. In the end, this saga works because of the nuances within all the relationships so I hope the films for New Moon and Eclipse are longer so they can stay true to the plot, story line, relationships, and details.