29 November 2013

Movie Review- Spoiler Free!

Title- The Way, Way Back
Starring- Liam James, Steve Carell, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell
UK DVD Release- 26th December 2013
BBFC- 12A
UK Distributor- 20th Century Fox
Pre-Order The DVD Here.

IMDb Summary
Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.

Initial Thoughts- Upon watching the trailer, I thought this would be a lovely little film which I'd just chuckle along to, especially after hearing the line 'I think you're a three'. Also, AnnaSophia Robb rocks, she's great in The Carrie Diaries and I adored The Bridge to Terabithia when I was younger (I still do now) so was excited to see her doing something else.

Strong Points- As suggested by the trailer, this movie was super funny! There were some hilarious one-liners such as when Owen (played by Sam Rockwell) says 'Please let your lady friend know this conversation was entirely about her.' The step sister made me laugh too, she was like a tamer Regina George! A very nice unexpected twist from my initial thoughts was the serious side to the film, behind all of the humour was a really good storyline about a lost boy just needing an escape.

Weaknesses- I honestly thought there were some stupid holes in the plotline, the developing romance between Duncan and Susanna was really underdeveloped and I thought it was rather unbelievable as the characters knew nothing about each other. I also disliked the ending as it left many questions unanswered but I won't spoil that for you!

Overall Rating- ❤ ❤ ❤ 


Be sure to check out the trailer below.


26 November 2013

New Books! #1

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Bought

Title- World After
Author- Susan Ee
Genre- Young Adult, Paranormal
Format- Kindle eBook
UK Publisher- Hodder & Stoughton
Buy Here.
Bought

Title- Heroes
Author- Robert Cormier
Genre- Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Format- Paperback
Condition- Secondhand
UK Publisher- Puffin
18660541Buy Here.

Sent For Review

Title- Twisted
Author- Holly Hook
Genre- Young Adult
Format- eARC
UK Publisher- ?
Buy Holly's Books Here.

24 November 2013

Topping Off The Week! #3


Hey guys! This week on GeorgiaReviews, we have another 'Topping Off The Week' post which involves me counting down a different thing each week. Each will be in no particular order, a jumbled mess of all things I love. Don't forget, this is not me telling you how to feel about something, just sharing my personal opinions with the world! Feel free to post your take on the subject of the week, just be sure to credit me and drop me a link to it so I can see your lists too! As it is only a month till Christmas, I thought I'd get into the festive spirit so this week, we have...


Top 5 Christmas TV Adverts

Sainsbury's (Supermarket)
Yes, it is predictable so all the way through you are waiting for him to turn up but does those children's reactions not make up for that? It just made me 'aww', even before their dad turned up. The way they recorded this message and sang for him anyway was sweet, I cannot imagine not having a parent there for me so these kids are so strong (if this is real and not staged that is).


Tesco (Supermarket)
Isn't this so original? I've never seen an advert made of 'home movies' before (they were, however, staged by actors). The details added make it special such as showing how the family grows over time and a new child is born, then grows and we see him pull his first cracker. The filters make it so believable, like somebody could of reached into their cabinet and retrieved lots of old video tapes!


Very.co.uk
Fearne Cotton is such a huge style icon in the UK and I always love her new collections so when I saw her in the new advertisement, it made me happy! The whole set-up is incredible, with people suspended in a moment while the world goes on around them. The camera angles work well too, the way they pan in and out, seeming to bounce off of the focus make it perfect!


Coca-Cola
When this makes it's way to your TV screens, you know it's that time when you can officially get excited! When it made it's way to my TV screen 2 weeks ago, a huge smile spread across my little face. This is such an iconic advert, we all know what those bright red trucks symbolise without even reading their label. Did you know that the urban myths around Coca-Cola and Santa are, in fact, just myths though?


John Lewis
The Bear and The Hare does nothing but strengthen this store's reputation at creating the best adverts to get you in a wintry mood. Last year's The Journey featured an amazing cover of The Power of Love by Gabrielle Aplin and this year is no different. Lily Allen has lent her voice to Somewhere Only We Know, creating another chart topping hit which you'll always find when turning on the radio.

22 November 2013

Trailer Review- Spoiler Free!

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Title- Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters
Starring- Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Sarah Hyland
UK Release Date- 19th February 2014
UK Distributer- entertainmentone
Buy the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vampire-Academy-book-Richelle-Mead/dp/0141328525/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385146187&sr=1-1&keywords=vampire+academy


Summary-
Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, half human/vampire, guardians of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discretely within our world. Her legacy is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal Vampires, the Strigoi. This is her story.


Before Watching-
I have read the first four books in series but gave up a third of the way through the fifth as I disliked the way the plot was going. I will still be seeing the movie, though I am apprehensive as to how a man know for Mean Girls could possibly do this film justice. The posters look original, is there a reason nobody has done this bright green? I don't know but I still do love the marketing, the bright pink looks amazing.

After Thoughts-
I love the amount of time and effort which has gone into this movie, especially the little things such as the title cards and the redesign the Weinstein Company logo to look like fangs dripping blood! It looks well put together. Is that series of clips with everyone flashing teeth just a little bit cheesy or what? Not that I'm complaining, they seem to be going for that angle which is good because that's the type of thing films such as The Mortal Instruments got slated for, at least they admit it. When Sami as Mia says 'Back off blood whore, he's mine now', all my worries about her casting faded. Zoey owned Rose this as well, I was also hesitant about her casting but the delivery of the line 'Let's make tonight our bitch' made me squeal with excitement. Is it just me or was there no cat in the books? I don't remember anything about that. And the dresses for the dance, how elegant does Lissa look? Living up to her princess title no doubt. Oh, and one last thing, Dominic Sherwood just completes the film, I loved Christian from the books so I'm sure I'll adore movie Christian even more.

Be sure to check out the trailer below.


19 November 2013

Interview with Kasie West!

A couple of weeks ago, the lovely Kasie West agreed to participate in an interview with me. I sent over some questions and these are the answers I got back. 

Be sure to follow Kasie on twitter: www.twitter.com/kasiewest
Check out her website: http://www.kasiewest.com/

What led you to writing, how long have you wanted to do this?

I kind of fell into writing. It was never something I thought I wanted to do. I’m not one of those writers who wrote stories on her wall when she was a toddler. I was a reader. I loved to read very much. Still do. One day about seven years ago, I had an idea for a story and my husband encouraged me to write it. So I did. I loved writing so much. The story was awful (I didn’t know that at the time) but the process of writing hooked me. So I kept writing and kept trying to get my stories published and then I wrote Pivot Point.

What is your favourite genre to read?
I love all sorts of genres, but my favorite right now (and for a while now) is contemporary. I love the emotions and characters of a good contemporary. And I love how generally relatable the stories are.

How challenging do you find it to write both contemporary and fantasy?
It’s definitely something I can’t do simultaneously. I have to have a whole different mind set when I write the different stories. But I enjoy writing in both genres so I enjoy the challenge.

What music do you listen to while writing, who inspires you?
Maybe surprisingly for some, I don’t listen to music when I write. It distracts me. I get caught up in the lyrics and I start to sing and/or type them. I’m not saying that songs don’t inspire me. I’m definitely inspired by songs I hear in the car when I’m driving or when I’m working out. I hear lyrics and music that prompts ideas or storylines. But when I sit down in front of the computer to write them, it is silent. But I’m a fan of cheesy alternative rock ballads. Secondhand Serenade, Mayday Parade, The Fray, etc.

 Do you draw on personal experiences in your stories?
Sure, I think experiences in my life have influenced the way characters in my story react to certain situations. And definitely settings work their way into my stories. But not necessarily scenes or people. Those are all made up.

Which of your characters would you say is most like yourself?
I’m sure there is a little bit of me in all my characters even though I try not to do that. My sister in law says that Caymen sounded the most like me, but I think Caymen is way more dry and sarcastic than I am. I can’t tell a joke without laughing at myself.

What information can you share about your upcoming books, On the Fence and The Fill-In Boyfriend?
On the Fence is my contemporary that comes out on July 1, 2014. It is about a girl with three brothers who ends up falling for the neighbor boy who happens to be her really good friend. She’s a tom boy who loves sports and driving fast and running. Her competitive nature leads her to challenge the boy next door to a game of ‘who knows who better’ that they play on lonely nights with a fence separating them in the back yard. It’s a fun book that I hope fans of The Distance Between Us will love.

The Fill-In Boyfriend is a book about a girl whose boyfriend dumps her in the parking lot of prom. The problem with this is that she’d been bragging about this boy, her long distance boyfriend, to her friends for months and this was the first time they were actually supposed to meet him. So she decides to snag a boy she sees waiting in his car to pick up his little sister from prom and has him pretend to be her boyfriend. He plays the role a little too well but then leaves without her ever learning his real name. I love this book and the release date is way too far away. I wish I could share it with you all way sooner.
Split Second will be released on 11th February 2014. You can preorder it in the UK from this link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-Second-Pivot-Point-Kasie/dp/0062117386/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384695811&sr=1-3.
The Distance Between Us is available now. You can buy it in the UK from this link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Distance-Between-Kasie-West/dp/0062235656.
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On The Fence will be released on 1st July 2014. You can preorder it in the UK from this link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/On-Fence-Kasie-West/dp/0062235672
The Fill-In Boyfriend will be released at some time in 2015. As of now, there is no preorder link.

To see my review of The Distance Between Us, click on this link here.

All images taken from http://www.kasiewest.com/

17 November 2013

Topping Off The Week! #2

Hey guys! So, this week on GeorgiaReviews we have another 'Topping Off The Week' post which involves me counting down a different thing each week. Just be warned, as always, there will be spoilers! Each will be in no particular order and this is not me telling you what to do, just telling you my personal favourites! Feel free to post your take on the subject of the week, just be sure to credit me and drop me a link to it so I can see your lists too! The images I chose are the editions which I own. This week, we have...


Top 5 Book Series

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
(Image from http://thehungergames.wikia.com/wiki/Category:The_Hunger_Games_book_covers)
I won't lie to you, I only read these books after seeing the first movie! At first, I was apprehensive to pick up the series, the movie blew me away and, as I wasn't such a big reader at the time, I wasn't sure it would live up to my expectations. However, I was bought the books for my birthday and decided to give them a try which was a great decision! My only main dislike is that my absolute favourite character Finnick dies! *cry, cry* It also conflicted my views on the love triangle, as when seeing the movie, I shipped Everthorne but after reading the books, I'm all for Peenis...

You can buy the books in the UK here.

The Juliette Chronicles by Tahereh Mafi
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Wow, where to start... Let's start with Warner, that's always a good idea right? This guy is just my the best character in the series if you ask me. That scene with the dog just made me 'aww'. And we can't forget Juliette, she's pretty damn bad-ass! That ability of hers is so cool, apart from the fact she can't touch people obviously but still, there are ways around that. The way the books are written as well, with crossed out lines and chapters of varied lengths is so original! I loved this about the series and just can't wait for Ignite Me to be released.

You can buy the books in the UK here and here.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
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If you'd asked me before I had read (well, attempted to read) Allegiant, this would totally have been one of my top 5s but now, it just barely scraped a place because the Divergent and Insurgent were so incredible. I think it was the dual perspectives and everything happening too fast to process. I will still finish the book, I just need a little break for now. I did however love how widely diverse the characters were, black & white, thin & fat, gay & straight, strong & weak. They covered all types of groups and did not put these as less vital roles, take Uriah for example.

You can buy the books in the UK here.

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
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This is the type of series that grows through each book. I was apprehensive to pick these up, I had just finished The Mortal Instruments and was unsure as to whether I would be confused and muddle up the two plots. But, after an assuring tweet from Ms Clare herself, I went ahead and marathoned these back-to-back. These three books haunts you for weeks after you finish, I couldn't read anything else for a while. I don't think I ever cried so much at a prologue before, this took my heart and broke it again and again.

You can buy the books in the UK here.

Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)
This plot hooked me before I had even read the first page. What the hell is going off? I have no a clue. As messed up as it is, and it is, these books are actually incredible. It is so strange reading something and not knowing whether or not to trust what is written on the page. The revelation at the end of second book was so crazy, I could not even begin to wrap my mind around the fact that it was staged! The way Noah's room was described left me in awe, so many book, so much jealousy! (Can you be jealous of fiction characters? Probably).

You can buy the books in the UK here and here.

16 November 2013

Book Cover Reveal!

Twisted (Deathwind Trilogy #1) will be released on December 15, 2013.
Twisted (Deathwind Trilogy #1) is a spin off from The Destroyers Series.

Sixteen-year-old Allie isn’t like other girls. Instead of spending her summer break sitting around on the beach, she takes the epic vacation of a lifetime.
Tornado chasing.
And she’s not disappointed. Just a few miles from the town of Evansburg, Nebraska, Allie meets her dream of seeing a tornado. In person. She can’t wait to tell her friends back home. Never mind that her parents are going to kill her.
But her dream soon turns into a nightmare, and a strange event leaves her shocked. Confused. When she returns home to Wisconsin, something’s…different. Allie now bears a curse so awful, it could destroy everyone and everything she’s ever known.
With her best friend, Tommy, Allie must return to the plains to find a way to reverse it. She enters a world that she had never imagined, where she becomes a pawn in a fight to save the people of Evansburg from her fate…or to destroy them.
Giveaway
About Holly Hook
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 Holly Hook is the author of the Destroyers Series, which consists of five young adult books about teens who are walking disasters…literally. She is also the author of the Rita Morse series, a young adult fantasy series still in progress, and After These Messages, a short ya comedy. Currently she is writing Twisted, a spin-off of the Destroyers Series due out in December. When not writing, she enjoys reading books for teens, especially ya fantasy and paranormal series with a unique twist.

3 November 2013

Topping Off The Week! #1

Hey guys! So, I'm going to be starting a weekly series here on GeorgiaReviews called 'Topping Off The Week' which will involve me counting down a different thing each week. Just be warned, as always, there will be spoilers! Each will be in no particular order and this is not me telling you what to do, just telling you my personal favourites! Feel free to post your take on the subject of the week, just be sure to credit me and drop me a link to it so I can see your lists too! To start off this week, we have...
Top 5 TV Shows   
Game of Thrones 
Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones LogoThis show is just AAAAAH! Every episode has me on the edge of my seat, the series gets better as it goes along. I was all for House Stark until they were BRUTALLY MURDERED (I will never get over that). Who do I root for now, tell me! I think I like Margaery and the Tyrells but she's so sketchy, I just can't make my mind up about her yet.


The Carrie Diaries
File:The Carrie Diaries intertitle.png
This is just the cutest, I just sit and smile along through every episode! The wardrobe department must work so hard because all outfits are super lovely. Dorrit is so well played, especially seen as though Stefania LaVie Owen is only 15 years old! And we must mention Austin Butler, has he got better looking this new season? I definitely think so.


The Originals
File:The Originals intertitle.png
I must admit, I did not expect to like this show as much as I do. We may only be two episodes in in the UK, but I love it! Klaus was my favourite character in The Vampire Diaries so this is ideal for me, a show that strips him to the core and shows us what he's really like inside. I am also warming to Hayley, I hated her before, she was SO boring.


Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
File:Agents of SHIELD logo.jpg
Another show I was wary of at first but look past the low budget Peru trip and the few other mistakes to see a platform for something great. Upon hearing of this show, my mind was just screaming 'Coulson's alive? How?' I love the way they dealt with that, making it believable and linking it back to Avengers Assemble, one of my favourite movies!


Pretty Little Liars
File:PrettyLittleLiarsIntertitle.pngMy personal favourite! I can not describe my love for this show, it is just a ball of happiness and excitement and shock and puzzlement within me. In the latest halloween episode, we found that Allison was alive and now we know Ezra is A and everything I ever thought about this show is just being turned on it's head! I was so sad to lose Tyler Blackburn (Caleb) to Ravenswood but I honestly don't mind too much anymore, I love that show too!