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Monday 5 December 2011

Film review: Breaking Dawn: Part I (The Twilight Saga)


OK, I'm going to admit it now, I am a Twilight fan. Even though I am not a teenage girl anymore, (in fact I am in my mid-late twenties), I can't help but be enthralled by the adventures of Bella, Edward and co. And so it was with great expectations that I went to see Breaking Dawn, twice within the week it came out. And here is my verdict:-

I thought it was pretty good, to be honest. They kept quite close to the book which I think the fans would appreciate, and there was action and romance all the way through. I still think that the best character in the films is Charlie Swan, Bella's dad, played by Billy Burke. He really does bring Charlie to life and some of his one-liners are hilarious. The wedding speech scene in the film is one of my favourites, it is absolutely hilarious.

I don't think I will be spoiling the plot for anyone if I give a basic run-through of what happens. Basically, Bella marries her high-school vampire sweetheart Edward in a lovely ceremony and then jets off to a private island for their honeymoon. She soon finds out that she is pregnant and refuses to give up her baby, even though the birth will almost certainly kill her. Her werewolf friend Jacob has to break from his pack when the other werewolves see the baby as a threat and threaten to kill Bella and her child. The film ends with baby Renesmee being born, Jacob imprinting with her and Bella being changed into a vampire to 'save' her life.

I believe that the film suffered slightly through being split into two parts. The wedding was padded out a bit too much for my liking, and I felt that at certain points of the film they were running through past footage in an attempt to appease the Twi-hard fans. That said though, I can't wait for the next installment, and I think the last scene was a great ending to the film, to whet your appetite for the next one.

Star Rating: **** (4/5 stars)

Book Review: The Taker by Alma Katsu





I was sent this book to review by New Books Magazine and I didn't know anything about it when I received it through the post. The front cover said that it was 'An Immortal Love Story' which I wrongly assumed to mean that there would be vampires or suchlike featuring heavily. However, Alma Katsu's debut novel, The Taker, turns out to be a different beast altogether.


It follows the story of Lanore, a two hundred year old immortal who is helped by Dr Luke Findley when she finds herself on the run from the police. Luke is transfixed by her and finds himself wanting to help her regardless of the consequences. As they make their way to Canada, Lanny tells Luke her shocking story. I wasn't overly convinced by Lanny and Luke's burgeoning relationship as the story was most definitely focussed on Lanny's past and her trying to exorcise her demons.

I found this historical novel to be an enjoyable read and a definite page-turner, although it does feel a bit long and drawn-out in places. I don’t think it would be a book I would revisit. I will probably seek out Katsu’s next novel just out of interest, as I found her writing style easy to get into and very readable. The characters are well drawn and Adair’s story intrigued me, however I wasn’t quite prepared for some of the brutality and violence within the book. It is not for the faint-hearted.

I would recommend it more as a personal than a group read however as I don’t believe there are that many points to bring up in a group discussion as the author doesn’t leave much to question. Overall a different and interesting read by a debut novelist.


Star Rating: *** (3/5 stars)

Slacking off...

Oh dear. I had such good intentions when starting this blog! And yet I find that it has been over a month since my last post... *hangs head in shame*

Well, I have decided to try and catch up a bit today! After all, I have a day off work and daytime TV isn't as good as it used to be when I was a student :)