Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh

            Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh is the sequel to Nevermore in the Nevermore Trilogy. The book starts right after we left off; Isobel is grieving over her loss of Varen Nethers, the boy in her English class who she was forced into becoming partners with for a project, the topic of their choice: Edgar Allan Poe. Along the way the two become very close and Isobel finds herself trying to save Varen from himself because he can create a world of his own on paper and it can come to life.
       Throughout Enshadowed, Isobel searches for a way to get to Varen, who is trapped in his own dream world created by him because she destroyed his journal, not knowing that he was in there and is literally trapped in there. Her best friend, Gwen seems to be one of the few people who keeps Isobel sane.
       I enjoyed reading the book. I liked Isobel but it was sad to see that she wasn't the same after losing Varen. I understand that she suffered a loss but it felt like her whole world revolved around Varen. Despite this, what redeemed her was that she was still a strong person, she's trying to get back what she wants and that's Varen. She wants him safe and sound, with her, again. 
        The plot seemed a bit slow, it really picked up towards the end which was really great! Definitely one of my favorite parts of the book are towards the end. Those parts are my favorite because those are the most suspenseful, heartbreaking scenes in the book. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(273 words)

Less Personal, Yet So Connected

           These days we are more and more connected to one another thanks to different forms of media such as Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr; just to name a few. We're aware of what we're all up to because of tweets and status updates and yet we're becoming less and less personal with each other.
        How is it that we're less personal with each other when it's almost like we never stop talking with each other, thanks to all of the different media available. Ashton Kutcher (paragraph 1, in his article Has Texting Killed Romance?) claims that because we're so in touch with each other, we're losing touch. I take this to mean that because we're always on our phones so connected to each other through social media, (texting, tweeting, updating our Facebook status, and doing other things involving the media) we've become less social out here in the real world and it's effecting how our relationships turn out, not just romantic but also other relationships such as friendships or our relationship with our parents. Because of social media, we have become less personal with each other.
       To receive a handwritten letter; which showcases so much emotion because you know that the person who wrote it to you took the time to sit down and thought about you and only you while they were writing the letter. In the letter they wrote things that they wouldn't normally share through text because with text you take the time to send the right response and you don't necessarily need to respond right away which makes things less personal. When you're texting or communicating with someone through social media you make yourself seem flawless and don't always show anything deep with meaning when compared to a handwritten letter. "And vulnerability is the essence of romance. It's the art of being uncalculated, the willingness to look foolish, the courage to say, 'This is me, and I'm interested in you enough to show you my flaws with the hope that you may embrace me for all that I am but, more important, all that I am not.'" When working on a letter you don't think about all the punctuation mistakes you're making, at that moment it's just you, your emotion, and what you want that person to know. You can't say the same about the media; when sending a text it could be you, the person you're texting, that person you're messaging on Facebook, and whoever you're tweeting with.
         When someone we care about is hurt, in some way, it's not the same thing to communicate with them compared to actually talking to them in person (as stated in Ashton Kutcher's article, paragraph 7). In person, you can comfort your loved one and just be there for them in ways you can't be through Facebook, Twitter, or a text. It's understandable if they're in Illinois while you're in Iowa because they know you can't be there, physically, so a nice little message shows that you care. But what shows that you really care, is taking the time to actually go to them and be there for them; whether it's because they need help or just someone to talk to. That really tells your loved one that you care and it's real personal.
        Because of the media, you can see that we don't take the time with each other to actually talk in person instead of texting. The art of a handwritten letter is rarely used these days because of the convenience of email. Though social media is s useful tool to stay in touch with each other, we shouldn't forget that there is a world outside of Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, text, and any other forms of social media.

(564 words)
        

My Chemical Romance Breakup

            So you're minding your own business, just scrolling through a social media website. It could be Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. So you're just scrolling through the pages, late one night because you're bored and what do you see? You see news that devastates you because it impacts you in come way. It could be something as tragic as the Newtown shooting, the loss of a political candidate, or even the breakup of one of your favorite bands/ musicians. 
        When you find out that something you adore is over, it's a bittersweet moment. On one hand there's the fact that you'll no longer be able to enjoy the feeling of going to a midnight premiere of your favorite movie series; or holding in your hands, a crisp, new copy of a book in your favorite series; or buying the latest C.D of your favorite band (yes, I still buy C.D's when it comes to a band I really like, okay). That feeling of something new in your life from someone or something that inspires you is forever gone. Sure, you have the memories and the legacy of what's left behind of it but it's just not the same. On the other hand, you know that at one point moving on is necessary, but sometimes you feel like it's just way too soon. 
       Friday night, one my favorite band: My Chemical Romance, announced in a blog post found here that they've had great experiences but it has sadly come to an end. My Chemical Romance was made up of lead singer, Gerard Way; bass guitarist, Mikey Way; and guitarists, Ray Toro and Frank Iero. They had four studio albums: I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love; Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge; The Black Parade; and their last album was Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. They were a band since 2001 until this year, 2013, making it twelve years of My Chemical Romance. Though I wasn't a fan for all of the twelve years, I became a huge fan of theirs in about 2008 when I was up at 3 in the morning and I wasn't able to sleep so I turned on the T.V which happened to be on MTV and their song Helena was on, I instantly fell in love with them and I have been ever since. 
       Anyways, soon, MCR was trending on Twitter and was all over my Tumblr, which is where I became aware of their breakup. When I read a comment mentioning that My Chemical Romance broke up, I couldn't believe it! I mean, this had to be just another rumor, right? The media isn't always that reliable  once you get something started then it starts like a wildfire. Sadly though, it wasn't a rumor. The news was so sudden, unexpected, and it was devastating!   I was so devastated about the news because their music had inspired me in so many ways, their music helped me write my novel (The Mortal Touch), I always turned to them when it came to inspiration. They also saved many of their fans' lives! Many of the fans of MCR have had hard times in their lives and they never knew if they'd be able to get through it, listening to their music helped them get through those hardships, it made them stonger and wiser and helped shape them into better people. When I listen to their music I know I want to be a better person. That's just the effect they had on all their fans!
        Sadly, that chapter of the band members' lives is over. It's time for them to move on, it's time for fans to accept this reality even though it hurts. Though they won't come out with anymore music, or have concerts, they'll still be here for their fans which is what I love about them. They don't take their fans for granted, they encourage their fans like proud parents of babies first steps and they will always encourage us, they're there for the fans during hardships with their inspirational quotes and deep lyrics. They're gone but they aren't gone. They will never be gone, they will always be there just as understanding as they were when they were a band, the fact that they will no longer be a band won't change who they are, waiting for us to make an impact on the world just like they did. 
       They obviously have meant a lot to me and they always will. If you understand how much something or someone can mean to you then that's great! But if you don't then I hope that at some point you will get the same feeling I get when it comes to My Chemical Romance. 
        When something in your life ends, it's not necessarily the end. It's just the beginning of something new, and I'm sure the guys will have many new projects that they'll be proud of and passionate about just like they were about My Chemical Romance, it's your choice if you want to stick along, try something new, and let someone new impact your life. I'm young and I'm sure there will be many people in my life who impact me just like My Chemical Romance did, they will never be replaced or forgotten though. They'll always be special to me. 

My Chemical Romance is done. But it can never die.
It is alive in me, in the guys, and it is alive inside all of you.
I always knew that, and I think you did too.

Because it is not a band-
it is an idea.
          - Gerard Way over the end of My Chemical Romance.
        
(893 words, not including quote)

Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

       Love and Leftovers is a novel written in verse by Sarah Tregay. Marcie is the protagonist who is taken away from her home, in Idaho, with her mom to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire after her mom has caught her dad cheating. So she's forced to leave her friends, a group of misfits who name themselves "leftovers" and her emo-rocker boyfriend, Linus. Marcie and Linus stay together trying a long-distance relationship out. But when she meets a cute boy who's like a cross between David Beckham and Prince Harry named J.D, in New Hampshire, Marcie begins to question her feelings for Linus and his feelings for her and that's when she makes a mistake. Because of this mistake she realizes who she's really meant to be with.
       I've only read about two other books written in verse before, so I'm still sort of warming up to this style of writing. So far though, I've really enjoyed it because to me it feels like the book is even more personal because it's almost like a journal or diary that you're reading. I know that, as a writer myself I write my diary entries as poems sometimes because sometimes fewer words can just as easily get the same message across as a whole paper. So I was really able to connect with the main character, Marcie. 
      Usually, I know or have a pretty clear idea on how the book will end but I have to say Love and Leftovers didn't end the way I expected it to! That's okay though because the way Sarah Tregay ended was much better than I though it was going to end. 
      This book didn't just center around Marcie's romantic life and issues, it also had a lot to do with Marcie and with the people she shares a relationship with in her life. Marcie questioned her relationships with the guys in her life, her parents, and even her friends and in the end she finds what she really needs even though it took her a while and a few mistakes which is what being human is all about. I would definitely recommend checking out this book, it talks a lot about relationships and it's so hard to put down. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

(382 words)

22 by Taylor Swift

         Last year on, October 22, 2012; Taylor Swift released her fourth studio album named: Red. Red has had four singles and music videos released until now. So far her singles have been: We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Begin Again, I Knew You Were Trouble, and now her latest single is 22. I've reviewed Taylor Swift's album, Red, as a whole before and it can be found at Taylor Swift's Red Review if you want to read that first. Anyways, so since I've reviewed it as a whole, now I'll just review the music video for 22.
         The music video was filmed in February 2013, and it just premiered on March 13, 2013. The music video was directed by the director of her last video: I Knew You Were Trouble who happens to be Anthony Mandler. His recent work, in directing videos, would include Madness by Muse, Diamonds by Rhianna, National Anthem by Lana Del Rey as well as her music video Ride and Some Nights by fun.
        Taylor Swift's 22 music video is basically her having fun with her friends and just living and enjoying life to its fullest. You see her hanging out with her friends, who happen to her her friends in real life. The music video is fun and different for Taylor Swift because as she's getting older she's trying different things but things that still aren't too outrageous for her. But when it comes to creativity, this video is honestly something that has been done by the majority of the pop artists out there and other genres as well, I guess, not just pop. I give the music video for 22, 3 out of 5 stars because this theme in the music video has been done before. It hadn't been done by Taylor Swift yet, until this point, but it's still nothing new.
        22, like most of her other songs, is based on her life and she expresses that she wrote 22 because so far it has been her favorite year to live she said once in an interview with Billboard Magazine; "For me, being 22 has been my favorite year of my life. I like all the possibilities of how you're still learning, but you know enough. You still know nothing, but you know that you know nothing. You're old enough to start planning your life, but you're young enough to know there are so many unanswered questions. That brings about a carefree feeling that is sort of based on indecision and fear and at the same time letting loose. Being 22 has taught me so much."
   
 (434 words)      

Once Upon A Time

           One of the shows that I would say is my ultimate favorite, is the show on ABC called: Once Upon a Time. Maybe you've heard of it and maybe you haven't. Once Upon a Time is currently in its second season and though it's one of my favorite shows, I haven't been able to watch it lately because things have kept me busy. But yesterday, surprisingly, I finally got the chance to see Once Upon A Time, you know after many months, I haven't really been able to watch most of thee season! But I was very happy about finally having time to watch the show; you know, after my little sister who has watched it like religiously, filled me in on what was going on. Which I thank her for. Anyways, because I finally got to watch it once again, last night, I was reminded why I love this show so much and here are some reasons why. 

• The characters are complex. I don't watch Disney, like at all considering the actors on the show who are younger than me put on more pounds of makeup than I do and several other reasons why. But there is like no comparison between the shows that I used to watch and this show. Disney characters are always required to do the right thing, see the thing is, in real life, things aren't always black and white. Sometimes they're gray. In Once Upon A Time, the characters aren't always entirely good and they're not entirely bad, like a real person. We all have our flaws because we're all human, we all do things that we're not proud of but we do anyways. That's what the characters in Once Upon A Time are like. The characters are real, not fluffy like Disney and maybe even Nick characters. I still watch Spongebob though, that will always be my show. 
• Familiar Faces. In Once Upon A Time, a majority of the characters are the fairy tale characters we've read about (or watched movies about) and we loved at one point in our lives. Characters that appear in the show would include Snow White, who is the mother of the main character: Emma, Rumpelstiltskin, Belle, Hook and a bunch more. These are just some of my favorites. See, we'e heard about the majority of these characters but since this is an adult show, they are obviously more mature.

       If you haven't seen this show yet, I would strongly urge you to do it. What have you got to lose?

(423 words)

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

          Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver is the second book in the Delirium Trilogy. It takes place in two different periods of time. In the book Lauren Oliver refers to these periods of time as Then and Now. The Then time period would refer to what happened after the events of the first book, Delirium and the Now would be the time period she is currently in.
      Reading Pandemonium was a challenge at first, there wasn't much action in the beginning so I had to force myself to keep moving forward in the book. Once I got to the middle and when she meets Julian is when it really starts to get interesting for me. I think the fact that Lauren Oliver divided the book into two different time periods also had a contributing factor, it sort of bugged me at first because it was confusing but once I got to the middle I actually liked it.
      The characters were interesting, I liked how Lena went through a lot of character development since she lost Alex. I saw her development through the Then time periods, which is why I eventually warmed up to them. Julian is definitely an interesting character because he was divided between his feelings for "the diseases: deliria nervosa". 
      There were moments when I felt like the book was too fast paced though, it felt like something happened all of a sudden and just came out of nowhere. I'm not a big fan of surprises, so I wasn't too thrilled about the things that happened all of a sudden. All in all the book was a great read, I give it 3 out of 5 stars. 

(281 words)

Song Review: Heart Attack by Demi Lovato

          It's a Friday night; me and my best friend are hanging out in the car blasting to some music (getting looks by the people nearby). A great song has just ended, Try by Pink (I reviewed her album, The Truth About Love, a few months back which you can check out here if you'd like). All of a sudden a new song comes on, one that neither my friend or I are familiar with. Which is odd because she and I are always aware of the new music, if she's not aware of someone's new song then I am and if I'm not aware of someone's new song then she is. We both looked at each other very confused and realized it was a song called Heart Attack by Demi Lovato.
         The song, Heart Attack, seems to be the complete opposite of her hit single, Give Your Heart A Break. Both are catchy songs but I'd say that the one which holds a stronger message is her newer song, Heart Attack. Give Your Heart A Break seems to tell the listener this story that's them to continue fighting for your loved one because your loved one has been hurt before and they're not completely letting you in and trusting you for that reason. Just because they're being distant from you doesn't mean they don't care, they're just being cautious. It's telling the listener to be patient with your distant, loved one because in the end it'll be worth it.
         Meanwhile Heart Attack seems to be telling it from the opposite view, from the person who has been hurt rather than the person who is trying to help their loved one. Heart Attack is saying how we've been hurt before and we're just cautious and doubtful of the people around us, we're not very trusting of everyone because we've been harmed in some way.
        I'd say that I like Heart Attack much better than her song, Give Your Heart A Break. This is probably because I'm able to relate to Heart Attack's message much better than Give Your Heart A Break's message. Either way, both songs are great with a powerful message that anyone can relate to in some way because it speaks about experiences I'm sure a lot of us have gone through. Since Heart Attack has a great rhythm to it and very powerful lyrics I can't but help but relate to, I would give the song 5 out of 5 stars.

(413 words)

Looking for Something New?

          Are you looking for something new to try out? You know, just something to do when you're bored. Well then you could try out tumblr if you haven't already.
       Tumblr is a blogging platform and social networking website. On tumblr you're easily able to post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos from multiple places such as your phone, desktop, and email. Though, like with everything, at first it can seem a little intimidating because of all the features they're actually pretty easy to use after a couple of tries. According to the tumblr press information tumblr has about 96.7 million blogs, 44.6 billion posts, and 74.5 million daily posts. Tumblr has been around since 2007 and I finally got one, after deciding whether or not I should try it, last November one day when I was bored and encouraged by a friend. 
       Since then, I haven't stopped using tumblr because it's really fun because there are so many random things on the site that a person can be easily entertained. When I'm at school and on my phone you will usually find me on my tumblr, if I'm not texting or on Snapchat. I like tumblr for several reasons, many that you may relate to.

• It's like a Facebook, Twitter, and blog all in one! On tumblr you have followers following your blog and you can follow other people's blogs as well. It can be personal like a Facebook because you can post things like text, photos, and videos. 
• You can re-blog. If you have a Twitter then you know you can retweet, well you have the same feature on tumblr, except it's called re-blogging. By re-blogging, you hashtag words and phrases and when you click on the hashtag you're taken to a whole list of other people who have used the same hashtag.  
• You can customize! Unlike Facebook, you're able to customize your tumblr in any way you want, in any way that screams you. There are endless ways to customize your tumblr.
• You get to meet new people! Through tumblr I've met a few people that are pretty cool and have the same taste in things as me such as movies, books, television, and music. If you get too creeped out by someone though, there are always ways to block them so they won't be able to bother you again. You're able to interact with others, send private messages, help each other, and submit work to each other (like drawings, stories, etc.)

         I'm usually the type of person who gets sick of things after a while and that hasn't happened with tumblr! It's very addictive, sometimes it's what distracts me from doing my homework, but I'm working on that little problem. That's a work in progress situation. On the site there are some really cool things you'll find when you're using it right and what I really love about it is it's so random! There are a bunch of things you can find and it's always entertaining. So next time you're bored, maybe you should create a tumblr and try it out for a bit. If you don't like it you could always delete it. Or who knows, it could be your next addiction. There's nothing to lose by trying it out sometime.

(546 words)