Month: October 2017

Caterpillars Can’t Swim by Liane Shaw

Caterpillars Can’t Swim by Liane Shaw
Release date: 6th March 2018
Copy from Net Galley- available until 27th October
Pre-order it here
Goodreads

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Description: For sixteen-year-old Ryan, the water is where he finds his freedom. Ever since childhood, when he realized that he would never walk like other people, he has loved the water where gravity is no longer his enemy. But he never imagined he would become his small town’s hero by saving a schoolmate from drowning.

Jack is also attracted to the water, but for him it’s the promise of permanent escape. Disappearing altogether seems better than living through one more day of high-school where he is dogged by rumours about his sexuality. He’s terrified that coming out will alienate him from everyone in town—and crush his adoring mother.

Ryan saves Jack’s life, but he also keeps his secret. Their bond leads to a grudging friendship, and an unexpected road-trip to Comic Con with Ryan’s best friend Cody, the captain of the swim team. They make an unlikely trio, but each of them will have the chance to show whether he is brave enough to go against the stereotypes the world wants to define him by.

I loved this book; from start to finish. I got to the half way mark so unbelievably quickly; I fired a quick message to my beautiful friend Zoe

Characters
Ryan is the most level headed and beautiful character I’ve ever had the delight to read. While he has a physical disability that does indeed cause him some frustration, I like that he is able to move past it and, as a character, show us that the chair is part of who he is.
Jack is a little bit of a mystery; owing to it being a first person narrative. At times I wish I could have had a few chapters from his perspective, just because I was itching to hear his voice. However, it’s not long before Ryan has broken down the barriers and Jack opens up. It’s worth the wait.

All in all, I was so very happy to have two strong male leads in a wonderfully refreshing novel.

Plot
The plot is much more complex that it appeared on the surface. It obviously has to deal with the immediate aftermath of the incident involving Ryan and Jack, but it evolves into a bittersweet road trip of self-discovery and growth.
I was about to grumble about the lack of a female presence outside of the two mothers, but then Clare and her friend turn up and I’m much happier
The final act is a sucker punch and brave twist to Jack’s journey that will have you reaching for the tissues.

Writing
Well, it had me hooked, and it’s the first book I’ve read in one sitting in a long while. I didn’t even put it down to eat or make a cuppa.
I was so invested in the characters that I NEEDED to know what happened. The chapters were a perfect length and there was no lulls that interrupted the flow.
Utterly perfect, from start to finish.

Star Trek Discovery

Star Trek Discovery
Netflix exclusive- Airing weekly
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Background
Some point in 1995 I was sent home ill from school. Back in the day, we only had 4 channels so there was nothing on tv. So I pressed play for the VCR, never realising what I would watch would fundamentally change who I was.
Prior to this point I was a passive viewer of all things Trek. However, there was something about this Deep Space Nine two-parter presented as a mini movie that caught my attention. Namely a character called Dr Julian Bashir, who would become my first ever crush.

I have, ever since, found myself involved in the world. I dressed up for my shift in the cinema back in 2009’s opening weekend of JJ Abrams’ reboot and I even wrote a fan fiction about DS9 way before I even knew it was a thing.

I was very sad when Enterprise ended. Not only the fact that it marked the first time in recent television history that there would be no space based shows on tv, but the horrific way in which the final season went was a nightmare. It was almost as if someone uttered the phrase ‘jump the shark’ about the third season and the creators went ‘hold my beer.’

However, in the new age of Netflix we have had a resurgence. There’s a new Starfleet crew about to boldly go … most likely somewhere all the others have been before.

 

S1 ep1: A Vulcan Hello
From IMDB:
While patrolling Federation space, the U.S.S. Shenzhou encounters an object of unknown origin, putting First Officer Michael Burnham to her greatest test yet.

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Characters
It was a fine first outing for the new show. There’s some good characters and the creators have chosen to make the protagonist the ship’s First Officer instead of the usual Captain. It’s surprising how much of a difference this makes and I can’t put my finger on what it is.

Michael is an awesome character, played by The Walking Dead alumni, Sonequa Martin-Green. A human raised on Vulcan after a traumatic event killed her own parents. It’s an interesting way of representing the human/Vulcan conflict and I am looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
Knowing that Michael is ready for her own ship, but declines add tension to the first episode and I predict it’ll be the case for some time.
Another addition to the crew is Doug Jones of Hellboy playing Lt Saru; an alien race unseen before now in the universe. He is a wonderful breath of cautious air. However, other than the three core characters, we are relatively sparse of people we learn anything about.

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Visuals and Music
It’s dark and glossy, with those JJ lense flares. It’s attractive and inviting with just a hint of horror.
The music is a riff of the Original Series’ iconic melody with it’s own identity. It’s incredibly beautiful and something I will look forward to hearing week in week out for the foreseeable future.

Plot
This is where my biggest issue comes in and the part that I will always have issues with, unless something massive changes. The writers have a futuristic world filled with possibilities and the freedom to do what they wish. However, they’ve planted themselves smack bang in between the timeline of two existing shows, meaning the technology, uniforms and cultural progression is all off.

One of our main characters is an alien that we’ve never heard of before, or after, this. While I enjoy his character, a simple relocation within the timeline would make this much better.
While on the subject of the timeline; the Klingons, that have been missing for 100 years…conflicts with the meeting of Enterprise with the Klingons in the pilot episode Broken Bow.

It just frustrates me, as it becomes convoluted for the sake of it. For a show about a crew that goes where no mankind have been before, I really wish the creators and writers would perhaps take it on as their own mantra.

Poseidon Adventure (1972) PG

Poseidon Adventure (1972) PG
From IMDB: A passenger ship, on her way to the scrap yard is pushed to her limits by the new owners to save on the dismantling fees. A tidal wave hits her, flipping her over so that all the internal rooms are upside down. A priest takes a mixed band of survivors on a journey through the bowels of the ship in an attempt to survive

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I will always love this movie. So many films, and even tv shows (Dr Who, I’m looking at you), have recycled this narrative format to varying results and receptions. However, nothing, not even Sly Stallone’s Daylight (1996), will take the place of the Gene Hackman fronted disaster movie.

What perhaps works so well about Poseidon Adventure is that at its heart is its characters; a priest, young siblings, a couple who boost each other and encourage themselves to continue and a reformed prostitute with her arresting officer turned loving husband.

The film’s simplicity does not rely on special effects to drawn us in and make us feel the peril, but instead it gives you time to get to know the ensemble, their fears and their motivations for survival.

When the boat tips, rendering the passengers trapped as the water threatens to drown every living person on board, you feel for the characters you have gotten to know. The only solution is to get to the engine room, which is now at the top of the capsized vessel. As with many subsequent disaster movies, the people are reduced in number as people of authority disagree about the best course of action.
The plot progresses, the survivors a met with challenges that some don’t survive. It’s not always the ones you suspect either, which is refreshing. Especially as we get into the final act and our protagonist bravely gives his life. It’s a brave move for a Hollywood movie; all the remakes have this archetype survive. You don’t see it coming and the sacrifice is sincere.

While some things may not have aged as well, it can all be overlooked on that sleepy Sunday afternoon when you want a blockbuster with heart, modesty and a plot a little closer to reality.

 

Watch if you like:

Daylight
Poseidon (2005)
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross by Marie Lu
Buy it at here
Goodreads
From Amazon:

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game–it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships–only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

 

The characters

It’s quite strange that I don’t recognise anything in the character of Emika, but I do connect with her character very early on. I’m invested in her story and her relationships.
She’s comparable to the likes of Katnis, Tris and even Ready Player One’s Wade. However, I feel as if boiling Emika down to this does her a disservice. She’s head strong, independent and modest; she is someone you will route for. She is a likeable character who charms her way into your heart in that first chapter.

Then there’s Hideo, the Billionaire creator of Warcross. He’s part mysterious, part icon of power and a whole lot of charm, for the right person. He’s a beautifully flawed character who I fell for very quickly. I am looking forward to seeing this character develop in the sequel.

The narrative sees Emika interact with many other characters and it’s amazing how her gut instinct about them shines through. It really does influence my own opinion of them, mainly because of my trust in her.

The plot

The plot is rich in world building; both in and out of Warcross. It takes time to breath and allow you to become familiar with the environment. Emika is hired to find a rebel force within the virtual world; and the novel explores the effort to find the culprit and the conspiracy that unravels as a result.
There are some questions left unanswered by Warcross’ closing chapter, but there are enough reveals to leave you feeling satisfied.

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The writing was clean and pacey; so much that I devoured Warcross in much the same way that I did with Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One.

New phrases used to describe new elements and technology within this world are well integrated and utilised without exposition to the point that you are not lost in this world or left feeling patronised.

It is a book where the action reads like it’s being played out on a silver screen; a talent that will forever be comparable to the work of my beloved Michael Crichton. It welcomes you in and leaves you begging for the sequel.