The Little Colonel

Another novel that I had to read for my Children and Culture class, The Little Colonel was actually pretty fun to read. My mother is very interested in the Civil War so reading a book that is set in the South not too long after the war and dealing in part with its aftermath was more interesting to me sue to the fact that I had background knowledge. 

The plot revolves are The Old Colonel who lost his son Tom and his right arm in the war fighting for the South. In the first chapter a small child and dog sneak into the old Colonel's strawberry garden and starts eating his crop. He soon finds out that this child is his own granddaughter, named Lloyd after him, but called the Little Colonel do to her temperament. Lloyd is the child of his only other child, Elizabeth, who the Old Colonel disowned for marrying a man from the North. You soon find out that Mr. Sherman, the Little Colonel's father lost all of his fortune and went out West to make more money while Elizabeth fell back on her inheritance from her mother, a cottage not far from Locust, the Old Colonel's estate. Through her own stubbornness and child like faith the Little Colonel heals her Grandfather's bitter heart as well as the family as a whole.   

Now in class we talked about the racism issue that surrounds the book. The African Americans are referred to in derogatory terms and speak in a dialect that is very stereotypical. I hate to admit that I really wouldn't have thought about it that closely if I had read the book on its own. I mean I would have seen how racist it is, but thinking about how it would effect children reading it never crossed my mind. Sometimes reading books in class doesn't ruin them completely, but makes you think more closely about the messages they convey whether they are positive. negative, conscious, or unconsciously made. 

For a kids book it isn't so bad, but I don't think it is anything that I would read to my child out of choice. I think a 3.2 out of 5 is what I would rate it. I am always struck about how sophisticated children's books in history. I mean this book wasn't extremely dense, but I could see upper elementary school kids reading it, not the age that I believe it was printed for.   

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

I love this series so much it hurts and with the last book coming out this August I figured it was about time I sat down and made sure I was up to date with all the members of the flock.

This story revolves around six extraordinary children, Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. Think there names are weird, well that's because they picked them themselves. All six of them are only 98% human, the other 2% is avian DNA. The were kept in cages, being experimented on and put through hell, until one of the white coats, Jeb Batchelder, took them away to a secluded cabin and raised them. When the story starts Jeb has been missing for two years and Max at fourteen is running the show. Soon however Erasers show up and kidnap Angel. The flock sets out to rescue Angel, sending them back to the School. Soon Max finds out that Jeb isn't dead and she may have been made to save the world. They soon escape and head for New York to see if they can find where they came from and who their parents are. However they are constantly running from Erasers, the most brutal being Ari, and Max can't help but think they are tracking her from the computer chip she discovers in her arm. Max has to fight to keep the flock together, keep her head from exploding, figure out if she is crazy for listening to The Voice in her head, and figure out exactly how she feels about Fang, all while maybe saving the world. 

I want to be like Maximum Ride when I grow up (alright I am already well older then her, but whatever). I instantly connected with her the first time that I read this book. She is smart, snarky, brave, strong, but also has all the insecurities that a normal teenage girl would have. True these insecurities come from trying to keep herself and the rest of the flock alive, but it isn't hard to see a bit of yourself in Max. Many of the chapter are first person in Max's point-of-view so you are naturally more attached to her then the rest of the flock, but Patterson has also made her so believable that it is as if you are her friend as well. I think all of us could be a bit more like Max, well minus The Voice in her head.

Fang is Max's right hand man, and the tall, dark, and handsome type. He doesn't talk a lot, but for any discussions Max goes to Fang. They trust each other with their lives and are a very dynamic duo. Fang also tries to protect Max as well from Ari and other dangers and acts as head when Max is gone. Fang is also an amazing fighter as well as caring of the rest of the flock. Patterson does a great job in making a person who talks very little have such a deep personality. I am personally kind of in love with Fang and is the leading male character that doesn't get annoying or whiny, just a comforting presences that is always there. 

Iggy is the third oldest of the flock, but has the disadvantage of being blind. The White Coats tried to enhance his vision and blinded him. Where he lacks in sight he makes up in hearing and sense of touch. He lets the flock know of approaching danger before they can hear it and can also make a bomb out of almost anything. Iggy has a good bit of angst of him, which at times can be rather annoying, but considering his life so far you can let him off the hook a little. 

Nudge is known for one thing, her ability to talk your ear off. She is a bright and happy eleven year old, but she also has all the vulnerability that cones with that age. She tries her best to act like Max, but her mouth almost works faster then her brain. She also becomes a vegetarian during the story which throws another quark into the flock since they burn a lot of calories fighting. Nudge also has a stubborn streak in her, which gets her and Fang in some trouble, but overall she is really likable. I think you understand her a bit more because we get a chapter or two from her point of view.  

Gasman is the elder brother of Angel and when you think of a cute young boy, Gazzy is really the picture you get. He is named because of unfortunate bodily functions, but his real power is being able to mimic almost any voice. He is only eight years, but with the constant threat to the flock he tries to act older. It really breaks your heart when he breaks down because he is such a cute and likable kid, but you really don't get very close to him. 

Angel is the youngest of the flock and by far the most annoying. Maybe it is just because she is a little kid and little kids are, in fact, annoying, but by the end of the book I honestly have this disliking for her. I mean I know that six year olds are supposed to be a little selfish and under the circumstances a little crankiness can be understood, but there is just something...I don't know. Also I don't think her character is portrayed really well, she doesn't seem any younger then Nudge in the way she talks so it is hard to remember that she is a six year old sometimes. 

Now their are a load of "bad guys" in this book that are just basically labeled Erasers and White Coats. Only a few are mentioned by name, Jeb Batchelder and his son turned Eraser Ari. Jeb was like a father to the flock and saved them from the School where they grew up in cages. However when he took the flock he left his son Ari alone at the lab and he becomes an Eraser, though it isn't specified if it is by choice or not. Most of the book is dealing with Jeb and his betrayal of the flock while Ari beats the crap out of them whenever he gets the chance. At the end of the book Max fights with Ari and kills him while trying to save herself. She feels horrible about it, but when Jeb screams that Ari was actually her brother she becomes even more confused.

*spoiler alert*

Alright now I am all for romance as much as the next girl, as I am sure you can tell from the other novels I have posted about, but can I just say that the kiss between Max and Fang literally came out of no where. If there was one major criticism I have about this book is that it seemed that James Patterson just threw in the romance at the last minute. Now I love and want Max and Fang together, but I think if he held off until the second novel to present it I wouldn't feel like it was so forced. This is my second time reading through it and all the parts where you could see maybe some romantic inclination could easily be seen as close friend who have spent their whole lives together. I just think that it could have been set up better, especially since it becomes one of the many running story lines through out the series.

Overall I love this series and I like this book. If you have someone who doesn't like to read, give them this. The chapters are short and their is constant action making it really quick to get through. It is also an easy read so really anyone can enjoy it. The characters are lovable and the dialogue believable on top of an extraordinary plot line that when you think about isn't really that far fetched. I give it a 4.7 out of 5. 

Howl's Moving Castle

I had heard nothing but amazing reviews of this movie from almost everyone that I know, so now that I have been granted the magic of Netflix once again I decided that I should check it out. I have to say I wasn't disappointed.

The movie is set in a magical, yet easily identifiable land that is on the brink of war. We start with Sophie, an eighteen year old who takes up her father's hat shop after his death. One day when she goes to see her little sister Lettie she is accosted by two guards. A man steps in and saves her and with magic transports her to her sisters bakery. When Sophie returns to the hat shop, which is also her home, she is cursed by the witch of the waste who is after Howl's heart. Sophie is transformed into an old woman and decides to go to the north then burden anyone with her problems. As she goes further into the waste she rights a scarecrow which turns out to be enchanted by a witch. This scarecrow, which Sophie names Turnip head because of the vegetable that makes up his head, brings Howl's castle to her so she has somewhere to get out of the cold.  Sophie is scared at first, but remembering that Howl only eats the heart of pretty girls, goes inside and sits by the fire. She then meets Calcifer, a fire demon that is bound to Howl. Soon Sophie is cleaning the castle as well as taking care of Markl and finding out that Howl, though a powerful magician, is quite a coward. With Sophie's help he stands up to Madame Suliman, the King's official sorceress, but in the process of fighting off her henchmen gets into pretty bad trouble. Sophie, goes into Howl's childhood through his magic door and finds a way to help both Calcifer and Howl. I don't want to ruin the ending, but it is what you expect from a child's film, with a little twist. 

This is a movie that has to be seen more then one (or maybe just don't watch it for the first time at one in the morning) to get the full effect of the story. As I rewatched it a second time I started to notice little details here and there that made how we got the ending make so much more sense. Just to point out a few, all the colorful items in Howl's room and the cave that Sophie sees in her dream. Since he lost his heart as a child he still has childish desires, that is why he is selfish, only wants to be beautiful, and surrounds himself with toys and pretty things. I was more satisfied with the ending the second time (not that I didn't like it the first time or anything) The art work was absolutely amazing, I was blown away time and time again about how detailed and wonderful it was. I can't even praise the animation enough, everything was beautiful. 

*gif not mine credit to owner/marker*

I watched the English version so Howl's voice was Christian Bale and Calcifer was done by Billie Crystal. I don't know if I would have had a different reaction hearing the Japanese version, but there voices really drew me into the characters. I have always loved Christian Bale's voice, it is really beautiful when he isn't making it all raspy like in batman. I have always loved Billy Crystal and the fact that he was Calcifer made me love the character more then I already did. This being said, I can't help but feel that some of the scenes had a much bigger impact and seemed less...scripted...in the Japanese. I know it was supposed to be a children's movie, but at times I found myself going...really? As someone who watches a good deal of anime, both subbed and dubbed, it isn't as if I haven't had these moments before, but I might have to go find a subbed Japanese version to see if there is a major difference.     

*spoiler alert*

The ending, though wonderful and what is expected, has a really interesting aspect to it. I expected Turnip head to change back into a human and with a little of thought I could have figured out that he was the missing Prince. However I never saw coming that Sophie was his true love, yet she would be in love with Howl and Howl would be in love with her. My favorite line in the whole movie is when the Prince sees that Sophie is in love with Howl. "One thing you can always count on is that hearts change." I think this is a very powerful message and I really love it. I didn't see it coming, but thoroughly enjoyed it.  

Overall I give it a 4.8 out of 5. There was just some points at the awkward dialogue made me almost cringe. I am really excited to read the book that this was based on as well, though I hear that they are nothing like the movie. It is a really fun and great film with obvious messages and lessons to be learned. I recommend watching it.  

Inuyasha - Season 1

Though this is the first anime that I really got into and interested in, I have still yet to finish it. I get so far and then something comes up and I stop watching it. I am determined to completely finish it this time.

The story follows fifteen year old Kagome, who up until her most recent birthday is a normal teenage girl. When her cat wanders onto the building that holds hidden well on the shrine grounds that are also her home, Kagome is grabbed by a centipede monster and dragged into the well. She comes out in a new land many years in the past and is soon fighting the centipede monster again who says she posses the Sacred Jewel of the Four Souls. After the jewel is ripped from her body, Kagome has no choice but to release Inuyasha. Inuyasha, a half demon sealed fifty years ago for attempting to steal the jewel, reluctantly joins with Kagome to find all the shards that had shattered throughout Japan after Kagome shatters it with an arrow. Now there are a lot of episodes in this anime so I am going to break it down by season.

Inuyasha is the main male character in the anime (obviously since it is named after him) and a rather rough character at first. He is half demon, half human and wants to use the Sacred Jewel to turn into a full demon. Very early into the season though you learn Inuyasha kind of had a crappy life. He was excluded and ridiculed as a child because he was part demon, his brother Sesshomaru wants to kill him because he is half human and the woman he loved sealed him to a tree for fifty years. Not exactly the best life a guy could have. It gets worse when said love of his life comes back from the dead, but I'll deal with that a little later. Inuyasha also has a caring and sweet side that we get to see when Kagome is in danger. Inuyasha also gains possession of Tessaiga, a powerful sword made out of the fang of his father, which he can use because he wishes to protect humans, unlike his brother Sesshomaru.

Kagome is the main female lead and it is safe to say that the series could have just as easily been named Kagome as it could have been named Inuyasha. Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo, Inuyasha's first love and a powerful priestess. Now, at times Kagome can be your typical anime girl, annoying always screaming for Inuyasha ect. but that isn't all the time which makes her a lot easier to stand. You have to admire the way she deals with the whole Inuyasha, Kikyo thing even if she won't admit to herself that she is in love with him. As many people have pointed out, the series could have easily been called Kagome because we follow her and know more about her then we do Inuyasha. 

Shippo is a young fox demon who joins the party after Inuyasha saves him from the Thunder Brothers who killed Shippo's father. Inuyasha and Shippo don't get along very well, but Kagome took a quick liking to him because he was so cute and made Inuyasha let him join them. Shippo most of the time is comic relief, he has little fighting ability and at times gets kind of annoying. I love Shippo, don't get me wrong, he is funny and at times very insightful, but like all little kids he gets in my nerves sometimes. 

Miroku, a Buddhist monk, comes into the series as another person looking for the sacred jewel. Though he is a good man at heart he has a lecherous streak and doesn't miss an opportunity to touch a pretty girls butt. He doesn't agree to join Inuyasha and the others until he see Kagome pick up a tainted piece of the sacred jewel and purify it immediately. It is from Miroku that we first hear about Naraku, a powerful demon who is collecting the jewel fragments himself. Miroku needs to find and kill Naraku to lift a curse that has been put on his family causing there to be a tunnel in their right hand that will suck everything into it. If Miroku can not kill Naraku in time he himself will be sucked into the wind tunnel. He uses this as an excuse to ask any beautiful woman he sees to bear his children.    

Sango and Kirara (pronounce Kilala) round out the party that travel with Inuyasha and. We don't met her until the 24th episode of the series. Sango comes from a special village of demon slayers and Kirara, though a demon, is her helper and pet. Sango is actually sent to kill Inuyasha because she believes he destroyed her village. This news comes after her younger brother, Kohaku, was possessed by a demon to kill their father and attempt to kill her. Kohaku is killed by palace guards leaving Sango alone besides for Kirara. After finding out that Naraku is behind the destruction of her village she joins Inuyasha's party reluctantly, but soon is drawn in my their friendship and warmth. 

I have so many mixed feelings about Kikyo. In the first season I truly do feel bad for her, however since I know what happens in later seasons I have grown to really hate her. It isn't because she comes in between Kagome and Inuyasha because that is typical in anime, but how many times are they going to kill her, but not really kill her. It gets old. Because I seem to be the only one who has addressed this I am going to keep a running count of how many times she "dies" and tally it all up in the end. First season we have her first death 50 years ago, when she falls off the cliff after she is brought back from the dead so that's two. I feel for her and technically she did have Inuyasha's heart first so I don't blame him for being torn, but after a while I just want her to die already. I am sure there will be more on this in other seasons so I will stop for now. 

Sesshomaru is the first villain we are introduced to in the series. He is Inuyasha's full demon half brother. Sesshomaru hates that Inuyasha is half human and that he associates with humans (first Kikyo and now Kagome). He also hates that his brother was left with Tessagia, the powerful sword made from their fathers fang. All this leads to Sesshomaru on a few occasions trying to kill his brother. Now I have to say that I have a mad crush on Sesshomaru, I don't even care that he is a semi-bad guy (kind of like Byakuya is Bleach, but that is a whole other anime). Sesshomaru has a loyal vassal, Jaken, who we really don't know much about in the first season expect his is annoying and everyone likes beating the crap out of him, including Sesshomaru. The become more important in latter seasons, almost as a parallel story line at parts, but they are rather limited in this season.

We are not introduced to the main villain of the series until episode 16, when we first hear of an evil and powerful demon who will do nothing to get the jewel fragments, Naraku. We also learn that he is the one who turned Inuyasha and Kikyo against one another as well as killing Kikyo. I was also impressed about how much we got to know the villain in just the first season. Usually in an anime they would leave the Naraku was actually Onigumo thing for a few more seasons. On a side note, why did they decide to make all of the villians in this anime hot (I know they are cartoons, but still).

My favorite episode this season has to be episode 13 when Inuyasha becomes human for the night. The fact that he has such an obvious handicap makes him more likable and I personally think he looks better with the black hair. Inuyasha tries not to make a big deal out of it, but becoming human one night every month really has to remind him just how he isn't quite demon or human. Also he seems to be much more straight forward with Kagome about how he feels when he is human though he is beat to hell and doesn't remember it later. I like when the main character has some sort of weak spot that he really can't do anything about. Even with this handicap he tries to fight and save Kagome and it is really a turning point in the series with how we see Inuyasha.

I like that in this anime it addresses the fact that Kagome has to balance saving feudal Japan, collecting the jewel shards, and her school work. In so many anime the fact that characters are in school is completely forgotten or ignored as the real plot line unfolds. Most of the action takes place in the school (like Boys Over Flowers) yet you don't see a single teacher or adult figure. Now I know that school systems are different outside of America, but the fact that these kids run rampant with no adults stepping in is so far fetched. However, this anime brings up the fact that Kagome is missing so much school and has tests she needs to study for. I like that though it isn't prominent all the time they don't forget about it. Also if I could get one of those spiritual necklaces that is one Inuyasha for most of the people I know that would be wonderful.    

Now I first watched this anime in English, but after watching it with subtitles (on Hulu if you would like to start watching it :) I don't know which one I like better. Inuyasha in the original is more dog like by growling and such and I really like that. However the first voice of Inuyasha and all the characters I was introduced to was the American voice actors so I am torn. Either way it is really amazing, but it is split about half and half between which voice actor I like better, the original or the American dubber.

This season gets a 4.8 out of 5. It gets such a high rating because my mom likes it and my mom really doesn'y like a lot of the anime that I watch. She thinks Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist are too dark, but she would stil and watch Inuyasha with me. If it gets Mom's approval it has to get high marks. It isn't a perfect 5 out of 5 because, well, I know it gets better. Stupid reason, yes. Do I care, no. 

The Secret Garden

I had to read this novel for me Children and Culture class and it happens to be the first time that I have read this book.

The plot of the novel focuses around Mary Lennox and her adventures in The Secret Garden. Mary's parents are killed in India from cholera and Mary is sent to live with her Uncle in London. Mary is a bratty and spoiled child and gets along poorly in London at first until she is told the story of the secret garden that her Uncle, Master Craven and his late wife tended together. After his wife's death Master Craven locked up the garden and buried the key. Mary, with the help of her robin friend, the first friend she had made in her ten years of life, finds the secret garden. Soon she enlists the help of Dickon, a younger brother to one of the maids of the house who has a way with animals, to help her tend to the garden. Mary also learns that she has a cousin part way through the novel. He never lets anyone see him because he is sickly and since he was born everyone has told him that he is going to be a hunchback and die young. His father won't look at him because his eyes are like his mother's but so sad. The Magic of the secret garden helps Colin realize that he is not as weak as everyone thinks he is and helps him get better. Both Colin and Mary at the end of the novel have also worked out their bratty tendencies a little though there is room for improvement. 

I was not a fan of the novel at all until the Dickon and Colin showed up. It might have been because Mary was isolated most of the time or the fact that she had an awful personality before then, but I almost couldn't stand the book until they were introduced. Especially Dickon, I loved his character, but near the end of the book when it was just description after endless description of the garden I just wanted it to be done. It also bothered me that none of the characters really changed except Mary and Collin. It can be said that they were the only characters that really needed to change, but all the other characters just felt so flat to me that it was hard to get into the story. I know that this is supposed to be a children's novel so a lot of complex characters isn't really what you are going for, but I still think that as a child the repetition would have bored me. 

Overall it was cute, but it isn't going to become my favorite children book. I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Special A

I am kind of on an anime kick right now so I am going back and rewatching all the series that I started, but never got around to finishing. One of these anime's is Special A

I honestly don't remember how I came across this anime, but it is rather entertaining and light hearted. It is centered around the seven members of the S.A. or Special A class. These are the top seven academic students in a prestigious academy who have there own greenhouse class room, uniforms and special privileges. All of these students except for Hikari are children of rich parents. However this difference in status doesn't bother them and they are all very close. Hikari only enrolled in this specific academy so that she could beat Kei Takishima who since they first met has always made Hikari number two. We follow the characters through a school year of being part of the Special A as well many changes in feelings and relationships along the way.

I still don't know exactly how I feel about Hikari, she is cute and bubbly, but I think at times it was over done. I know that anime characters are supposed to stand out because of their characteristics, but they really played up how oblivious she was about Kei's feeling until the last couple episodes. Even when she does finally realize she is still so reserved about it until the very end that I found it a little bit annoying. I loved that she was all about hard work and deteremination, but there is a point where too much of a good thing becomes annoying and I felt this way about Hikari sometimes. That being said, I think her and Kei's relationship is adorable and I am glad about how that turned out. 

I really liked Kei as a lead male. Like most anime leading men he was quite and hard to get along with, but the fact that we got into his head and it was obvious that from the beginning that he liked Hikari made me warm up to him quickly. The episode when he is sick has to be one of my favorites even if Hikari's idiotic tendencies makes me rather upset in this episode. The fact that he doesn't just work to protect Hikari, but all of his friends also makes him likable even though he is rather run of the mill when it comes to anime guys. On a complete side not, I had an issue with how they drew his eyes. I don't know what it was, but they were just weird to me. 

Akira and Tadashi were the voices of reason really in this anime, when they weren't having their own. Tadashi, though usually portrayed as a idiot who only wants to eat, multiple times throughout the series shows that he understands a lot more then what everyone gives him credit for. He is happy go lucky and a loyal friend, even if he is preoccupied with food. Akira is the reason to Hikari's wildness. She loves cooking for the group and usually keeps her head, but I also really loved the arc about her character because it made the anime not just about Hikari and Kei, but about the whole group. I really love the two of them as a couple, they are precious.

Rounding out the seven are Jun and Megumi, twin brother and sister, and Ryuu. Ryuu, who isn't related to the siblings takes care of them while their parents are out on tour and becomes a big brother, protector, and idol to Jun and Megumi. He also has a weird ability to make animals love him and he likes them in return, which causes quite a bit of jealousy with Jun and Megumi. Jun is a quite and rather shy boy until it is discovered that he has a split personality. A playboy that comes out when he is kissed by a girl, and his regular calm self. This play boy Jun causes many problems, but in the end gets him and Sakura, and outside character introduced to the group first as a marriage interview for Kei, together. I personally don't really like this couple, but I guess it could have been worst. Megumi has to be the most eccentric of the group because she doesn't speak (well until later in the series) but writes everything down in a sketch book to save her voice. Megumi, when she does sing, has almost destructive power unless listened to from far away. Megumi ends up in a relationship with Yahiro, who had been a villain for a few episodes, and they have to be my favorite couple in the series. There is just something about this "bad guy" who isn't bad after all taking care of Megumi that makes me into a gooey mess. 

Overall it was a fun and cute anime, but the ending kind of disappointed me. I wanted to see a shift in Hikari and Kei, but it was as if nothing changed. I guess that is what they both wanted, but I didn't want a kiss and then the end, I wanted something more. Just a little bit more. Due to this lack luster ending I give it a 4 out of 5. I will probably read the manga to see the ending they present, which is probably more hard fought. This is a fun anime to watch and just be happy, nothing really more though. 

City of Bones

City of Bones is the first book to one of my all time favorite series, The Mortal Instrument Series. Now the prequel series, Infernal Devices, actually came out after the first three books of this series so this was my first experience in the shadow world. Cassandra Clare really put a lot of effort into making this community and I have been fascinated ever since I first read this book. 

The plot revolves around fifteen year old Clary Fray who is an average teenager in New York City. She spends most of her time drawing and hanging out with her best friend Simon Lewis. However, one night when they are at the club Pandemonium, Clary witnesses three people her age kill another boy who they claim to be a demon. Soon after Clary's mom disappears and she is thrust into a world that is completely different then the one she has been seeing for the past fifteen years, though she hasn't set foot out of the city. As Clary works with the Shadowhunters Jace, Alec, and Isabelle, as well as their tutor Hodge, to find her mother she begins to learn things about herself, her relationships, her past, and her world that she could never imagine.  

The women of this series kick ass. It is as simple as that. Both Clary and Isabelle Lightwood don't let themselves be push around though they do it in two completely different fashions. Even Clary's mother Jocelyn, though absent for most of the book, is painted as a strong willed female. Clary is amazing, funny, quick witted, but still enough of an average girl that the reader can relate to her. She has problems dealing with her mom, her drawings hardly ever come out the way she wants them to, and she thinks she looks twelve instead of almost sixteen. Clary is a wonderful heroine, but she is far from perfect which makes the reader love her even more. Isabelle is what you would expect from a Hollywood leading woman. She is stunningly attractive, all the guys are enchanted by her, and at times she is a complete bitch. Even though Isabelle is a complete bitch there is something about her that you can't help but like, it is really weird. Maybe it is because, like Clary, secretly we all want to be a little like Isabelle. Either way both have no problem speaking their mind and taking out anyone they need to.

The men of this book are just as lovable and as amazing as the women. Jace Wayland is the main male lead (I feel like I am describing a play but this seems like the best way to do it) and a Shadowhunter that lives at the Institute with Alec and Isabelle Lightwood. Jace is a smartass, charming, and just that type of guy that every girl is attracted to, but probably wouldn't want to date because you know he wouldn't be good for you. He is also damaged, he fears loving anything or anyone too much because everything he has ever cared for has been taken from him. Even his best friend and fighting partner Alec can't break through his shell a lot of the time. Alec is almost the opposite of Jace, quite and reserved, almost scared to have people notice him, and yet still as attractive as his sister when someone stops and looks at him. In this novel you really don't like Alec until the end of the book, but his character is well crafted and you can understand his motives even if he pisses you off.

*spoilers past this point*

The two non-shadowhunter men in the book are Simon Lewis, Clary's best friend, and Luke Garroway, who is Clary's mother best friend. Simon is amazing, I can't say enough about his character. He is in love with Clary, who is oblivious to this fact, but also sarcastic, caring, smart, and just nerdy enough to be adorable. Simon and Jace have some of the best lines in the novel and they are so natural as well as funny that it is hard not thinking of them as actually people. Simon, even though he is not a shadow hunter, is also useful to the group and though he makes them get into a pretty bad situation having to go into a vampire lair to get him back  he makes it up for getting them out of one. Luke, though you rather hate him at the beginning of the novel, is really loveable after we find out that he is a werewolf and the story behind how he became a werewolf. It is amazing that within a chapter Luke became probably my favorite character. I love him.

From a writing point of view I found the dialogue to be absolutely amazing. You never realize how hard it is trying to write how people actually talk until you try to do it yourself. Cassandra Clare captures teenage speech perfectly as well as jokes, back and forth retorts, and sarcastic humor perfectly. The characters themselves are wonderful constructed and become living and breathing as you get further into the story and dialogue is a major way to make this happen.

Overall this book gets a 5 out of 5. I honestly think that everyone should at least give it a shot. The ending is a little...I don't know how to describe it without giving it away, but do not let it stop you from reading the other books, if you liked the story that it. I swear to you it has a gratifying ending, I won't say happy, but definitely gratifying. 

Skip Beat Anime

With the drama coming out I wanted to get a feel for the story before diving in so I went and watched the anime version of Skip Beat. I absolutely adored it, until the very end. How they thought that was a good place to end it is beyond me, but I will rant about that later. 

The plot line revolves are Sho Fuwa, Ren Tsuruga, and the lead female Kyoko Mogami. Kyoko was Sho's childhood friend and is madly in love with him. She quits school after middle school and moves with Sho to Tokyo so that he can pursue his singing career while Kyoko works many part time jobs to pay for the apartment that they live in. Kyoko soon finds out however that Sho is just using her as a maid and has no feelings for her at all. Kyoko swears to get revenge, but there is no way to do that except to enter Showbiz herself. Through her strong will and frightening atmoshere when it comes to Sho Kyoko makes it into the LME company which is the rival of Sho's and also where Sho'd rival Ren is the main star. Ren takes a disliking to Kyoko when he finds out she is only acting for revenge, but as the story progress becomes a mentor to her and soon the two are helping one another with their acting roles and personal lives, though Kyoko, being younger and always seeming to get on Ren's bad side, is more sneaky about it then Ren is.

I love Kyoko. I love her so much! I love that she has this dark side, yet can still be light and airy when she is truly touched. I never found her annoying like I have with a lot of other anime lead females and I was able to relate to her because her character wasn't one sided. Her personalty switches so rapidly that it is comical, yet I know people who's mood changes just as fast so it isn't quite in the realm of fasntasy. I loved that she just didn't sit around bitching or waiting for someone to save her, but for the most part took her life into her own hands, but still could admit when she was wrong. Her character was one that you could easily laugh at as well as love.  

Kanae Kotonami is the other female that is prominante in the series and also becomes likable in her own right. After an initial triumphs over Kyoko she is also sent to the Love Me section. Though she wants nothing to do with Kyoko she is soon drawn in by her character and they become unlikely friends. I like that there is a rather serious and calm character to mellow out Kyoko's extremes, but Kanae still had out bursts of her own. The two characters balanced each other out wonderfully.

Ren Tsuruga is probably one of the few male anime leads that made me love him without me even noticing. I didn't even realized I liked him until things were so unresolved in the end. It isn't that you hate him while the chow is progressing, but it is such a gradual progression from him just being a character to you actually liking him that I didn't even notice it. He isn't really all that different then the other lead males, but there was just something in this story line that made me really care for him, at times more then I cared about Kyoko. Maybe it was because he was so guarded and reserved or maybe because he was rather mean to Kyoko, but really it was for her own good. I can't really describe it, but I really liked his character.

Sho Fuwa, unfortunately, is not really in the series all that much, but from the few times we see him his personality becomes clear. He is childish and selfish and you can't help but grow to hate him as much as Kyoko does because we follow her through out most of the show. My favorite episodes of the series, however, where when Sho and Kyoko interacted at his promo shoot. It let the watcher get into his head and see exactly what was going on, not just what Kyoko thought about him. I wish he would have been in the series more often, but then again it was cut off rather abruptly. 

Overall it gets a 3 out of 5. It would have been so much higher is not for the ending. They built up so much tension that was never resolved and left to many lose ends that I literally felt like punching a wall. They followed the manga so closely, which is still ongoing, but ended before resolving all the problems that were introduced. Even the romances, or budding romances, were ignored. It made me so upset that I am not reading the manga to see what happens because they ended in the middle of a story arch. I don't know why I was so surprised though, the manga is usually always better then the anime, but ending in the middle of a story arch....really. It is worth a watch and is fun, but just be ready for a disappointing ending. 

Spring Semester

So I have gone to all my classes except a recitation and a lecture and I think this semester is going to be really fun, a lot of reading and writing to do, but fun.

Introduction to Film - it is at 9 in the morning, which is a bummer, but I am going to watch and talk about movies so it isn't too bad. It is not a writing intensive course, which is marvelous since I have three this semester already. I don't really have an opinion on the professor yet, she doesn't seem horrible or really fun, just average. We watched a silent film the first day, Sherlock Jr., and I am really starting to love them. They are so light hearted and fun and the actors really put a lot of effort into portraying their characters.

Advanced Fiction - Well is it mostly the same class from last semester plus a few others who took the night intermediate fiction class (one of these people being the boy I thought was cute in Intro to fiction) We are allowed to do novel excerpts in this class, which makes me a little more at ease since I am more of a novel writer then a short story person, though I have gotten better due to these classes. I just am a little leery about others reading them, but then again I always am

Research Methods - The material is going to be boring as all hell, but my professor is adorable. She is from Russia and still has a wonderful accent as well as being a really cool person. She is a Grad student so she is really relaxed and chill, which for a two and a half hour class is really nice. Even though I think I am going to dislike the material I think the lecture is going to be fun.

Russian Short Stories in Context - I had no idea it was just Russian short stories until I got to class this morning, but I like Russian literature for the most part so it shouldn't be too bad. Russian Fairy Tales was pretty fun and I can take a good dose of depressing when the occasion calls for it. Though there does seem to be a lot of reading, which with all my other classes is going to be difficult, but I'll manage. My professor is also a Grad student and she also has an accent, though she didn't tell us what nationality she was.

Children and Culture - I have only had recitation for this class so far, but my TA is so sweet. She is South African and has an amazing accent (can you tell I love accents?). She is also very smart and easy to talk to and the class is really laid back so I feel comfortable talking. It should be really helpful when we actually get into material, though I basically have to run from my earlier class to get there on time since it is almost totally across campus.

So that's about it. I wanted to give you all a heads up so when I start bitching you will know what it's all about XD


 

One for the Money

I used my winter break to get some reading done, one of the books I reread was One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

I just recently found out that the movie is coming out this January, so excited, so I thought it was a perfect time to reread the series. I actually came by this series in a kind of unusual fashion. My brother, who it two and a half years older then me, was taking a Detective Fiction class in college and this was one of the course books. He had left it on the dinning room table one weekend when he came home and I started leafing through it as I waited for the Sims to load on the computer in the dinning room. I was instantly sucked in and finished it before the weekend was over. Not soon after I started collecting the rest of the series and I haven't regretted a thing. 

This book starts with Stephanie Plum in a very low spot in her life. She was recently laid off and is quickly running out of furniture and appliances to sell to make ends meet. In a moment of complete desperation she blackmails her cousin into giving her a job as a bound enforcement agent, bounty hunter, for his bail bonds office. Her first Failure To Appear she needs to find, none other then vice cop Joe Morelli who has had a very stormy relationship with Stephanie since the train incident in his father's garage when she was six. Now the capture is turning personal, though Stephanie tires to convince herself it is just for the $10,000 she'll make for the capture. As Stephanie gets further into tracking down Morelli she finds out that everything isn't exactly what it seems. Soon someone is trying to kill Stephanie and she has a crazy boxer insistent on doing very bad things to her, Stephanie soon finds herself over her head, but she isn't about to give up.

The characters in this novel, as well as series, are absolutely amazing and very real. Stephanie is a character that almost any woman can relate to. She hates working out and spiders, loves food, and wants to loss weight. She is unique and fun and since the story is told from her point of view you never know what to expect from her next. Ranger, another bond enforcement agent, is all sorts of badass and also helps Stephanie learn the ropes. Though you don't see much of him in his novel, the dynamic between him and Stephanie is wonderfully written. Joe Morelli is a character that is hard to put words to, he is fun and flirty and also a complete asshole. We don't see all that much of him until the very end of the novel and though he is very caring and protective towards Stephanie, he still has the ability to piss her off like no other. The dialogue between the two of them is some of the best in the entire novel. There are many other colorful characters that we run into, like Stephanie's family, but these three are the spotlights of this novel.  

Overall this book gets a 4.7 out of 5. It doesn't get a perfect score because I know it gets better, which is rather unfair, but whatever. If you enjoy mysteries or just want to be very entertained I recommend this book. The characters will quickly grow on you and the dialogue is wonderful. 

   

Another Semester, another set of grades

Hello!
I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and are getting ready for New Years. I know I haven't been posting much, but I have been spending the break relaxing and playing the Sims 3 so nothing really to report. I did look at my grades and it was a pretty impressive semester

Statistics: A
Abnormal Psychology: -A
Japanese Art History: -A
Intermediate Fiction: -A
World Literature in English: -A

Let's just hope this can keep up until next semester!

Supernatural Season 2

*I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible, but there will be some. You have been warned*

So if the first season of Supernatural is everything that can make you fall in love with a series, the second season is everything that makes you fall in love with the characters. I have cried, screamed, laughed, and about any other emotion you can think of during this season. It is so much more emotional then the first, probably due to the fact that they now had a fan base and were less scared of getting canceled. I don't know if I like it better then the first season, but it is just as addicting and amazing. 

Once again we join Sam and Dean on their quest to hunt demons and ultimately kill the yellow eyed demon that took their mother's and Sam's girlfriend's life. The season starts right where season one left off, the semi truck slamming into the side of the Impala. Sam and his father make it through the accident just banged up, but Dean, who was already pretty messed up, is in a coma. To save Dean's life his father makes a deal with the yellow eyed demon, his life and the colt for Dean's. The season progresses with the fight to find and kill the demon, but as Sam and Dean run into more and more physics like Sam, Sam starts to question himself and whether he should live. The first season was setting up the world and the characters, this season is most definitively about the brothers bond.  

We are introduced to a few new characters in this season. Ellen, Jo, and Ash all live in the Roadhouse, a bar that is owned by Ellen and frequented by hunters. Ellen's husband was a hunter and worked with John on a few hunts, including his last. Jo wants to follow in her father's footsteps and be a hunter, but Ellen isn't having any of it. The mother and daughter have a falling out midway through the season, which leads Jo out hunting away from the Roadhouse. Ash is a brilliant, if socially awkward, friend of Ellen's and Joe's that lives in the Roadhouse and set up an algorithm to find the yellow eyed demon from the data that John collected. I love Ash so much, he is adorable, and I also love Ellen, however I can't find it in myself to like Jo. Now I love the actress Alona Tal, but the character was just too...over the top I guess. I know a lot of fans like her, but she just didn't do it for me. 

My favorite episode has to be Tall Tales. I have a soft spot for Richard Speight Jr. after watching Band of Brother and he plays the Trickster so well. The season also plays up the relationship siblings have for one another. Sam and Dean have been through so much and yet at times it is difficult for them to even stand each other. I think the main reason I loved it was all the humor. Most Supernatural episodes have their share of laughs, but this one was mostly fun and less creepy, scary, hide under your bed stuff. Even if you don't watch Supernatural I am sure you will enjoy this episode. 

My least favorite episode is What Is and What Should Never Be. After the emotional roller coaster that was Heart I was expecting a lot of heart gripping, sobbing, and heart smashing in this episode, but it didn't get emotional until the very end. I know that it is setting up the last two episodes of the season, but even then I wanted so much more out of it. Maybe it was because Heart was so good that I expected it to be repeated, but it wasn't. Now I am not saying I hated the episode, but it was rather flat in my opinion.   

Overall a much more emotional season. The bond between the brother's is showcased more in this episode and having an older brother myself it was painful at times to watch Dean struggle as Sam asks him to kill him. Dean broke my heart so many times this season that I couldn't even take it. I am glad that Bobby came back for this season and that more hunters were introduced even if I didn't like some of them. As for a rating, I am giving it a 4.95 out of 5 because though it is amazing the first season beats it by a small margin.  

Eyes Like Stars

What? I have actually finished a book not related to my school work? Trust me I am just as shocked as you are, but it has indeed been done. Now this isn't the first time I have dived into the wonderful world of Theatre Illuminata in Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev, but the book is so good that really I could read every week.

The story revolves around Beatrice Shakespeare Smith, lovingly referred to as Bertie, who lives on the stage of the Theatre Illuminata. Theatre Illuminata is a magical theater that relies on the magic of The Book which binds all the players, who are not just actors, but the actually characters, to the theater. Bertie was brought to the theater by the Mistress of Revels when she was just a baby and ever since Bertie could wonder about her origins she has been trying to figure out who her mother is. However Bertie comes across more problems then her unknown parents when the Theater Manager tells Bertie she can no longer stay in the Theater due to her reckless actions and the effect she has on the players. Bertie convinces the Theater Manager to let her stay if she can restage Hamlet in Egypt and sell out the theater. However while Bertie tries to find her way as the newly appointed director with the help of her fairy companions in only a week to restage the play, the mischievous air elemental Ariel tries to complicate everything by attempting to escape the theater. Nate give Bertie a scrimshaw to protect her from Ariel's magic, but when she takes it off and Ariel steals The Book, Bertie's tears summon Sedna. The angry goddess of the sea tries to capture Bertie, but some magic protects her, so she takes Nate instead. Things become even more complicated when Ariel rips the pages out of the book and set the players free. Now Bertie has to repair the book, fix the Theater, restage Hamlet, and somehow save Nate.     

Bertie is a wonderful main character who is both funny, sarcastic, intelligent, and trying to find her way through her changing world. Sometime she can seem rather dense, but we you realize that the only world Bertie knows are those that she sees in the scenes created on stage it is more understandable. What I really loved is that in most coming of age stories the main character is trying to leave, but Bertie wants nothing but to stay in the theater. Bertie is not perfect, she makes mistake, and let her emotions overrun her better judgement, but that is what it is like to be a teenage girl. She is a character that is easy to want to be friends with and to cheer for while she faces the challenges in front of her. 

Now the two male leads in this act are Nate, a minor player from The Little Mermaid, and Ariel from The Tempest. Nate is Bertie's best friend as well as a steady personality while Bertie is all about impulse. Nate obviously cares deeply for Bertie, but it isn't until the play progresses further that we see it might be more then just friendship that the two feel for each other. Nate is by far one of the most likable pirates I have come across in novels and it still breaks my heart when Sedna takes him. That being said, Ariel is my favorite male lead. Ariel was Bertie's childhood playmate until Mrs. Edith told Bertie she could no longer play with him because she feared he had a bad influence on her. He is so human, well as human as an air elemental can be, with both his actions and his wishes. I wish I had words to properly describe Ariel, but there are none for his wonderful and complex character. I can't wait to see how Bertie's relationship with both boys plays out in the other two novels. 

However my favorite characters in the novel are the fairies that are Bertie's companions and best friends. Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, and Moth are players from A Midsummer Night's Dream from Shakespeare. They are the comedic relief, Bertie's support system, and all around difficult to not like. Now I don't remember what the genders are of the fairies in the actually play, if they are specified at all, but I liked how Peaseblossom was the only girl of the many band of fairies. They quickly capture your heart and unlike some other comic relief figures are not just for laughs.

Overall I give this book a 5 out of 5. I wish I could go into more detail, but I refuse to ruin the book for anyone by giving away the end. From a student trying desperately to learn how to write young adult fantasy I am even more deeply in love with the author Lisa Mantchev's work. She creates a world that is so easy to believe even though it makes the most loved characters from plays into a very everyday world. The dialogue is absolutely wonderful and so realistic that this has to be one of the most quotable books I have come across. I can not rave enough about this novel and I can't wait until I get the other books in the series to see how Mantchev pulls the whole story line together. 

Purple Hibiscus

If I had to put my feelings about this book into one word it would be this, rage. Pure and unbridled rage.

The story is centered around Kambili and her brother Jaja. Both children live in a strict catholic family with a father who is not only overbearing, but also abusive. When Kambili and Jaja visit their aunt they are opened to a new world of love and openness that they have never experienced before. While Jaja takes to this new environment right away, Kambili is shy and timid and it takes the provocation of her cousin Amaka and the friendship of the local priest, Father Amadi, for Kambili to finally come out of her shell. When the siblings return to their father's house it is far from a easy transition and soon everything starts to become difficult. 

Why does this novel make me so angry? Because the father is abusive and uses religion to try and justify his horrible actions. He causes his wife to have two miscarriages, breaks his sons finger, burns his daughters feet, beats her until she ends up in the hospital, and yet says it was because of love he does these things. In class some people tried to use the fact that he was an upstanding man in the community to say he wasn't a monster, but I had a hard time the whole novel. ** spoiler alert** When I found out that the mother has poisoned him I might have cheered a little. I don;t care what he did for the community, he brutalized his family and that is unacceptable. 

Overall, I am sure you have guessed, I despised this book and I doubt I will ever pick it up again unless I am forced to for another class. It had nothing to do with the writing of the novel, the imagery was beautiful, but the content. It gets a 1 out of 5

Nervous Conditions

I will get caught up on all these books so help me! Alright the next book I had to read for World Literature in English was Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga.

We finally left India and are now focusing on Africa. This brought on a map quiz of Africa in a literature class, which I wasn't overly happy about, but I think I did alright on it. The novel itself focuses on Tambudzai, referred to as Tambu, and her journey to achieve education. She is born to a lazy father and a poor family, however her Uncle is well educated and wealthy from being taught by the missionaries. Tambu's brother is taken by Babamukuru to the mission and educated, however he dies of an illness while at the mission. Because of this Tambu is given the opportunity to further her education at the mission.

This story isn't just about getting to go to school and learning, it deals with colonization, feminism, religion, and many other complex and difficult issues. Tambu's cousin Nyasha is kind of a teacher that teaches Tambu not to just follow others blindly, but to think for herself. However Nyasha, who lived for five years in England, can not fit into the mold of a proper African girl that Babamukuru wants her to which leads to much hardship for Nyasha.

I rather liked this novel and even though at parts it seemed repeating the same thing and annoying, it had a good message and still interesting. Tambu was a character that you could easily identify with even if you had never been in her situation. It is easy for the reader to get angry with Tambu about how the men at the homestead do nothing, yet they blame everything on lack of money. Overall I will give this novel a 3 out of 5. I wouldn't have picked it up if not for this class, but I am not opposed to reading it again.    

Rich Like Us

Once again I am falling behind in my posting, but I am going to try my best to keep up. Alright so for the most aggravating class this semester, as known as World Literature in English, I have recently had to read Rich Like Us by Nayantara Sahgal.

The novel is told in two point of views, first person when we are following Sonali, and third person when we are with Rose. Rose is and English woman who was taken from her life if hard work in the lower classes for England to India by Ram, who already had a wife. When the reader is following Rose's story we see that though Rose is English she is much more Indian then her own husband and wins the love of both Ram's father, who hates everything English, as well as ram's first wife Mona. However Mona's son Dev, who Rose now lives with due to Ram's stroke, hates Rose. She does not hold her tongue when she sees Dev working with the corrupt government to set up a factory. This brings Sonali into the story who losses her job because she does not approve the factory being brought in from England. Sonali's part of the novel focuses more on current problems in India, such as the Emergency. By intertwining the two characters stories we see both the past and the present easily.

I really don't have much to say about this novel. I didn't hate it, but I didn't exactly like it either. It was an easy read and talked about important issues, yet I couldn't really get into Sonali's part of the narrative, I was much more interested in Rose. This might be because I knew about what Rose was talking about, England and WWII, where as I have little knowledge about the Emergency. If you are interested in India or the Emergency in general I think it is worth a read, but otherwise I don't recommend it. Overall it gets a 2.5 out of 5.

Procrastination at its finest

I have so much I have to do before next Tuesday, yet here I am talking to all of you. I have a midterm in my Intermediate Fiction class that I need to start writing, a book to finish for World Literature in English, and a chapter to finish and then study for History of Japanese Art since my test is on Tuesday. The only class that isn't having me do back flips Tuesday is Abnormal Psychology. This is just normal college bitching and I should be happy that I am here and furthering my education, but sometimes I just want a weekend where I don't have to do anything. 


Now that I written this I feel stupid and whiny. I have no right to complain. Just the motivation I need to get this stuff done. 

Inspector Lynley - Playing For The Ashes

I literally stumbled upon this Mystery! show by pure chance one night when I had my TV on in my room before bed. It this was before we had cable so I only had five channels. I can't remember which episodes PBS was showing that night, bur within the few minutes I had it one while I was getting changed it sucked me in. I watched the end of that episode and tried in vain to watch it next week, but I didn't understand how Mystery! worked and that it wasn't the same show every weekend. I now know better, but I also own a few on DVD.

All that being said I have recently been informed that this is based off novels and watching the beginning credits, which I must have not before, I see that indeed they are. I must get my hands on one of these to see if I enjoy them as much as the show. Anyway the story follows Detective Inspector Lynley and his partner Detective Sargent Havers as they run down and catch criminals. Simple enough and done on many other programs, but I think the reason I like this so much is the dynamic between Havers and Lynley. There is a partner, slightly romantic, kind of awkward, brother and sister, I don't even know relationship that pulls the story along. I have to say though if you haven't watched any British programming before it might take you a while to warm up to the characters.

This episode centers around the death of a famous cricket player and a radical group stealing dogs that are going to be used in testing. Now I know absolutely nothing about cricket and it makes no sense at all to me, but the episode still made perfect sense. Now I felt no sympathy for the man who died, he was divorcing his wife who had three children, shaking up with his agent, and also living with a wealthy woman. However I really was surprised at who the actual culprit was and though the dogs had nothing to do with the death it was needed to piece everything together. It was a brilliantly woven together crime and solution that was really fun to watch.

The relationship between the wealthy woman and her daughter was really touching and extremely heart breaking in the end. Olivia was so confused and so alone and had no idea what to do. Finally her and her mother are reunited and then everything goes wrong. I felt so bad for Olivia and wished that in the end something would have been done to help her. I also felt for the cricket players wife and son. The wife couldn't admit that he was leaving her and her children while the sixteen year old son was trying to take care of his family the best he could. There was a lot of heart in this episode which you didn't realize until the end. 

Overall I think that it was a wonderful mystery that kept me on my toes. This might be because of my lack of knowledge of the cricket world, but I don't think that could be all. I always love a good mystery as well as crime show and I have always loved British programming so it isn't hard to see why I fell in love with this series. It might also have to do with the fact that if I ever became a cop I would probably be a lot like Havers.

Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book One Water

So after hear everyone rave about this anime, even my best friend who usually doesn't like this sort of stuff, I finally sat down and started to watch it. I can say that it pulled me in quickly and now that I am done with the first book I am excited to move on to see what happens next. A quick run down goes like this...the fire nation is trying to take over all the other nations (water, earth and air). The war between the nations has been going on for almost 100 years and the air nation has already fallen to the fire benders. The avatar is the only person who has any chance of bringing the fire nation down, but he has been missing since the war started. We join the story as the Avatar, Aang, is rediscovered in an ice berg by Katara and her brother Sokka. Soon they set off to get Aang masters so Aang can bend all the elements and fulfill his destiny. 

Aang is the avatar so obviously he is the main character, but there is a lot of growth in his character through out the first book. When we first meet Aang he is only a fun loving boy of twelve who wants nothing but see the world and explore all the fun it possess. However as soon as he sees what the fire nation has been doing in his absence he starts to embrace his destiny slowly and works towards mastering the elements. Aang is lovable as well as someone that your heart goes out to. It is a lot of responsibility for a twelve year old to handle. 

Katara is the heroine in this anime and sometimes it feels as if she is the main character. Katara is the voice of reason and logic from the beginning as well as the only water bender left on the South Pole. As she tries to protect Aang she also has to grow up herself. She is so engrossed by learning to water bend and use her power that on more then a few occasions it gets the group into trouble. Sometimes I found myself a little upset with Katara, but then I had to remember that she is only a kid as well and even though she acts much older she is still subject to childish impulses. 

Sokko is usually used as the comical relief in this series, but he also does so much more. Unlike in many other cartoons where he would only be there for laughs Sokka is very important to the story. He is not a bender like most of the other characters that they encounter, yet he fights and holds his own when he needs to. The relationship between him and Yue was adorable. I knew what was going to happen because I saw the live action version *shakes head* but I still felt sad when Yue and Sokka kissed for the last time. Sokka quickly became one of my favorite characters because while Katara and Aang are all high hopes and ambitions, Sokka is grounded and practical.

Zuko, though he is seen as the bad guy for most of this season, is by far the character that develops the most. I have a hard time deciding whether he or Sokka is my favorite character in this first season. He has a wonderful heart and great passion, but he is torn between his loyalty and love for his father and doing what he thinks is right. Though this is only the first season, by the last episodes you can see that he is really confused about what he should do with his mission to capture the avatar.

Now a little time has to be given to tree very special characters. Iroh, Appa, and Momo really are important secondary characters even though two of them are animals. Iroh is just plan badass, there is no more to say then that. When you first meet him you think he is just a sweet old man, but as the season progresses you learn just how wise, powerful, and smart he is. He is the reason Zuko is half that man he is and will become. Appa is Aang's animal guide and kind of badass. He is all cute and flying until the Bato of the Water Tribe episode where he fights the bounty hunters beast. You can't watch this and not love Appa. The same goes for Momo who is comic relief. He is just so freaking cute! 

Now usually I pick my favorite and least favorite of a season, but I can honestly say that there are none that stand out from the pack as really good or really bad. Now don't take that the wrong way, I mean they are all awesome that there are none that I this is much better or worse then all the rest.

Overall I think that this is a rather deep show for what is supposed to be a child's cartoon. Watching it as a nineteen year old it deals with deep issues and though you can watch it for pure entertainment you can also learn a lot from it. This is probably the reason it is still so popular with a wide range of ages and they are making another series (which I am super excited for!) It is much like a Disney movie in the sense that there is a lot of things that is thrown in for the older audience and I love when they do that. This gets a 4.9 out of 5.