Monday, December 30, 2013

Cloud Atlas (2012)

★★

I can appreciate that this movie was a grand, large-scale project, but simply put, I just couldn't get past the yellowface. I know there was a theme of souls transcending race and gender, but this excerpt from the linked article sums it up for me:

In one plotline concerning black slaves, each slave was played by a black actor.

"You have to ask yourself: Would the directors have used blackface on a white actor to play Gyasi’s role?” asked Aoki [founding president of Media Action Network for Asian Americans], referring to David Gyasi, the freed slave in the film. I don’t think so: That would have outraged African American viewers. But badly done yellowface is still OK."


And yes, the yellowface was badly done. When I saw the first yellowfaced actor on screen, I expressed my indignation. In response, Ken assured me that the man was not meant to be Asian; surely he was some kind of conglomerate alien race / human / machine hybrid. Uh, actually, it turned out he was meant to be Korean.

Anyway, I liked the idea of a single soul being reincarnated through time and space, but my eyes weren't keen enough to spot the fleeting birthmark in each of the story lines. After the movie, I had to resort to an Internet search to find out who had the birthmark.

Also, I honestly just kept getting confused. We watched the movie after the kids went to bed, not knowing how long it was, and it went on well past midnight. Maybe I just wasn't fully awake enough to follow the many angles being presented. This first viewing, though, didn't pique my interest enough to encourage a second viewing.

Much Ado About Anne (The Mother-Daughter Book Club #2) by Heather Vogel Frederick

★★★★½

Well, I guess it's pretty meaningful that even though I'm a slow reader, I read this book in just two days.

Once again, Isabelle loved this book and said she would give it 6 stars if possible. I definitely enjoyed this book a lot more than the first.

I liked that the Chadwicks all became more complex characters, and I loved the development of Stewart in particular.

I liked that the book revealed the different perspectives of each of the four girls. So much of one's middle school years are spent comparing your life with others', and I think this book does a really great job of showing that it's only human nature to compare, but at the same time, we should appreciate what we have, and it usually doesn't do any good to make comparisons. For example, Jess can't stand her little brothers, but Megan is an only child and thinks Jess's little brothers are cute. Emma likes having an older brother, but sometimes she wishes she can have an older sister like Cassidy's.

I love that this book makes mention of other books. Isabelle was very excited when she found out that the book club book was Anne of Green Gables, which we read together, and that Emma had read the shoe books, some of which we've read, too. This book, like the first book in the series, also does a nice job of including educational tidbits about the author of the book club book - in this case, Lucy Maud Montgomery - as well as bits of local history, this time about Henry David Thoreau and Walden Pond.

Again, all the middle school problems in this book seemed pretty spot on, but I stopped short of giving this book 5 stars because of the way the over-the-top factor ramped up towards the end. I was more forgiving this time, since it came as less of a surprise after the first book. But what I really couldn't forgive was the misspelling of the name of the author of the shoe books! The author is Noel Streatfeild, but this book spelled it Streatfield. I know it's an unusual spelling, but all the more reason why the author and the editor should have made a point to get it right!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

The Prophet of Yonwood (The Books of Ember #3) by Jeanne DuPrau

★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

Coming third in the Ember series, this book surprised me by being a prequel rather than a sequel. Admittedly, I was disappointed once I realized that I would not be reading about Lina and Doon.

The Prophet of Yonwood takes place before the apocalyptic event that necessitated the building of Ember. By the end, I was again disappointed to realize that despite being a prequel, this book was only tangentially related to Ember, and the Builders of Ember were only lightly touched upon. In fact, this book takes place a good 50 years before "the Disaster".

As it turns out, this book is basically the story of a young girl named Nickie who tries to figure out the world around her. It just so happens that the world is under threat of annihilation, but for the most part, life goes on as usual even while people fear imminent war. The reason I'm giving this book 3 stars - which may seem a little high - is because I think the philosophical questions about "good" versus "bad" make good food for thought for young readers. The book does discuss God, but not any particular religion. There is something of a warning against those who claim to know exactly what God wants, and a push to encourage readers to think for themselves. On page 185 of my edition, Grover says to Nickie, "You should think about what's the right thing to do. Not just take someone's word for it." For those who fear that the book may be anti-religious, it may help to know that Nickie doesn't come to any final conclusions about God, but she does come to terms with Him by giving an offering to "her" God, who is "the god who loves everyone and who makes everything marvelous." (Page 256)

Strangely, this book had all sorts of random references - to dust mites, snakes, Siamese twins, etc. It was so bizarre, but I was pleasantly surprised when all the random pieces turned out to be relevant in some way. Except for the doings of Hoyt McCoy, and a small bit of a journal left by Nickie's great-grandfather... There are hints of some kind of supernatural, parallel universe stuff going on, and that it somehow played a part in delaying world war, but it's not at all fleshed out, and really only adds confusion.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Frozen (2013)

★★★★★

*** WARNING: This review contains spoilers!! ***

I think my rating is overly generous because it was just so much fun going to the movies!! I hadn't been to a movie theatre in months, and it was especially nice going with just Isabelle and me.

Excitement aside, I do think this was a good movie. Instead of the usual girl-meets-prince-and-gets-married plot, we have girl-meets-prince-and-falls-in-love-only-to-find-out-later-he's-a-scoundrel! It actually has a very good "Don't rush into relationships!" message.

This movie was also interesting because, besides the prince-turned-scoundrel - the revelation of which only occurred towards the end of the movie - there really was no evil villain. There was one guy who was not exactly nice, but he wasn't an evil mastermind, and was more of a nuisance than anything else. The "badness" that propelled the story stemmed from a princess having been born with ice powers that she didn't know how to control. A really great twist on the usual Disney MO, I thought.

Also, I loved that the "true love" that saved the kingdom was not romantic love, but sisterly love. Plus, even though this movie does have romantic love, Elsa was just fine without it.

And of course, there's also a comic sidekick, and in this case, I really did enjoy Olaf the snowman!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Mother-Daughter Book Club (The Mother-Daughter Book Club #1) by Heather Vogel Frederick

★★★½

It's hard keeping up with Isabelle's reading! She picked this one up randomly from the local library. She said she would give this book 6 stars if possible! Alas, I am giving it 3 1/2 stars. Reading this book, I was really torn between things I liked and things I didn't like.

The main characters are four sixth grade girls who are in a mother-daughter book club. I think the book tries hard to have enough variety that most readers would find something to identify with in someone. Emma loves to read and belongs to a financially modest family. Megan is a Chinese-American who loves fashion and bucks the model minority stereotype, much to the chagrin of her wealthy MIT-educated parents. (Megan's tiger mom has the added quirk of being super into all-naturalness in a really over the top way that is, unfortunately, not at all a flattering representation of the vegan / eat local / environmental community.) Jess loves animals, is a whiz at math and science, has an organic farmer for a dad, and a soap opera actress for a mom. (What? Yeah.) Cassidy, a transplant from CA, is an athlete with a former supermodel for a mom. (Huh? Yeah.)

As this book got started, I really thought it had so much potential, despite the crazy portraits of the tree-hugger / supermodel / actress moms. Each chapter is written from the first-person perspective of one of the daughters, which I thought was a fun twist for young readers. The narrative sounds natural and flows well. The girls have typical middle school problems, and I can easily see how this book would appeal to late elementary and early middle school girls.

I loved that the book club was reading Little Women. Each chapter started with a relevant quote from the book, and interesting tidbits about the book and Louisa May Alcott popped up here and there. Additionally, the book takes place in Concord, MA (Louisa May Alcott's hometown), and I liked how information about the Revolutionary War was incorporated, too.

Unfortunately, there was also lot I didn't like about this book. Members of the Chadwick family were either sadly unfortunate or one-dimensionally unlikable. A queen bee daughter, an unpleasant my-daughter-can-do-no-wrong mother, a brother characterized only by his lack of athletic talent, and even a father with an ancestry worthy of ridicule. They had no redeeming qualities, no nuanced character development. And even though this mother-daughter pair were the bullies of the book, I didn't like the way the members of the book club - mothers and daughters alike - made fun of the mom for being overweight. Just not the type of behavior I want my daughter thinking is acceptable or funny.

Having knowledge of Little Women isn't necessary to read this book, but it would be helpful as references to the March girls and their experiences are strewn throughout the book. Many young girls in elementary school probably will not have tackled Little Women yet, but reading this book might inspire them to do so. Unfortunately - and I really can't forgive the book for this shortcoming - this book includes three MAJOR spoilers which, honestly, could ruin a person's Little Women reading experience.

The book has an over-the-top fairy-tale ending for just about everyone, and though the cheese factor was high, I can see how the happy ending would appeal to young girls.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

The People of Sparks (The Books of Ember #2) by Jeanne DuPrau

★★★★★

I'm surprising myself by giving this book 5 stars. I keep trying to think of reasons to downgrade my rating, but I just can't think of any. Maybe if I had more extensive post-apocalyptic reading under my belt, I would be less impressed by this book, but as it is, I just really liked it.

This book starts with a couple chapters that I really think should have been in the first book. The people of Ember have come out of from underground, and they now need to somehow put together a new life for themselves in this big, open world they have discovered.

Mostly, this book is a discourse on war. There's nothing new in it for me, but considering the target audience, I think this book would be a really valuable read for kids in elementary and middle school. I think the author did a remarkable job crafting the two communities - the people of Ember and the people of Sparks - and exploring the emotions and thought processes of various characters. Young readers will get a glimpse into the dark side of human nature, but hopefully be left with the idea that goodness can prevail despite injustices - it just might involve making hard choices and finding solutions where there seem to be none. The book examines questions of morality versus survival, and charisma versus actual leadership. I especially liked the way the book delves into Doon's uncertain fascination with Tick, and Torren's angry outbursts.

Maddy quickly became one of my favorite characters, and I only wished that her role was bigger.

I was a little annoyed, at first, that in Sparks - as in Ember - jobs for Emberites seemed to be assigned randomly, whereas a much more effective plan would have been to divide labor according to people's talents and interests. Luckily, the book redeemed itself on this point at the very end.

I am happy with this book's ending, and I actually don't feel compelled to read the next book in the series, but I probably will. Meanwhile, Isabelle has read the first chapter or so of this book, but she keep stalling and I wonder if she'll finish it.

City of Ember (2008)

★★½

I was disappointed by this movie in so many ways.

First, I will say that I liked the look of Ember in the movie even more than how I had pictured it to look in my mind's eye. I also liked the casting for Lina a lot.

And now for the things I didn't like...

The movie did not do as good of a job as the book in showing how the city of Ember was falling apart. A big deal was made in the book about how Lina longed for colored pencils, but in the movie she had assorted crayons readily available.

In the book, Lina sensibly carried around just the paper on which were printed the instructions. Why did the movie have her lugging around the big box everywhere?! There was a key in the box - that wasn't in the book - but that could easily have been carried in a pocket, as the mayor had carried his.

I didn't like how Mrs. Murdo was made into a flake, and I didn't think changing Lina's father's story really added anything at all.

The enormously sized insects were just weird.

The manner of egress was may more complex than it was in the book, which made it less believable because the movie's method depended on mechanisms still working 200+ years after they were built, whereas the book's method was simple and relied only on the continued existence of the river.

My absolute favorite part of the book - the existential image conjured up when Doon and Lina looked down upon their city - was fleeting at best. The movie poster itself was misleading, as I don't recall seeing any scene in the movie in which Lina and Doon were so closely above Ember.

Even in the book, the way in which Lina and Doon passed on the instructions to the rest of the people of Ember was pretty far-fetched, and hardly a reliable method at all, but the scene in the movie was even more unbelievable.

Finally, I had high hopes that the movie would provide better closure by incorporating information provided in the second chapter of the sequel, The People of Sparks. Alas, it did not, and the movie ended in the same way as the book, e.g., with me saying, "It ends just like that?!"

The Secret Garden (1993)

★★★½

Of course, after reading the the book, I had to watch a film adaptation! I managed to talk Isabelle and Sebastien into watching it with me, and a nice, cozy time was had by all.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Professor McGonagall cast as Mrs. Medlock, but then I was disappointed to see that Mrs. Medlock was a bit harsher than I imagined her to be in the book. As might be expected, there were quite a few deviations from the book, mostly for the sake of moving the story along, I think. A few new details were thrown in, maybe to add drama and poignancy. It was too bad, but understandable, that Martha's mother was left out entirely.

I liked seeing a grand, full-color representation of the gorgeous secret garden.

Though the ending itself was just as it should be, I didn't like that in order to get there, this movie version had Mary relapsing into a bout of contrariness. Her transformation in the movie was not quite as dramatic as it was in the book.

The acting (by the children) was sometimes less than natural, and at times the pace just seemed slow.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

The City of Ember (The Books of Ember #1) by Jeanne DuPrau

★★★★

Ken picked this book up at the library for Isabelle. It was in the children's section, and he thought the movie adaptation was interesting (he randomly borrowed it from the library a few years ago), so he figured why not. I had never heard of it. This was Isabelle's first science-fiction read, and I have to admit, given her usual taste in books (e.g., fairies, books about girls who dance or garden or who are just growing up and having adventures), I was surprised - and pleased! - by how much she enjoyed this book.

I was surprised, too, by how much I liked this book myself. The two main characters are Lina (a girl) and Doon (a boy), so it's nice that this book can appeal to both girls and boys. Lina - like many protagonists of children's book - is an orphan, and Doon - like many other protagonists of children's books - has a tendency to not share important information with adults. They realize that Ember, their city, is falling apart, and they look for a solution to help save their people.

It was interesting how, in the city of Ember, everything was old - broken, repaired, faded - or non-existent. Maybe young readers might realize how lucky they are to even have things like colored pencils, and to have new clothes and furniture - not at all stained or torn or dingy.

I liked that Lina and Doon did not just embark on a mission as two exceptionally competent children. When Lina comes upon a mysterious document, she does try to recruit adults to help her. It's not her fault they weren't much help. I do wish, though, that Doon hadn't kept everything secret from his father.

I was also kind of annoyed that when Lina discovered the hidden document, she and Doon didn't spend any time wondering where it came from. We readers know the answer, of course, but it still seemed like Lina and Doon should have been a little curious about how the document came to be found by Lina.

I also thought the idea of having randomly assigned jobs was ridiculous. I would think that in an enclosed city with limited resources, each person would be assigned a job based first on their actual abilities and potential in a given field.

Anyway, the book is a very fast read. Enough information is laid down so that you basically know exactly what is going to happen, but you keep reading because of the suspense in wanting to know how it happens. Still, at the very end, I literally exclaimed to Isabelle, "It ends just like that?!" And Isabelle said, "Yeah, I thought there should be more." I've already started the next book in the series, The People of Sparks, and I really think the second chapter in that book ought to have been included in this book instead.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Ender's Game (Ender #1) by Orson Scott Card

★★★★½

Ken says that if I had read this book as a teenager, I'd probably give it straight up 5 stars. I can see how young people reading this book might have a much more formative experience, which kind of makes me regret not having read it earlier.

The whole Battle School institution was an intriguing concept. Though the book held my interest throughout, it felt like everything was being laid out to set up something bigger, and I kept wondering when something would really happen. When it finally came down to it, I liked the ending, and I was not disappointed.

I liked that the book detailed Ender's inner thought processes, so we could easily see how he was a genius in the way he perceived, interpreted, and responded to other people's actions. I kept forgetting that he was only a child because the extent of his capabilities were so advanced. I had to repeatedly remind myself that he was identified as the most exceptionally gifted child in the world.

I was a little annoyed that everyone kept referring to the aliens as "buggers". Didn't they have an official, less childish name? And why didn't people use it? (Ken says other books in the series do reference a more formal name for the aliens.)

The Peter / Valentine personality dichotomy was interesting, and I liked how they teamed up later on, but I wish the book had gone into more detail about what their political philosophies were. For example, apparently Valentine actually coined new phrases in her popular writings - but what kind of phrases? I think it'd be fun to know. Maybe the lack of political details actually made the book more readable for younger audiences, so I shouldn't hold that against the book.

The version I read had a great introduction by the author, which I think really did provide additional insight that allowed me to better appreciate the book.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Two Sons of China by Andrew Lam

★★★★

I received an advance copy of this book for review.

Upon receipt of the book, I was immediately struck by the cover design. One of the "two sons of China" is Caucasian! He is an American soldier who had been born and raised in China, the son of missionaries. He seeks action in China during World War II, partly as a distraction from his own personal demons. The other "son" referred to in the title is a native Chinese man, a member of the Communist party for whom the fight to save his homeland from Japanese invaders is personal. The two soldiers, each holding his own beliefs, fight alongside each other and forge a friendship.

This book is well-written and descriptive. As might be expected in a story that takes place during a war, some passages are violent and graphic, though they are generally kept brief and matter-of-fact. The dialogue sounds natural, and the story is well-paced. Many times, it was easy to envision the scenes playing out on a big screen. There are exciting and suspenseful action sequences as well as some tender moments of romance. Events unfold naturally, though a couple unexpected twists popped up, too.

Being Chinese myself, I appreciated that every now and then, a character's words or actions gave insight into Chinese philosophies. These details illustrating the Chinese psyche gave the book as a whole a certain level of credibility.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will mention that my grandfather was a general in the Nationalist army during World War II. I think having a basic understanding of Chinese history would be helpful when reading this book, as knowing that the Communists and the Nationalists were at odds with each other, even as they both fought to dispel the Japanese, helps to put events in context more easily. Still, background knowledge is not necessary because the author sets up the time period in a very accessible way, and in fact, this book may even be a suitable introduction to modern Chinese history.

Early on, I briefly wondered if the book sought to sympathize with the Communists, but as the story unfolded, the narrative seemed to provide for a balanced perspective of both sides. I was especially impressed with how well the story depicted the shortcomings of both political parties.

As the two main characters get to know each other, it's no surprise that religion and politics are discussed. I liked that there was no heavy-handed proselytizing in this book, and it's not pedantic, either. Instead, there is just enough religion and politics to help develop the characters and put conversations and events into perspective.

While I enjoyed the writing as whole, there were a few isolated incidences of what I thought may have been questionable word choice... In the very beginning (on page 7 of my edition), a Chinese character speaks English, and his accent was specifically highlighted when the author used "Stih-weh" for "Stilwell" in the dialogue. Since all Chinese characters in the book presumably spoke English with a Chinese accent, was it necessary to emphasize the accent? It came across a bit like the way people might poke fun at English language learners. Also, in a chapter entirely focused on native Chinese people (on page 33), one man is referred to as a "Chinaman", which struck me as odd in that context, as if the third-person omniscient narrator had a Western bias. The word "Chinaman" is generally considered to be an American English construct with derogatory connotations, and its use a little later (on page 42) among American military officers was more fitting. Finally, I was put off by a few character descriptions that seemed to reinforce the negative stereotype of Asian men being short, slight, and weak. On page 63, a man is said to be "exceptionally tall and heavyset for a Chinese man," and on page 230, a man is described as being "unusually large and muscular for a Japanese" (emphasis mine). (Think: "She's smart for a girl.") Couldn't the descriptions have worked just as well without the ethnic qualifiers?

The book's poignant ending left me satisfied (and even a bit tearful), but I still wished a couple loose ends had been tied up a little more nicely. Without giving anything away that would require a spoiler warning, I will say that I was disappointed that one character never faced justice for a significant act of betrayal. Also, earlier in the book, it seemed as if two supporting characters were being positioned for an important role later on... but they weren't, and I wondered what happened to them.

Any time I read historical fiction - or see a movie "based on a true story" - I am always curious to know which parts of the story were based on fact, and which parts were fiction. I really appreciated the informative historical notes at the end of this book that told a bit about the actual Dixie Mission and some of the real-life players.

Overall, a complex backdrop for a gripping tale that held my interest throughout. A really good read.

Monday, December 2, 2013

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

★★★★½

I clearly remember coming across this book as a child, and knowing that other people thought it was a book worth reading. Somehow, though, a book about "a secret garden" just didn't interest me, and so I didn't read it.

In retrospect, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have appreciated it anyway. But now, as an adult, I can see why this book is so popular.

Basically, the story is about a 10-year-old girl named Mary Lennox who is orphaned and sent to live with her estranged uncle. This uncle owns a huge estate which hides a few secrets, including a garden. From the beginning, the circumstances and character of Mary Lennox made for very compelling reading. I was quickly drawn in and wanted to know what happens to her. New characters are introduced well into the first half of the book, and each character is even more interesting than the last. As Mary gets used to her new home and new surroundings, she learns much about herself, about the people around her, and about the joy of fostering growth in a living thing.

The story itself is well-suited for elementary school-aged children, but it may be a challenge for younger readers, partly because of the author's occasional use of "broad Yorkshire". Dialogue written in this dialect (which, for example, uses "tha" for "thou / you") may be difficult for young readers to parse. Isabelle tried to read this book (she received it as a gift), and though she made progress, I got the feeling she was glossing over parts. We decided to read the book together - me reading aloud to her - and we both enjoyed it immensely.

We actually read a really fantastic illustrated edition. The color illustrations were soft, with muted colors, but they did bring all the characters to life. There was a picture every 1-2 pages or so. Every now and then we did get a two-page spread of just text, but that was more than made up for by the occasional two-page spread of illustration. The book was truly a delight to read.

So, with all the high praise, why not 5 stars? I have to admit, towards the end, all the talk about "the magic of things growing" just got kind of long-winded.