Review: The Artemis Fowl Files

The Artemis Fowl Files
Eoin Colfer
Companion to the Artemis Fowl series

The Artemis Fowl Files is comprised of two original stories: "LEPrecon": the story of Fairy Police Captain Holly Short's move from Traffic to Recon following her initiation into the Fairy Police; and "The Seventh Dwarf", featuring Mulch, Butler, and Artemis himself.

EXTRAS INCLUDE: 
• "Behind-the-scenes" interviews with major characters including: Artemis, Holly, Foaly, Mulch, and Eoin 
Colfer himself
• Coded section from the Fairy Book for kids to translate
• A section for Fairy Spotters including the different categories of Fairy and their physical characteristics 
and personality traits, including: Elves, Trolls, Sprites, Pixies Goblins, Dwarves and Centaurs
• Technical diagrams of Foaly's inventions

Hey there! Here for a rare middle-of-the-week post. Enjoy!

You can read my review of Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian here. As you can see in the link, I absolutely ADORE this series. Genius young criminal mastermind? Kick-butt faeries? What's not to love? So, naturally, I was overjoyed to stumble upon this great find in the library.

The book was quick and fun (200 pages) with activities to entertain a kid for hours (fortunately, I have stuff to do. I did not abandon my maturity. But I would have like to:)). 

The stories were written flawlessly and the interviews had me laughing. I adored getting bonus content from my favorite characters- you get some more of Holly's background which I thought was pretty cool, and a story of Artemis and Mulch that has been referenced in the series but I hadn't known had been written! You can read this companion after having read just one of the series. 

Rating:

Love,
Esty

Book-to-Movie Review: Mockingjay Part 1

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

book by Suzanne Collins

When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.

IMDb, you continue to fail with these synopses. 

My review of the Catching Fire movie. 

As you can see in the above review, Catching Fire was pretty much unbeatable on every front. Lucky for me, I wasn't holding out for better than the second movie, but rather a REALLY GOOD ADAPTATION of what Mockingjay as an individual book and the series as a whole was all about. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED.

However if you didn't like the book you won't like this movie (I'm basing this on friends). I thought Mockingjay was truly a perfect conclusion to the trilogy- full circle (Prim's death, Coin's suggestion of a new Hunger Games). Therefore, I found the film to be a real success.

Just like in the first two movies, this one stays close to the book not only in dialogue and events, but in TONE AND FEEL. You experience everything Katniss feels right along with her. You can especially see this in the scene with the rescue mission for Peeta (a welcome addition that wasn't in the novel)- you're worried sick for BOTH Gale and Peeta, and at the same time listening to Finnick tell his story and absolutely destroying your heart. You're jumpy just like she is- the cat makes a little noise and the whole crowd got a heart attack. 

I missed Cinna and loved Prim. 

Effie and Haymitch. I actually applauded when they FINALLY got on screen. (quietly. Relax, I remembered I was in a theater) If nothing else, they are the reason I watch these films. 

The acting was SUPERB. I was peering through my fingers from fear in the scene where Peeta attacks. And Jennifer Lawrence gave me chills with her lines REPEATEDLY.

Mockingjay Part 1 was not a feast for the eyes the way Catching Fire was (in regards to the gorgeous shots) but it touched my soul in the way the book did and the previous movies didn't- the sirens, the bombings, the wounded, the bodies, the chilling shots of massacres and singing of The Hanging Tree (dear god that one is going to play in people's nightmares for a long time). Everything was so real and realistic. 

Amazing work, people. Now please hurry along Part 2. A year is too long a wait for me. 

Rating: 

Happy weekend!

Love,

Esty

Review: The Shadow of the Swarm

The Shadow of the Swarm (The Morrow Secrets #2)
Susan Mcnally
Middle grade, adventure

What will Tallitha do next? How will she escape from the sinister castle at Hellstone Tors and the grip of the Morrow Swarm? Will she ever see Winderling Spires again?

Grand Witches, Hellstone Shroves, evil relatives, strange creatures and supernatural powers abound in the second book in Tallitha Mouldson’s exciting adventures in the strange land of Breedoor.

Find out what happens in the next instalment of The Morrow Secrets and meet some exciting new characters as Tallitha and her trusted friends’ battle to free her from the Swarm and the spell of Hellstone Tors. 

You can read my review of book #1 here.

The Morrow Secrets and it's sequel, The Shadow of the Swarm,  were sent to me by Sweet Cherry Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you guys!

In the end of The Morrow Secrets I really started to get into the story. In this installment, Tallitha and Tyaas are stuck in Hellstone Tors, separated from Esmeralda and their friends the skinks. This made for an opportunity to play with the POVs, which I am happy to say the author took. We get chapters told by Cissie and her family who meet up with the Skinks, Esmeralda, and the Morrow Sisters back at Winderling Spires. I like the new and old characters so this method was a a refreshing change from book #1 :)

The novel is much bigger than the first, but a lot more happens so it can be excused. I also think the writing got a lot better, not colorful for the sake of being colorful like before but more natural. 

The art and cover were, as always, gorgeous. Recommended for a strong young reader, or for a spooky bedtime story to read to kids a bit at a time.

As you can see, from now on I'll be posting on weekends only. School is so intense this year! 
Love,
Esty

Feature and Follow Friday - Featured Blogger!

Hey guys! Happy weekend! To the newcomers, welcome to my blog! As you can see, been soooo super busy- last post was last week's FF! Not to worry- I have some reviews and a massive STS coming your way(:

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read and Rachel at Parajunkee. For the rules, head on over to their blogs. (I'll try to put the Linkup right here below but it never seems to work for me) This week I got to be their featured blogger! So happy and excited, and looking forward to meeting new people and discovering new blogs. The interview with me can be found at Parajunkee. My preferred method of following is GFC, but Bloglovin and Twitter are great too! 

Let's do this! This week's question is:

Craziest thing you'd be willing to do for an ARC you are dying to read (aka what would you doooo-ooo for that ARC you want? *think of the Klondike Bar music*) - Suggested by A Great Read

I think the answer to 'what wouldn't I do for an ARC I'm dying to read' would be shorter(; I draw the limit at jump off a plane and swim with sharks. I would bungee jump though!

Love,

Esty