Tim Burton Signing

A couple weeks ago, I went to the LA County Museum of Art to see Tim Burton. My boyfriend and I arrived at the museum at 8am and we were greeted with a huge line that stretched about a block away from the actual museum, outside of the La Brea Tar Pits. We waited for a while and I met up with a girl I knew from school named Crystal and her friend Phil. Hanging out with them was awesome and made the first couple of hours go by really fast. (The signing actually started at noon.) Phil has a blog of his own called The Brave New, where the goal is to do something new everyday. This month's theme is eating new food every day. I think this is a great idea and something that could put more spice into anyone's life. He had some really crazy stories about raves and eating weird foods. Anyway, some lady came to tell us that we probably wouldn't see him and to stay may be wasting hours of our precious lives. I, being a crazy and dedicated Burton fan, opted to wait until the very end in hopes of meeting the director and author that I most admire. So, my boyfriend and I waited for another few hours and were finally rewarded. Of course, we called our friends back to line so they could meet him too. I was super giddy when I met Tim Burton and I told him that I've been a fan of his work practically forever. He was very nice, despite having to meet about a billion people and then fly back to England for filming, and signed my big giant coffee table book of his art. Here are some super fuzzy pictures because we weren't allowed to used flash, which makes my camera go all crazy. This is Phil with Tim Burton.

I am very pleased that I have met 2 of my trifecta of awesomeness, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. All that remains is Danny Elfman, which will hopefully eventually happen. This Sunday, I will be seeing the actual exhibit, so hopefully I can take some pictures and share them with you guys. :)

Rotters

Joey Crouch has a pretty normal life. He lives with his mom and plays trumpet in the band at school. His whole world is turned upside down when she dies in a tragic accident and he is forced to lived with his estranged father, Ken Harnett, in a rural town. Life in this new town couldn't be more different. Teasing and bullying are common occurrences and he finds himself at the bottom of the pecking order, mostly because he lives in squalor with his father who is commonly known as the trash man. Their relationship is shaky to say the least and they don't communicate well. After a while, it becomes clear that Harnett makes his money stealing things from graves. After the initial shock, Joey wants to learn about this new trade that opens the door to a new world full of strange, grotesque characters, horrific sights, family secrets, and himself.

I had never heard of this before getting an advance copy and still have not seen this book in a store. It's surprising because this is a great read that can easily appeal to both adult and older teen readers. Rotters is a unique and very dark coming of age story that centers around the distasteful profession of robbing graves. I've never read a book on this subject, but I figured it would be pretty disgusting and intense. It delivered that in a big way. Decaying corpses, rats, foul odors, and maggots are described in the most loving and beautiful detail. The grave odor that permeates Joey's life is so well described that I feel that I can practically smell it as I read. Daniel Kraus' masterful writing almost leaps off the page.

The other amazing thing about this book is the characters. Each one is richly imagined and after reading the novel, these characters still stayed with me. Joey in particular is a wonderful character that changes drastically throughout the course of the book. At first, he's consumed with grief over his mother's death and strives to get straight A's in school. Then he moves to Bloughton and is constantly bullied because of his father and the stench that follows him. I really felt for him because of both the bullying at school (by teachers and students) and the horrible treatment from his father. He reacted weakly to the abuse and seemed to accept his lot in life. During the second school year, his demeanor changes. His confidence grows and he lashes out in an incredibly satisfying way. He leaves to learn from another digger, but this one is an enemy of his fathers. After the exciting finale, Joey is just himself. He comes into his own with some scars and aches, but with his own sense of self instead of what others try to push onto him. Even though it was encased in gruesome detail and grave robbing, Joey still experienced what most of us experience in our transition from child to adult.

Rotters is an exceptional young adult book that isn't afraid to delve into dark, gruesome territory. I would only recommend this to people that are fans of horror and those that aren't squeamish. I will definitely read whatever Daniel Kraus writes next.

My rating: 4.5/5 fishmuffins

YA Fiction is Too Dark, Whines the Wall Street Journal: A Rant

An article in the Wall Street Journal came out yesterday whining about too much darkness being present in young adult novels. This article frustrates me and depresses me at the same time. I'm going to try to put my feelings into words, but if I fail and blather on, please forgive me. I'm going to take a page from Neil Gaiman and provide a warning: contains me. I don't usually write about such personal things, but I think it's really necessary because this article brings back strong memories and feelings for me. The quoted sections are directly from the article.

* "How dark is contemporary fiction for teens? Darker than when you were a child, my dear: So dark that kidnapping and pederasty and incest and brutal beatings are now just part of the run of things in novels directed, broadly speaking, at children from the ages of 12 to 18.

Pathologies that went undescribed in print 40 years ago, that were still only sparingly outlined a generation ago, are now spelled out in stomach-clenching detail. Profanity that would get a song or movie branded with a parental warning is, in young-adult novels, so commonplace that most reviewers do not even remark upon it."

First of all, these "pathologies" (as if being violent is some sort of disease) have been written about well over 40 years ago. Ever hear of the Bible? the Marquis de Sade? Vladimir Nabokov? Euripides? Obviously the writer of this novel doesn't seem to have actually read much literature from any era. People have been writing about violence, brutality, and various paraphilia for literally thousands of years.

* "If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is."

I know this may be hard for some to realize, but life is not all butterflies, glitter, and rainbows. Everyone has their own problems and unique experiences. To say that darkness doesn't exist in young people's lives is to stick your head in the sand and refuse to see the truth. Teens commit suicide, have sex, cut themselves, and a whole slew of other things that these people don't want to hear about. How are teen books that reflect this "hideously distorted?" If the author and the people commenting in praise of the article are lucky enough to have a perfect life with nothing so unsavory, then they are very lucky indeed. For the rest of us, I'm so happy that young adult authors are not afraid to be frank about the realities of life.

* "Yet it is also possible—indeed, likely—that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures."

I just want to relate my own experience with YA for a second. Young adult fiction provided me a place where I belonged and felt comfortable in more ways than one. My childhood was difficult because I had an emotionally, physically, and mentally abusive mother and a complacent father. I thought that all families had parents that fought constantly and that everyone was terrified of their own mother. I just thought no one talked about it. How's that for normalizing pathologies? Young adult novels provided me with an escape when I needed it and provided me with much needed catharsis when I couldn't have it in real life. Without young adult novels, I don't know what I would have turned to for escape and release. To ignore such dark realities is to make teens believe that they are alone in the world and that their own dark experience is singular. I think it's just irresponsible and equivalent to brushing teen problems out of sight and out of mind. And to assume that teens will just copy whatever behavior they read about is just ridiculous. Give them a little more credit than a five year old please.

*The author goes on to describe Judy Blume's "'Forever,' in which teenagers lose their virginity in scenes of earnest practicality. Objectionable the material may be for some parents, but it's not grotesque."

I have read Forever. It's one of the most laughable and unrealistic depictions of teen sexuality I have ever read. I read it in high school and it was just incredibly cheesy and as far from "earnest practicality" as you can possibly get.

* "But whether it's language that parents want their children reading is another question. Alas, literary culture is not sympathetic to adults who object either to the words or storylines in young-adult books."

This is true because parents who find offensive material want to ban it from being read by everyone else instead of simply choosing not to buy or check out that book for their child. They want to make decisions for other parents and force authors to censor their works.

These people should really read the young adult books and look at how the issues are being dealt with in the novel instead of just screeching that there's incest, homophobia, cutting, sexuality, cursing, or whatever in the novel. These are things that teens actually experience. Also, their hatred for vampire books is just weird and confusing. I just want to shake these people. They should just be thankful that teens are reading, considering that one in four people read no books last year. That statistic is just flat out depressing. To dampen those numbers anymore over this is just ridiculous.

My last grievance is with their list of books appropriate for young adult girls and boys. The boy list has science fiction (one of them is ironically Fahrenheit 451) and war novels as if these books aren't also appropriate or recommended for girls. Did these lists really have to be separated by gender? As if boys can handle more gritty and dare I say violent books than girls.

These adults trying to ban teen books have obviously lost sight of what it is to be a teen and how life really is. I still love reading YA because I can remember being a teen and I still relate to the struggles of the protagonists, no matter how different they are from me. That transition from childhood to adulthood is a fascinating one especially in our society where there is no real support system to help teens into adulthood. Literature is where my support system was and I'm sure that's true for many others even today.

Ok. I think I'm done. I really do apologize if this is just incoherent ramblings because I'm really tired and am being a bad blogger by not rereading what I have written. I just had to get my feelings out on here to express my crazy bundle of emotions. If you feel as dismayed as I do, I invite you to go over to Twitter and search for #YAsaves to see readers and authors alike defend young adult fiction.

Netflix Horror Movie Mini-Reviews 2

More horror movies from Netflix! And to Jessica Secret, I have added Rabid Grannies to my queue and will share my thoughts here soon.

1) Cabin Fever 2

This is a cheesy, fun sequel to an original cheesy, fun film. It's so over the top and ridiculous that you just have to laugh. In this one, the flesh eating virus introduced in the first film is spreading to the local high school on their prom night. It makes fun of both teen and horror movie conventions with over the top gore and a silly high school plot. I liked the ending, but I felt that some needless scenes could have been shortened or removed outright. The guy who played JT from Deadgirl is in this one, and although he did a pretty good job, I couldn't help but think "zombie rapist" every time I saw him. I would recommend this to people who like really gory horror comedy.

My rating: 7/10 fishmuffins

2) Summer's Moon

This is a mediocre horror movie with Twilight's Ashley Greene. It's about a girl named Summer who goes in search of her father, who she has never met. She meets a guy named Tom, they sleep together, and then he locks her in his basement garden to keep it beautiful. It's part creepy romance, part Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and part Misery. The film is obviously trying to mooch off Greene's fame, but Twilight fans and die hard horror fans really aren't going to like it. There's not enough romance and too much blood for the Twihards and there's not enough actual horror or blood for hardcore horror fans. It should have gone either one extreme or the other instead trying to pander to two polar opposites.

My rating: 5/10 fishmuffins

3) The Living and the Dead

A mentally ill man lives with his parents in a large mansion. His father has to leave and hires a nurse to take care of that man and his ailing wife. The son locks the nurse out of the house, insisting that he take care of her himself even though he is obviously not fit to do so. Forgoing his medication, he becomes more and more delusional and erratic. It's a race against time for the father to come home before anyone gets hurt. This film is incredibly depressing and really good. Everything from the gloomy, empty mansion to the weary inhabitants works together and creates such a heavy and claustrophobic atmosphere. As the film progresses, it gets harder and harder to differentiate what is real and what are the hallucinations of a schizophrenic.

This film is guaranteed to get under your skin.

9/10 fishmuffins

4) Suck

This is a great horror comedy. A band called The Winners is the exact opposite of their name. They are desperate to make it as a band and their last chance is a concert with supposed industry people set up by their sleazebag agent. None of them believes that it will happen, but they go through the motions. Their luck turns around when the bassist encounters a vampire who turns her into one. Now, their shows are more crowded and people actually seem to like them. The other band members also want to be vampires, but a vampire hunter follows them across the country, eager to slay them before any more humans are killed. This movie is much more than just comedy. Besides vampires, it has great original rock songs by The Winners and cameos by rock legends Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper. There are even cool easter eggs like recreations of famous rock album covers in the movie. This isn't a sappy romance, but a campy rock adventure with plenty of blood, clever humor, and Malcolm McDowell (he's just awesome). The ending was meh, but the rest of the film was surprisingly funny and well made.

My rating: 8/10 fishmuffins

Do you guys have any movie recommendations?

Beauty Queens

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant are supposed to be on a beach, preparing for the big day where one of them would get the crown. Instead, their plane crash landed onto a seemingly deserted island. Most of their possessions were lost and they have no way to keep up their beauty. At first, they decide to keep practicing their pageant routines, but after a while, survival is more important. As time goes on, the practiced, fake facade of each girl falls, revealing someone imperfect, but real. Little do they know that on hidden parts of the island nefarious government dealings are happening and the girls are considered an inconvenience to be terminated. Can the girls be resourceful enough to not only survive the dangers of the island, but their own government?

The descriptions I've read for Beauty Queens have all been misleading. I was expecting Lord of the Flies and Battle Royale rolled into one with pageant queens. So I expected them all to hunting and killing each other, which sounded awesome. This does not happen at all. The actual book is much better than that, so don't let the descriptions fool you. Beauty Queens is not only a dypstopian novel, but also a satire. Other novels have attempted to do this, but this is one of the few that have succeeded being both.

The dystopian world is not too much different from our's and the problems with our society are exaggerated to laughable proportions. I haven't laughed at a book this much in a long time. Through humor and exceptional writing, Bray exposed the stupidity and unattainability of the beauty standard, the way pop culture is used as propaganda for this beauty standard and assumptions about women, and the corruption of big corporations. The different sections of the novel really helped organize it and better expose these issues. In between the story The commercials were completely over the top and ridiculous in their attempts to shame women and impose social norms. The exaggeration is hilarious, but through the humor, the reader sees that commercials actually do those things through much more subtle ways. The media continues to perpetuate ideas about what women should be like and it isn't really how real women are.

This novel features a large cast of characters, most of them teenage girls. I thought it would be difficult to keep track of so many, but they all have defining characteristics and their own chance to shine. It was surprisingly easy to remember all of them. At first, the girls keep up their beauty queen facades, but as time goes by, their true selves start to shine through. They realize that they don't have to be the ideal woman: hairless, skinny, uninterested in sex yet must have a man to validate her life, and unintelligent. They have the right to assert their opinions, question their sexuality, be intelligent, decide what they want to do with their lives, enjoy sex and food, and above all, they are free to be themselves. Each of the girls has her own set of insecurities and fears, but together, they work to overcome them and embrace themselves, regardless of the view society has of them. You might think that beauty queens are fragile, meek, plastic creatures, but they are just young girls figuring things out like the rest of us. These characters are all surprisingly relatable, even though at the outset of the novel, I didn't think I had anything in common with them. When the girls shed their plastic exteriors, I argue that anybody can relate to them.

Beauty Queens was an unexpected and wonderful adventure. It has just about everything: evil corporations, beauty queens, pirates, a plane crash, and a deserted island full of possibilities. This is easily one of the best young adult novels I have ever read and I would recommend this to everyone.

My rating: 5/5 fishmuffins

The Demon's Lexicon

Nick and his older brother Alan don't lead a typical life after their father died. Instead of concentrating on school or sports, these boys have to slay warlocks and their demon minions coming after a powerful charm in their crazed mother's possession or die. After each attack, they have to hastily relocate only to be found again. In their current home, they thought the vicious cycle stopped and their enemies had lost them. They were wrong. After a demon attack in their kitchen, a boy from their school approaches them with 2 demon marks on him, which leads to certain death. Alan takes one of the marks so they can both be saved, but the group must kill warlocks that commanded the demons to attack them in order to remove the marks. Now, Nick and Alan must hunt one of the most powerful warlock's circle and avoid being killed in the process.

Before I read this book, I had met Sarah Rees Brennan several times. She's a delightful person with a boisterous personality and hilarious sense of humor. I was afraid that I wouldn't like the way she writes or her characters because I really like her as a person. My fears were completely unfounded because The Demon's Lexicon is easily one of the most unique young adult novels I've read in the past couple years. I put in the ranks of Brenna Yovanoff's The Replacement and Holly Black's Curse Workers series. My favorite part of this novel is Nick. He is much different than any other protagonist I've ever read. Anger and detachment are his typical states of mind. He might be hard for some to relate to, but he won me over with his sarcastic tone and bad boy charm. I think Alan is meant to be the brother to relate better to, but I didn't like him at all. He was a skilled liar and incredibly manipulative of everyone around him. Even though Nick is less warm and fuzzy, at least he's honest and doesn't try to lie to make people feel better.

The plot and the action in the story were amazing. The sword fights were awesome and exciting, while there was still romance and secrets. The story is full of mystery and intrigue, which I love. I figured out the big secret about midway through the book, but I had fun going through the adventure and doubting if I predicted the ending (which I had). Once I got to the middle of the book, I did not want to put it down. I was disappointed that I had to pause for sleep, but I was up again the next day aching to finish. I love that feeling and it's a rare book that makes me feel that way. I loved the ending and I can't wait to read the second and third books in the series.

The Demon's Lexicon has just about everything: sword fighting, romance, demons, warlocks, and above all, secrets. I highly recommend this book to those not afraid of a good adventure. I also recommend going out to meet Sarah Rees Brennan if at all possible. She's an awesome, hilarious woman this is guaranteed to make whatever event she's at special.

My rating: 4.5/5 fishmuffins

Red Glove

Cassel Sharpe recently discovered that he is a rare type of curse worker that has the power of transformation. Of course, he needs to keep this from other people because he would be a powerful asset to however can get control of him. After his brother is murdered by a woman only identifying by her red gloves, the Feds come after him demanding information. The two opposing factions Mob are also after him for his power. Whichever side controls him will destroy the other. On top of all this, Lila, the girl Cassel loves, is turned back into a human from being a cat. His mother thought it was a nice present to make her feel like she loved him, so he is resolved to stay away from her until the magic wears off. Can Cassel avoid being owned by the Feds and the Mob and still be with the girl he loves without the enchantment?

The first Curse Workers novel is the best urban fantasy I have ever read. The gritty reality of the underground crime world and the fantastical curse worker magic together make a wonderful and unexpected novel. This one is steeped in the same world, but focuses on slightly different aspects. The Mob is still a central part, but the law is a new focus. The Feds are shown to be almost as corrupt and horrible as organized crime. Cassel is more bullied, coerced, and threatened by law enforcers than by the Mob. Even though they want to solve crimes and put deserving people behind bars, harassing and intimidating a teenage boy is a horrible way to accomplish the task. There is also a scene where Cassel and Lila are involved in a protest where everyone takes off their gloves. This is forbidden because touching is they way the curse workers influence people with their magic. It was a beautiful, shocking moment that took a lot of trust. Then the moment was interrupted by police violence and brutality. These scenes provided a larger view of the world that revealed the corruption that is rampant not only in the Mob, but also the police force.

The other amazing thing about this novel is the characters. Cassel is a boy raised in a crime family that struggles to be a good person. He is incredibly clever and solves his problems in the most unexpected ways. I sympathize with Cassel and fiercely want things to turn out well for him. Black writes clearly and convincingly in his voice. Lila is another character that is intriguing, but she's very mysterious. She was raised by the head of a faction of the Mob and spent many years as a cat. She is fiery and unpredictable with a mysterious past. To get a better view of her personality, I would recommend reading Lila Zacharov in 13 Pieces, which is a series of vignettes taking place at different times in Lila's life presented in a random order. I really like this experimental series of short stories and would love to read a book narrated by Lila.

Red Glove's only shortcoming is being not as good as White Cat by a very small margin. I think it's the symptom of being the second book in a series. I still highly recommend this crime adventure and mystery. I can't wait for the next book and I really hope the series extends past a trilogy.

My rating: 4.5/5 fishmuffins