Solitaire

So apparently Solitaire is not just a crappy single-player card game, it's also a teen fiction novel by eighteen-year-old author, Alice Oseman. I saw it in Waterstones and the blurb included the phrase "I like to sleep and I like to blog" and I thought I had found my autobiography. So I bought it. And I read it. And it was pretty good, despite the world's worst tag line of "This is not a love story...".

Solitaire tells the story of Tori Spring; a pessimistic, cynical year 12 with a love of films, tumblr and diet lemonade. Tori discovers Solitaire, a weird organisation who are wreaking havoc all over her life, and Michael Holden, a weird new guy who is making her experience actual feelings for once. She also reunites with old friend Lucas and loses new friend Becky, all whilst trying to keep her brother Charlie safe from himself. As you can see, there are quite a few mini plots.

The main character, Tori, is quite similar to myself, so I managed to relate to this book pretty well. Also there were loads of awesome references to things I love, like Drarry fanfiction and The Breakfast Club (best movie ever). However, I did seem to find more interest in the sub-plots, mainly Charlie's life (and no, it's not just because he's gay).

Overall, Solitaire is not going to make my top ten books of all time, but it's worth the read, if you're into teen fiction with a splash of mental illness.

Next I will be reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, the author of my favourite book.

Heather out.

P.S. I know I said I'd be reviewing More Than This, but it was so dull and clichéd that I couldn't get past the first three chapters. Sorry/not sorry.

Doctor Who - Kill The Moon Review

For the second time this series, I am utterly lost for words.

"Kill The Moon" was an episode I've been looking forward to since I first heard about it (much like "Listen"), and yet I could not have comprehended how brilliant it would be (much like "Listen"). The story was firstly intriguing, then terrifying and then immensely tense, as well as being completely unpredictable all the way through. I genuinely could not have predicted the ending, and the dilemma involved raised so many interesting questions.

The acting from all characters was superb, with a special mention to Ellis George, whom I had feared may be a little bit like the Mattisons from last year's "Nightmare in Silver", however proved her worth by adding the right mix of vulnerability and confidence to the episode. The final scene between the Doctor and Clara also showcased some amazing performances.

The script itself was expertly crafted, using characterisation to enhance the already tense atmosphere provided by the direction. The score, yet again, was perfect and complemented this ideally. Again, the ending didn't feel at all rushed (although the beginning seemed a little confusing at first, but eventually made sense and didn't detract from the episode at all).

Niggle time. Only two very minor things this week. Firstly, the CGI wasn't exactly perfect, but that really is minor. Also, I didn't really understand how the moon creature laid another egg. But really, that wasn't what it was about. The science element of Sci-Fi wasn't really there...

Overall this script redefines excellent Doctor Who due to its intensity and emotionally and morally challenging concepts. I seriously hope Peter Harness will return with another script soon.

9/10

Next Week: The Doctor (and Clara????) finally get(s) round to sorting out that Mummy on the Orient Express

Doctor Who - The Caretaker Review

Oh dear. And it was all going so well. I'm not really sure what happened here, but it wasn't Doctor Who.

This week was pivotal in a sense, as Danny met the Doctor. This story had a lot of potential, as it could have been very tense, character based and interesting. Instead, what we got was something that tried too hard to be funny while at the same time act grown up. And let's be honest, including that "Skovox Blitzer" was not only pretty pointless but also a little bit offensive. It was like Gareth Roberts had written "Insert generic "most dangerous alien in the universe" here to kill some time". The result was like an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures and Coronation Street had a child, and ironically decided to call it Doctor Who.

A few things actually really annoyed me about this episode.

1) The Doctor's hatred of soldiers - it was FAR too over the top and passionate, something even Capaldi's "darker" Doctor would probably not act like
2) The horrific use of continuity - So Danny looks identical to Orson Pink, right? Why not mention it? We need a little more than a passing comment that doesn't address anything. Also, where are all the references to old Coal Hill teachers? THIS IS COAL HILL SCHOOL! The setting of the very first EVER Doctor Who story!

That said, this episode did have some merits. It was amusing in places, and the music was terrific and actually saved some of the scenes. But that is literally about it.

The necessary part of this story - Danny meets the Doctor - could have been very interesting and a lot more entertaining. Instead, Roberts tries to be grown up about dancing around a plastic bicycle for ten minutes singing the theme tune to In The Night Garden, producing a cacophony of ideas that never reaches its point and is offensive to both the eyes and the ears.

4/10

Next Week: Is it right to kill the moon?

Doctor Who - Time Heist Review

Here is proof that it's possible. Two really good episodes back to back - and the amazing thing about this one is that I wasn't expecting it to be a memorable one. (Pun sort of intended).

This episode really reminded me of "Hustle" in the way it played out. I thought that the heist genre worked really well with Doctor Who and now am actually rather surprised it's not been done before. What really stood out for me was not only this episode's fast pace and excitement but also its monster. A really original idea, used in a way which was dark enough for some serious threat - but that was also exciting.

The characterisation of the two sidekick characters (whose names I am not even going to attempt to spell) was also surprisingly well done given the time limit. Talking of the time limit, while this episode was fast-paced it yet again did not suffer or feel rushed. It did feel like the ending to the episode has been done before in "Hide" (an episode which I didn't like very much but is apparently rather popular), however this time I think it was used in a way which did not undermine the Tellar, as it did with the Crooked Man, but instead made me want to see more of this episode's monster.

Together with exciting direction and a fast moving score, this script worked amazingly well. It's just a shame it had to follow last week's.

My only niggles? Well, the "death" thing actually DID look like a teleport so it was easily guessable. Apart from that I was surprised by most of the reveals towards the end, even though in hindsight they were fairly obvious. I also thought the very first scene was a little bit weird with the time vortex turning into a washing machine, but that's just personal opinion...

9/10

Next week the Doctor becomes the caretaker of Coal Hill School

Doctor Who - Listen Review

This is one of those times when I have absolutely no idea where to start. Well, OK. I will start by warning anybody who hasn't seen the episode yet not to read this. You really need to experience it without me spoiling anything.

Moffat's best episodes have always played on our most basic fears - this episode was, in effect, a "greatest hits" episode - but of course, it wasn't. That was what made it so beautifully, refreshingly different. Moffat literally made fear itself the only monster in Doctor Who to ever be real.

This episode brought many things full circle, including the episode's story, the characters' stories and the very purpose of the show itself. Moffat did some very clever writing here - providing something scary and then an explanation in the style of his previous episodes. Something that seems rational, but that nobody believes. This time, in the first of many twists, it was that disbelief that became the monster itself.

Now, let's talk about THAT scene. I have to admit, I kind of saw it coming. This was because of a less than careful "spoiler free" review that I read, stating that there was a scene "steeped in Who lore" that may cause outrage. I then guessed, as Clara made the mistake of going back through Danny's timeline, that she may do the same with the Doctor - which she did. The only other thing that briefly popped into my mind was that that barn looked familiar, but I didn't really think about it properly, so the massive twisty ending still made a massive impact. But who could have seen THAT coming? Moffat had so carefully created his story that with one move - Clara grabbing the Doctor's ankle - everything changed. I literally could not believe what I was seeing. Clara became the Doctor's reason to be good. My whole family looked at each other, I felt like applauding and I think my dad actually did...

The direction and music worked perfectly together to create tension and, indeed, the illusion that our fears might be real.

Now let's talk about my niggles. Insert blank space here. Not only can I not find anything wrong with this episode but I can also say that this episode has eliminated any previous concerns I had for the show. The length was perfect, and the story showed that the show can be self contained and yet still have meaning to its audience without being self aware.

Bravo Moffat - you have surpassed yourself, which is no mean feat.

10/10

Next week the Doctor robs the most protected bank in the universe.

Doctor Who - Robot of Sherwood Review

I have to say, I wasn't looking forward to this one. It just looked a bit... silly. And I was right. But for some reason, it was still a good episode.

Well, a good episode of something. Whether or not that something was Doctor Who is a question that must be asked. I think this story was very much more in the style of olden days Doctor Who than the Doctor Who we've seen since its reboot in 2005. That said, it still made for an entertaining 45 minutes of television.

Peter Capaldi, as always, was amazing. This week really showed his Doctor's versatility, as well as Mark Gatiss' versatility as a writer. If Doctor Who was ever going to do a Robin Hood episode, this was it.

I didn't really notice the direction or the music this week. I think that's because they were fitting and adequate. They definitely weren't bad, or I'd have noticed. But the same goes for them being good, I suppose.

A big problem with the episode was the ending - shooting golden arrow at the spaceship to save the world was a nice idea, but even in the world of Doctor Who, it didn't really make much sense and was just a little ridiculous.

But perhaps it was the ridiculousness and humour which made this episode so enjoyable. It was a nice break from the "into darkness" idea that this series has created without completely turning away from it. I also felt that, while issues about the Doctor and his status as a hero were mentioned, the episode didn't head too much into the territory of self consciousness, as I thought it might do last week. It would be nice, in the future, to see a little more character development for the Doctor. But I think by the end of the series we'll definitely be satisfied - if not after next week. The episode also didn't feel rushed at all, which was very reassuring.

Overall, "Robot of Sherwood" (Why not "Robots"? I don't think we'll ever know...) was an entertaining episode which did many things very well. It was a little ridiculous and a bit different, but still enjoyable.

6.5/10

Next week... well we don't really seem to have any idea. But it looks pretty awesome.

Carrie

Blood. Blood everywhere.

Who knew a girl's period could cause so much terror? Well, more terror than an average period, anyway.

Carrie White is the daughter of super-strictly religious Margaret White, and she has a special gift - the power of telekinesis. Carrie learns to control this power as, unaware to her, the bullying girls in her year group plot the most awful prank you will ever hear of (I'm not going to tell you what it is because spoilers but loads of you probs already know).

I absolutely loved this book. It is right up my street, what with the slight psychological theme, the gore and the tension. The story is captivating and I constantly wanted to know what was coming next.

Considering this was Stephen King's first novel, the writing style is extremely interesting. It is original and unique, and I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple perspectives shown throughout the novel. I also really liked the way he incorporated sections from fictional articles and books.

Reading Carrie has made me excited to read more of King's work in the future, namely Misery, The Body and The Shining. But for now, I've got to continue with my reading list.

Next I will be reading More Than This by Patrick Ness, which is Ben's favourite book. I look forward to seeing what he is always raving about.

Heather out.

P.S. I wrote this review whilst listening to Collabro's debut album, 'Stars'. Go and listen to it right now, it is totally fab, and I would do a review of it except I can't put my feelings about it into words. Just go listen. Go.