The Learning Curve

The Learning Curve is late author Melissa Nathan’s final book. And being maudlin wasn’t her style. The book is vibrant, deals with a contemporary issue, has a teensy-tiny feminist touch, is choc-a-bloc with colourful characters and leaves you with a smile on your face.

Nicky Hobbs is a thirty-year old, much-loved school teacher in a primary school. Her gang of friends include fellow teachers : Rob (who she shares a romantic history with), Ally (the big-build best-friend with quips galore) and Pete (the tiny teacher with an elfish appearance). Nicky is a dedicated member of the staff and when she finds herself being made co-deputy head with Rob, she’s thrilled at the challenge. That’s when she’s not dealing with the hot and cold responses emitted by Rob.

Adding fun to the proceedings is the truly eccentric head of the school : Miss.James. She is most definitely a Quentin Blake illustration to the tee and has enough oddities and strength of character to make her a memorable cast-member.

One of Nicky’s favourite students is Oscar. Oscar is intelligent, moody and comes equipped with an absent widowed father. Mark Samuels (Oscar’s father) is the classic workaholic, earning big bucks and working all hours of the day to provide Oscar with an affluent lifestyle. Sadly, the only thing Oscar needs is his father’s presence and free time.

When the disapproving Nicky and the world-weary Mark finally meet, the proverbial sparks fly. Angry (yet hour-glassed figured) teacher V/s Bitter (yet broad-shouldered) single father...the outcome is inevitable.

And then out of the blue, Nicky gets offered the chance to apply for the position of School Head. And so does Rob. Suddenly the blow-cold Rob is sounding out waves of pure heat to Nicky.....talking marriage, babies and white picket-fences. A confused Nicky is now faced with three alternatives:
a) Whole-heartedly pursue the shining climb up the career ladder and most probably say goodbye to dreams of a family-life.
b) Give in to Rob’s oily paintings of a happily-ever-after and agree to play second-fiddle to his ambitions
c) See if there’s something more to the sizzling chemistry between her and Mark Samuels.

A whole lot of soul-searching, a bit of hearty venting and loads of misunderstandings happily scamper along Nathan’s final work. The story was predictable. I found her earlier books (The Nanny ; Persuading Annie) to be loads better. But I guess I have kind of developed an emotional bond with the author and got a bit teary-eyed when I read the Acknowledgements.

Melissa Nathan was in the poignant position of knowing that her book would most probably be published posthumously. Her consequent messages to her dear ones left me with a a sizeable knot in my throat, especially the one written to her three-year old son Sammy.

The last lines go:

“Go into the world knowing that while you were everything to your mother, you won’t have to deal with an annoying woman who can’t stop kissing you when you’re fifteen. I will be in the sky kissing you from afar”

.

The Waitress

Katie Simmonds is an ambitious young lady. This week she wants to be an educational psychologist. The one before that, she wanted to be a teacher. And the week before that, a film director. She’s earned her degree from Oxford and believes that the world is her oyster. Sadly the oyster is yet to be shucked and she’s living out her life as a waitress in a dead-beat cafe. It may not be the best job in the world but it pays the bills and provides a stop-gap while she imagines herself in one glamorous career after the other.

Her love-life isn’t much to write home about. The latest debacle occurs when she runs out on the very endearing, very eligible Dan in the middle of a date.

Dead-End job, Dead-End love-life. Katie’s life is set.

But then things take an ugly turn when the cafe is taken over by new owners. New owners that include the aforementioned Dan. Dan Crichton. The last man she ever wants to run into is now not only running the cafe but playing hoity-toity big bossy to her snarky, sarcastic waitress.

Other interesting characters are
a) Jon: Katie’s waiting-to-be discovered author roommate. Much of his practice writing includes penning down glorified resumes to bolster Katie’s ever changing career options.
b) Sukie : Katie’s waiting-be-discovered actor best-friend. She’s gorgeous and talented and true to her art. Sadly she’s yet to get her big-break and continues to try out for a series of go-nowhere auditions. She also ekes out a living as fellow waitress with Katie
c) Matt : The teenage dishwasher at the cafe. Morose, bludgeoned by pimples and the fear that he will die a virgin makes him a real charmer.

Melissa Nathan’s books are like addictive sitcoms complete with punchy dialogue and unexpected cliffhangers. Her characters try to take the less-travelled path, trip over many pitfalls and emerge victorious.

Another winner from the Nathan stable.

Persuading Annie

Once upon a time....the beautiful, auburn headed, vivacious teenager Annie Markham had an awful scare. She thought that she was pregnant. And when she shared this bit of news with her teen boyfriend, Jake...he turned an unbecoming shade of puce, yelled out a panicky speech and promptly fainted. Vivacious Annie should have seen this as a prologue for things to come. But when she discovered that she wasn’t really pregnant, she told Jake again. The gallant Jake promptly turned a slimy shade of green, yelled out another heart-ripping speech and promptly disappeared. Annie should have listened to her wise Godmother Susannah’s advice. Men weren’t to be trusted.

The End.

Once upon a more recent time, Annie Markham is a beautiful young lady. She has a heart of gold, works at a local art gallery, moonlights as a phone Samaritan and seems to be the only sensible duckling in an eccentric self-absorbed family of pretentious swans. But the bouncing curls and witty facade hide an embittered soul. Annie has never really got over Jake’s abrupt departure from her life and he continues to colour all her interactions with the opposite sex.

But Annie has more pressing problems. The once-flourishing family business is in danger of folding. Her figure-head (in every sense of the word) of a father is too busy chasing everything in a short-skirt to do anything useful. Her eldest sister, Katherine is single and too busy playing coiffed socialite to contribute anything meaningful. Her middle sister Victoria is too busy being stuck in a dead-end marriage to the lovable yet golf-crazed Charles and lives out the daily drama of playing hapless mother to two energetic tots.

Susannah, who now works for Markhams decides to bring in the best Managment-Consultant team to save the company from bankruptcy. Said Management Company is headed by the dynamic Jake Mead. Yep, the very same: turn into the colours of a rainbow ->faint -> run Jake from Annie’s past. Jake, despite being hugely successful and handsome to boot, has never really recovered from what he believes to be Annie’s duplicity. When he learns that Annie is the youngest member of the Markham family, he sees this as a perfect opportunity to seek some long-overdue revenge (or "closure", as his psychiatrist would like to stress). Annie too, is determined to be stoic/sarcastic/condescending when she encounters the big howling ghost from her past.

But the best-laid plans of management gurus and curly-topped viragoes can always hit a roadblock. Soon the two find themselves thrown into improbable situations that result in unexpected results.

The witty Melissa Nathan strikes yet again. Her writing is cheeky, loaded with quips and generously peppered with realistic insights into the minds of different personalities. The characters may seem like caricatures, but they revel in their predictabilities. Annie is an endearing heroine, Jake has the requisite charm to make you overlook his pigheadedness and the rest of the supporting cast have enough eccentricities to keep you hooked till the last page.

The Nanny (by Melissa Nathan)

In recent months, I have waded through some fairly mediocre chick-lit. I have left books halfway, groaned at the plot-predictability and mentally castigated the dull-as-ditchwater heroines and their pompous heroes.

So now when I come across an author who took a much-mauled genre and perfectly bound all the essential elements together; I want to genuflect before the Lord and send up a fervent "Thank You!"

The Nanny is another brilliant offering by the late Melissa Nathan. It's a tale of 23 year-old Jo Green. She’s a young lady who’s increasingly feeling the pangs of a life that’s going nowhere. She’s stuck tight in bucolic Niblet-Upon-Avon, lived with her parents, has a boyfriend (Shaun) who she’s known since kindergarten and is trying to eke out a living as an underpaid Nanny.

Taking a leap of faith (and desperation), she decides to take up the job of live-in Nanny in London with an affluent family. The perks are humungous. She will have her own suite with a massive TV, her own car, new friends and the golden opportunity to pull herself out of stagnation.

But every silver cloud has a demented lining.

Her new boss Vanessa Fitzgerald is a hard-wired, smart-talking corporate biggie. Evenings at home take the form of nasty digs and articulate squabbles with her easy-going husband Dick who runs a record store. They are the proud and terribly exhausted parents of bloodthirsty Zak, warrior-pixie Cassandra and the well-mannered little Tallulah. Adding to the family dynamics are Dick’s two sons from his previous marriage : obnoxious (since he has a chip on shoulder) teen Toby and charming but prone-to-bouts of obnoxiousness (since he has enough chips to form a mini-skyscraper on his shoulders) 25-year old Josh.

Just when Jo is getting the hang of things, she suddenly has to deal with the fact that Josh will be her new roommate. Simmering attraction, blow-hot blow-cold responses from Josh and the ever-intrusive presence of boyfriend Shaun do not make for peaceful living. And then there are the constant parallel dramas of the Fitzgerald clan. Everyone seems to be harbouring some deep dark secret....everyone’s ticked off but not always in unison....and everyone needs their lives to be set right.

Jo Green has a lot of growing-up and decision-making to do. All this while finding true-love and keeping her hair attached to their follicles.

The book justifies it’s massive size. Nathan’s style is chatty and witty and loaded with punch and righteous indignation. The characters are not clichéd and even their most confounding personality disorders are beautifully unravelled. I strongly recommend this book to all disillusioned chick-lit lovers who are sniffing out for something fresh, humorous and utterly engaging.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1

Writing a Potter movie-review without *spoilers* is next to impossible. True blue fans know exactly what happened to:
a) The Boy who lived
b) The Girl who sniffed disdainfully into her books
and
c) The Other Boy who played second-fiddle to The Boy who lived and didn’t like it one little bit!

If you expect me to dart around the places where the plot thickens and boils over, stop reading. Now. For the rest, here goes...

The penultimate instalment begins with a poignant scene where Hermione obliviates the memories of her parents, thereby burning her human bridges. The movie ends with Voldemort desecrating Dumbledore’s tomb and flicking the Elder Wand. And between these two moments, the plot unravels in an engaging collage of rip-roaring action, stagnant scenarios and eye-moistening moments.

The Half-Blood Prince ended with the brutal demise of Dumbledore and left Harry in the unfortunate position of leader-without-a-mentor. Potter and his magical entourage have their work cut out. They now know that the only decent chance that they have of stopping Voldemort (dark-wizard extraordinaire and all-time big baddie) is to find the Horcruxes. Looking for the much-maligned needle in a haystack would have been easier. No one knows where or what all the Horcruxes are. The trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione (with special mention for Hermione’s trusty little purse of unimaginable depths) are soon off on a long, confusing journey.

They make suicidal trips into The Ministry of Magic.....uncomfortable trips down memory-lane....and ghastly trips down the road of friendship. The individual loyalties and collective skills of the three Griffindorians is put to the test. In the course of their wanderings, they also learn about The Deathly Hallows (An invincible Elder Wand, A Resurrection Stone and An Invisibility Cloak); the possession of which makes the owner: A Master of Death.

The battle between Good and Evil dances along the horizon and before you know it, you are sucked into the fantastical world created by the marvellous Madame Rowling.

The movie stayed loyal to the book, with minor discrepancies. Where the book stumbled, the movie plodded along too. Where you gripped the book in terse anticipation, you clutched the unsuspecting arm of your poor friend too.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) was cheerily wan. His endearing combination of simmering anger and clumsy boyishness worked perfectly. Hermione (Emma Watson) was her usual gorgeous and articulate self. Ron (Rupert Grint), the weedy Weasley boy has become a buff, blustering, purple-in-the-face, jealous (almost)boyfriend and plays his role to the hilt. We get tantalising glimpses of a close-mouthed Snape (Alan Rickman) and a happily deranged Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter). Ol’Voldy (Ralph Fiennes) hammed it up a bit in this addition. Somehow he never quite recaptured the insane vein that he aptly displayed in The Goblet of Fire. The rest of the cast makes you smile with their familiar portrayals. Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), The Weasley Twins (James and Oliver Phelps), Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson) and Dobby (voice of Toby Jones) stand out in particular.

One singular scene that deserves special mention was when Hermione reads out the tale of ‘The Three Brothers’ from the book: The Tales of Beedle The Bard. The animation that ensues is spell-binding. It swirls and accompanied by the narration pulls you right in.

The sets are grandiose, right from the home-grown charm of Fleur and Bill’s wedding to the sheer vastness of the Ministry to the various breathtaking pitstops that the trio make at regular intervals.

As for the argument over whether two instalments of the movie are justified....maybe not. I would have gladly pinned my tushie to the seat for a straight four hours and rooted for Potter till the very end. But on the other hand, I am also pretty chuffed to have an ultimate instalment to look forward to.

More Mayhem. More Action......and more importantly......More Magic.

July2011...Get.Here.Already!

Acting Up ( by Melissa Nathan)

I have just discovered the magic of late author Melissa Nathan. After a rea-ealllly long time, it’s nice to finally sink my teeth into a chick-lit read that incorporates all the key elements, is loaded with peppy dialogue and is refreshing within a mould that rarely gets broken.

What first attracted me to this book was the funky almost art-deco cover-art. Secondly, I read the first line of the blurb which went

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a large ego must be in want of a woman to cut him down to size”

and was instantly enchanted. Jane Austen (and especially Pride and Prejudice) adaptations have always been my weakness. While many a time, the Darcy-Elizabeth equation has been mauled and marauded,‘Acting Up’ got it just right.

Jasmin Field (a.k.a. Jazz) is an outspoken journalist who lands the role of Elizabeth Bennet in a fund-raising adaptation of Austen’s most popular work. Directing the venture is Hollywood’s golden-child, Harry Noble. He’s handsome, popular, acerbic and opinionated. In fact, he’s Mr.Darcy come to life! The leading lady and the arrogant director rub each other up the wrong (and sometimes right) way. The proverbial sparks fly and the story flows without a hiccup. Supporting characters bring their own woes and parallel storylines to make the book a page-turner.

You would think that the story would be predictable since we all know how Austen’s classic ended. What makes this retelling worthwhile is that Melissa Nathan’s characters are addictive. They are bright, can mouth crackling dialogue, are proud but equally humble in facing their shortcomings.

Chick-lit at it’s superlative best.

BURNED (House of Night, #7)

In TEMPTED, Kalona killed Heath. Zoey Redbird witnessed the murder and though she sent out her element ‘Spirit’ to protect Heath, she was unfortunately too late. The shock shattered Zoey’s soul, dissolved all her intricate vampyre tattoos (save the outline of a crescent moon) and left behind the shell of her comatose body.

Her soul and it’s fragmented pieces now whirl incoherently in the Otherworld where Zoey also encounters the soul of Heath. If Zoey’s soul is not returned to her body in seven days, she will die and her fractured soul will roam forever in unrest.

Stark, Zoey’s oath-sworn warrior witnessed Zoey’s mortal fall and despite his mind-numbing grief knows that he will do anything to get Zoey back, even it means dying himself and heading off to the Otherworld to yank Zoey back to the land of The Living.

An intent which is bolstered by Aphrodite’s startling visions and Kramisha (the newest Vampyre Poet Laureate)’s cryptic poems. Everything points to the fact that Stark will have to die, become a Shaman and then enter Nyx’s realm to convince Zoey to return.

Warrior Stark’s work is cut out. Besides the obviously gruesome fact that he has to drop dead, he also has to deal with several road-blocks:
a) No warrior in times past has ever returned from the otherworld; either alone or having rescued his high-priestess.
b) Kalona, weakened by Zoey’s last-ditch attempt to save Heath is in a debilitated state which is fully exploited by Neferet. Wielding the powers of darkness, she orders Kalona’s weakened spirit to head off to the Otherworld and make sure that Zoey never, ever returns.
And the third and most pressing problem
c) Zoey is grieving the loss of Heath. She feels responsible for his death and bogged down by her vanishing spirit, she may never want to return back to her body and the living world.

Stark’s seemingly impossible quest and the painful journey that he undertakes is what BURNED is predominantly all about.
---------------------------------------------------------

I enjoyed seeing my favourite character go through the drill of self-evolvement and maturity. The Scottish legends woven in, added the essential touch of mystery and olde worlde lore. Add to that the ancient symbolisms of the Black and White Bulls (depicting Light and Darkness respectively) and you have a tale that binds urban fantasy with mythical elements.

An intriguing parallel story was Stevie-Rae’s relationship with Raven Mocker Rephaim. Full credit to the Cast duo for building up a tale that makes you root for the unlikely pairing of a red vampyre and a supposed monster.

I don’t care what the critics say, I loved BURNED. I adored Stark and his true-blue heroic quest. Heath, the only human in the whole proceedings rises to the occasion even in The Otherworld and has you applauding him for his selflessness and All-American bravado. Zoey, despite being the satellite around which all else orbited, was effectively relegated to the background and that worked perfectly well.

A lovely tale and all I can say is that it is going to be a lo-ong and impatient wait till AWAKENED comes out.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)
See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)
See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

TEMPTED (House of Night, #6)

I like it when a series progresses from wince-inducing to wholly-engrossing with each successive instalment. It’s a much better scenario than getting hooked on to the first book and then watching the downward spiral with a feeling of dismay. The House of Night series, I am happy to report, just got better with TEMPTED.

HUNTED ended with Zoey Redbird banishing the avenging immortal: Kalona and his vile consort (and former High Priestess of the Goddess Nyx): Neferet. But the respite is temporary. The nasty duo has only faced a minor setback and will definitely return with a vengeance.

As the nerd-herd and the red fledglings take shelter at the Benedictine Abbey, Zoey has to deal with a whole new set of developments.

Stark (Zoey’s oath-sworn warrior) has been badly wounded. Stevie-Rae seems to be lying through her teeth and harbouring dangerous secrets. Heath and Erik continue their oneupmanship battle for Zoey’s affections. Aphrodite's visions spell doom, despair and the end of the civil world unless Zoey takes action.

Kalona and Neferet step up their world-domination plans by scooting off to the island of Capri where the Vampyre High Council holds court. So it’s time for Zoey and her pack to make a trip to the sunny climes and face the dubious charms of Kalona, who still has the ability to make Zoey’s soul hesitate and wonder whether he really is the big, bad winged monster that everybody claims he is.

Life as Zoey has come to accept it, is about to change drastically...again!

The book was good, with minimal annoying teen-references. The plot thickened, the characters fleshed out and Rephaim, the injured Raven-Mocker (and favoured son of Kalona) made a wary appearance on the palette of dubious but memorable characters. Coupled with a fine cliff-hanger of an ending, the story was engaging and readable. It shows that the Cast duo has soaked in the misgivings of their fans, critics and naysayers; shaped up their writing act and delivered a worthy instalment.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)
See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)
See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

HUNTED (House of Night, #5)

UNTAMED ended with Stevie Rae getting struck by the unwavering arrow of James Stark, the newest red-fledgling and possible minion of Neferet (High Priestess gone bad with a vengeance). As Stevie-Rae's blood soaked into the earth, Kalona, the suppressed evil/ fallen God was released from his centuries long imprisonment and Neferet’s evil plans finally came to a head.

Zoey Redbird, unable to deal with this fresh and bone-chilling terror, fled 'The House of Night' with her nerd-herd and decided to seek refuge in the underground tunnels which are inhabited by Stevie Rae and her army of red fledglings.

In HUNTED, Zoey needs to find a way to vanquish Kalona, who happens to have the psychic ability to enter her dreams and play hockey-with-her-hormones. When an almost fatal wound forces Zoey to return to 'The House of Night', she is frazzled to see that the entire school (save a discerning few) is under the spell of Kalona and his physical perfection (read: really hot God-like awesomeness complete with massive black wings). She also encounters Stark who appears to be struggling between good and evil. While he isn’t being the stereotypical vamp who sucks blood from a bunch of dizzy females, he still feels the core connection to Zoey.

So, along with the reappearances of ex-boyfriend : Erik and imprinted human : Heath, Zoey is dealing with her reluctant attraction to bad/good boy, Stark.

Teenage angst coupled with the need to vanquish ancient evil, Zoey has her work cut out.

The instalment is readable with some cool kick-a** action and a few poignant moments. The series appears to pick up with each instalment and the emotional growth of Zoey is interesting to watch.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)
See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)
See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

Navratri - Day #1

Navratri begins...and as I read the related literature, I'm filled with a sense of rightness. There's something pretty awesome about our Goddesses...they are warrior women, demure consorts and the erudite guides to all things artistic, creative and knowledgable.
I scoured Google for some different artwork on the Goddesses and I came across this supremely cool piece of art done on DeviantArt.com by the artist *Araniel*. Stated below, are her descriptions of each goddess.

~ First is *KALI*, who came of Durga (Mahadevi) when she was in a rage. Kali is the Goddess of time and a fierce warrior who vanquished the demon Raktabija to protect her devotees who regard her as a Mother Goddess.

~Secondly is *MAHADEVI*, the Mother Goddess who became the wife of Shiva, Parvati and finally as the ultimate Warrior Goddess, Durga and Kali.

~ Thirdly, there is *SARASWATI* who is the Goddess of Knowledge and the Arts and it is said to be believed that Artists, writers, musicians and students are part of her family and protected by her.

Each aspect of the divine Goddess appealed to me : Warrior....Writer...Consort.

HAPPY NAVRATRI, beautiful people. :)

UNTAMED (House of Night, #4)

UNTAMED is a vast improvement on the previous three instalments. Finally there’s some “save-the-world-from-dire-distress” happening.

There’s a new powerful fledgling in The House of Night: James Stark who Zoey Redbird immediately forms a connection with. He reveals the affinity given to him by The Goddess Nyx and the two seem to share an instinctive understanding about the respective crosses that they must bear. Sadly, like all the other crappy things going on in her life, Stark dies before going through the "CHANGE".

With the brutal murders of two important vampyre teachers, The House of Night has upped it’s security. The vigilant warriors called The Sons of Erebus are stationed all over the school and Shekinah, the High Priestess of all vampyres has made an entry into the school.

But dark evil is slowly raising it’s head. Suddenly, Zoey begins to fear the friendly night as things get murkier. Neferet is playing a dangerous game and has decided to raise an ancient demon that will make all the problems that Zoey has faced up till now look like playground politics.

This was a good instalment...much, much better than the Gossip-Girl prattle of the preceding books. One of my favourite characters, Grandma Redbird is finally playing a chunkier and more involved role. The introduction of unbiased nun, Sister Mary Angela promises to be a surprising but convincing choice. Zoey displays a growing maturity and this worked for me because frankly all the “boyfriend-drama” was getting a tad contrived.

The writing was good enough to ignore the tedious repetitions. Truly, an episode that would have made Buffy and her Scooby Gang proud.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)
See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

CHOSEN (House of Night, #3)

CHOSEN was a long-drawn out account of Zoey Redbird dealing with (in her own words) ho-ish existence.

All we read about is Zoey’s hormones getting pulled every which way with:
a) Human imprinted partner, Heath (who she intends breaking up with but instead has a hot ‘n’ heavy make-out session with)
b) Erik, her handsome fledgling boyfriend (who she wants to come clean with about her roaming eye but instead ends up having hot ‘n’ heavy make-out sessions with)
c) Loren Blake, temporary teacher (who she wants to break up with but as he apparently makes her "feel like a woman", she inevitably ends up...yep...you got it...having hot 'n' heavy make-out sessions with)

So in the midst of all this mind-numbing drama, Zoey is also trying to find a way to restore some semblance of normality into the life of her friend Stevie Rae, who died and changed into a snarling, undead creature. Along the way she has to keep secrets from her nerd-herd and rely on the reluctant assistance of foe-turned-friend, Aphrodite.

A Series-filler with minimal truly gripping moments.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)
See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

BETRAYED (House of Night, #2)

In Book 2 of the 'House of Night' series, Zoey Redbird, the fledgling vampyre is coming to terms with her ascending powers. Along with her friends Stevie Rae, Damien, Shaunee and Erin; she hopes to bring about better changes as the new leader of The Daughters of the Dark.

She is also juggling her romantic alliances with Erik (fellow fledgling), Heath (her wholly human, not really ex-boyfriend who she has accidentally imprinted with) and Loren Black (a young Vampyre Poet Laureate and teacher who plays out a haiku-inspired flirtation with Zoey).

Matters get murkier when Stevie-Rae dies as she is unable to undergo the "CHANGE". But is Stevie-Rae really dead or has she morphed into one of the gaunt, undead creatures that Zoey had previously witnessed?

New enemies come to the fore and old foes come forward to assist Zoey.

These and many issues pepper the pages of BETRAYED. Reading the series is akin to watching a long-running afternoon soap. The plot is predictable and filled with tiresome repetitions. You know where the characters are heading but you still plonk down to get your daily dosage.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)
See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

MARKED (House of Night, #1)

INGREDIENTS
~ One troubled (but attractive and quick-witted) teen heroine.

~ A new school/college/university/ random place of learning which plays backdrop to the “fitting-in” saga of aforementioned teen heroine.

~ One super-beautiful, super-snotty, super- all-things-HAGalistic teen queen and her equally stuck-up clique.

~ A handful of likeable waiting-to-bloom sidekicks.

~ An extremely handsome boy-wonder who craves new teen heroine but has also done the nasty with previously mentioned HAG-Queen.

RECIPE
Blend all the ingredients together and you have your run-of-the-mill Ya-Lit.

RECIPE WITH A PARANORMAL TWIST
Throw in the exotic element of Vampires and what you have is Ya-Lit with bloodlust, some cool undead action and the umpteenth attempt to correct the damage done by Edward Cullen and the rest of his sparkling-brigade.

MARKED is one such tale. Zoey Redbird is a 16-year old who gets ‘marked’ by a tracker. Being marked doesn’t mean that someone goes nuts on you with a Sharpie-Pen. It means that Zoey has become a fledgling who will soon CHANGE into a full-blown vampyre. In order to deal with the changes (read: not die), Zoey must leave behind her old school and enrol herself into the "House of Night" (a sort of finishing school for vampyres). What follows are the above-spouted clichés in varying but predictable degrees.

The book could have been loads better without the authors’ gratuitous sermonising and the clear demarcation between what is morally right and what is sluttishly wrong. Popular references were OTT and jarred the smooth flow of the text. Zoey could have been the perfect heroine without the unnecessary attempt to etch her character as the most mentally well-balanced teen possible. The supporting cast of characters are fun in varying degrees.

It’s always interesting to see an author’s representation of the Vampire world. The Cast mother-daughter duo does a good job on it. I especially like the whole concept of a fledgling resisting the “CHANGE”. It adds a degree of vulnerability to the self-assuredness of the immortals and makes for interesting reading. These points and a few other minute details laid down some good groundwork for future plotlines.

Not astounding vamp-lit, but a tad better than the Twilight series. Engaging enough to make me pick up the next two books.

See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)

See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)

See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)

See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)

See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)

See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)

See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

Silver Borne (The Mercedes Thompson Series, # 5)

Silver Borne is the fifth instalment of The Mercy Thompson series. Sadly, I haven’t read the previous four and so here’s a quick summary.

Mercedes Thompson(Mercy) is a mechanic and more importantly, a Native-American shapeshifter who can morph into a coyote. She can see the spirits of the dead and is resistant to most kinds of magic. She is the mate of her neighbour Adam Hauptman. Adam is the alpha of the Tri-Cities werewolves. Another key character is Samuel Cornick, a dominant yet kind werewolf who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Mercy. He has now become one of her closest friends (and roommate).

Silver Borne begins when Mercy receives a call regarding the whereabouts of a book-store owner; Phin who had given her a book on the fae. Besides the investigation, Mercy is also working on her tenuous relationship with Adam and providing support to a dejected Samuel who has just made a failed suicide attempt.

In order to curb Samuel, his own “wolf”: Sam takes over. A werewolf has less control when it is in it’s wolf form and the shifting could prove to be a dangerous thing for the people surrounding Sam. Meanwhile, someone in Adam’s Pack who has never been too chuffed about Mercy’s intrusion, uses the pack-bond to enter her mind and cause rifts in the Adam-Mercy relationship.

Adding spice to the proceedings is a Fairy Queen who wants to lay her hands on the book that Mercy possesses. When the queen kidnaps Gabriel, (Mercy’s fully human friend and employee), Mercy is forced to step into the dangerous world of the fae.

Mercy Thompson is a wonderfully empowered female lead. She reminds you of the b**-kicking, smart-talking Buffy Summers. After sinking in the swamp of pathetic fantasy-leads like Bella Swan, Mercy is a breath of fresh air. She ups the cool-factor with her job (a VW mechanic), is fighting-fit and is ultimately a charming blend of common-sense and rash implemention.

Patricia Briggs weaves in the legends of the fae, werewolves, shape-shifters and an assortment of other supernatural creatures without ever losing a grip on reality. The back-stories are enticing and the plot is well-woven.

The series is a must-read for all fantasy fans who don’t want a sappy, dripping, *I-need-Mr.Sparkle* heroine at the helm.

Girl Meets Cake

Ya-Lit authors are getting sparkier and cheekier.

Girl Meets Cake is a classic example of an author who got it just right. Be it an endearing heroine, a crazy ensemble cast or a free-flowing plot-line...the book has it all.

Heidi Ryder is a plaited teen geek/fangirl. Constantly shuffled around by her parents, she has finally found her stomping ground at the posh Goldfinch Private School. Sadly, she’s not exactly at the top of the food-chain since her mother is school PE instructor and her dad is the caretaker/ handyman.

Not that any of this deters Heidi. She has spent a happy summer in fandom, watching reruns of the time-traveling detective show *Mycroft Christie Investigates* and having a crush on the lead actor, a debonair twenty-third century Posh Brit: Mycroft. She makes a bit of moolah working for the quirky tea-shop called “The Little Leaf” and is firm friends with it’s motherly owner Betsy and her lazily charming son, Teddy. On the friend front, she has her aptly named “Leftover Squad”. There's Fili:the obligatory Goth, Dai:the big hulking gay friend and Ludo:the frothy, cheery, get-on-your-nerves pretty girl.

As the new year begins, Heidi looks forward to spending a lot of time doing a lot of nothing with her mates. But when she suddenly finds Fili, Dai and Ludo all paired up and hand-clutchy with their newly acquired boyfriends, Heidi feels like the proverbial gooseberry. A series of confusing cross-connections (and a niggling sense of self-pity) lead Heidi to create a boyfriend. He’s angsty-hot, wears a leather jacket, drives a motorbike and spouts poetry at the drop of an emotion. Sadly, he’s also non-existent. Heidi’s plot thickens when she fleshes out Ed Hartley's (Mr. Figment of Heidi’s imagination) personality by creating a Social Networking profile for him and thereby opening up a whole new can of worms. Suddenly her friends are connecting with Ed, pouring their hearts out and generally have a happy gossip with him on matters undisclosed to Heidi itself.

Things bubble and boil as new dramas come to the fore. Secrets are being kept, love is being betrayed and actual 3Dimensional mysterious boys are suddenly showing an interest in Heidi.

A classic comedy of errors, Girl Meets Cake hits all the right spots. Heidi is a delightful heroine with her mutterings and imaginary conversations with Mycroft and her ability to weave a boyfriend out of thin air. The book is chatty and littered with e-mails and IMs and sufficient teenese to stay true to it’s genre. Somewhere in the long ramble is a lesson, but you appreciate it without doing an eye-roll.

Many of the reviewers had a grouse about Susie Day’s writing style as it bounces back-and-forth and leaves you a tad winded. This might be so, but I would like to think that it perfectly captures a teen’s mindset. They are legendary ( as was I!) for their low-boredom threshold and this was adequately captured by the author's oscillation between here-now-in-HappyLand ----and----burning-next-in-AngstHell.

Fun read...passing references to Cake ( which is always good!)...and a story that makes you want to finish it in one long, uninterrupted lap!

p.s. The book also goes by the title "My Invisible Boyfriend"

Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls - Moving Day

Meg Cabot is the undisputed Queen of Ya-Lit. She has churned out feisty teens who have *attitude-to-burn* and steady-heads on their troubled shoulders. Her plot-lines entwine urban culture with witty comebacks and situations which actually make you snort with glee.

I have found that her books make fantastic gifts for preteens, teens and the odd discerning adult female friend. The Allie Finkle series has been out for quite some time now, but I never picked it up because somewhere I clung to the vain belief that pre-teen literature was a tad "childish" for a 30 year old to wade into.

And then, I met my best friend's five-year old daughter. She was articulate, had a keen sense of fashion and a manner of deduction that would put an adult to shame. I had been reading fleeting reviews on Allie Finkle and the líl charmer was a living replica of the sassy protagonist.

I picked up the first book and found it to be quite endearing. The tale of 9-year old Allie Finkle as she goes through the pangs of moving to a new (and possibly haunted) home, starting in a new school and making new friends is something that most on-the-move tweens could associate with.

Cabot's writing is spot-on, never condescending and always peppered with wry humour and unfortunately funny incidents. If any of you guys are wondering as to what to pick up for your surprisingly mature preteen, I would happily recommend this series with nary a doubt.

Nina Jones and The Temple of Gloom

First of all…Brilliant Title. I love stuff that does a smack-dab job of wordplay. You got to get itchy fingers to pick up a chick-lit titled “Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom”. Ol’Indy would be right proud.

Nina Jones is a tall, blonde PA to one of the hottest chefs in London: Edmund Jett. Efficient, hardworking and devoted to a lifestyle of making Edmund’s fast-paced life easier, Nina is content. And she’s also in love with her handsome, charismatic boss. But said handsome, charismatic is boss is married…no, make that….HAPPILY MARRIED. And we have…

~ Roadblock #1~
Leading a life of unrequited love is fast growing old for Nina. So, when a handsome (and slightly cheesy) Spaniard chef called Juan starts dishing out a lot of attention, Nina decides to allow herself to be swept away on a wave of cloying romanticism. In an uncharacteristic move; she sells her flat, gathers up her savings, gives up her high-flying job (and a suddenly interested Edmund) and moves to Spain with Juan. She decides to plunge herself into the Spanish way of life while helping Juan renovate a derelict restaurant called El Flor Anaranjado. But true-blue Lothario, Juan does a runner with Nina’s cash, leaving her literally and emotionally bankrupt.

~Roadblock #2~
Ashamed to return as a failure to her old life, Nina decides to take up in residence in her deceased uncle; Arval’s flat. The flat is located in a dark mausoleum which she scornfully refers to as “The Temple of Gloom”. As she battles with her depression, Nina has to deal with sinister gargoyles, inquisitive (and yet kindly neighbours) and a possible (and extremely hot- looking) vampire called Viktor. Is she destined to end up as Hors d’oeuvres for the grim-looking vampire or does she pull through and find her*HAPPILY-EVER AFTER*?

The book was loads of fun. Nina is a typical chick-lit heroine with her obsession for material things like the clichéd Jimmy Choos. She’s also burdened by a family history that is bound to leave her cautious and dissatisfied. However she displays sparks of cheekiness and resilience that makes her wholly likeable.

Viktor the (possible)vampire is…in one word…*scrumptious*. He’s the kind of male-lead that makes you happy that knights-in-shining-armours (or dark capes as the case may be) do exist.

The host of supporting characters are endearing, with Evangeline (Nina’s next door neighbour) deserving special mention. She’s batty, wears crazy wigs, has a latent mother-hen instinct and makes you hope that if you ever end up in a mess (God Forbid!!!) like Nina….you do get the delightful Evangeline as your bolster.

I would highly recommend this book to all chick-lit fans. It’s fun, with tinges of darkness and generous splashings of witty dialogue.

Breaking Dawn

“The Addams Family” OR “The Cullen Coven”, which would I prefer as a next-door paranormal neighbour?

Without a doubt, I would go for the deliciously macabre Addams. They put the G in Goth; were fun, flawed and had morbid fun in their gory pursuits.The Cullens on the other hand continue in their irritatingly perfect ways. I had hoped that the title “Breaking Dawn” signified a new dawn for the hidden facets of the Cullen Clan, but sadly (and teeth-grindingly), they played true to form.

My particular peeves:
a) Perfect patriarch Carlisle could have ditched his eternally compassionate stand and have a moment of self-doubt. Should he support his family or play-nice with the Volturi? But no, he “furrowed his brows” and “clenched his jaw” and basically played Donald Trump of the newly-risen.
b) Esme could have been assigned some kind of pivotal role besides being relegated to interior-designer for the self-absorbed undead honeymooners.
c) Emmett, Mr. My-massive-biceps-are-rusting-with-disuse didn’t get one measly opportunity to display his insane strength and fighting prowess. He deserved at least one hands-on combat with the Volturi vanguard. Losing to newly-turned obnoxious vamp Bella in a bout of arm-wrestling was the straw that broke this buff-vampire’s back.
d) Rosalie, who uncharacteristically helped Bella through her pregnancy with the sole purpose of letting the fledgling immortal live, could have displayed a grey area by being overtly possessive of Renesmee and resenting the bond that birth-mother and daughter share. But no, she was relegated to guessing the punch lines of Jacob’s lame blonde-jokes.
e) Alice, the Tinkerbell of the undead, fulfilled her wedding-planner aspirations, and played a pivotal role of saving Renesmee’s undead butt (for which, the perennially ungrateful Bella whined some more).
f) Silent assassin, Jasper didn’t get a flicker of action. What’s the point of having a rich and scarred history of brutally fighting undead newborns if all he did in the ultimate book is play supportive metrosexual mate to Alice?
g) Renesmee frankly freaked me out. A vampire baby that matures at an alarming rate and transcends thoughts by touching your cheek?!? This is one baby that scared the living daylights out of me!
h) And finally,

*reluctant drumroll*

i) Edward and Bella : How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.
The nauseating couple stoop to new levels of self-absorption, selfishness and pure disregard for anything outside their hallowed circle. They have no compulsions about messing with also-ran Wolf boy, Jacob’s emotions. Whole covens can be decimated so that their precious offspring can survive. A sizeable (and regrettable) chunk of the book was devoted to their combined yuckiness. Yep, real charming protagonists…NOT!!!

Moving on to the likeable factors:
a) Jacob Black: I feel for ol’wolf-breath. Renesmee as a future love-interest didn’t go down well with me. It was downright creepy and a poor ending for a cocky, charming second-lead. Leah Clearwater, the temperamental but spiky she-werewolf would have made such an ideal match for Jacob. She was strong, had a pained history but a newly developed staunch loyalty towards Jacob and above all, she had gumption (something which Madame Blah-Bella could use a transfusion of). It didn’t help that the “blood-drinkers” kept oscillating between treating him like an untouchable and then relying on his loyalty to save the day. Despite all that, he is the most endearing character in the series (with Seth Clearwater coming a close second).
b) Garrett: the Nomadic vampire with a spirit of reckless adventure. His monologue at the end of the book had the right touch of revolutionary fervour and his eventual pairing up with the fiery Kate was something that appealed to me. c) The steady build-up of tension to the moment when the Volturi finally makes it’s sinister appearance. Very well-written. You could almost taste the metallic hint of oncoming evil.

I read the book because I wanted to know how it all ended. I didn’t want to read it enough that I went out and bought the book. I waited a good two years and picked it up from the library.

I wish that all the pots of ink that were wasted on Edward and Bella’s wedding, their honeymoon and the birth of Renesmee could have instead been devoted to a healthy offering of back stories on the various Covens. Their histories, their agonies of leading a damned life and an elaboration of their individual powers would have made for engrossing reading. The Volturi and their sinister army should have got an adequate chance to exhibit their individual shades of wicked-nasty. No such luck.

The majority of the book was all about the “perfection of Edward” and the newly discovered mightiness of Super Powerful Bella (which grew real tedious, real quick).

USA Today (which I believe was put under Jasper’s mood-enhancing spell) smugly stated on the blurb at the back : “Move over, Harry Potter”.

No, Potter….stay right there. Hop onto the Nimbus 2000, join hands with the Dementors and show the Cullens what epic-making Fantasy Action is all about!

KANE CHRONICLES : The Red Pyramid (Book #1)

Mild-mannered Carter Kane is fourteen years old. Till now he has spent a nomadic life, travelling to distant places with famous Egyptologist dad – Dr.Julius Kane. Carter’s estranged (and rebellious) twelve year old sister - Sadie Kane has been raised in England by her grandparents after their mother died under mysterious circumstances. But the sparring siblings have only touched the tip of the pyramid where mysteries are concerned.

Dr.Kane is allowed access to his daughter only twice a year and on one such visit, the trio head off to 'The British Museum'. Suddenly things start going horribly wrong when Dr.Kane magically breaks up a valuable Egyptian Artefact – The Rosetta Stone, in an attempt to invoke Osiris (the Egyptian God of The Dead). Osiris awakens, but so do a host of other Gods, including the much dreaded Set (The God of Chaos, Darkness, Deserts and Storms). Set has been waiting for centuries to be unleashed and he cruelly consigns Kane to a tomb that vanishes into the ground. And thus begins a series of improbable events for the stunned duo.

Sadie and Carter discover that they are Egyptian Magicians…magicians who have the added blessing of being descendents of the mighty Pharaohs. They have the power to teleport, play host to ancient Gods, shape-shift to anything from falcons to fruit-bats and above all…rescue their father and stop Set from unleashing his unique brand of evil nastiness on the world.

Rick Riordan continues his winning, celestial streak. From temperamental Greek Gods, he effortlessly shifts gears to the equally capricious Egyptian Deities. Just when you thought that he couldn’t recreate the magic of Percy Jackson, he presents you with the winning combo of Carter and Sadie Kane. Sadie with her combat boots and smart-talk provides the perfect foil to the more sedate Carter. A host of supporting characters pepper the pages with their superpowers and unique personalities. The dialogue is classic Riordan with sarcastic quips and witty repartee in free flow. Action sequences are vivid and on a scale befitting the…well…Gods! No one does History Lessons better than ex-middle school teacher - Rick Riordan. He dusts the ancient tomes, bombards you with a load of mythical snippets and never, not once do your eyes glaze over in boredom.

The Red Pyramid is the first in the trilogy of ‘The Kane Chronicles’. 500 odd pages strong, the book is utterly divine and makes you look forward to the next instalment with enthusiasm.

The Cinderella Deal

This romantic comedy is recommended for those days when you have encountered one too many frogs who failed turn into loyal, charming princes…the days when everything seems to go wrong and all you want is a *Happy Ending*, however predictable and seasoned with clichés it is. The Cinderella Deal serves as good comfort food for those ‘I-want-to-stay-in-bed’ days.

Meet boho-chick artist, Daisy Flattery who believes in clash and contrast. She wears clothes in eye-watering colours, takes home stray dogs and bruised furniture and is facing a money-crunch thanks to the absence of a steady income.

And now meet her buttoned-up neighbour, Linc Blaise. He’s a history professor who leads a sedate lifestyle right down to his tastefully-furnished apartment. But Linc has reached a roadblock. To get the job of his dreams, he needs to satisfy the one condition which the appointing authorities insist on: a fiancée.

(You know where this is heading). Daisy agrees to play the fawning fiancée for a sum of thousand dollars which will tide her over till her financial situation improves. As the two play house, they find that an emotionless professor and a zany artist can coexist with companionship, simmering passion and genuine fondness for each other. Whether they do anything to change their false situation is what the chick-lit is all about.

The Cinderella Deal is sweet read, peppered with a host of typical characters ranging from the sarcastic best friend to the lecherous boss to the unexpected love-interests. Finish the book in an hour, feel good for a while and then get geared to fight the real-life dragons again.

Aisha

Aisha (Sonam Kapoor) is an upscale Delhiite. Life is a mad whirl of zipping around in her yellow Beetle, embellishing her already overflowing wardrobe with designer knick-knacks and playing matchmaker for her unsuspecting friends. A steady career appears non-existent and equally absent is her ability to stay out of other people’s lives.

Her nagging voice of conscience and at times, condescension is a member of her extended family – Arjun Burman (Abhay Deol). The “corporate-slave” as she pithily dubs him, can’t stand Aisha’s frivolous lifestyle or her penchant for playing God with relationships. Also acting as referee and sometimes cohort is her best friend, the eccentric and colourfully clad Pinky Bose (Ira Dubey).

But things start going awry for the DIOR-clad butterfly when she tries fixing up a distant, naïve cousin Shefali (Amrita Puri) with a host of mismatched prospectives. Aisha steps on one-too-many toes, loses out on some long-standing friendships and generally makes an unholy mess of events.

Does Sonam Kapoor make a sufficiently self-absorbed Emma? Does she help the “becharas” among her unsuspecting friends and make their lives 'better' ? Does she banter convincingly with a droll Deol?

She does…with a stunning fashion-sense and the odd vulnerability that plagues the seemingly confident amongst the society queens. Tall and lissome, Sonam has a certain softness that stops her character from denigrating into a witless clothes-horse.

The ensemble cast is perfect. Whether it’s the acerbic Pinky or the gushing panju small-towner, Shefali or especially the nouveau-riche, mithai-king’s son - Randhir Gambhir played to perfection by a blustering Cyrus Sahukar….the cast adds an element of newness to a story that could otherwise have remained cringing on the shelf of also-rans.

Interesting cameos by the muscle-bound Dhruv (Arunoday Singh), the shy but upright middle class boy - Saurabh (Anand Tiwari) and the stunning Aarti (Lisa Haydon) brighten up the proceedings. The icing on the cake is ofcourse Abhay Deol. With each movie, the actor leaves with you a contented smirk at his effortless acting and spot-on one liners.

The movie marks an enchanting foray into the world of Bollywood chick-lit. Fresh fashions – Realistic Acting – A desi reblending of the much-loved Jane Austen classic - Emma and the crowd-pleaser - Clueless – and a sparkling soundtrack; Aisha is definitely worth a dekko. Viewing comes advised with a never-ending supply of caramel popcorn AND a gaggle of your best and varied gal-pals.

Runaway (Airhead # 3)

Book Two( Being Nikki (Airhead #2)) ended with Em Watts getting a nasty surprise. Like having your brain transplanted into the body of beautiful but less-than-congenial supermodel - Nikki Howards wasn’t bad enough, Em discovered that Nikki’s brain was very much functional and it had been transplanted into the body of an average teenage girl. The original Nikki had overheard a secret about Stark Enterprises which had led to her so-called “accident”. To discover the secret and keep all the fugitives safe, Em is now forced to accompany the obnoxious Brandon Stark (Stark Ent. Owner, Robert Stark’s son) and convince all, including Christopher (the love of her life) that she is Brandon’s girlfriend.

So now, Christopher is spitting-mad at Em. Sleazy Brandon is doing a fantastic impression of an all-hands octopus. The original Nikki has decided that she wants her old life back and insists on another brain-transplant operation to be done with Em. And the group of reluctant sleuths have yet to figure out the deep, dark secret that led to Nikki’s accident (read : murder).

In a race against time, obnoxious teens and boyfriends who morph into super-villains, Em Watts has her job cut out. Is she ready to give up the Size Zero, porcelain-perfect body that she had despised until now? All this and much more in Cabot’s engaging finale to the Airhead series.

Again, I reiterate my earlier claim that Meg Cabot is comfort food for the soul. I love her rambling writing style, the manner in which she pops in juicy gossip slap-bang in the middle of a tenuous situation and her utter enchantment with New York City which shines through in all her books.

Fun, whacky and with a female lead who is an endearing blend of ditzy teenager and woman-girl ready to take on the world.

See also : Airhead (Airhead # 1)

Airhead (Airhead #2) : Being Nikki

Being Nikki (Airhead # 2)

In Book One (Airhead (Airhead #1)) all-around reject and class geek Em Watts died in a freak accident. But her brain was still functioning. And said brain was transplanted into the body of teen supermodel Nikki Howards’ body (who was also present at the time of the accident). Nikki Howards was the brand ambassador and *Face* of Stark Enterprises; the company which conveniently enough, conducted the brain-transplant operation.

Now...in Book Two, Em is well and truly entrenched in a supermodel’s Size Zero body . Life is a dizzying whirl of killer heels, designer togs, amorous boyfriends popping out of the woodwork and fashion-shows where she might have to prance about in nothing more than the bare essential bits o' clothing. And while her brain may belong to a hoodie-wearing brainiac, her body and it’s reactions are(unfortunately and promiscuously) all Nikki!

While she has been forced to keep mum on the whole brain-transplant operation, she uncovers a few mysteries that threaten to burst upon secrets, whether Stark wants them to or not. Suddenly she discovers an elder brother, a missing mother and a revamped Christopher (the unrequited love of Em's life) who seems have gone from mild schoolboy to super-villian intent on avenging Em’s untimely death.

Meg Cabot’s sequel is funny, well-paced and quite the page turner. I read this book on the same day that I watched Inception…so what with the sub-conscious invasions to the brain transplants, you can just imagine the crazy, Burtonesque dreams that I had last night!

See also : Airhead (Airhead #2) : Being Nikki

INCEPTION

All you toffee-nosed intellectuals, mega-brains and (questionable) descendants of Einstein….let me know if you “get” the entire movie the first time you watched it. Me, I had gone armed with Wikipedia’s cut-by-cut plot breakdown and my friend had been well infused by her husband's seen-it-the-day-before review. And despite our respective revisions, it took us some time to grasp the madly spinning plot.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo Di Caprio) is an espionage agent with a difference. He is an extractor: a person who can enter into the dreams of others and extract hitherto inaccessible information. But this ability has cost him dearly. He has lost his wife – Mal (Marion Cotillard), isn’t allowed access to his children and has been banned from his home-country.

However he gets a chance to alter this bleak scenario when a client – Saito (Ken Watanabe) has a new job for him…a job with a twist. Instead of extracting ideas, Cobb will now have to implant an idea into the mind of Saito’s business rival’s son, Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy). The job is to enter Fischer’s mind and plant the seed of an idea which will make him dismantle his father’s business and thereby prevent it from becoming a Global Energy monopoly.While Cobb’s right-hand man, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is sceptical, Cobb agrees since he has done it before.

And thus begins the heist of unimaginable boundaries with a team comprising of:
~ Cobb – The ‘Inceptor’
~ Arthur – the Point-Man
~ Ariadne (Ellen Page) – the architect who will construct the world of the dream.
~ Eames (Tom Hardy) – a ‘Forger’ who will take on the identity of a target in the dream-world as and when required
~ Yusuf (Dileep Rao) – the chemist who formulates the sedatives needed to transcend different layers of the dreams.

A plan takes shape with the best minds at work, but no one has accounted for Cobb’s personal demons …..the dreams…the memories which he has buried deep in his sub-conscious…..dreams that intrude in the form of his late-wife, Mal....Mal who has the ability to put a massive spoke in the plans.

What follows is a tantalizing maze of shifting dream worlds….a sub-conscious labyrinth where dreams nest within dreams and no part of the brain is safe from invasion. But co-existing with supreme intelligence is also the Achilles’ heel of emotions. Cobb may formulate the best and most intricate of plans. But what happens when his dead wife makes an unwelcome entry into his job area….his simulated dream world….and wrecks untold havoc?

Moreover is Fischer’s mind so easily penetrable as the team has assumed? Will his mind not throw up antibodies to resist the invasion?

The movie isn’t only about the actors. It’s more about an ingenious plot….a wholly original concept that hasn’t been on the screen till now. Christopher Nolan has presented a movie that befuddles, shocks, awes, amazes and leaves you scratching your head in bemusement.

I had to come back and read trusty ol’Wikipedia’s monologue on the plot (again!!!)to understand what I just saw. And read it, you must….to understand how Nolan executed a venture that was ten years in the making.

INCEPTION is all about astounding sfx, commendable acting, fast-paced sequences and the biggest strength of it all: An Idea