Blog Tour: Journey of Promise by Vickie Hall

Welcome to my stop on the Journey of Promise Blog Tour. (Goodreads)

I don't usually sprout about my religion on my blog - I believe  actions speak louder than words - but I decided to sign up for this blog tour because I have great admiration for the early pioneers who sacrificed so much to lay the foundations of my religion. If it had not been for them, then it's unlikely that those clean-cut missionaries boys - or rather, in my case, girls  - would ever have made it to my shores. My life, my values, my goals and my beliefs have all been shaped by that chance meeting. I am who I am today thanks to what I believe.

So, with that little sermon behind us. on to the tour . . .

This is the second book in a series about a family of converts to the LDS church. Richard and Leah Kenyon, along with family and friends, leave their beloved homeland of Wales in 1849 to immigrate to Zion. For the uninitiated, Zion is another name for Salt Lake City - the mothership of the LDS faith. With great sacrifice and faith they prepare for their journey, but are unsuspecting of the exacting toll asked of the Atlantic Ocean and the mighty Mississippi. 

As part of the tour, I'm posting two excerpts from Vicki Hall's Book:

                                                       Excerpt 1 from Journey of Promise:

          Her heart thudded in her chest as she turned and walked up the gangway. Richard paused and looked back to say something to the Saints, but she didn’t stop to listen, making her way onto the ship. She stood on the deck of the steamer as the autumn breezes blew cool and damp off Cardiff Bay. Her heart knotted as she looked out over the pier, hoping against hope that her mother might come to say good-bye. I don’t want to leave . . . I can’t . . . this is home . . .

            She pressed her lips together and choked back tears as her eyes scanned the fringes of her native village. Her gaze rose to the hills, still green, to the sky awash in clouds, then down to the surging bay. The smell of briny water filled her nostrils and the call of seabirds cried overhead. Leah closed her eyes, attempting to etch the pictures in her mind, and called upon her memory to remember Wales and never forget.

            Richard slid his arm around Leah’s shoulders. “ ’Tis hard, I know,” he said as if he could read her mind.

            His touch gave her a sense of reassurance. She could feel his strength lending itself to her, lifting and carrying her beyond doubt. Richard kissed her temple and held her as the ropes were loosed from the moorings. She turned to him, her eyes burning into his. “Let me look at you, Richard.Let me look to you and our future. I cannot bear to watch us leave . . .”

            She buried her face against his chest. Richard encircled his wife and held her as the steamer pulled away.

                                                           Excerpt 2 from Journey of Promise:

             Leah peered inside the box of supplies and saw a chunk of beef infested with maggots. “Who would do this? And why?”

            “We need that ham,” Claire said. “We have mouths to feed. What are we goin’ to do?”

            Leah reached inside the box and snagged the meat in her bare hand. “I’m getting’ our ham back.”

            “What are you—” Claire watched as her sister turned and stormed up the companionway.

            Leah fumed all the way to the forecastle, to the captain’s quarters. She wasn’t about to let this assault on her family go without a fight. She raised her hand to knock on the captain’s door but was stopped by Franklin. “You can’t go in there,” he barked, barring the way.

            “Mr. Franklin,” she said, her voice tinged with anger, “I need to see the captain.”

            Franklin glowered as Leah. “The captain’s a busy man. What do you want?”

            Leah shoved the spoiled maggot-filled meat toward his face. “Someone aboard ship stole our ham and left thisin its place! I want the captain to do somethin’ about it!”

            Franklin lowered her arm with his hand, repulsed by the rancid beef. “The captain can do nothin’ about it,” he said. His eyes narrowed. “And for all I know, you might be lookin’ to trade this spoiled meat for someone’s ham you’d claim as your own.”

            “How dare you accuse me of such a thing,” she said, stamping her foot. “I’ve come to have things made right and you treat me as if I’m the thief!”

            Franklin smirked and clasped his hands behind his back. “See it however you want,” he said. “The captain won’t be disturbed over it. Maybe you should be thankful for what you have and eat it.”

            This matter was beyond that of just stealing. It was a threat to her family’s condition—a deprivation of the food that cost them so dearly, the very nourishment they needed to survive the coming weeks. Leah’s anger exploded as she pushed the rotted meat into Franklin’s smug face. “You eat it!” She spun and charged off.

Now for the giveaway! You can win $25 Amazon Gift Card or the equivalent in PayPal cash. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


cheers
Gwynn

WWW: 14 May

My favourite weekly meme! Thanks to MizB at Should Be Reading for hosting. As usual she asks three questions:

                                                     1. What have you finished reading?

 The Emperor's Edge (Goodreads)

Watch out Celaena Sardothien (Throne Of Glass), you have stiff competition from Amaranthe Lokdon, heroine in The Emperor's Edge! 

If you know anything about me and Celaena then you will know that is praise indeed. I've followed Lindsay Buroker's blog for ages now, so I fully expected the book to be good. It certainly didn't disappoint. If you love non-stop action with great characters, then this is for you. I will be doing a review and interview with Lindsay soon, but in the meantime, let me say that this FIVE STAR read has won a coveted spot on my Top Ten Reads of 2013 list.

2. What are you currently reading?

 I got this from Netgalley and am loving it. Yes, I admit, you have to be an Ender junkie to want to read a book of essays about him, but what can I say? Fantastic read. Review will probably be up next week.
(Review of Ender's Game)

3. What are you planning on reading?

Help! I'm torn between . . .

Aargh!!!! Goodreads is down for maintenance so I can't get the links. Amazon will have to do.

As I was saying, I'm torn between these two . . .

 

 

Perception (Amazon)

OR

Dare you To (Amazon)

 

 What do you suggest I read? 

As usual, leave a link and I will visit. Take care and happy reading everyone.

cheers

Gwynn

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: 14 May

Thanks to the The Broke and the Bookish for hosting. The question this week is:

The Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects (abuse, suicide, grief etc or something personally hard for you)

Hmm . . . this is a tough one because I read for pleasure, not to be beaten about the head by my literature. So the only titles that springs to mind are:

The Fault in Our Stars (Goodreads)

I know this is a brilliant book (I've read enough reviews to convince me of that), but I can't bring myself to read it. Having lost both parents to cancer, it's just too close to the bone for me. Maybe one day . . .

The Hunger Games (Goodreads)
I know I'm a wuss (freely admitted in previous posts!), but this book disturbed me for weeks after reading it. The callousness of the games really hit home because it is not a new concept - the Romans sent thousands of people of to die just like that. I can see the Hunger Games happening again under some evil regime.

Go Ask Alice (Goodreads)
I read this books when I was a trouble teen and I have never forgotten it. Go Ask Alice shaped my view on life, protecting me from the pitfalls of drug abuse. I remember it as a hauntingly sad book.

 Ring of Bright Water (Goodreads)

This book is ancient, so I make no apologies for the cover pic. It deals with the  loss of a pet and made me cry rivers for days. I still get teary when I think about it. Art Garfunkle's song, Bright Eyes, was written about that poor otter. I've included a link to the music video. Have tissues when you watch it

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Goodreads)

I include this book of sorrow, betrayal, death and despair as a hold-all for all the books I've read on racism and injustice in any form. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is highlighted because it was particularly wrenching - it stands out above the others.

And that, folks, is all I can come up with. Pathetic, right? How about you? Did you do better? Please leave a link and I'll drop by.

Cheers
Gwynn
PS. I am looking for new blogs to follow and I'm hoping to find some new readers who like my kind of posts too. Feel free to follow if what you see appeals to you. That way I'm sure I'll like what you offer too.

Books vs Movies: Ender's Game Trailer

There are a lot of great book movies coming out this year, but the one I'm most excited for is Ender's Game. For those who don't know this brilliant book, here's the blub from Goodreads:

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives. Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

My thoughts . . . 

In my view, Ender's Game is one of the best coming-of-age book in all of Young Adult lit. Hefty praise as most books in the Young Adult genre explore the challenges and pitfalls of transitioning from child to adult.

Ender is six when he's drafted into Battle School and twelve when the book ends. By the end of that ride, Ender is no longer a child (if he ever was). He has proved himself a leader with compassion, wisdom and an unfailing ability to win. I love this quote by Colonel Graff which sums him up so perfectly:

"Ender doesn't just win, he wins thoroughly" 

Ender isn't the only character who goes through the crucible. Battle School is filled with brilliant kids, all trying to become leaders in the war against the Buggers. Not all of them make it. Orson Scott Card pulls no punches with his creations. Without mercy or respite, he puts his characters through huge emotional, physical and psychological challenges. Many of them break. It's fascinating - and heartbreaking - watching this happen to children who, thanks to Card's brilliant writing, have become as real to me as my own family.

The setting in the Battle School is wonderfully fleshed-out.  Although Orson Scott Card shows us much of the day to day life our hero, none of those details slow the story. In fact, the pace is fast, action-packed and riveting. 

In hindsight, some of the science fiction was amazingly accurate too. The book was written in the mid-eighties and Orson Scott Card predicted computers in every home, linked to a net - like the internet.  Pretty cool, huh? His Battle School orbits the planet in a similar way that the International Space Station orbits Earth.

But I think the biggest surprise was the ending . . . Obviously, my lips are sealed, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that it literally blew me away. (Pun intended! For those who have read the book)

Do you have to be a Sci-Fi fan to love Ender's Game? No way. The character development and plot alone are good reason to enjoy this Five Galaxy read.

Anyway, back to the movie . . .  I saw the trailer and had to share it with you. 

Orson Scott Card has been VERY involved with all aspects of this movie - which is a blend of both Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow (Goodreads), so we can be confident we're getting the very best director, screen writer and cast.

So, down to the casting . . .

I always saw Ender as much slighter and blonde! So Asa Butterfield is a bit of a mind shift for me, but I think he'll grow on me.

I love Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff! I think that's a stroke of genius there. Although I'm not sure I can imagine a grossly over-weight Harrison Ford . . . my mind just doesn't go there. Maybe they have written that out of the screenplay.

And Sir Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham? Fantastic! He's just what I imagined Mazer to be. And the tattoos don't worry me at all. I think they add to the Mazer Mystique!

Another surprise in the looks department is Aramis Knight chosen to play Bean. I had a totally different Bean in mind. Oh well. That is the price we pay for having our favourite books made into movies - someone else's imagination takes over.

As for the other cast, I am happy to see how they perform.

These are my thoughts . . .  expressed in a very long post (sorry about that). Now I would love to hear yours.  What do you think of the cast?
 
cheers
Gwynn

Review: The Storm Bottle by Nick Green

Two things attracted me to The Storm Bottle (Goodreads) when I got the email about the upcoming blog tour from Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

Firstly, the cover - gorgeous, isn't it? - and, secondly,  I was intrigued to read a paranormal fantasy about dolphins. I mean, everything else has been done, right? I think all that's left are fleas, sea cucumbers and  . . .  okay, okay, you get my meaning. Dolphins are fresh and new.

I was not disappointed by Nick Green's efforts. If I were to sum up this book in a few words, I'd say:  Spellbinding. Imaginative. Different. Unexpected delight. Huge fun to read.

According to Nick Green, his inspiration came the day he was walking along an English beach where he spotted a group of swimmers playing in the waves with a pod of completely wild dolphins. Without stopping to think, he threw himself into the water to join the fun. What resulted is a middle grade -  don't agree with that, I think this book has great cross-over appeal - fantasy capitalizing on the mystique of the Bermuda Triangle where just about anything can happen. (It's time someone did something with that Bermuda Triangle myth!)

As it turns out, for Bibi and her stepbrother Michael anything was about the worst thing imaginable.

Not to give away spoilers . . . After an accident at sea, Michael and a dolphin named Rodrigo end up changing places. Michael, now a dolphin, is thrust into the pod know as the Privateers who - amongst other things - chase dolphin girls around the Bermuda seas. Rodrigo finds himself locked in Michael's body, trying to make sense of life in a human family on land. It's left to twelve-year-old Bibi to sort out the mess. This makes for a great adventure, with a lethal - and wholly unexpected - twist in the tail.

The book is narrated by both Bibi and Michael and each bring their own charm to the story. Bibi is wonderful, so dry and astute - wise beyond her years - and I loved being in her head. She gave me lots of chuckles. Michael, AKA Rodrigo, has a tougher time of it in the story. Being a human trapped in a dolphin's body, he has a totally unique view of the world. I think he played his role perfectly.  I felt for him with every tail flick that brought him closer to home. And the real Rodrigo? His pain and confusion is brilliantly portrayed. This is Bibi narrating before she learns that Rodrigo is now occupying Michael's body:

"Shall I make you comfy on the sofa? I'll put the telly on."

Michael looked horrified. Bermuda TV can have that effect. I screwed up my courage. "No, come to my room," I said. "Tell me about those freaky tests they made you take."

I  patted my bed. His eyes went circular. Quickly I checked (I had a huge centipede get in once) but there was nothing on my duvet except its printed map of Bermuda.

"You can sit on it," I told him. 

But he lowered himself towards the carpet. I slipped a bean-bag under him and he sat like a ragdoll, looking over my room as if everything was new to him, my books, the stereo, the gleaming bottles. He could hardly take his eyes off my deep blue curtains.

Gripping my hand seemed to calm him.

"I thought-" He snatched that strange gulping breath. His words came slowly, yet urgently, like Morse code. "At first I thought this was all a bad dream. A horrible dream I couldn't su-su-surface from. But it's not, is it?"

"No, Michael. It's not a nightmare. You're awake. You're safe."

He leaned close and I heard his terror.

"I am not Michael."

And then I had to turn the page to find out more . . .

Now, what about the world building?

Nick Green's under-sea world was one of the great strengths of his book. His dolphins were so consistent and so . . . fishy. Unlike many other paranormal/ shifter books I've read, these dolphins were not just human voices and opinions wrapped in fins and blowholes. They are 'real/' and their concerns exactly what I'd imagine dolphins worrying about.

And talking about concerns, like the ocean, this book has many layers. I really enjoyed the way Nick Green explored the relationships. Step siblings, Bibi and Michael had never really clicked until the accident. Then it's too late. Bibi and her father have an interesting, if remote relationship, which undergoes a massive change. Bibi's dad and her stepmother's new marriage is also put to a grave test. And those are just the human perspectives. The interactions below the water are even more intriguing. Definitely a strength of this book.

All told, I thought The Storm Bottle was amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves an exciting paranormal fantasy. Obviously, given the age of the characters, there's no romance, but the book really didn't need it to be enchanting.

So how many stars? The Storm Bottle is definitely a Five Dolphin Pod read.

Now for the giveaway. Follow this link to find out more about Nick Green and to enter a Rafflecopter to win $25 Amazon Gift Card or the equivalent in PayPal cash. Good luck. And if you do win, do yourself a favour and use the cash to buy the book. You won't regret it.

cheers
Gwynn

Stacking The Shelves: May 11

Because I've been such a lucky girl, winning a heap of things, I feel eminently qualified to do Stacking the Shelves this week. Thanks to Tynga for hosting.

So where do I begin . . . rubs hands together!

Thanks to Carmen at shelfspaceneeded, I won a paper copy of Touch (Goodreads). 

Apart from the fact that Kale (the hero) is a real hottie, the book blurb sound great, so I'm super excited for this one.

Then I scored big at Martha's blog Books, Books, and More Books

From her a won a David Estes bundle of eBooks . . .

 Nikki Powergloves (Goodreads)

The Moon Dwellers (Goodreads)

Fire Country (Goodreads)

I think the Nikki Powergloves will be a bit young for me, but I'm definitely thrilled with the other two.

Then I won my first swag!

Amazing how excited a grown girl can get over some pretty pieces of cardboard!!!

Thanks to Jennifer @ Simply Young Adult.

If that isn't enough magic for one week, I was also given some exciting titles to review via Netgalley.

Broken Forest (Goodreads)

I was suckered by this cover! I just love it. I hope the book is just as good. 

 Dare You To (Goodreads)

I was pretty stunned when Harlequin agreed to give this to me. I requested it on the off chance that I'd get it. Imagine my excitement when it arrived on my Dashboard at Netgalley. If it is anything like Pushing the Limits (Goodreads), I know I'm going to love it.

 Some of Tim's Stories
Having been a S.E. Hinton fan all my life, I could not resist this one. Because I could not find it on Goodreads (even though it was released on 30 April 2013), I will share the blurb with you: 
Terry and Mike are cousins who are as close as cousins can be - more like brothers, really. Growing up in happy times, they think their idyllic lives are invincible. But shared tragedies send both of their lives in two very different directions. Told through a series of inter-connected short stories by Tim, a sympathetic bartender who recognizes himself in the characters he speaks of.

"Some of Tim's Stories is a compact set of vignettes... Hinton trims her prose close to the bone...and carves it into...sharp, concise observation[s]...[that are] admirably direct." -The New York Times

How can one not be excited about that?

Well, that was me. What about you? Leave a link and I'll visit.

Cheers

Gwynn

Frivolous Friday: Why I love Africa

Happy Friday to you all.

As you know, for the last couple of Fridays I've been whinging about my house move. Thankfully we are now in our new home. However this upheaval was just an interim shift pending a much bigger migration.

At the end of July, my family and I are leaving the African continent for the UK. For Andrew, it is a return to the land of his nativity. For me? I'm being wrenched up by my roots.

So I thought I'd devote my next few Frivolous Fridays to all the things I love and hate about being an African. (I may not have black skin, but this continent has been the only home I've know since birth) Today I thought I'd start on a positive note.

AFRICA LOVE

I love that we live in a world where first world medicine (The first ever heart transplant took place in South Africa) rubs shoulders with tribal medicine, administered by traditional healers - sangomas.

At the risk of sounding gross, I had to have a routine colonoscopy some months ago. (Both my parents died of colon cancer, so every few years I subject myself to that indignity. Happily, I will live to write another day.)

Anyway, the point of this personal disclosure is this . . . After leaving the state-of-the-art medical facility where a doctor shoved a camera up my rear-end to look at my innards, I found this under my car windscreen wiper . . .

There seems to be nothing this man can't do! And all for the princely sum of fifty bucks. (I won't tell you what my surgeon charged. . . )

The amazing thing is that the majority of South Africans would rather visit Dr Tembo than a western doctor. In their minds, their disgruntled ancestors or evil spirits are at the root of all illness or misfortune. Bacteria and viruses just don't feature. As a writer, I get so much inspiration from that.

I know that sounds strange to us Westerners, but it wasn't so long ago that our ancestors would have thought my specialist surgeon was more of a quack than Dr. Tembo. They'd probably have welcomed Dr Tembo with open arms, after burning my guy at the stake for sorcery . . .

I love that there is place for both of these belief systems here. It makes life so interesting and I will definitely miss that.

Cheers
Gwynneth

P.S. Don't forget to check out Elisa's Frivolous Friday at: http://lostinsidethecovers.wordpress.com

Blog Tour: The Storm Bottle by Nick Green

Woo Hoo! I'm so excited to announce my first BLOG TOUR.

And it is for such an AMAZING book

. . . drum roll . . .

The Storm Bottle (Goodreads)

I read this book in a day - it was that compelling - and gave it an immediate 5 stars. But for the rest of my review you have to wait until the 12 May.

In the meantime . . .

You can read the blurb here 

Swimming with dolphins is said to be the number one thing to do before you die. For 12-year-old Michael, it very nearly is. A secret boat trip has gone tragically wrong, and now he lies unconscious in hospital.

But when Michael finally wakes up, he seems different. His step sister Bibi is soon convinced that he is not who he appears to be. Meanwhile, in the ocean beyond Bermuda’s reefs, a group of bottlenose dolphins are astonished to discover a stranger in their midst – a boy lost and desperate to return home.

Bermuda is a place of mysteries. Some believe its seas are enchanted, and the sun-drenched islands conceal a darker past, haunted with tales of lost ships. Now Bibi and Michael are finding themselves in the most extraordinary tale of all.

And 

Watch the book trailer here

 

Don't just take my word for how good it is.

See the praise.

‘A writer who knows how to grip the imagination, make you sit on the edge of your chair, and make you laugh out loud.’
- Michelle Lovric, author of The Undrowned Child, The Mourning Emporium and The Book of Human Skin

‘If you only ever buy one Kindle book in your life (although that sounds a bit unlikely, now that I stop and think) this has to be it.’
- The Bookwitch blog.

Meet the brains behind this creative brilliance . . .

 

Author Nick Green
Nick Green is a UK children’s and YA author, best known for his trilogy The Cat Kin, published in the UK by Strident Publishing and in Germany by Ravensburger, and also as a BBC audiobook. He has appeared on BBC radio talking about his books, and has been shortlisted for two UK children’s book awards. He regularly does school visits and other children’s literary events. The Storm Bottle is his first straight-to-Kindle novel.

Twitter * Website

AND FINALLY, ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I can't wait to share my review with you!

Cheers
Gwynn 

WWW: May 8

Time to play . . .

Thanks to MizB at Should Be Reading for hosting. As usual she asks three questions:

1. What have you finished reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What are you planning on reading?

1. What have you finished reading?

Sanditon (Goodreads) 

This is an uncompleted work by Jane Austen that was added to by "Another Lady". I loved it. The story is charming, the romance wonderful and the cast of characters replete Jane Austen's usual irony, silliness and depth. A magical read.

 Trail of Bones (Goodreads)

I read this for a blog tour I'm part of. To be honest, I feel a little bit "Hunger Games-ish" about it. The book is brilliant, but so cruel and violent that I struggle to say that I actually like it. My review will be coming on 18th of May

2. What are you currently reading?

Insignia (Goodreads)

I started off so well with this, but the book ran out of steam for me. I'm half way through it, but I don't see where it's going. I've put it down in favour of books I need to read for review purposes. Hopefully I will come back to it.

Shadow of the Realm (Goodreads)

I was lucky enough to get this one from the publisher from Netgalley. Thank you very much. I have just started it and am really intrigued to see where it goes because - as you all probably know by know - I LOVE dragons. Hope to post a review next week.

3. What are you planning on reading?

Ender's World
I saw this on Netgalley and almost jumped out my skin! As an Ender junkie, I just had to have it. The book consist of essays by Orson Scott Card and other Sci-Fi writers on the evolution and deeper meanings behind Ender's Game (Goodreads) and Ender as a character. I started reading it and was totally captivated. Then self-discipline kicked in and I put it aside to deal with my other commitments. But it is definitely up next!

 

Perception (Goodreads) 

I was kindly given this by the publisher, All Nigh Reads, for review. It's a SF/mystery/romance set in the near future against a dystopian background of genetic engineering. Sounds so cool and I can't wait to get my claws into it. (I just hope I'm not a wuss like I was with Unwind (Review). But even if it's not for me, I know Erin will love it. Expect a review soon.

So that's me. As usual, leave a link and I'll visit you.

cheers

Gwynn

 

The Host: The Movie vs The Book

Let me begin by saying that I thought Stephenie Meyer's book The Host (Goodreads) was just amazing - a five star read. Her imagination, story-telling, world-building and characterization paled the Twilight series into insignificance.  

For those who don't know The Host, let me give you the official movie blurb: When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

So it was with real excitement - and some trepidation - that my family and I went to see the movie. (I even dragged Andrew along) Why trepidation? While I didn't think the Twilight books were brilliant, I'm not ashamed to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the series. But I HATED the movies. They were one big yawn from beginning to end. I was scared The Host would be similar. 

I need not have worried. With Stephenie Meyer as Executive Producer, the movie was every bit as good as the book. (Maybe she learned a few lessons about trusting movie makers with her creations after the awful Twilight movies)  

I think the question one always asks about books to movies is: how close did the director keep to the original storyline?

I was not unhappy with Director and Screen Writer Andrew Nicol's effort. In fact, I think he did an excellent job of building tension and excitement without sacrificing the plot. For the most part, I thought the acting was excellent. My only disappointment was with Kyle - the bad guy in the cave. Somehow he just didn't come across as a real threat to Wanda. In the book he is terrifying. In the movie he's a bit wishy-washy. Pity that.

I thought the casting was spot on, with two notable exceptions. The Seeker and Pet (Wanda’s replacement body.) In the book, the Seeker had short dark hair that emphasized her squat body and annoying personality. Pet had a halo of golden hair, was small and had freckles all over her body. I saw her as being almost angelic. Neither Diane Kruger or Emily Browning who played the two roles looked anything like these characters. 

That doesn't mean that Diane Kruger wasn't good - I think she played a perfect Seeker. I loved her role - and her fleet of high-tech silver cars, motor bikes and helicopters. Emily Browning? Not so much. She was a big disappointment. She just did not look the part. And how can a movie actress be so unphotogenic? Still, her very short appearance at the end of the movie did nothing to detract from my enjoyment. 

All told, I loved the movie from the opening shot to the end credits which rolled with one of my favorite songs, “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons. It was the cherry on the top. Even Andrew, who isn't really into fantasy and sci-fi, enjoyed it. I wonder why he's married to a fantasy and sci-fi writer? Perhaps it's better not to ask . . .

Now for an different view of The Host . . The rest of this review are my daughter Erin's thoughts. 

  

I loved the movie, but I admit I was a bit peeved by two things they left out. I would have liked to have seen Wanda’s story of some of her previous hosts. That was one of the best parts of the book for me. I also missed Kyle’s love story which motivated his hatred for Wanda. If they had mentioned that, maybe he would have come across as more angry and bitter. My only other gripe was the kissing . . . a bit too much for me. But I didn't let it ruin the movie. Because I make movies myself as a hobby, I have to talk about the CGI. The souls were brilliant! They where exactly as described in the book and exactly as I imagined them.  All in all, I enjoyed it! My heart was racing from beginning to end and I went back to see it three times.  

I guess that is all the recommendation needed.

Cheers

Gwynn and Erin