Me and Earl and The Dying Girl.

I've learnt two things about myself from reading Jesse Andrews' Me and Earl and The Dying Girl. Firstly, I've learnt that I have absolutely nothing in common with a teenage boy. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Secondly,  I've learnt that I'm really pleased that I've got nothing in common with a teenage boy because to be honest, they seem like gross individuals who tackle issues like unwanted boners and idiotic actions beyond their control all day, every day. Therefore,  I've gotta say, Me & Earl did absolutely nothing for me. I wanted to like it, I honestly did but alas i spent my time reading a couple of pages, sighing and then putting the book down; just to pick it up and do the same. I feel like this book is one of those pieces of work that have will gain a tremendously successful cult following but unfortunately, I will not be one of them.

The whole book is written from the perspective of our main character, Greg. In fact, it's really his book we're reading. Greg is a chubby teenage boy that tends to steer clear from any real friends, bumbling his way through dating and making his amateur films. His one and only real friend is loud mouth, Mr. Sassy Pants; Earl. Greg is quite happily floating along through adolescence without a care until his mother forces him to befriend childhood acquaintance, Rachel, who has recently been diagnosed with leukemia. Thus follows a cancer narrative that really has very little to do with cancer and to be honest with you, I'm not all that sure i know what this story was genuinely about.

To be honest, I cant really fault the general writing style, that is the one thing i liked. It was just the sheer volume of quirky bullet pointed narrative, list after list of supposedly funny anecdotes and scripted dialogue. If Andrew's had picked one of these writings styles and ran with it, I would have enjoyed it. However, the constant mix match of narrative style made me feel slightly motion sick and it distracted me from the actual story line. In saying this, the book was well written within it's individual parts, it just didn't feel like an actual book for me. I know Andrew's wrote in the style of a teenage boys attempt at a book but i found Greg's constant ramblings and back track information tedious.

What killed it for me though was just the characters, i just didn't like them. I didn't find Greg lovable and humorous as you were meant to. I found his general obliviousness towards normal behavior to be forced. In fact, I found all the characters to be forced and a little static. Earl for example, was just a bad racial stereotype of a young black man. He's made out to be this ghetto raised, chain smoking, foul mouthed problem child and the dialogue that he's given is so predictably and a little cringy. An example being the sentence; "I'm talking about pussy. I got a little honey mustard over here, a little Heinz 57, and a whole lot of pussy" (Earl, Me and Earl and The Dying Girl. Andrews, 2012). Gross, right!? Totally cringy too! If I ever overheard a young man speaking like that I can tell you now, he'd get a stern word from me, my friend. Then there's poor, young Rachel. She's got leukemia and no doubt is feeling pretty bad about herself. So you'd think that maybe she'd get some good dialogue or some nice, amusing high point but nope. She;s kind of just a narrative drive that doesn't really do it's job. Like i said, this book isn't a cancer book so she's got to have some kind of other reason for being there and I just don't buy the relationship between her and Greg.

I picked up this book because I liked the cover, pretty much the thing you're supposed to not do. Ya know, the whole not reading a book by it's cover thing. Well I did, OK? That doesn't make me a bad person, does it!? Apparently so because I then got some bad literary karma by picking up a novel that had major potential with an interesting writing style but just wasn't supported by it's characters and narrative. I'd be interested in reading some more of Andrews work to see what a different story would do to his novel way of story weaving. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Elly.

Netflix Obsessions: The Killing

One of my favourite things to do is submerge myself into a Netflix pool of entertainment and allow a new T.V series to lap over me as I say goodbye to my social life and become obsessed with a new set of characters. My current Netflix addiction is American detective drama The Killing. After watching the first episode of the original Dutch series a year or so ago, this series has since been on my 'one's to watch' list and a month ago my partner and I decided it was time to jump in and allow Netflix is take hold of our lives once again, acting as a hypodermic needle and injecting us with pure, straight unadulterated entertainment. Wow, was it worth it. We're honestly so hooked. I know this series is old now but I don't care, I'm obsessed and I've just gotta write about it! I'll try and be as spoiler friendly as I can because I seriously suggest watching it if you haven't already.

Premiering on April 3rd 2011, The Killing throws you straight into the murder of Seattle teenager Rosie Larsen. The establishing shot of the pilot episode is a fantastic introduction to the world you're about to be submerged into. A still and secluded lakeside is blurred by the rolling morning mists and this sense of isolation is continued as the audience is introduced to our heroine of the series, Detective Sarah Linden, played by Mireille Enos. We see her running along an isolated road, her icy breath pushing through her tense mouth and the frosty ground beneath her crunches with every step she takes. As a viewer, you really are enveloped by an instant sense of harsh isolation. This is only solidified by the opening shots being interrupted by a horrifying scream and images of a young, beautiful girl scrambling her way through a lonely forest- the glow of a torch beam stalking her as she runs - she is Rosie Larsen (Katie Findlay). From this moment on you're quite aware that what follows will be a murder investigation but what spectators will be unaware of is the level of gut wrenching and sophisticated narrative drive and character development that just can't be found in so many of today's on going television drama's.

Despite it being her last day on the job, Linden is soon engrossed in this case and finds her entire, already fragile world, is rocked once again. She's quickly joined by new kid on the block, Detective Stephen Holder- played by Joel Kinnaman. Holder is a street wise, former narcotics cop who just happens to also be a recovering drug addict - he's taking the whole dedicated to the job thing too far. Linden and Holder soon become a murder case dream team who you very quickly fall in love with. Think Ant & Dec, if Ant & Dec were drug taking, murder solving, serious bad ass'. Thus begins two season of absolute emotional torture as Linden and Holder desperately try to find Rosie's killer. I  could quite easily gush about the many amazing things about The Killing but this post would be such a spoiler-fest I'll minimize it to my two favourite things; the writing and the acting.

The writing in this show is genuinely phenomenal. I've read a lot of peoples opinions on this show and have often seen complaints about it being a little slow burning but I completely disagree. Never before have I watched a television show of this genre that has kept my interest for so long! The pilot was written by series creator and executive producer Veena Sud and then continuing episodes were written by a collection of writers that so clearly compliment each others style, that the narrative feels genuine, consistent and truly a collaborated work of art. The narrative is completely absorbing and once each episode ends you're longing for the next just so you can get some kind of answer to the five million burning questions that come screaming out of your mouth at each new revelation! Each episode portrays roughly twenty four hours and this enables you to genuinely feel connected to the narrative, especially if you, like me, watch at least three episodes in one sitting so that you feel like some kind of Netflix time lord!

Along side the complex, multi-dimensional story line,  the characters created in the world of The Killing are simply outstanding. Which really brings in my second favourite thing about The Killing, the acting. The combination of extensive character development and raw, emotional acting is a match made in heaven, you've got this smorgasbord of character brilliance just waiting to be devoured. Our favourite tag dream, Linden & Holder, are portrayed so beautifully by both Enos and Kinnaman that you feel as if you're the third Musketeer in your own little world of Rosie Larsen's murder. Enos plays Linden with such a fierceness and unapologetic brash nature that you find her unhealthy work obsession completely acceptable, because she's you're Linden. Alongside her, Kinnaman plays Holder with an unexpected sense of vulnerability that makes him an enigmatic and deep character that marries Linden's own character in perfect harmony. Also, throughout the series we're also introduced to the family that Rosie left behind, the Larsen's. With her parents, aunt and two younger brothers trying to come to terms with the loss of their beloved girl and dealing with the roller coaster that is the murder hunt, the opportunity for a raw and shockingly honest account of how family can crumble is a done with delicacy and drama that rips your heart out. I spent many an episode shamelessly weeping on my boyfriends shoulder. My favourite character, Stan, is a prime example of the exquisite result that fantastic writing and astonishing acting can create. Rosie's father, played by Brent Sexton, outshines many of the other main characters as Sexton's heart swelling love-ability is what really makes you, as an audience, feel like part of this broken family.

I'm currently working on series three & four so look out for another post about this fabulous series! However, in the mean time, I fully recommend that anyone that is a fan of the mixing between an almost social realist type character development and the sophistication of an impeccable writing team to commit yourself to becoming a detective within this enigmatic and addictive series.

Elly.

The Girl With All The Gifts

Ferrell zombie/child hybrids are the focal point of M.R Carey's The Girl With All The Gifts and this is a book that hits you right in the feels in a completely unanticipated way. I picked this book up at random and totally wasn't expecting to find a zombie novel but that's what I got and it was a reading revelation for me. I really like picking up books thinking I'm going to get one thing but finding something absolutely better. A dystopian London is the setting for this sci-fi novel. Society has crumbled under the weight of a zombie like infection that turns happy human beings into flesh eating monsters aka 'hungries'.  We see this terrifying world through the eyes of not one but five main characters, each as endearing as the next. Our main focus, however, is Melanie. Melanie is a little girl, a keen learner who loves her teacher, loves books, facts and mythical tails. She's also a flesh eating hungry who just doesn't know it. As a reader she's introduced to you as a monster but throughout the narrative you're mind is stretched beyond it's moral compass and you're affection for Melanie is something that never leaves you until the very end.

Lets get my only issue with this book out of the way so I can gush about all the great stuff. Looking purely at narrative alone, The Girl With All The Gifts isn't going to blow you away. You've got your standard post apocalyptic London with a military base and all the issues that come along with that. You're going to find the general story line with problems and solutions that you've read/watched over and over again but to be fair; zombies have been done to death by everyone so coming up with a unique setting or story line is tricky.  Sometimes it can get a little repetitive, the middle section is bleak and you kind of just want your characters to catch a break to move the story along a little bit. However, all that is made completely worth it by the spectacular selection of main characters that truly make this story an emotionally captivating triumph. Here is a little run down of the five characters you're going to become obsessed with when you read this book.

Melanie - Our main character and introduction to these child/zombie creations that push your moral boundaries. Melanie is only a kid and therefore you've got this deep paternal urge to want her to be safe but she's hungry for human flesh so you're kind of torn. Ya know, that whole nut shell.

Miss Justineau - She's the base teacher and Melanie's protector. She's your all round mother figure but is torn between wanting to keep Melanie safe from a barrage of horrible endings and her own desire to live. A darker past is touched upon and you're able to get right into the inner moral fight Miss Justeneu is constantly battling.

Sargent Parks - Is he our hero? Is he our bad guy? I just don't know! He's top dog in zombie slaughtering and his main focus is getting our little survival family safely to a hopeful safe haven known as Beacon. He's got the hots for Miss Justineau too - obviously.

Dr. Caldwell - I dislike her almost as much as i dislike the hungries and I really hate things that would eat me given half the chance. This uptight doctor would be the hero in another story but as you fall into the part of Melanie's protector her will to find a cure for the infection by wanting to chop Melanie's head off becomes nothing but a murder attempt on her part. She sucks.

Gallagher - Oh sweet, sweet Gallagher. Born after London's breakdown,  the world of hungries is all he's known but that hasn't necessarily made him wise to the ways of survival. He's a puppy dog dressed as a solider and a character that's easy to root for. I'm trying not to give up too many spoilers on Gallagher but I will say his fate was my favourite part of the whole book.

My overall opinion of The Girl With All The Gifts is a positive one! The general narrative was a little generic but the characters save it and make it completely compelling. The ending feels a little bit rushed and I did have to read the last section a couple of times just to make sure that was it, I'd very much like a second book to see what happens next!

Elly

Mindy, will you marry me?

Can we PLEASE talk about how much I love Mindy Kaling? Yes, OK? Great because I LOVE MINDY KALING! Reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me has allowed me to crush harder than I though possible and she is truly a fabulous role model. I beg any young woman that want's to crack the male driven entertainment industry to read this book and basically take on a kind of Kaling hybrid version of yourself. She is a staple example of a group of incredible women, along side the likes of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler that are soon becoming the kind of hero's girls so desperately need. Move over Miley Cyrus, Kaling's got this teen idol job down.

I could quit easily write a whole post dedicated to how gorgeous she is and how badly i wish I could dress like her everyday. I spend far too much of my lunch break trolling through her instagram to see what she's wearing and how she's rocking her curves. I have serious hip envy. However, I thought I'd better share with you the real reason why she's my role model. This girl dominates every professional situation she's in. As my other half will tell you, I watch The Office US repeats all day long, so reading how she worked her way into the predominately male The Office writing staff and slayed with some of the funniest scenes out of the entire show fills me with that gooey warm hearted sensation that 14 year old's feel when they watch One Direction. Or maybe 20 year old's watching O.D? Hey, I'm not judging. Not only that but she played one of my favorite characters ever, Kelly Kapoor, who just sums up everything I find funny AND check this out, she freaking produced half of the show. Seriously, triple threat much? She has my dream life and if I'm not careful this fantasy of us becoming BFF's may get out of hand.

My love and admiration for Mindy Kaling only intensified when The Mindy Project graced our UK screen and my buddy Jess and I found a new rival for our affection towards Mindy; Chris Messina aka Dr. Danny Castellano. Damn girl, how about that casting? Can i get a round of applause for the casting director? However, after lengthy discussion and many 'snapchats', Jess and I determined that as easy on the eye as Dr.. Castellano is, Miss Kaling really is the whole package.

Within Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me not only do we get an insight into how Kaling worked her way to the business & entertainment Queen she is now but also chapters such as Don't Peak in High School, Best Friends Rights and Responsibilities and In Defense of Chest Hair allow us to laugh along at her quick and relatable humour that made me love her in the first place. READ IT. She's brilliant.

Elly

FANGIRL

FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell's FanGirl is a charming story that follows one half of a twin duo as she ambles along to University, tugging on the coat tails of her exuberant sister while nursing a pretty crippling anxiety issue. What starts off as a slightly fluffy and almost silly narrative soon transforms into a coming of age story that delicately handles some serious underlining issues that no doubt many readers will sympathies with.

Firstly, this book isn't going to challenge you too much, you don't have to work too hard while reading it and personally I think that just adds to it's charm. I don't think you necessarily need to feel like you deserve a break after each chapter to make a good book. However, it's the subject matter that's really going to divide readers. What sealed the deal for my enjoyment of this book was main character, Cath. Dear God, I've found myself in literary form. It is as if Rowell herself has set up camp in my freshers room and observed me in an Attenborough fashion; modeling my own neurosis into her main character. As i read about Cath's social anxiety, her urge to check locked doors and burning ovens, her snack hoarding and general antisocial terror; i found myself nodding along, being transported back to my nineteen year old self sobbing in the locked toilet as i tried to summon the courage to find my classrooms. Cath isn't your typical quirky, pixie girl who just likes things her own way. She has a genuine mental health problem, something that's cemented to us via her fathers mental break down and as a reader; you really feel for her. Anyone with an anxiety issue knows the soul crushing terror of a new situation and new surroundings, fighting the constant urge to fly back home to the safety of your parents house, and Rowell taps into this unique fear in a sensitive and honest manor as we see Cath break free of some of her anxiety charged demons.

Along the way we meet other key characters including Cath's twin sister, Wren. Wren is your typical anti twin, the exact opposite of our protagonist and to be honest - she's a bit of a cow. She's very much the girl down your hall that's pretty cool up until her fourth pint and you're holding her hair back wondering how somebody could be such a light weight. Anybody with a younger sibling will be reminding of the feeling towards your slightly infuriating brother/sister, that paternal urge to protect while fighting the impulse to hit them very hard; THAT'S how you feel about Wren. However, the genius of Rowell's creativity in Cath makes you sympathies Wren in a way that feels genuine and unforced. She's alright really, that Wren. We find out love interest in the tall, irritatingly happy but all round cutie pie, Levi. What girl doesn't want a sensitive, farm boy who brings Starbucks to your door at your beck and call, am i right? As well as other characters such as Reagan and mono-brow Nick, the little family Rowell's created in this university setting is quite realistic to the clashing of personalities you genuinely find as you attempt to make new friends and not offend people at uni.

The one thing you can't escape from during this read is fanfiction. However, if you've picked up this book called 'FanGirl' and didn't twig then I'm sorry but you've only got yourself to blame. The on going snippets of Cath's fanfiction stories and the constant talk of fictional literary pair Baz & Simon helps us get to know Cath and we're able to understand why she'd rather stay in the world of online fandom rather than actually excel in the real world. However, if you're over the age of fifteen; its all going to sound a little contrived. I can't help it, I just don't like fanfiction that much. It's a personal taste and i totally get why people love it but for me, the combination of a potter-esque sub narrative and the juvenile forbidden love between a magician and a vampire just wasn't hitting it for me. I didn't connect with it at all and to be honest, my eyes skimmed over a lot of the Baz/Simon material. In saying that, i was pleasantly surprised by Rowell's novel way of using Cath's fanfiction as a narrative device, it was quite refreshing to read between the lines of Cath's own fiction and get to know her better. Also, having her carry on with her passions after falling in love was a pleasant surprise. Love never changed or 'fixed' her but simply encouraged her. So if you're a fan of fanfiction, you'll be a fan of this. Also i was grateful to Rowell for keeping the fanfiction very much a PG-13 rating. In my final year at uni I wrote a paper on The Beatles fandom and i can tell you, i read a lot of fanfiction that would make even Yoko Ono blush.

Over all, i enjoyed sitting back and allowing myself to dip my toes in the world of Cath and her fanfiction. I've read Rowell's other fiction and have to admit, I do really enjoy the super relaxed and easy going style to her work. She has a way of creeping in serious and easily related social issues in a reader friendly environment. Go forth fanfiction lovers and live your own fantasy through Cath's mega success, it will be well worth it.

Elly

The Begining

As I find myself at the age of twenty three, working full time in retail and spending the majority of my time planning my escape route should the zombie apocalypse hit, I've decided to do what any typical uni graduate would do in this time of bewilderment and terror. What's that you ask? Why, start a blog of course; so here I am!

After graduating from St. Mary's University in 2013, I've spent the following year doing on/off teaching experience at a local college, planning my journey back to education to start a teacher training course and consuming shameful amounts of Netflix. I'm a Film & Popular culture graduate so I like to think that my alarming consumption of film, television and literature has all contributed to my wealth of knowledge that I will someday pass down to my students. However, since I've got to wait another year to start my training, I thought it was about time I used my entertainment addiction to do something productive.

My aim for this blog is to review my current reads and get a little creative with my own writing. I majored in Scrip Writing at uni and love fueling my inspiration by devouring as many books, plays, television shows, film & scripts as I can. If you're looking for a philosophical debate that really gets down and dirty into the 'must reads' of contemporary and vintage literature or if you're looking for a place where every discussion is an opportunity to impress you with my distaste for everything; then to be frank, you're in the wrong place. However, if you'r interested in the honest opinions of an everyday reader, general fan-girling over my Netflix list and my attempt at answering some of the 'big' questions then congratulations friend, you're in the right place.

Elly