Let the Right One In - Movie Review

I have watched a couple of vampire movies; each with a good-looking vampire often making the viewers want to be them because of the mysticism that they stand for. ‘Let the right one in’ is the darkest of the topic that I have seen.

The bullies that torment him in school haunt Oskar—a 12-year-old resident of Stockholm in the 80’s. Being a child of separated parents, the boy is alone a lot, often preparing to confront his tormentors with his knife. One day, he befriends a young girl his age called Eli. Although they don’t start off with being friends, their relationship evolves.

Eli and Oskar being lonely adolescents are drawn to each other, him being smitten.

She lives with her father (Hakan) next door. One day on enquiring about a scar on Oskar’s face, she finds out about the bullying in school. She urges him to hit back when such an episode occurs again. On a skating school outing, an opportunity strikes itself and he stands up for himself and strikes his bully.

At the same outing, a couple of boys find a dead body under the ice. A series of murders unravel. Eli turns out to be a vampire and the man who poses to be her father, Håkan, provides for her blood lust. While trying to procure blood, he gets caught and disfigured his face so Eli isn’t traced. While in the hospital, Eli visits him and he offers her his blood and falls to his death from the window.

Other dark events occur and soon Oskar replaces Håkan in Eli’s life. The last scene shows Oskar in a train with a box, in which is Eli.

The Nordic climate and setting adds to the eerie plot of the movie. Despite the lack of violence, the dark portrayal of the story is enough to give one chills. With two 12 year olds as the lead actors and the allowed open interpretation to unexplained situations, this movie is impressive take on a horror movie let alone the topic of vampires. That being said, let me go on stating the obvious—this movie is everything Twilight is not!

Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews

‘Flowers in the attic’ is a touching tale of four siblings leading a life of the unknown. The story leads us through the plot of love, loss, dangerous secrets and incest among other things. It is a tale of two children who become parents’ overnight after the loss of their father; a tale of children who never grow, of those who have a mother and yet live without while being imprisoned by their grandmother while awaiting the death of a grandfather who detests the thought of their existance.

Through the tale of hopelessness the author weaves in rays of hope where you think none can exist. You can almost feel the despotic yearning for love and attention and a want to finally emerge from the shadows to able to exist. The principles that are an integral part of who they are remain despite the cruelty borne on them by those who were supposed family.

Throughout the tale one experiences a shattering sense of loss which intensifies in the very end. An unexpected storyline till the very end, the author makes you believe you know where she is leading you until you realize how deep the plot really is.

This is the first of the Dollganger series and I can’t wait to read the rest.

Five stars

50 shades of grey - no trilogy for me

I was at a park when one of the mommies from the play date mentioned '50 shades of grey'. She said it was what all her girls were reading. And also, that the only reason she stopped reading it at about 2 am was when she had realized that she needed to pee.

What was the book about? S&M, yep, sadomasochism.

I knew I had to read it and I did.

It's about this young inexperienced college graduate Anastasia Steele, who falls for Christian Grey, a handsome beyond belief mysterious business tycoon. Besides the fact that he could fly planes, indulged in adventure sports, had diverse taste in music and did everything big, he had an A+ where bedroom skills were concerned. Rightly described as an erotic novel, the words just didn't have the magic to captivate me. So yeah, she falls hard for her disappointing love interest--this book did nothing to me.

I hadn't falled for Christian Grey like I did for Edward. I completed the Twilight series in 5 days, and I wanted to be Bella. I hoped and prayed for someone like Edward to come into my life. I was excited about visiting my sister in Seattle, because Edward lived in Forks, a small place near Seattle.

Nothing, was what I felt during the read.

I couldn't wait to finish this book since I didn't want this book to join the list of books I got started with and never got around to finishing. So, seven days and I am done and I hated the read.

Nothing gained and a lot of time wasted.

If you are deprived, this book might be able to help you but otherwise it's just someone's fantasy which doesn't deserve to be made a book about. The sales of the book is probably a result of curiosity when it comes to the topic of S&M. After all, it is what led me to purchase this book. I just have the e-book and man, am I glad I didn't buy a hard copy. And no, its not mommy porn like most websites call it.

The only thing creative about this story are the last names of the characters--Grey and Steele--both shades of grey! hah.

Hunger Games the Series

The last couple of books I read was the ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy. This series has somehow managed to bag five stars for each of the books. Someone was quoted as saying that this is one of the first trilogy series where each book got better, which meant the best was saved for the last and I strongly DISAGREE. Personally, I love the first book more than I did the others. I went on to read the others because someone had challenged a school board to take it off her daughter’s reading list. If this intrigues you, check this http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/newslettersnewsletterbucketextrahelping/887280-443/new_hampshire_parent_challenges_the.html.csp

The first book viz. Hunger Games was absolutely fantastic. I was glad that one of my close friends recommended that book.  I believed her because she had asked me to read, ‘ The Help’ and we’ll save the review for that later.

Anyhow Hunger Games! Even the title fascinates me to this very day when I am done reading the series. I didn't know what I had signed up for when a dear friend recommended this. The back of the book certainly did not do justice to what I was about to face. Author Suzanne Collins takes you to the futuristic world of Panem.

A tyrannical society of the Capitol, exploits the rest of the districts of Panem to remain dominant. So obsessed with power was this place, that it has given rise to the sadistic Hunger Games where one has to literally kill to get through. The only survivor is declared the winner. Two contestants--a boy and a girl are picked from each district. Participation--of the chosen ones--was mandatory to secure food supply for the family. A young girl decides to take the place of her younger sister and manages to survive along with a boy from the same district. She manages to change the system by not being the lone survivor in these games.

The book that starts with intrigue ends on a positive note and with its sequels takes on a route of violence, touches morbid areas while dragging along a love triangle. I detested reading Catching Fire but a twist in the love story made me pick up Mockingjay despite me wanting nothing to do with it thereafter. 

Finally I get past my initial reaction to the continuity of violence and manage to key into the story line when the ending completely takes it away. It takes away my reason for reading the book. I don’t know if you would take the last book as ending on a positive note but for me it’s an absolute irony.

Do I suggest you read the series? I do. You must read it. But the book leaves you with a sense of loss and hopelessness that I do not wish upon anyone.