Book Review: Crank

                                                                 Crank Review

Crank is a novel by Ellen Hopkins and it tells the story of Kristina Snow a high school junior who was a smart good girl before she went to visit her estranged father for a few weeks over the summer. While visiting her father Kristina is introduced to a whole new way of life after she lets her alter ego Bree lead the way for a bit she embraces both her sexuality and drugs while on the trip. The main drug that Kristina uses is meth which she calls the monster through out the book and considering how it takes over her life I think monster is an accurate description of the drug.

Kristina returns home unable to go back to the girl she was before she left and once back she has to come up with more creative ways to get hands on more meth. She ends up getting involved with people she would've steered clear of before and she ends up taking risks that she never would've dreamed of before the monster all to feed her addiction. The book shows how far down Kristina spirals with her addiction and how no matter how bad things get for her because of the monster she is  unable to give it up.

This book was beautiful written through poems like all of the other books I've read by Ellen Hopkins and the story that was told in this book felt emotionally honest like all her other books as well. I found the story to be very gripping if not also very sad do to the fact that the book is basically about a teenager throwing her whole life away with her addiction. Overall I felt that this book was very well written, the story gripping and I found that the characters felt pretty real to me and despite the fact that I've never been in a situation even remotely similar to Kristina I still felt like I could understand where she was coming, being able to understand  the main character in a book is always a good thing in my book. Please tell me your thoughts on this book or really any of Ellen Hopkins other books in the comments below.

TV Review: Revenge: Bait(4.15)

                                                         Revenge: Bait(4.15)Review

• While I still don't really like Emily and Ben together I find that their scenes are still somewhat enjoyable to watch because Emily seems to be happy with him.
• I liked how Emily wants to share the wealth that she believes that she would get from Conrad's father estate with Margaux and her grandchild.
• I like that Jack is quitting being a cop because I felt that the job never really made sense for him.
• I like that Margaux is hesitating in using the video evidence against Jack but I'm sad that she eventually decided to use it anyways.
• I liked that it was revealed that Nolan had someone working for him with spying on what Margaux is up to so that he could make sure that Margaux didn't make a move against Emily without them knowing.
• I felt bad for Louise when Nolan kept having to ditch her in order to help Emily because it made her feel unimportant to him even though that isn't the truth.
• I liked the twist that Natalie was the one that was set to inherit Conrad's father's money rather Victoria and I like how Victoria could see that she tricked him into to this deal right away even though she had no way to prove it.
• I liked how Emily and Nolan found out about the video that Margaux had of Jack and how the two of them made it their top priority to get rid of the video and keep Jack safe.
• I liked that right when Jack was going to confess his feelings for Emily that she revealed that he and his son were going to be put at risk because of Margaux's desire to hurt Emily, I liked this because it basically kills all the romance that the moment could possibly have by bringing in the reality of what it means to be close to Emily make into the forefront of their relationship.
• I liked how Jack wanted to talk to Margaux because he still believes that she is a good person and that she will do the right thing if he gives her the chance to.
• I find it somewhat suspicious that Natalie took such an interest in David considering her current relationship with David and his history with Victoria.
• I find Lyman wanting to work with Victoria solely to get money and Victoria not fully trusting him to be good enough to get the job done to be an interesting dynamic.
• I liked how Jack talked to Margaux and basically told her without telling her that what she should be doing is thinking about her child and not revenge but she is too selfish and petty to see what's right in front of her which is what ends up leading to her plan failing later on.
• I liked how when Nolan was trying to explain his relationship with Emily that Louise thought that Nolan was trying to say that him and Emily were sleeping together, I just always love when the show acknowledges that with how close Emily and Nolan are that isn't an absurd idea for an outsider to have about their relationship.
• I liked how Nolan explained his helping Emily out was them being like superheroes with helping good people and hurting bad ones while I'm not sure how accurate this description is of what they do I really love that Nolan chose to explain the way that he did.
• I liked how Louise worked with Emily and Nolan as the distraction in their plan and I liked that the bracelet that Jack gave Margaux ended up having a chip in it that erased the video that she had of Jack, I just really loved all the team work in this plan.
• I liked Emily snuck passed security and into Margaux's office just to tell her that she's way better at this whole revenge thing than Margaux could ever hope to be and she really should just quit while she's behind.
• I liked how Nolan told Louise at the end of the episode that he had felt like an outsider his whole life before he met Emily and that he realized that keeping this part of his life from Louise he put her in a position of an outsider and that he was wrong to do that.
• I liked how Victoria was planning to use Natalie's emotional appeal against her to prove that it was all lies so that they could win back the money from the estate.
• I think it's pretty awful of Margaux to blackmail Ben with putting his ex in danger in order to hurt Emily.
• I liked that Emily rejected Jack because I just feel like those two are never meant to work out romantically with each other and I like that Jack told her that he's not waiting for her anymore because he really does deserve the chance to move on with his life.

Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

TV Review: How to Get Away With Murder: She's a Murderer(1.12)

                           How to Get Away With Murder: She's a Murderer(1.12)Review

• I liked that Wes, Rebecca, Conner, Michaela and Laurel were all gathered in Wes apartment while watching the news report on Sam's body and liked seeing them both freak out and try to stay calm.
• I felt bad for Annalise when Hannah told the police to arrest her even though I know she was involved in Sam's murder she didn't actually kill him and there was no evidence to arrest her at this point.
• I found it a bit odd that Annalise was determined that Nate doesn't talk to the police despite the fact that she knows there's nothing he can say to would hurt his case.
• I both liked and thought it may make her look suspicious  that Annalise refused to take time off from either teaching her class or working on her case.
• I liked that Annalise's lesson about the fifth amendment was basically taught just for her to tell the study group that when in doubt they should say nothing at all.
• I felt bad for Bonnie when she was crying either because Sam died or because she believed that Annalise no longer trust her because of what she told her about Sam shortly before he died. I liked that Frank told Bonnie not to worry about these kind of things even though she clearly can't keep herself from worrying.
• I like that Annalise has been working for a mob family for fifteen years and that she has never lost a case for them because I think that's pretty impressive.
• I really hated how Hannah used a three year old argument where Annalise apparently said that she would kill Sam as a way to get a warrant to search Annalise's home.
• I liked that Conner was confused about why they were working a case while Annalise is a suspect in a murder and I liked that Annalise basically said that they don't let their clients down.
• I liked how Asher asked Frank if he was involved in the mob and Frank made a joke of it but I do wonder if Frank actually is involved with the mob because there's something not right about him.
• I liked that when Michaela and Conner are sent to question the security guard for the case that they spend more time worrying about whether or not the police are going to find Michaela's ring in the woods than they do questioning the security guard.
• I'm curious about Rudy Walters the guy that used to live in Wes's apartment who apparently disappeared after having a mental breakdown.
• I liked that Laurel seems to be the only one out of the four who were present at the murder who can focus on the case fully.
• I liked that Rebecca once again told Wes that she was willing to take the fall for Sam's murder and Wes once again refused to let her take the fall.
• I liked that after Bonnie lost the fight against the warrant that Asher tried to cheer her up.
• I was very relieved when the police found no evidence within the Keating house and I liked how when Asher saw how relieved the others were said that Annalise would be smarter than to hide a bloody knife under her mattress.
• I liked how after hearing Conner doubting Annalise's willingness to protect the group that Annalise brings him to her office and tells him to tell her to her face what he really wants to say to her. I like that Conner tells that he wants to trust her but he doesn't and I liked that Annalise tells him that the reason she gave him the trophy on the first day of class is because she saw a bit of herself in him and then she tells him that he won't trust her because it's not in his nature but that she's his best shot even if it's not a sure thing so he should stop worrying.
• I really loved how Annalise won her case against the feds by proving that they were the ones breaking the law.
• I liked that after Frank told Laurel that there was nothing more to be done that she starts to breakdown because that's the first time we've seen her do that.
• I liked how Bonnie figured out who killed Sam and that she told Annalise that she shouldn't go down for that but I dislike but understand why she was implying that Annalise should let Wes, Laurel, Conner and Michaela,  be punished for it..
• I both liked and disliked that Annalise had Nate framed in order to protect the group because I'm glad that she's protecting them but I also feel bad for Nate because he doesn't deserve to go jail for something he didn't do.
• I was surprised that Annalise called her mom at the end of the episode because last episode it was said she hadn't talked to her mother in a long time.

Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

TV Review: The 100: Survival of the Fittest(2.10)

                                        The 100: Survival of the Fittest(2.10)Review

• I liked how Bellamy mentioned that his mother use to read mythology to him and Octavia when they were growing up.
• I liked that when Bellamy told Lincoln that he made Octavia stronger that Lincoln told him that Octavia was already strong.
• I find it interesting that reason why he protected Octavia was because when he was growing up he found a man that had come down from the Ark that he wanted to save but his father forced him to kill him instead, he basically said that he helped her because he didn't want to be the monster the world has been trying to turn him into all his life.
• I liked that Kane did his best to welcome Indra and her warriors to train so that they can figure out how the two groups can work together against Mont Weather.
• I liked that Jaha was skeptical of whether or not the people of the Ark and the grounders could live together long term because there is certainly a lot of reason to doubt that.
• I felt bad for Murphy when a grounder started a fight with him for what Finn did and then he was punished for it.
• I liked that Clarke explained to the grounders that their army was useless as long as Mont Weather are able to release the acid fog because it will kill them. I liked that whenever Clarke was questioned she stood up to herself the best she could even though she was clearly frightened at time.
• I liked that even though Lexa didn't agree with Clarke's plan to wait for word from Bellamy, she also didn't allow any of her people to disrespect Clarke.
• I was surprised to see that a gorilla was running wild in the woods and that Clarke and Lexa spent a good chunk of the episode avoiding being killed by it.
• I liked that when the guards were practicing shooting that Murphy said that they should save their bullets.
• I liked that Jaha convinced Murphy to take him to Wells' grave after he got him off of work detail. I also liked that Jaha picked up on Murphy's clear dislike of the grounders and it was because of that he choose him to take him.
• I liked that Kane was willing to teach the grounders how to use a gun but I dislike how Indra was completely against the idea of the two sides working together.
• I liked that Kane realized that they didn't know much of anything about the grounders but Octavia does.
• I liked that Murphy told Jaha the exact circumstances of Wells death and I liked how Murphy told him that the deaths that happened down here are on him but I also liked how Jaha pointed out that if they hadn't have been sent down to earth they just would have died up on the Ark instead.
• I liked how Octavia challenged a grounder to a fight to prove that she is a warrior and I liked that even though she lost the fight that she kept getting back up each time after she was knocked down and I liked that Indra admired that quality enough to take Octavia on as her second.
• I liked that when Lexa was telling Clarke that she was weak for not letting her die that Clarke told her that the reason she didn't kill her isn't because she cares about her but because she needs her to save her people.
• I find it interesting that the grounders believe in reincarnation and that is the way in which they choose their leaders.
• I liked that Jaha invites Murphy to come to the city of lights for a fresh start where he won't be treated like a criminal and I liked that at first Murphy thinks the whole thing sounds like a bad idea but in the end agrees to come along. I enjoyed the dynamic between Jaha and Murphy in this episode with Jaha being idealistic and Murphy being a cynic.
• I liked that Kane acknowledge that Indra suddenly being willing to work with them was because of Octavia but I didn't like that he asked her to be a spy for him although I can understand why he thinks he might need one.
• I liked that Lexa came around to Clarke's plan once they figured out that they already have an army inside of Mont Weather with all the captured grounders.
• I liked that when Lincoln started to doubt if he could go through with the plan that Bellamy made him go through with it anyways.
• I was sad that Lincoln was unable to resist the red juice and therefore unable to go through with the new plan of how to sneak Bellamy into Mont Weather and I'm now really worried about Bellamy now that he's been captured.

Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.