georgiasilver's Activity (165)

  • georgiasilver
    georgiasilver added a book review.
    "Wonder" is a terrific book. It is the type of book that lingers in your thoughts long after you have finished it; the type that allows you to ponder what others may go through on a daily basis. "Wonder", with its wide range of characters and lessons, will take you through a journey of curiosity, compassion, heartbreak, and acceptance. It teaches the reader about the beauty and kindness of compassion, and what friendships can do for people. If you are one who is searching for a book to have you emotionally immersed and possibly even change your mindset, read this book~! ^w^
    Over 4 years ago
  • georgiasilver
    georgiasilver has read this book.
    By R. J. Palacio
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic's movie review was featured in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
    **NO CRITICAL SPOILERS** This movie is a revolution in the world of animated films. In an industry where so many aesthetics of different movies feel the same, there is little variety in the actual animation style big (and really bad, mainstream) studios such as Dreamworks and Illumination keep churning out. Films like Into the Spider-Verse show how much potential the animation medium still has left to uncover as a whole. By adopting a comic book theme, appropriate to the universe of Spider-Man, Into the Spider-Verse has a specific animation style consisting of not just wonderful character designs that seem realistic and stylized at the same time, but also lots of cut frames that make the action seem less fluid so that it actually looks like transitioning pages in a comic book. (Technically speaking, the film runs at 12fps instead of the standard 24 for snappier poses so it looks like a comic book.) And it's not just the animation; this movie excels in so many other aspects. It's one of the most innovative Spider-Man films to come out in recent times, completely removing Spider-Man himself from the role of the protagonist, replacing him with Miles Morales, a protagonist that comes across as exceedingly fresh, especially after being fatigued with so many pieces of Peter Parker media. The other characters are interesting, too. Peter Parker from the alternate universe is equally as interesting, representing a failed version of the hero that we had known to come and love. He manages to be equally as entertaining as the original, with an added, almost permanent dry sarcasm to his voice with every joke, signifying that he is perfectly conscious of his traits and has accepted his identity as a failure. And it raises so many interesting questions. What would've happened if this Peter Parker that we had come to know for so long had given up on life? What if he didn't have the strength to get back up and fight? This movie addresses that motif along similar lines. Gwen is also similarly interesting enough, and while she does have her own backstory, she isn't given as much screen time, and it looks as though part of her character was scrapped halfway through development. It doesn't matter, though, because, as Spider-Woman, with striking character design, she symbolizes a fresh perspective in this superhero world. She's really entertaining to watch on screen, and the chemistry she shares with Miles Morales proves to be convincing. The other Spider-People, involving a black-and-white WWII based crime detective, an anime girl from the next millennium (as an avid anime consumer, I find this reference to be absolutely wonderful), and even a cartoon news-reporting pig, are all great as characters, but never expanded to their full potential, and it's fine. Miles Morales' screen time is already being stolen enough. However, they have striking and amazing character designs that are absolutely unforgettable. The crime detective's got a black-and-white theme that becomes a running gag, the anime girl looks fantastic as a 2D character integrated into a 3D world, and the pig has cartoony squash-and-stretch animation that's a joy to watch on screen. Miles' uncle is an absolute phenomenon. He has a very important and involved role that makes the stakes feel so much more personal. Speaking of personal. Kingpin as the villain is absolutely fantastic, just fleshed out enough to be a villain, and though he has a tragic backstory, the film doesn't try to make that an excuse for his actions, and that's why he works so well as a character. (Dogo won't let me write much more.) The lighting, backgrounds, music, themes, and literally every other piece of this film is fantastic, but there's so much more to expand on, and the film warrants for a sequel. Do I care about its supposedly glaring flaws that other reviewers went to such lengths to show? No. Do yourself a favor and don't hold a bias against this film just because it's PG and animated. Watch it. 5/5.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic added a movie review.
    **NO CRITICAL SPOILERS** This movie is a revolution in the world of animated films. In an industry where so many aesthetics of different movies feel the same, there is little variety in the actual animation style big (and really bad, mainstream) studios such as Dreamworks and Illumination keep churning out. Films like Into the Spider-Verse show how much potential the animation medium still has left to uncover as a whole. By adopting a comic book theme, appropriate to the universe of Spider-Man, Into the Spider-Verse has a specific animation style consisting of not just wonderful character designs that seem realistic and stylized at the same time, but also lots of cut frames that make the action seem less fluid so that it actually looks like transitioning pages in a comic book. (Technically speaking, the film runs at 12fps instead of the standard 24 for snappier poses so it looks like a comic book.) And it's not just the animation; this movie excels in so many other aspects. It's one of the most innovative Spider-Man films to come out in recent times, completely removing Spider-Man himself from the role of the protagonist, replacing him with Miles Morales, a protagonist that comes across as exceedingly fresh, especially after being fatigued with so many pieces of Peter Parker media. The other characters are interesting, too. Peter Parker from the alternate universe is equally as interesting, representing a failed version of the hero that we had known to come and love. He manages to be equally as entertaining as the original, with an added, almost permanent dry sarcasm to his voice with every joke, signifying that he is perfectly conscious of his traits and has accepted his identity as a failure. And it raises so many interesting questions. What would've happened if this Peter Parker that we had come to know for so long had given up on life? What if he didn't have the strength to get back up and fight? This movie addresses that motif along similar lines. Gwen is also similarly interesting enough, and while she does have her own backstory, she isn't given as much screen time, and it looks as though part of her character was scrapped halfway through development. It doesn't matter, though, because, as Spider-Woman, with striking character design, she symbolizes a fresh perspective in this superhero world. She's really entertaining to watch on screen, and the chemistry she shares with Miles Morales proves to be convincing. The other Spider-People, involving a black-and-white WWII based crime detective, an anime girl from the next millennium (as an avid anime consumer, I find this reference to be absolutely wonderful), and even a cartoon news-reporting pig, are all great as characters, but never expanded to their full potential, and it's fine. Miles Morales' screen time is already being stolen enough. However, they have striking and amazing character designs that are absolutely unforgettable. The crime detective's got a black-and-white theme that becomes a running gag, the anime girl looks fantastic as a 2D character integrated into a 3D world, and the pig has cartoony squash-and-stretch animation that's a joy to watch on screen. Miles' uncle is an absolute phenomenon. He has a very important and involved role that makes the stakes feel so much more personal. Speaking of personal. Kingpin as the villain is absolutely fantastic, just fleshed out enough to be a villain, and though he has a tragic backstory, the film doesn't try to make that an excuse for his actions, and that's why he works so well as a character. (Dogo won't let me write much more.) The lighting, backgrounds, music, themes, and literally every other piece of this film is fantastic, but there's so much more to expand on, and the film warrants for a sequel. Do I care about its supposedly glaring flaws that other reviewers went to such lengths to show? No. Do yourself a favor and don't hold a bias against this film just because it's PG and animated. Watch it. 5/5.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic has watched this movie.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic's book review was featured in Dragon Pearl.
    *NO CRITICAL SPOILERS* (Entirely subjective) Dragon Pearl is about a fantasy world taking place in space. And yes, I picked it up because it said, "Rick Riordan Presents" on the cover. In this world, humans coexist with "supernaturals" in space and the summary above pretty much gives the rest of the synopsis. A critical review: Kim Min is the protagonist of the book. As far as characters go, she's one of the most interesting in the whole book. The idea of a supernatural fox-pseudo human going to space to save her brother while is such an enticing premise that is fully realized in this book. She possesses many shades of grey that make the reader question her moral values and the decisions she makes, going so far as to have them decide whether she can even be considered a good character in the first place. She is determined, rebellious, and willing to do anything, even abuse her shapeshifting abilities to pose as another individual. She deceives her closest friends and infiltrates a private room to find information about where her brother (the main motive) has gone. The reader's choice to decide whether or not she can be forgiven gives the book a more immersive feel to it and makes her character more relatable. The most interesting thing about her is her grey shades that leave the reader One of the book's biggest strengths is its worldbuilding elements. The world itself is full of supernatural creatures and is so fully realized it feels almost real. Part of the reason for this is the fact that it's able to reflect real-world prejudices in a realistic manner that mirrors prejudices of our own. In this book, fox species are frowned upon as deceptive and cunning, and while it's a nice nod to Zootopia (ha), it manages to be different from that with its sci-fi theming and setting that takes place in the confines of a military-like spaceship. The Korean mythology that is implemented in this futuristic setting feels so incredibly creative and mind-blowing at times, as the parallels between the legends and the events of the book are so cleverly executed. However, there are some serious criticisms that I feel should be addressed about this book. The book seems to drag on and on forever and is riddled with poor pacing. Lots of patience is needed to go through this book as the "high-octane thrills" that are promised on the cover only come occasionally. This is likely due to the setting, which is restricted within the spaceship. Although Kim Min has lots of drive behind her, the rate at which the goals themselves are accomplished sometimes happens at a staggeringly slow pace. The characters spend lots of their time expressing their opinions on previous events in the book or spend a long time contemplating what to do. And when the destination is finally reached, it doesn't feel fulfilling. The brother Kim spends so many pages looking for is actually in the book for only twenty pages/ The first and last act of the book is where it truly manages to shine as that's where it feels most appropriately paced. Some side plots also unnecessarily intrude in the main story. Kim's two best friends, Haneul and Sujin, are not expanded to their full potential and while they start off strong, get less and less developed as the book drags on. The villain also feels one-dimensional at times, with the generic "I'll take over the world using this epic powerful item" trope. Even Jun, Kim's brother, struggles as a character with the same problems and lack of a proper arc. Jang, the ghost out for revenge, is the only other character that actually feels fleshed out enough. Overall, this book is good. That much is true. It has a fully-realized world and protagonist that is hindered by poor pacing and side characters. But hey. That's just my opinion. If you're patient, go enough and read it. 3/5.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic added a book review.
    *NO CRITICAL SPOILERS* (Entirely subjective) Dragon Pearl is about a fantasy world taking place in space. And yes, I picked it up because it said, "Rick Riordan Presents" on the cover. In this world, humans coexist with "supernaturals" in space and the summary above pretty much gives the rest of the synopsis. A critical review: Kim Min is the protagonist of the book. As far as characters go, she's one of the most interesting in the whole book. The idea of a supernatural fox-pseudo human going to space to save her brother while is such an enticing premise that is fully realized in this book. She possesses many shades of grey that make the reader question her moral values and the decisions she makes, going so far as to have them decide whether she can even be considered a good character in the first place. She is determined, rebellious, and willing to do anything, even abuse her shapeshifting abilities to pose as another individual. She deceives her closest friends and infiltrates a private room to find information about where her brother (the main motive) has gone. The reader's choice to decide whether or not she can be forgiven gives the book a more immersive feel to it and makes her character more relatable. The most interesting thing about her is her grey shades that leave the reader One of the book's biggest strengths is its worldbuilding elements. The world itself is full of supernatural creatures and is so fully realized it feels almost real. Part of the reason for this is the fact that it's able to reflect real-world prejudices in a realistic manner that mirrors prejudices of our own. In this book, fox species are frowned upon as deceptive and cunning, and while it's a nice nod to Zootopia (ha), it manages to be different from that with its sci-fi theming and setting that takes place in the confines of a military-like spaceship. The Korean mythology that is implemented in this futuristic setting feels so incredibly creative and mind-blowing at times, as the parallels between the legends and the events of the book are so cleverly executed. However, there are some serious criticisms that I feel should be addressed about this book. The book seems to drag on and on forever and is riddled with poor pacing. Lots of patience is needed to go through this book as the "high-octane thrills" that are promised on the cover only come occasionally. This is likely due to the setting, which is restricted within the spaceship. Although Kim Min has lots of drive behind her, the rate at which the goals themselves are accomplished sometimes happens at a staggeringly slow pace. The characters spend lots of their time expressing their opinions on previous events in the book or spend a long time contemplating what to do. And when the destination is finally reached, it doesn't feel fulfilling. The brother Kim spends so many pages looking for is actually in the book for only twenty pages/ The first and last act of the book is where it truly manages to shine as that's where it feels most appropriately paced. Some side plots also unnecessarily intrude in the main story. Kim's two best friends, Haneul and Sujin, are not expanded to their full potential and while they start off strong, get less and less developed as the book drags on. The villain also feels one-dimensional at times, with the generic "I'll take over the world using this epic powerful item" trope. Even Jun, Kim's brother, struggles as a character with the same problems and lack of a proper arc. Jang, the ghost out for revenge, is the only other character that actually feels fleshed out enough. Overall, this book is good. That much is true. It has a fully-realized world and protagonist that is hindered by poor pacing and side characters. But hey. That's just my opinion. If you're patient, go enough and read it. 3/5.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic has read this book.
    By Yoon Ha Lee
    Over 4 years ago
  • georgiasilver
    georgiasilver added a new comment in
    It would be fun and amazing to read about animals around the world that have made significant impacts.
    Over 4 years ago
  • georgiasilver
    georgiasilver added a new comment in
    It would be interesting to read this book! It seems fun and sweet :)
    Over 4 years ago

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First BookCreate an AvatarWrote First Book ReviewWrote 10 Book ReviewsWrote 25 Book ReviewsWrote 50 Book ReviewsJoined Summer Reading 2017Joined Summer Reading 2018

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