"CHEMICAL HEARTS":MOVIE REVIEW- A RAW-EMOTIONS TEENAGE FILM

 “…that being young is almost too much …to feel.”

 

And where do you start with this movie? 

 

Some have said it was average, and others “too sappy”. No, that’s not what this movie is. You have to be a teenager to know what it is. 

 

It’s the movie of emotions. 

 

“Chemical Hearts”, an adaption of the novel of the same name by Krystal Sutherland, produced by Amazon Prime Video, is not a teen, romantic drama movie nor an angst story of depressing teenagers but rather a “punch in the gut” to every young person’s emotions.

 

A true, realistic and raw portrayal of what’s inside our mind, us, the people of fifteen and sixteen and eighteen. 

 

Henry and Grace, played beautifully by Austin Abrams and Lili Reinhart, are a representation of the small proportion of every single thought, move, emotion and attachment that a teenager feels almost every day, if not every hour. It’s meant to make us realize that whatever we’re feeling is normal and it doesn’t matter if the world doesn’t give a sh*t as long as we speak, feel and let everything out. It’s hard, yes, but is it better to shut down, to lure away into hiding? 

 

We view the story from Henry’s narration and that’s the reason Grace is a mystery, it’s why we don’t get answers to our questions but only see what she allows Henry to see because let’s be real, no teenager shows all of their colours. Despite not being mention in the film, there is a quote from the book that expresses this exact moment for us, the audience wondering about the mystery of Grace just like Henry (although we don’t cyber-stalk her like him): 

 

 "there's more beauty in a mystery." "i don't want you to be a mystery." "yes, henry. you do."

 

But now, let me unleash my inner film nerd, and let’s talk cinematography. 

 

From the beginning of the film, the colour pattern is not the usual, cliché bright colours of all the high school movies but rather moody, yellow-grey patterns with occasional darkness from Grace’s part and this is how it should be. If directors want to create an appealing to the eye movie for a young audience, showing images like this is “winning material”. Teens are not a happy bundle of joy, neither an explosion of cheesy feelings. We are, most of the time, angry souls hating and fighting everything around us without a valid reason. 

 

If we take Henry’s house life, it can be explained simply from just witnessing his bedroom. A pair of parents who show control at the right moments but who surely won’t understand his heartbreak with Grace. Even Reinhart’s character at the first part of the movie, asks Henry if he can live in a beautiful house as his why couldn’t he afford a car which is the exact opposite of Grace’s house life (if we can call it that). Although we get to see behind her closed doors towards the very end of the movie when we do it’s not exactly what I and everyone would expect but it does offer a truth for her acts and behaviour. An unhealthy family leading to a tragedy which then leads to her confusing, complicated state of mind that Abrams’ character “can’t fix “. 

 

Talking about the acting of the protagonists, it’s safe to say both lead-actors did an exceptional job at portraying their characters – from the facial expressions to even the tone of their voice – but one thing that needs to be said is that Lili Reinhart is a phenomenal actress with a wide range of skills when it comes to emotions. I truly believe she is a gem of the young Hollywood industry and I urge you to read and listen to all of her interviews regarding the press of the movie and not only. Let me add that she also served as an executive producer and was given a say into every aspect of the film. 

 

Whether this was the story of Henry or not, I fell in love with Grace, the mystery behind her and her battle with the tragedy she faced and has still to recover from. And in no way to me, this was a love story of sappy endings and hopeless teenage dramas.

 

Was I more like Grace or Henry? I don't know, maybe. I definitely relate to some of the emotions Grace faced and although I have not gone through such tragedy as her, it is safe to say that her character made me see a side of first love I had never thought about before. The kind of love where your first time is awkward, or when you stumble over your own words and you feel emotion after emotion without really understanding why. It is also sometimes a reminder that grief-of any form- is not an easy thing to overcome even when they are people waiting to help you.

This is made perfectly clear when Grace tells Henry that she wasn't going to be ready if she wasn't ready which sound weird but in a sense, it's the message that everything in life can move on when you, yourself, allow that to happen and like Henry said: " Scars are not a reminder of something that happened but of something that was created ". 

 

I don’t want to spoil anything for any of you lovely readers so I won’t describe my favourite scenes and moments but I can assure you that you will cry a lot (especially if you’re an emotional wreck like me ), maybe laugh and sometimes even wonder if we really are such lonely, weird creatures (the answer is yes).

 

I haven’t read the book and I really want to, not because of the movie but because I know there are even more quotes to fall in love with and more scenes to cry to which many who have read the book were disappointed that they were not included. However, I want to remind you something that the author herself has said and that is “the movie is different from the book tonally “. The director did not pick the book to just turned it into another adaption but to rather give it a real twist of raw emotions while staying on the same levels of what the book wanted to pass to the readers but this time to the viewers. 

I suggest that every teenager who watches this movie takes a minute after it ends to think alone and quietly of what they are suppressing inside their hearts, who knows maybe it's time we all start dealing with our sh*t if we want to make it to adulthood.

 

I hope you enjoyed the first movie review of this blog and let me know if you want me to make this into a daily column. 

 

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

 

See you soon,

 

Leni Chris aka Missreader

xxxxx

 

P.S Bonus point for Lili's character who read Neruda's poetry :) 

A TBR PILE FOR CLASSICS: THE NEWBIES GUIDE TO "OLD-GOOD" LITERATURE

Where are my Maeve Wiley fans? 

 

 

I love Netflix’s Sex Education, more specifically the beautiful character of Maeve Wiley! Just like me (only I wish I was as sassy as her), while her classmates are drinking cheap beer at house parties, she’s sitting on a couch, reading a classic.

 

So I got inspired and I decided to give you my ultimate beginner’s tbr list for classics, full of both international as well as British literature (tell me your favourite)!

 

 Jane Austen’s Emma:

Be aware there will be more Jane Austen in this list!

 

Now, Emma is an exceptional piece of classic fiction. 

When Jane Austen sat down in 1814, her purpose was to write a revolutionary book – many critics have said that this book “changed the meaning of fiction” – and she succeeded. 

 

Here, Austen paints a world of excess.

 

In simple words, Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen's most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.

 

Although the majority of the readers – whether they like Jane Austen or not – hate Emma as a character for being self-absorbed in a way that only someone who hasn't really known any sort of hardships can be, this just proves even more how talented Jane Austen really is since when she began writing this novel, she had famously said: “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like."

 

Well done, ma ’lady!

 

 Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights:

“He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

   

Often described as a “cult classic”, Wuthering Heights is surely one of the best pieces of literary fiction to ever exist. Some may even say that it is “the greatest love story of our time - or any time!”

In 1801, Lockwood, a wealthy young man from the south of England, who is seeking peace and recuperation, rents Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire. He visits his landlord, Heathcliff, who lives in a remote moorland farmhouse, Wuthering Heights. There Lockwood finds an odd assemblage: Heathcliff, who seems to be a gentleman, but whose manners are uncouth; the reserved mistress of the house, who is in her mid-teens; and a young man, who seems to be a member of the family, yet dresses and speaks as if he is a servant.

Wuthering Heights takes us to a world that is somehow outside of all social and moral norms. It's closer to the realm of dreams or Greek myth than the rational everyday life of civilized habit. As if the characters are dramatizing the psyche or the unconscious in the midst of everyday life. 

 

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird:

 

"'Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'

You know these books you have to read for your English Literature class? This is one of those books that I’ve been having a blast reading, annotating and discussing in class-although the essays are a pain in the *ss– with our teacher (my favourite !). 

 

It's such a clever exposure of prejudiced attitudes from the point of view of innocent children. One of those books that are made to be discussed over glasses of wine and deep thinking. 

 

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice.

Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment:

"It's usually the first Dostoyevsky people attempt, as it's one of his shorter and more accessible novels."

 

This novel is truly a piece of art, it is the quintessential crime novel, with not only an intriguing plot, where every chapter builds upon the previous but also an incredibly well-realized environment. 

Focusing on the moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in Saint Petersburg who formulates a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her money, "Crime and Punishment" broaches the idea that killing might never be justified.

 

The central character in Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov is a poor student who cannot afford to continue to go to the university.  Forgoing the offer of a friend to work together, he spends a lot of time in his room thinking.  In his isolation, Raskolnikov decides to try his murderous experiment. If that isn't a reason to read this book, then what is it? 

Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita:

“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. “ 

 

From the very first line, this book is the ultimate definition of seducing the reading audience.

 

Vladimir Nabokov’s most controversial and iconic work.

 

As we all should know, reading and enjoying a book is largely about interpretation. People are not the same and we all view things differently; one individual might see a relationship in a book as "passionate" while another could see it as "damaging". For me, you have to read this book a couple of times before forming an opinion on the characters, especially on the narrator.  

 

“Lolita is a small masterpiece, it is a savage satire on the inadequacy of ‘psychological realism.’ ”

 

(Robert R. Kirsch, The Los Angeles Times, August 31, 1958)

 

 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle: 

Sherlock Holmes is perfect if you're new to classics since it was also my own introduction to this beautiful world of literature, particularly the short stories, which are essentially mini-mysteries which you'll easily fly through in no time. I would recommend beginning with the short stories and then proceed to read the novels!

The stories of Sherlock Holmes are easy to understand (you might have to look up a word or two if you don't read the annotated versions) and really entertaining. They contain specifically just the right mix of mystery, intrigue, a bit of humour, and astounding intelligence by the favourite detective of all times.

 

 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen:

Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." 

 

Again, a book by Jane Austen on my list, because sometimes I like to embrace the silly romantic side of myself. However, this isn’t just any book, but it is the widely known and loved romance novel with the romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr Darcy. This classic is a good place, to begin with, because the characters are very varied and there's a lot of witty and engaging dialogue which will pull you along into their relationships. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde:

"Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde’s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author’s most popular work.”

Being the only book written by the wonderful and complicated soul of Oscar Wilde, it has come as no surprise to anyone that this book is often described as a “must-read” for every generation. 

Though Wilde was attacked for the novel’s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, “a terrible moral in Dorian Gray.”

The story of one beautiful, innocent young man's seduction, moral corruption, and eventual downfall. After you finish reading this book, you will, for sure, have learned a lot of valuable lessons and truths. One of them is that living a life for mere pleasure and reproducing the acts that provide it obliterates the soul and mind.  

 

D.H Lawrence:

 You guessed it.

 

He is my favourite right now. 

 

Maybe the fact that we’ve been reading his poetry in class (you should read “Piano” ) or that I happen to love “Lady Chatterley’s Lover “. 

 

Lawrence’s work was beautiful, powerfully sexual and presented a warning of what industrialization was bringing to the then young 20th century. So, bear in mind that he wrote in a wide range of genres.

 

Lawrence himself said: ‘If I try to write down what I see—why not? If a publisher likes to print the book—all right. And if anybody wants to read it, let him. But why anybody should read one single word if he doesn’t want to, I don’t see. Unless of course, he is a critic who needs to scribble a dollar’s worth of words, no matter how’.

 

Another popular book of his that I love, is the so-called " Sons and Lovers". 

 

If you ask me why you should read D.H Lawrence, the answer is: he is a genius. The solemn purpose of him writing -poems or fiction- was to work out what life is and how we ought to live it. He was attempting something so ambitious in his response to life. 

 

Do you remember Walt Whitman? who said: ‘Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself’.

 Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude:

 A Nobel Prize-winning Latin American author.

 

What else do you need? 

I might have been late to discover who this author was (how dare me ?!) but as soon as I began reading his work, there was no stopping! 

 

From “Love at the times of cholera“to the widely popular and award-winning “ One Hundred Years of Solitude “, Gabriel García Márquez is a master in his craft and knows better than anyone how to treat the term “ magical realism “.  

 

Magical realism is a style of fiction in which the everyday world is infused with magical elements.

García Márquez, as a Latin American author, is able to make the events of the novel seem realistic, even when they are clearly magical.

 

Described as one of the greatest novels of all time, One Hundred Years of Solitude focuses on seven generations of the Buendía family in the city of Macondo. This novel is always a must on everyone’s “to-read” list for its unabashed depiction of humanity as well as millions of other reasons. 

And so that’s the end of my classics recommendations for any newbie out there (even though I have a dozen more!).

 

Comment below which ones have you read? 

 

See you soon lovely people,

 

Missreader aka Leni 

 

Xoxoxo 

 

P.S Check out my YouTube channel!

 

Click Here:

 

 

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FLIP A PAGE , LISTEN TO A PODCAST : MISSREADER RECOMMENDS

Every book lover knows a good podcast when listening to one! Here's mine!

Maybe your not in the mood for flipping pages. Or maybe you just want to listen to the soothing voice of a storyteller while enjoying your afternoon walk (watch out for a Joe Gilbert). 

Whatever the reason may be, having a list of ready-to-go podcasts is always useful when there is no book in sight and there a few hours to kill. 

 

In this fun-made post, I'll be listing a few choices which can suit even the most undecided reader!

 

Let the catalogue begin!

 

Get Booked by BookRiot:

Coming for you from BookRiot, this is a podcast where my darling book lovers can ask for any book recommendations for anything they want. Whether you are getting ready to hop on a plane or visiting your dentist (am I the only one who fears them ? ), having a reading pick standing by is always a great idea. And the hosts, Amanda and Jenn, are simply amazing!

 

 

By the Book:

Hosts Kristen and Jolenta, in each episode, they pick a self-help book and as an old phrase says, " live by the book". Meaning that these two lovely women spend the time within two weeks to live along with the rules of the books and in the end, they make a recap of how that experience has changed them. Feel like you can pop your opinion? Join in the fun!

Fictional:

Are you a fan of classics? Then you should impatiently subscribe to this podcast! 

By reading beautiful pieces of classic literature and retelling them in a soft and modern way, you get to enjoy your favourite books in the best way possible -from Frankenstein to Weathering Heights -   and especially if you are like me, the nerdy, bookaholic high school loner! 

                         The cover is everything! 

 

Black Chic Lit:

Even now with the #blackklivesmatter movement, this podcast comes in handy for anyone who is looking forward to supporting black creators.

 

Hosted by Mollie and Dani, spend their episodes discussing books written by black authors like the best-seller "The Hate U Give". 

Somedays you might get like and drink a glass of red wine, just like these two hosts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books and Boba: 

Cant' resist the taste? Do you wanna get into the Asian culture of reading? 

Hosts Reera and Marvin discuss books that are either reading now or simply have a desire to while interviewing authors and talking all about the book community!  You can enjoy everything, from thrillers to YA fiction. 

 

 Drunk Booksellers:

If you are one of those who love to read and sip, then you should definitely subscribe to this podcast! In this podcast, Emma and Kim interview fellow booksellers around America, talking favourite books and the industry in general — while sipping on literary-themed drinks, of course.

 

Bookworm:

In this podcast, again, Joe and Mike spend two weeks reading various self-help books and then discuss how they can apply these to their real lives. Also, they also have an online group where you can talk with other fans about how they’ve incorporated these books into their lives.

 

 Reading Woman:

Now, this is one of my favourite ones on this list since I am a lover of any kind of women's fiction!  Hosts Kendra and Autumn are here to reclaim their half of the shelf when it comes to false beliefs around women’s literature. Each month, they read books by women of all backgrounds from a different selected theme or topic. Then they discuss à la book club style. Girls gather in! 

The Poetry Gods:

Am I the only one who loves poetry?

Hosted by three poets — Aziza, José, and Jon — this podcast interviews different poets about their work and lives. But be alarmed - NOT your college’s poetry class – so get ready for a twist. Loving poetry or not, this podcast makes the discussion lively, funny, and unpretentious. Find new, emerging poets, listen to some original works, and discover more about the craft.

Between the Covers:

In this podcast, host David interviews prominent and emerging contemporary authors. His approach is always thought-provoking, interesting, and sure to allow you to dive deep into the author’s mind as we learn more about the person behind some of our new favourite books. What else do you need? 

The New Yorker - Fiction: 

Host Deborah Treisman, the editor of The New Yorker, takes to this engrossing podcast once a month with a guest to read aloud fiction by famous authors. Each month, she’s joined by a guest to help her discuss the fiction in detail and this is surely something you wouldn't' want to miss! 

Advanced younger readers might also find this podcast appealing and a gateway into reading adult fiction. 

Mostly Lit:

Millennials are often dubbed as the generation who has given up on the written word, but this podcast just goes to prove that there are plenty of people of all ages out there looking to engage with fiction. 

Two men explore what it means to be a millennial who reads while making it a diverse listen each time they release their weekly episodes.

Despite being aimed at the millennial audience, the topics explored can be relatable to anyone in their teenage years and beyond.

Hope this article comes useful to all bookworms out there!

See you soon,

MissReader aka Leni 

 

xoxoxo

 

P.S Would you enjoy my list for the top ten audiobooks as well? 

READING RUSH 2020 : WHO SAID READING CAN'T BE FUN?

Do you want to make your reading a fun activity? Join the 2020 Reading Rush!

Hello, my lovely readers!

 

Welcome to this year's favourite activity - the 2020 Reading Rush - that will bond all of you book nerds out there. 

 

Especially with all the bad luck that this year has faced, the Reading Rush is the perfect opportunity to read as much as you can within one week. By joining, you get the chance to conquer your huge TBR pile, while earning all kinds of badges, answering quizzes and even make new friends from the bookish community! 

 

 

What is the Reading Rush? 

Beginning in 2013,  it is a weeklong readathon for book lovers all around the world. For one-week readers gather together to read as much as they possibly can and to participate in fun challenges.  

 

There is also a website in which you can create an account and keep track of your reading challenges while engaging in discussion with other fellow readers. Moreover, you can buy the cutest merch out there - from mugs to reading journals- and even win some! You can add their social media accounts like Instagram where many readers post fun pictures of their TBR piles and who knows, maybe you have the same taste as them.  

 

Created by booktubers Ariel and Raeleen, you can be sure that the Reading Rush will not disappoint you since many other lovers of a good book, have created their own Youtube channels in order to vlog their everyday reading process including me! 

 

Along with the reading challenges, there is also a photo challenge each day of the week over on Instagram, and each challenge will give you a chance to win a bookish item as well as many video challenges, a really fun way to explore your creativity while still having lots of time to read. 

 

Here are the appropriate links where you can find more information :

Reading Rush website

Reading Rush Instagram 

Reading Rush Youtube Channel

 

Some of the challenges : 

1.     Read a book with purple on the cover

2.     Read a book in the same spot the entire time

3.     Read a book you meant to read last year

4.     Read an author’s first book

5.     Read a book with a non-human main character

6.     Read a book with five or more words in the title

 

So that's all for this post and make sure to subscribe to the missreader youtube channel as I will be vlogging all of my reading week!

 

Love you all,

Missreader aka Leni 

 

xoxoxo