Book Review: The Cabin by Natasha Preston

Photo by Olivier Guillard on Unsplash

Hello!

 I recently finished the The Cabin, a novel by author and 'Wattpad sensation' Natasha Preston. The first book I read by Mrs. Preston was The Cellar- which, though I never wrote a review for it, I quite enjoyed and was excited to delve into one of her other novels. This review may contain spoilers so if you have not read the book, and would like to, proceed with caution.

---

They think they're invincible.
They think they can do and say whatever they want.
They think there are no consequences.
They've left me no choice.
It's time for them to pay for their sins.
(taken from the back cover of the novel)

---

 I love books that are mysteries and thrillers, especially ones involving teens or young adults- I can't explain why, but they've just always intrigued me. Who's the killer? What were the motives? Why is someone so terrible, or so confused, or so disturbed, that they'd hurt someone, or commit a terrible act? It's perhaps a built of a guilty pleasure, but regardless, intriguing and exciting to read about.

 The Cabin starts out with the main character, Mackenzie, going to meet up with her friends (Aaron, Kyle, Megan, and Courtney) and her best friend's boyfriend (Josh) so they can go to- you guessed it- a cabin in the woods, to hang out all weekend and get drunk. Which is obviously the first red flag- it's never good to go to a cabin and get full out drunk, especially when it's a bunch of teenagers (however, this novel takes place in the United Kingdom- where the legal drinking age is 18- so *technically* legal within the confines of the novel).

 Drinking is also part of what led to a car-crash that happened pre-novel, resulting in the deaths of two of Mackenzie's other friends, Tilly & Gigi, which, in my opinion, would result in making some wiser choices, but I digress.

 There's a tag-along, Josh's older brother who is practically estranged- Blake. Blake and Mackenzie have a bit of a romantic sub-plot as the book continues.

 The book starts out somewhat slow, and then all of the sudden- there's two murders in their locked cabin. It picks up a little bit from there, although there's not a whole lot of action after this takes place; it shows the remaining teens picking up the pieces of their lives, dealing with guilt, grief, and all of the emotions that would come after something that tragic happening.
 As the novel continues, Mackenzie and Blake become closer, more drama ensues, the police are, y'know, the typical police- and blame is pinned on various suspects.
 I will say, I began to get slightly bored with the novel as I got closer to the end- which made me sad, because I love Natasha's writing- but then the very end suddenly picks up again and deeply surprised me. I think, if you enjoy some cheesy teenage drama paired with an interesting murder mystery plot, that you would like this book. Some of the writing is sub-par but overall, it's a pretty good book and a fun read to kill (pun not intended) some time.
 On a whole, I'd give the book about a solid 7/10, just due to some of the cheesiness, but I really don't have too many complaints about it on the whole.

 Have you read The Cabin? Do you plan on doing so? Leave your thoughts down below!

-Hannah

Movie Review: Frozen II

Hello friends,

 Today I'm going to reviewing Frozen II, the second movie inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale, The Snow Queen. I'll be keeping this as spoiler free as possible because I understand that not everyone has had the opportunity to see the movie yet.

 The movie starts with a flashback to Anna and Elsa's childhood, which features their parents and gives more insight into some of the legends & lore of Arendelle culture. It shows more about how the two young princesses' tales began and where they came from and features a beautiful song, sung as a lullaby in the film.

 Once the flashback ends, we're taken to 3 years after Elsa's coronation take place in the first movie. From there the action picks up quickly and you're treated to beautiful song after beautiful song. From the get-go, the movie can quickly strike an emotional chord as you hear Olaf's whimsical, or depressing, thoughts and questions as now he's 'more mature'.

 As the movie takes you through the winding tale, you see how much character growth has happened not just within the confines of the film, but in the three year span you don't see between the two Frozen films. Elsa has experienced some character growth, Anna a lot, as well as Olaf. Kristoff starts off essentially the same but grows exponentially throughout the movie.

 In my personal opinion, the plot of Frozen II is superior to the first movie- it is heart-wrenching and sad, but also beautiful and endearing in the way only a Disney movie can be. I was crying through most of the movie for various reasons. The animation of their new outfits and hair styles, as well as new characters and all of the beautiful scenery and settings, were absolutely beautiful and completely astonishing. The whole movie is filled not just with whites and blues, but also beautiful oranges, greens, and browns, as well.

 However, also in my opinion, I found the music to be lacking. I still really enjoyed it and a few of the songs really touched my heart, but as far as levels of being iconic or catchy, the original Frozen soundtrack still holds the title. There are also only 7 new songs, and one reprise from the first movie. Frozen also ends the musical side of the story on a slightly light-hearted note with 'Fixer-Upper' whereas Frozen II ends with a slightly more sad note music-wise (which I will leave to your discretion to either look it up or see the movie as not to spoil it for those who don't wish to know.)

 I will say, while I expected the movie to be emotional, it is extremely emotionally heavy. A lot happens that is either sad, bittersweet, or heart-wrenching. It covers heavy topics not quite covered in the first movie. I'd even go as far as to say it's more depressing than Big Hero 6 or Coco (which are two of my favorite Disney movies, btw,).

 There is also one scene which is one of the songs- the song is beautiful and touching, however the actual sequence in the movie is... odd at best, and doesn't feel like it truly fits within the confines of the film. It's still fun to watch, however.

 It's really hard for me to pin-point my exact favorites about the film, but I'm going to try :-) This may contain **SOME SPOILERS** so please be cautious!

Favorite Song: It's a tie between Show Yourself, Some Things Never Change, and When I Am Older.
Favorite Character: Olaf, but I also really liked Kristoff in this one, too.
Favorite Scene: The scene when Olaf retells the story of the first film, or the Show Yourself sequence, or the end of the movie that's focused on Anna... :)
Favorite Design(s): Elsa's new costume with her hair down and the design of the Northuldran people.

Rating: 8.5/10
Reasoning: The movie was excellent, if musically slightly lacking, and I have some issues with codependency that I see in the sisters, otherwise it was an excellent movie.

 If you've seen the movie, what did you think of it? What was your favorite part or favorite song? Let me know in the comments below! :) And if you haven't and plan on seeing it- make sure to stay for the post-credits scene!

-Hannah

Trip to an 'Otherworld'

Hey y'all!

 So a little bit ago, on this past Friday, my family took a trip to Otherworld in Columbus, Ohio. This is a place I'd been wanting to go to since I heard about it- it's an interactive art exhibit/museum. You can touch things, move things, experience things in an entirely new way then just going to a museum, art or otherwise.

 Starting off, when you walk in, there's black cloth over the doors so it's blocking outside light, to really immerse yourself in the experience. You go up to the desk and they give you your wristbands, and these wristbands assure that you can come-and-go all day as you please! It's super cool. There's these screens with different patterns that play on them and it looks like shattered glass. There's some benches, a small gift shop, and a little snack bar (that has allergen-free options too, and if memory serves, vegan options as well).

 When we went, we didn't really realize there was a storyline, so we just kind of meandered- but I really don't think it took away from the experience at all. It was like being taken into all this different alien planets/cities, with so many neat things and creatures and creations.

 One of my favorite rooms was a non-interactive room (they're still working on a few areas from what I understand, so a few of the rooms are just like full-immersion galleries) with flowers, a skull, and hand bones painted in it. It was absolutely stunning, and I was so happy because I was wearing a skull/flower dress on that day! It was slightly ironic in a really cool way.

 In one room, you get to crawl inside of a furry narwhal-like creature and can see its heart. In another room, you can crawl inside of an arcade game. In another room, you become one with cartoon characters inside of a strange funeral- where you can open the coffin.

 Everything is super fascinating in a creepy-cute-talented-strange-amazing kind of way. My brother's favorite rooms are the 'creature' rooms, where there's huge furry creatures (along with the aforementioned narwhal type creature). In one room, it's a bedroom, and when you crawl under the bed, you're transported into the world of the monsters!

 There's no way to truly describe the experience and do it justice. If you are ever in the Columbus area, Otherworld is TRULY a must-see. Art-lovers, kids, lovers of the cute, lovers of the creepy; it's all here for everyone and anyone to enjoy.

 Tickets are $22.00 per person and good all day. Items in the gift shop range from around $6 to $25, and the snack stand is relatively cheap. The amount of time, money, and effort that was put into this is evident just in seeing everything in the 'Otherworld'- it's an experience truly like no other.

 Pictures from the entrance/exhibit entrance area.

 The bedroom that leads to the monster room! Yes, it's a real bed/mattress/blanket. Featuring me... haha

 The paint splatter room is really cool because it looks like paint is splashing down over the walls and floor. Super fun to sit and watch.

 Pictures of my siblings & I posing with one of the little monsters. These guys are a reccuring theme throughout Otherworld and basically my favorite thing on this entire planet (and the next). They're just too cute. This is in the botanist's lab area.

Floating books in the 'office' that ties into the storyline.

 Pictures from the flower/skeleton room. It's just so fascinating and hauntingly beautiful.

 The tentacles in the exit/entrance area.

  Some of the cartoon figures in the vintage animation area. It was really cool.

 The mirror in the hallway... or is it? Hmm... for real, though, it was very neat because you could barely see yourself. It looks like the hallway goes on forever.

  My sister & I posing with one of the little monsters. :)

 My brother with the eyeball peering into the bedroom!

 So what do you think? Would you visit Otherworld? Have you already been there? Leave a comment down below and tell me!

Why You Should Watch Miraculous Ladybug

Hello lovely people!

 Today I'm going to be talking about the many reasons why I think you should watch Miraculous Ladybug (or, the long title, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.)
 The IMDb description of Miraculous is "Marinette and Adrien, two normal teens, transform into superheroes Ladybug and Chat Noir when an evil threatens their city." which is a pretty good explanation, honestly. Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste are two fairly normal Parisian teenagers, except they both have a secret identity, as superheroes who keep Paris safe, under the namesakes of Ladybug and Chat Noir (or, alternately, Cat Noir).

 Of course, Miraculous is a children's TV show, and so obviously there's some cheesy episodes and bad jokes and such, but overall, it has a really sweet message, the characters are interesting, and there's really creative fans who put some really creative twists on the show through art & fan-fiction.
 Now, to actually get on with this post, here are my top 5 reasons why you should watch Miraculous Ladybug!

1) IT'S THE MAGICAL GIRL STORY LINE WITH A TWIST

 It's not quite Sailor Moon, it's not quite Spider-Man; it's Ladybug, and she's a pretty magical girl in her own right, but she's also a pretty unique superhero on her own; she's a blend of genres with CGI animation that makes it feel like something classic, yet totally new at the same time.

---

2) THERE IS A HUGE & DIVERSE CAST OF CHARACTERS

Marinette Dupain-Cheng herself is half Chinese, half French; many of the other characters have different skin colors & tones, ethnicities, diverse body types & heights, and interesting little attributes to their designs, as well.
This is a really special thing, and even the 'mean girl' in the show has never used (within my memory) any kind of physical appearance thing to be rude/make fun of anybody, so there isn't that influence on young children, which is great!

---

3) THERE'S UNIQUE VILLAINS
Some of the villains in the show are pretty cheesy, I'm not going to lie. But they're all very unique and different, and rather than having them be villains from another planet or dimension or something, they are all from Earth and have been "akumatized" by the main villain, Hawkmoth, using magic. They could be anyone, even friends or family, of our two leading superheroes.

---

4) A FRUSTRATING YET INTRIGUING AND EXCITING LOVE SQUARE

When they're not in superhero form, Marinette has a huge crush on Adrien. In superhero form, Chat Noir has a huge crush on Ladybug. Which also means Adrien has a crush on Ladybug; and the pairing of Marinette and Chat Noir has been hinted at, as they both seem to have these little inklings of a crush without knowing that no matter who they are at any given moment, they're always pining after the same person!
It's an exciting, thrilling, kind of frustrating that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

---

5) THE PLOT KEEPS GETTING BETTER

As the show goes on, the lore around the kwamis, the miraculouses, and the heroes becomes more and more in depth and intriguing. More characters become introduced, new plot lines form, and everything is like a giant inter-connected web. It's fun to follow all of the characters and how they all tie in to the story at any given moment, and it just keeps getting better & better...
and we're only on season 2!

 What do you think of Miraculous Ladybug? Do you watch it, and if so, who's your favorite character? And if not, do you think you'll try it at some point? Let me know down below!

Ciao!
Hannah

Movie Review:: Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom

Hello lovelies!

 So, on June 22nd my family & I went to go see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. I'm going to jump into the review here in a minute, but I want to preface this by saying the Jurassic Park + Jurassic World movies are basically my all-time favorite movies, so I may be a bit biased.
 Many, many people seem to dislike this movie, calling it simply a 'popcorn blockbuster', and it only has a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.7 rating on IMDB, from what I can tell. Which is sad, because this is truly a spectacular movie.

 No, Fallen Kingdom is not historically accurate, scientifically accurate, or even remotely accurate to what the original Jurassic Park idea was- but it's emotional, thrilling, and endearing in its own right. The movie picks up 3 or 4 years after Jurassic World closed down, and the movie begins with showing us the decrepit, falling apart park, and two men in a deep-sea sub.
 It was an odd beginning, perhaps, but it led to an amazing story; I don't want to continue to tell anything of what happens, as this is supposed to spoiler-free, but the action picks up quickly; the plot is entertaining to adults, children, & teens alike, and the fast-paced excitement of dinosaurs and danger is exciting for generally all focus groups as well.

 Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard resume their roles as the wonderful Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, and there's no question as to some of what happened during the years we don't see on screen. The two's playful, somewhat angsty, but always entertaining banter continues through the whole movie.
 Brand new characters, such as Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), Eli Mills (Rafe Spall), and Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda), lend new, exciting story lines to the plot and create some really interesting dynamics within the movie.
 Something else exciting is the return of Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), even if it was just a few brief cameo scenes & voice overs, which is a real treat for anyone who is a big fan of the original movies.

 The plot was a little bit chaotic as there were many smaller, but still very important, sub-plots going on amongst the larger story, but it is extremely exciting and entertaining nonetheless.
 The emotional output in this movie is heavy, and I know I wish I had brought tissues! There's quite a few sad or bittersweet scenes which may cause some tears to come to your eyes. The CGI is fantastic, and there's quite a lot of humor and funny scenes, but the whole movie moves quickly and keeps you glued to your seat.

 I highly recommend going to see this movie, even if you're not a big fan of the original movies, if you're just looking for something to do. It's such a good movie and a lot of fun to watch!

Ciao!
Hannah

Book Review:: How to Set a Fire and Why

Hello, lovely people!

 I'm going to be sharing a review of a book I read recently, titled How to Set a Fire and Why, written by Jesse Ball. This post contains spoilers for the book so proceed with caution.

 Let me start off with the disclaimer that all thoughts in this post are my own honest opinions, and no one else's, and I am in no way being compensated for writing this review. Now, onwards we go!

"Lucia's father is dead; her mother is in a mental institute; she's living in a garage-turned-bedroom with her aunt. And now she's been kicked out of school—again. Making her way through the world with only a book, a zippo lighter, a pocket full of stolen licorice, a biting wit, and striking intelligence she tries to hide, she spends her days riding the bus to visit her mother and following the only rule that makes any sense to her: Don't do things you aren't proud of. But when she discovers that her new school has a secret Arson Club, she's willing to do anything to be a part of it, and her life is suddenly lit up. And as her fascination with the Arson Club grows, her story becomes one of misguided friendship and, ultimately, destruction."
-taken from the inside of the book cover

  To start off, I was super excited to begin this book. I think the cover art is really fascinating, and the summary from the inside cover makes it sound super exciting, maybe even action-packed! However... that wasn't the case at all. I've broken down my thoughts into bite-sized sections so I don't ramble on for hours, so keep reading if you want to hear my specific thoughts on the book!
 Spoilers ahead, so beware!

Plot

 The plot was, frankly, not well done. The idea of it was very interesting, until it was put on paper, and it fell flat. The "arson club" ended up not truly existing, most of the book itself was her writing down her predictions of how the day will go, what she will do (though it is more of a routine, so... quite boring).
 It's like the internal monologue of a self-asorbed, pyromaniac, wanna-be arsonist. It was the same plot (or lack thereof) all the way until the last few chapters, and even then it was short-lived and the ending was abrupt and unfufilling.

Characters

 Lucia's- the main character- so called 'biting wit' was more her being sarcastic, rude, and sometimes a down-right jerk to those around her, even those who are just desperately trying to help her out. She was a jerk to her aunt at times, to her teachers (even the ones who wanted to help), and she was extremely violent. Our first introduction to her character is literally after she stabbed someone in the neck with a pencil!
 Any other side characters had little to absolutely no character development, and the one truly interesting, kind-hearted character in the novel (SPOILERS AHEAD), Lucia's aunt, died. After that, I all but completely lost interest.

Writing Style

 The writing style rambled on, following no certain path, and considering Lucia is a teenage girl, her thought process is NOTHING like any teenage girl I know, no matter how intelligent or 'anarchist' they are. Often, words were used that seemed strange or out of place, and Lucia was so wrapped in unimportant thoughts that there was no plot development happening.
 Plus, when we finally got to her writing her pamphlet, it felt forced, awkward, and out-of-place.

Other

 There was also mentions of inappropriate situations/scenarios as well as quite a few minor & major curse words in this novel. I definitely don't recommend anyone under 17 or so reads it. I wish I hadn't, personally.

Overview

 This book was supposed to be a raw, dark, coming-of-age novel but it fell more into the boring, dry, and slightly annoying category. I wish I could say I liked it, but the only redeeming quality in it was Lucia's sweet old aunt. There are no consequences, no true plot, and dry, 1-dimensional characters. All in all, this novel gets maybe 2/10 stars.

Have you ever read this book? What did you think, and why? Tell me in the comments below!

Ciao!
Hannah

My Make Up Must-Haves

Hello lovelies!

Today I'll be sharing all of my "make up must-haves"- just products I use super frequently & love! :)

  

babyPOP! clear lipgloss

L.A. Colors

I love clear lip gloss, but often what you find is super-pricey high end stuff from places like Glossier, MAC, and such. I was in one of our local dollar stores, and found this for $0.50! A little goes a long way, and it smells like the kind of lip gloss that was really popular in the 2000's, so a little bit of a throwback there. :)

 Bella J. lip gloss

Bella J. Candles

I got these at a discount store, and honestly, I'm not sure where else you can find them- I've done a ton of research and it seems the company has seemingly disappeared, or perhaps it was a limited-time thing. Either way, I love these lip glosses dearly.

 MegaLength Mascara

Wet N' Wild Cosmetics

I love this mascara so much! It's not clumpy, it doesn't smell weird, and I really like the brush. I do have to reapply every so often because even the waterproof version isn't totally fail-safe against rain/sweat/etc, but it still works really well and looks very nice.

 Celavi Waterproof Precision Eyeliner Pen
Celavi

This is my favorite eyeliner I've ever used! I don't react to it, it goes on smoothly, and if you're up for it, it can make very nice wings. It's nice & dark, and very pretty. It's also quite cheap!

 Make Up Remover Wipes

various brands

I don't have a regular brand I use, but these are fantastic for days you just want to get your make up off quick (and for performances, formal events, work, etc, when you need a quick touch-up).

 Interstellar Eyeshadow Collection Pallet

Blackheart Beauty (Hot Topic)

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this pallet! It is totally gorgeous. The colors are stunning, with a nice variation of shades. There is some fall-out and a few shades aren't all that blendable, but that's my only complaint. My favorites are Moon Dust, Nebula, Asteroid, and Black Hole.

AOA Brow Sculpting Pencil

AOA Studio (Miss A)

Smooth color, great spooly, nice grip, very little smudging, and the two very best parts...? It's cruelty free and only $1.00! I love Miss A, and their AOA line is amazing. This is the only beauty product I absolutely WON'T leave the house without using. It's amazing!

Rating My Favorite Albums

Hello lovelies! 

 Today I'm rating my favorite albums by how much I like them. I have more than 10 albums that I listen to frequently, but I just picked the first 10 that I thought of right away. :)
 Remember, these are just my opinions, and my the best/worst track is based on how much I like a particular song, not the actual popularity of a song. And they're in no particular order.

 

 Sia's "1000 Forms of Fear"
Rating: 7/10
Worst Song: Free the Animal
Why: I don't remember. There's a few songs on the album I don't quite care for so I'm not sure why this was my least favorite, lyrics/music/etc, I just know I listened to it once and just disliked it enough I've never listened to it again.
Best Song: Big Girls Cry or Fire Meet Gasoline
Other: Chandelier is the first song I heard from Sia, so it skyrocketed me into this album, and it just means a lot to me.

 Marina and the Diamonds' "Electra Heart"
Rating: 8/10
Worst Song: [a title I won't put here] & Hypocrates
Why: I just find it extremely vulgar / I just don't care for it.
Best Song: Valley of the Dolls, Teen Idle (CLEAN VERSION w/ edit), The State of Dreaming
Other: There's a couple songs on this album I won't listen to, but eh.

Lorde's "Pure Heroine"

 Rating: 8.5/10
Worst Song: Still Sane
Why: I feel like it's kind of lacking in comparison to the rest of the album. It's still a good song, just not as intriguing.
Best Song: 400 Lux, Glory and Gore
Other: Lorde was kind of my big eye-opening artist into the world of music; Pure Heroine is just an album that I think I'll love forever.

 Jamie Grace's "Ready to Fly"

Rating: 8/10
Worst Song: Just a Friend
Why: I just don't really enjoy listening to it, is all.
Best Song: Ready to Fly (Avery's Song)
Other: This album has some kind of cheesy pop vibes but it's really sweet, meaningful, and helped me understand some aspects of my faith a little bit better.

Lorde's "Melodrama"

Rating: 9/10
Worst Song: Green Light
Why: It's obnoxiously overplayed and as much as I love Lorde, frankly, rather annoying.
Best Song: Liability, The Louvre, Hard Feelings/Loveless
Other: There is a lot of cursing in this album. Other than that, it's a beautiful, musical masterpiece that I love dearly.

NeedtoBreathe's "Rivers in the Wasteland"

 Rating: 8.5/10
Worst Song: Where the Money Is
Why: I just don't like the way it sounds.
Best Song: State I'm In, Difference Maker, Multiplied
Other: Brother is the song that got me into NeedtoBreathe, and this whole album is just mind blowingly wonderful.

twenty one pilots' "Vessel" 

Rating: 10/10
Worst Song: n/a
Why: I absolutely adore the whole album.
Best Song: Trees, Car Radio, Migraine, Ode to Sleep
Other: The music is all insanely catchy but also extremely powerful and meaningful.

twenty one pilots' "Blurryface"

Rating: 9/10
Worst Song: Ride
Why: It doesn't feel as deep or meaningful to me as the other songs on the album, plus I've heard it so much it kind of grates on my nerves.
Best Song: I honestly can't pick one, I love them all so much.
Other: This is the album that got me into twenty one pilots, and Stressed Out, as cliche and cheesy as it may be, was a huge deal to me when it first came out. :) 

  

The Lumineers' "Cleopatra"

Rating: [currently] 8/10
Worst Song: n/a
Why: n/a
Best Song: Sleep on the Floor
Other: There are actually a few songs on this album I haven't heard, I just really love what I HAVE heard; so that's why I've put n/a for both worst song/explanation.

Of Monsters and Men's "My Head is an Animal"

 Rating: 7.5/10
Worst Song: Lakehouse, Your Bones
Why: Just not a big fan.
Best Song: Slow and Steady, King and Lionheart
Other: n/a