"What Happened To Goodbye" by Sarah Dessen

     Before I begin, I suppose it's noteworthy that these are not the types of books I normally read. I don't read a whole lot, but not because I don't love books-I do-but because I don't normally have that extra time. Work, school, two year old, television (I mean.....no wait, yeah, television), the works. However, when my phone is acting up and I need something to glance through on my lunch breaks, I grab a book. My pick is Stephen King, books of suspense and horror and pure awesomeness. BUT, when I want something real easy and painfully simple to follow, I generally grab something like Nicholas Sparks or in this case, Sarah Dessen. (I never, however, resort to Stephanie Meyers. Don't get me started.)

     This book, What Happened To Goodbye, was probably the most predictable, unrealistic, silly book I've ever read with the exception of the Dr Seuss or Shel Silverstein books I read to my son. 

     In a nutshell, a girl named Mclean (no, I'm not kidding) lives with her father - post nasty divorce and cheating wife scandal - who works for a food company that keeps him traveling constantly. Mclean doesn't mind considering every new school she attends (four in two years) she can reinvent herself and be someone totally new. She changes her name, her likes, her tastes, her clothes, everything. Can you guess where this is going? She moves somewhere she likes, makes REAL friends, falls in love, blahblahblah.

     I don't want to say the book is bad, but I'm gonna anyway. This book really sucked. I only kept reading it because I don't like to not finish something I started. It was also a light read and made for something much more simple than my annoying, complicated, and hectic life, so I guess that was the appeal for me. The biggest issue I had was that it took this author 402 pages to tell a story that could have been told in about twenty. There was so much unnecessary filler in this monster that I would skip several pages at a time of repeated flashbacks or "deep" thoughts and still not be behind or confused in the slightest.

     The story is sweet enough, I guess. However, the "love story" between Mclean and genius Dave is dragged out so horribly that you sort of start to believe it's never going to pan out. You even eventually start to hope it doesn't, because you tend to love the character of Dave. Smart, sweet, good looking, basically perfect, and you don't like Mclean as much. She's way too serious and you wanna rip the pages in half several times because she's so frustratingly fake and silent and pulls Dave along like a little child on a wagon. There is no character definition for her, which in a way is the point, since it's all about her finding herself and figuring out how to love whoever she ends up being. In other words, she's incredibly boring throughout the entire book. She goes over the same flashback memories and butterfly belly feelings so many times that you can literally predict the upcoming paragraph before you've finished the one you're on.

    For a work of fiction that is supposed to reflect the life of a real teenager in high school, this book is so unrealistic it makes me feel a little bit like I'm reading a fantasy novel. The characters just don't exist in high school. Everyone except Mclean is so specific and detailed and stereotypical that I came to the conclusion that Mrs. Dessen had been criticized in the past for not giving enough depth to her characters that Goodbye fell victim to the author redeeming herself.  From Deb, the obnoxiously cheerful "Welcome to Jackson High" committee president who - GASP - is ignored for being a nerd but brought into the "cool" group and turns out to be a drummer and loves tattoos, to Opal, the eccentric restaurant owner who is covered in tattoos and wears funky and over the top outfits (which we got extremely fine tuned details of) daily and smokes cigarettes like a chimney and swears like a sailor, each character is annoyingly defined and turned into someone who, as previously stated, just doesn't exist. 

     I have read more than one Dessen book, and they're basically all the same. Boring new girl meets exciting and mysterious new boy who flips her life upside down and turns her into....someone not boring. All this being said, if a fourteen year old picks up this book, she's gonna like it more than I did. Even then though, a pre-teen could probably still tell you that there is too much "in between" gunk. Too much we could have done without. Too many repeats, too many irritating moments. Too much filler.

     Clearly, I don't recommend this book. Seriously. Don't waste your time.....kinda like you just did reading about a book that you'll never read (hopefully).    ;)

     

American Reunion

I can't explain quite how ecstatic I was to see this movie. The first three were probably as a group my favorite trilogy of movies. It all just kept getting funnier and funnier! 

When I heard the plans were coming out for American Reunion, I assumed (WRONG) that it was going to be one of those straight to video movies that American Pie did,  like "Naked Mile" or "Book of Love" with none of the original characters (Except Eugene Levy). So you can imagine my excitement when I hear that YES, it IS a REUNION!!! Everyone will be there!! I never found anyone to go see it at the theater with, which means obviously I have no friends, or no friends with taste. I hope it's the latter but who knows. Now, I have finally gotten around to watching this movie, and  I have for you, my thoughts.

I loved this movie. LOVED it. It could be because it was a great movie, or it could be because I love the characters and the themes and loved seeing their new endeavors. Either way, I was entertained. 

Of course it began in true American Pie fashion, embarrassing the hell out of Jim. Only this time, it was in front of his adorable son. It was definitely just as cringe worthy as all of the other opening Pie scenes.

One of the aspects that I love about the American Pie series is that in each movie, there are consistencies while still churning out a different story line every time. One of the biggest ongoing trends is the "bromance" that exists between Jim, Oz, Finch, Kevin, and even Stifler. They seem to know everything about each other and they have that relationship that makes girls (well, this girl anyway) smile and swoon for. I love seeing guys that love their friends. This film was no different than the first three in that aspect. The guys are still very much a tight knit crew, although the girls were a different story. I was sad to see some of the changes with certain men and their girlfriends in the movie, but such is life, and it made for an interesting thing to see. Another consistency is that Jims dad is awkward. Painfully, wonderfully, adorably awkward. There will always, always be a conversation between the two of them that will just make you want to close your eyes and wish it away, fiction though it may be. Some might not like this repetitive nature in films, but Pie has a way of making each movie just a twinge different, each movie moving a little forward through life's strangeness. 

Throughout the movie, you have all the insane madness leading up to the main event: the reunion. New hookups, old flings, skeletons in the closet, this movie brings it all back. If it's been awhile since you've seen the first three movies, you'll really feel nostalgic watching this movie as we're reminded of everything from Jim's humiliating premature ejaculation caught on film (remember Blink 182?) to Vicky and Kevin's sufficiently awkward first time. Yikes.

The main theme of the movie doesn't change from the rest of the movies, and that is basically this: Life is crazy, life can suck, nobody is better than anyone else. Your friends will always rock if they're really your friends. There are plenty of cliche, "I don't know who I am" and "be whoever you want to be" moments in this movie, but it's made up for by a strategically placed fart or unexpected punch in the face. Hey, if you're "not work jack shit" or you "have nothing to lose", why NOT take a dump in a cooler full of beer?

Enjoy ;)

Stop, Hey, what's that sound?!

It's finally happened! I am starting a blog! Mostly it's because I have been told by one too many of my ever so loving family members and friends that it was necessary considering I tend to talk too long, too passionately about my favorite movies and music that just came out that I love and crazy stuff that has happened in the entertainment world. They all say the same thing,

"LIZZY! Talk to someone who WANTS to hear all this stuff for hours and hours."

So heck, I will. At least they're honest I suppose. Lemme explain the type of stuff that I talk about and a little about me.

I'm 23 and living in the Chicago suburbs. I have a 2 year old boy, and I work at Starbucks while working on my degree in filmmaking and production. In my spare time, I work on my music (I play guitar), my films (I have a million documentary ideas), journal, and play with my kid.

I wish I had been born in 1945. Most of the best movies and music came out in the late fifties, early sixties and I know I would have ruled the world back then. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean that there aren't modern musicians and movies and filmmakers that I LOVE.

I don't follow the typical formula for a classic rock lover or a scream queen. I could blast Taylor Swift on the way to a Bob Dylan concert. I could love the remake of a classic horror movie more than the original. I read my celebrity gossip app every day, even reading up on people that I don't particularly care for...**coughcough*Kim K*coughcough** and I do it because as much as I wish I could hold on the sixties, it's 2012 and things are different. Since I am going into filmmaking, I need to stay up to date on what makes the news and what people like.

I am who I am and I like what I like, I never pretend to be anything other than that. I don't have guilty pleasures, because none of my pleasures make me feel guilty. I don't listen to "everything", there are definitely genres of music and movies that I do not like as much. However I do keep an open mind to everything. I will listen to musicians who make me feel something, as long as the feeling is positive. If you have talent, if you play your music, if your lyrics speak to me, I'll probably like you.

At the end of the day, this blog is an opportunity for me to spill my burning thoughts about the movie I just saw or the CD that just came out or the big scandal that just hit the news. Maybe it will be for you, maybe it won't be. But mostly, it's for me. Sometimes I just want to let it all out. It's going to be a little jagged. Tomorrow maybe I'll review the Little Mermaid because I watched it with my son, and the next day maybe my boyfriend and I will go see The Campaign and I'll review that. You never know, so keep coming back!