What would you do if a magical creature came up to you and offered to make your dream come true? Would you take it up on it's offer? What if said creature looked like this: (Image belongs to http://animaljam.wikia.com)
Could you really trust it? *spoiler warning: don't trust him* That is the lesson Madoka learns in Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The story centers around Madoka, a teenage girl who sees the creature, named Kyubey, being attacked by a magical girl. While she saves Kyubey, the attacker warns Madoka to not listen to Kyubey and to not sign his contract. Madoka takes in Kyubey despite the girl's warning. In gratitude for saving his life, Kyubey offers to grant Madoka a wish and make her a magical girl, as long as she signs a contract with him. Madoka is tempted, but back in her mind, the attacker's words still linger. Things get more bizzare when the attacker enrolls at Madoka's school. Her name is Homura, and she reminds Madoka and her friend Sayaka to not sign Kyubey's contract. Complicating matters even more is another magical girl named Mami, who tells the girls that she accepted Kyubey's contact and thinks Madoka should too. What the girls don't realize that some actions do have consequences, and not everyone has the best interests at heart. Now, did I like this story? No. I loved it! It grabbed my attention. The art work of the manga, the story, and the anime kept me on the edge of my seat. It has all the makings of the Magical Girl genre that we were familiar with, for example stories like Sailor Moon and Shugo Chara. However, Madoka Magica is really dark. Even when watching the anime, you don't see the twist coming and the mood changes so drastically, the ending theme changes to match the dark mood that we were thrust into *coughepisode3cough*. The anime has truly earned its status as the darkest Magical Girl anime ever made. Another factor is that we see Madoka transform from a naive girl into a fighter who refuses to back down despite the tests and challenges she faces. She grows into a strong character, and her relationship with Homura shows that. There is also a biblical sense to Kyubey, who is the most adorable, backstabbing trap you will ever come across. So out of five, I give Puella Magi Madoka Magica a 4/5. It is a really good story, with some confusing twists. There are images that are disturbing, but I highly recommend reading the manga and watching the anime, which you can find on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
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In the electronic reliant world we live in, you would think people would be more careful with their phones and/or devices. Of course, when asking a teen to be careful with their devices, you usually add a silent prayer to that request as well.
But what happens when you pick up a phone and realize it's not yours? Do you report it? Do you keep it? And if you do keep it and the owner contacts you, do you embark on a relationship with them? These were the questions that popped into my head while reading Textrovert by Lindsey Summers. The story centers around Keeley, a small-town good girl who mistakenly loses her phone at the end-of-summer fair. Just when she thinks she finds it, she goes home and discovers the phone is not hers. The owner texts her, and through some teasing and annoyance, the two decided to forward each others' texts so they can be in the loop in what's going on. The owner, who calls himself Talon (no, really) only gives few details about himself, yet expects Keeley to trust him. He even begins a flirtation with her, even though she has reservations about who this person really is. They dig into each other's information through their respective phones to learn more, causing Keeley to question her choices on college and what she wants to do with her life after high school. Does she want to live out the life her family has planned for her, or take a risk and make her own choices? Also, is Talon who he says he is and should Keeley really trust him? While this book is a fast read and sometimes enjoyable, it was very predictable. Of course, this is more in touch with our society today, where everyone (teens and adults alike) are more focused on seeing what's going on in the world through their smart devices than experiencing it in real life. Sometimes having the information at the palm of your hand is a benefit since it's easily accessible, but now that we're in the era of "fake news" and "catfishing," how in tune are we in the world? Are we seeing the world and the people in it by what they present, or for who they really are? Those are questions I really want you to think about while reading this story. So on a scale of one to five, I'll give Textrovert a 3.5/5. It is enjoyable, and sometimes amusing, but it's predictability kind of ruined the excitement for me. (In case you were wondering, my answers were 1) I would report it, 2) Keeping something that's not yours is illegal, and 3) do you really want to forge a relationship with someone solely based on texts? I know it's been done but hey, I'm old-fashioned *lol*) |
Who am I?The Library Lady is a Young Adult Librarian and reviewer. She's also a music, anime, and film nerd. Archives
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