Book Review: The Program

The Program, both a science fiction and romance novel bound into one book, is my most recent addition to my list of reads. This book was overall pretty solid, but I feel that I should review it here on my blog for anyone who is looking to give it a read. There are both positive and negative elements about Suzanne Young's novel and I want to share my thoughts on them.
This book begins by introducing the main character Sloane and describing the suicide-ravaged world that she lives in. Young people are killing themselves at unprecedented rates and so a program has been enacted to cure them of their illness. Both Sloane and her boyfriend, James, are coping with the suicide of her brother and several close friends, and trying to avoid falling prey to the illness themselves. They must persist through the toughest of times in order to hold on to their love for one another.
The begining of The Program I found to be a particularly good read, and I thoroughly enjoyed the well-developed characters and the unfolding storyline. I also found the entire premise of a world infected by suicide very intriguing and unique, something that made this book stand out to me. The author did a good job of describing the strong bond that exists between the two main characters, Sloane and James, and I also liked how the book is divided into multiple parts.
However, there are some things about The Program that left me sorely disappointed. Although very alluring at the begining, this book took somewhat of a strange turn at part two. The character of Roger was just bizarre and frankly unnecessary in my opinion, and I also didn't enjoy the relationship between Sloane and Realm. These two characters are introduced around the same time in the book, and this is right when The Program starts to take a downhill turn. The last part just wasn't strong enough to save this book, leaving me a bit dissatisfied with how things end.
In conclusion, The Program is a unique novel that is very appealing but is likely to disappoint readers somewhat. Essentially, part one is brilliantly written and engrossing, part two begins to take the reader down a very bizarre path, and part three tries unsuccessfully to redeem any remaining pieces. I think whether you will enjoy this book or not depends entirely on personal taste and what genres you typically enjoy.
Author: Suzanne Young
Genre: Science Fiction/Romance/YA

Pages: 405

Year Published: 2013

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Molly's Music: Entry 3

I have decided to do yet another rundown here on my blog of the songs that I have been listening to a lot lately. Hopefully this will help introduce a few people to some new and interesting artists that I think are pretty talented. Enjoy, and hopefully this list will get you inspired to seek out some new songs that you can add to your Favorites playlist.

Moxiie - Jilted:
This song is a bit more on the pop side of my taste in music, but I've found myself listening to it quite a bit in the past few weeks. I initially was drawn to this song's music video as I think it is really well done, but the song grew on me over time.


HANA - Clay / Underwater:
I recently discovered the singer HANA and enjoyed the style of her music from my first listen. She just released the music video for her song Clay, and soon after unveiled a second song titled Underwater that is equally enjoyable.



Oh Wonder - Without You:
The music video for this song by the duo Oh Wonder randomly appeared in my recommended section on YouTube, and after giving it a listen I found myself really liking this song.


VÉRITÉ - Underdressed:
Although it admittedly is not my favorite song that VÉRITÉ has released, I still am really enjoying this most recent track of hers. It's got a catchiness to it that's slightly addictive.


Grimes - Vowels = space and time:
This song has a very unique sound to it, one that you probably will either love or hate (that pretty much sums up all of Grimes' songs). Although this is one of her older tracks that has been released for a while now, I only just discovered it and I think it's one of her better songs.

Book Review: The Last Time We Say Goodbye

My most recent read was Cynthia Hand's novel titled The Last Time We Say Goodbye. This emotionally charged family drama was just the book I was looking for, coming into my life at the perfect time to help pull me out of the literary slump I've been in and reinvigorate my passion for books.
The Last Time We Say Goodbye introduces the character Lex, a teenage girl living in small-town Nebraska who is dealing with her younger brother Ty's recent suicide. Having cut herself off from her friends and with her family life unraveling in the wake of her parents' divorce, Lex's therapist suggests that she write in a journal every day. Through doing so, Lex begins the slow and delicate process of healing, forgiving, and letting go of the events surrounding the death of her brother.
Hand tackles the sensitivity surrounding the topic of teen suicide with a deft hand, mastering a perfect balance between Lex's multitude of emotions. The main character Lex was very well developed, with her mathematical prowess and headstrong attitude. In fact, all of the characters in the pages of this book were deep and complex, drawing the reader into each of their own personalities. I also loved how The Last Time We Say Goodbye was interjected by Lex's journal entries, allowing the reader a look back on the events leading up to Ty's suicide.
The only area where this novel fell just slightly short of its potential is regarding the storyline. Although well written I didn't get overly engrossed in the events occuring in The Last Time We Say Goodbye. That is, I felt for the characters and what they were going through but their struggles never struck me on a deep emotional level. I also thought that many of the issues that Lex was going through were all of a sudden fixed at the end of the book, something that is very hard to believe. It was as if a magic wand was waved and all of her troubles were taken care of in the last few chapters.
Aside from these minor issues, I feel that The Last Time We Say Goodbye is not only a well-written novel that will no doubt strike a chord with most readers, but gives a touching and realistic glimpse into the life of someone going through a tragic event in their life. Overall I would definitely give this book a high recommendation.
Author: Cynthia Hand
Genre: Drama/YA

Pages: 390

Year Published: 2015

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Monthly Amusements: January 2016

I've decided to add a new element to my blog where I review entertainment-related things that I have been enjoying within the past month. This may not be a regular thing as I might not do these reviews for every single month of the year, but I figured I would try my idea out for January and see how I enjoy writing one. Feel free to give feedback in the comments, and also tell me your favorite January things.

Movie: What Maisie Knew

I didn't watch a lot of movies in January, but one of the few that I did choose to view surprised me. What Maisie Knew was honestly just one of those Netflix movies that I selected on a whim, simply because it had a pretty high rating. I didn't know who was in it or what it was about, but I found myself really enjoying the movie as it progressed. I found it to have most of the elements needed to create a touching story about a young girl trapped between her battling parents.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

TV Show: Broadchurch

I'll be honest and say that I don't watch many TV shows, but occasionally I'll give one a watch. I had heard good things about Broadchurch, and upon watching the first episode I was hooked. It's an extremely well-executed TV show that gets just about everything right. The plot does fall a little short for me and is somewhat typical of most murder mysteries, but the acting, cinematography, music, and setting of the show more than make up for this.
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Book: The Delirium Trilogy

Lauren Oliver's science fiction romance trilogy, consisting of the books Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem consumed most of my reading time in the month of January. Overall I enjoyed this series of books more than I thought I would, but it still fell a bit short of the bar that Oliver set with her books Panic and Vanishing Girls. Still a good read for the month though, as the Delirium trilogy offers a unique look at a loveless world.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Music: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

January has been pretty lackluster for music, and I haven't been very lucky this month with finding new additions for my soundtrack. However, I have listened to the album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming by electronic band M83 several times. This album provides some really unique-sounding songs that blur seamlessly together when the whole album played, and it is definitely worth a listen.
My Rating: ★★★★☆

My Most Anticipated Movies Of 2016

I was recently looking at a list of movies that are set to be released this year, and realized that there are some pretty awesome looking ones in the making. So I thought I would share my most anticipated movies for this year with all of you. I don't necessarily think that all of these films will be good, but I'm very intrigued by them nonetheless. This list is simply the movies that I look forward to watching, and isn't necessarily a list of what I think the best movies of 2016 will be. Enjoy the list, and feel free to share your most anticipated movies for this year in the comments.

Knight Of Cups

This experimental film, starring Christian Bale, doesn't really give much of its plot away in its trailer. However, this movie certainly masks itself in intrigue and therefore is one I will be giving a watch in 2016. If nothing else, I want to see what exactly Knight Of Cups is about.

Release Date: March 4, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Not one for superhero movies, I surprised myself by putting this film on my list. However, I actually loved the Batman trilogy with Christian Bale in the title role and am curious to see Ben Affleck's interpretation of the character.

Release Date: March 25, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Snowden

This biographical thriller has the potential to be amazing or tremendously cringe-worthy. But regardless, I want to see Snowden when it's released. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has not disappointed in previous roles, so hopefully this movie will not take its dramatizations of Edward Snowden's life overboard.

Release Date: May 13, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

X-Men: Apocalypse

I stated before that superhero movies usually aren't my thing, but the X-Men franchise is certainly an exception. I am really looking forward to seeing the familiar characters in the X-Men world reemerge in this 2016 action flick.

Release Date: May 27, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Now You See Me 2

I really enjoyed the 2013 caper thriller Now You See Me, so when I realized a sequel was being made I was pretty excited. I have fears that the second movie will fall short of the first, but I'm still willing to give it a watch. I do hate the name though. How much more unoriginal can you get than simply putting a number after the name of the first movie?

Release Date: June 10, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

The BFG

One of my favorite childhood books was The BFG by Roald Dahl, and I recently learned that it was being made into a movie set to be released in 2016. To be honest I think that this movie will probably be a flop, but I hope that Steven Spielberg proves me wrong!

Release Date: July 1, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Bourne 5

Although its official name hasn't been announced yet, I am very excited for the fifth installment in the Bourne movie franchise. In fact, it's probably the number one movie set to be released in 2016 that I am looking forward to watching. I only hope that it will live up to my expectations, but with a cast including Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, and Alicia Vikander it very well could.

Release Date: July 29, 2016

Suicide Squad

This movie has been so hyped that it very well could be a major disappointment, so I'm trying to not expect a lot from it. With that being said, I am very curious to see Jared Leto's interpretation of the joker and also how the entire cast portrays their characters. I'm trying to set the bar low in my head, and hopefully Suicide Squad will pleasantly surprise me.

Release Date: August 5, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

The Girl On The Train

This movie is based on the 2015 novel by Paula Hawkins, which was one of my favorite books of the year. I am looking forward to seeing how the book is crafted into an interesting movie, and I hope that Emily Blunt can portray the lead character well. I'm not sold on the idea of this book as a film, but I certainly hope a good movie will result.

Release Date: October 7, 2016

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Not knowing what to expect, I watched the action film Jack Reacher back in 2012 and actually really loved it. I look forward to seeing how Tom Cruise will continue his portrayal of the title character in the sequel movie.

Release Date: October 21, 2016