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Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs Review By Nina Claudia Soukhanovskii

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs Review
By Nina Claudia Soukhanovskii
“I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen. The first of these came as a terrible shock and, like anything that changes you forever, split my life into halves: Before and After.” 
Terms to Know:
Peculiar- Having a special ability that a normal person does not have. 
Loop- A play on time which causes a single day to repeat over and over again; only those for who the loop was made for are conscious of it. For everybody else, it just a normal day, every day.
Hollowgast- A terrible creature that reversed time to a point where its soul didn’t even exist, making it soulless and heartless. Can live for thousands of years. Feed on animals, and human blood.
Wight- If a hollowgast drinks enough human blood, then it becomes a wight. Wights can pass for humans. Have no pupils, just blank orbs, but otherwise look just like humans. Act on instinct. Fond of dramatic gestures.
Ymbryne- A female who can manipulate time and take the form of a bird (for only birds can manipulate time)
Meet the Characters:
Jacob Portman- An average sixteen-year-old that spent his childhood on a positive note with his grandfather. Embarks on a out-of-this-world adventure to figure out his grandfather’s past and connect it to the present and his own life.
Abraham Portman- Jacob’s grandfather. Tells him many stories of his youth that fascinate Jacob when he is little. Is thought to go crazy because of the trauma he experienced “in war”. Has many secrets that Jacob must uncover, including the fact that he was also peculiar and lived at Miss Peregrine’s home at one point in life.
Franklin Porter- Jacob’s father, and the son of Abraham Porter. Does not believe Abraham, thinks he is crazy. Thinks his son is crazy when he starts backing up what Abraham said. Always starts writing books and then gets discouraged because he is beat out by someone else.
Dr. Golan- Jacob’s psychiatrist who later turns out to be something that Jacob never even suspected. Follows him to the island and messes things up for quite a while.
Miss Peregrine- A ymbryne. Takes the form of a Peregrine. Headmistress of the house that she created to take in peculiars.
Emma Bloom- A peculiar girl, lives with Miss Peregrine. Peculiarity: can create fire with her bare hands. Had a soft spot for Abraham Portman when he was alive and living at the home. Finds Jacob to her taste as well.
A Summary With No Spoilers:
Jacob grew up listening to his grandfather’s stories about children with 2 mouths and levitating powers. His grandfather would always sit with him and tell him fantastic stories of a house where these magic children lived. His grandfather would always shows Jacob photos to top off the stories. And, he would always ask, “Do you believe me, Yakob? No, you don’t believe, do you?” 
Jacob always carefully considered the stories and photos. And, as a little, open-minded boy, he said, “I believe you.”
However, as Jacob grew older, he found that his grandfather’s stories of monsters with eight tongues that haunted him and children that lived under the safety of a bird were just something to entertain him when he was younger. At least, he believed so.
And when his grandfather began to panic and repeat over and over that the monsters had found him and that they would take him any moment, Jacob began to get worried that his grandfather was becoming insane. After an especially perplexing conversation on the phone in which Abraham began to inquire where the key to his gun drawer was located, Jacob decided to stop by and check on his grandfather.
To his utter surprise and horror, Jacob found his grandfather’s house a wreck. Drawers were hanging open, doors ripped out of the doorways, and the furniture in shreds. Jacob ran out to the backyard to find his grandfather lying in a puddle of blood, half-dead. 
“Find the bird. In the loop. On the other side of the old man’s grave. September third, 1940. Emerson—the letter. Tell them what happened, Yakob,” whispered Abraham to his grandson  before passing on right before his eyes.
Just as Jacob decides to leave, he sees it. A black monster with eight tongues, it’s beady eyes swirling with mist. It stands behind the bushes, as though watching and waiting for the right time to strike. Jacob faints.
Devastated, scared, worried, and troubled, Jacob tries to find the answer to the phrases, only convincing his parents that he has gone crazy. They take him to a psychiatrist who soothes Jacob by twisting the words to make it seem as though Jacob had just seen a figment of his own imagination. He suggest Jacob takes a vacation.
But what Jacob doesn’t know is that what his grandfather had been telling him was true. The children exist. The monsters exist. The Bird exists, and so does the home where all of them live. 
Bit by bit, Jacob learns about his grandfather’s past, and what that means to him now. He learns of his own peculiarity, makes friends, and finds his true foes. And when the house is endangered, it is up to Jacob to save the children and the Bird from the world.
My Rating:
I am giving this book a 9/10 stars. Everything about the plot was wonderful. The children were so vividly described that it felt like I had met them personally. The plot was action-packed, and kept me on the edge of my seat as I read. And the mystery-like parts of the book kept me wondering what would happen next at all times. A bonus is the realistic photos that are included throughout the book, for they make you feel like you are actually in the story and are going through the emotions with the characters. The only part that kept me from giving me the book the full 10 stars is the ending. I won’t spoil it, but I will just warn you that the ending cuts you off like a slap in the face. It’s so abrupt, that you can’t help by running to the library to get the second book right away, which is what I am currently doing… Enjoy!


Movie Review for Nerve By Rav Kaur

Movie Review for Nerve
By Rav Kaur

            Looking for a thrill, some fun, and an exciting adventure, that will keep you on your toes? Then Nerve is the movie for you!
            Vee is a girl in high school who is very careful and has a dream to go to an expensive art school for college. Her friend Sydney tells her about a 24 hour game called Nerve, and then taunts her for not being a risk-taker. Vee, enraged, goes and joins Nerve as a player. In this game, she gets dares that she completes for money, the cash prize getting bigger as the dares get wilder. These dares must be filmed on the players cellphone, and be completed in a certain time limit. People all over the city are competing to get into the final round, where 2 players face off against each other. Watchers determine the dares, and the players with the most watchers advance to the final. There is another rule, and it is that the authorities cannot be alerted about this game. Vee starts playing, and meets player Ian on her first dare. The watchers seem to like seeing them together, and make dares that involve the two of them and keep escalating. Meanwhile, Sydney fills up with an intense jealousy, as Vee now has more watchers than her, and she believed that Vee would be too scared to even play the game.
However, after one dare goes too crazy, Vee tells the police and they don’t believe her. As a punishment for telling the authorities, she gets kidnapped and becomes a prisoner of the game. Now, the only way out is to win the game, or else her and her family’s life will be controlled by this game. Ian turns out to be a prisoner of the game as well, but he is willing to sacrifice himself for Vee. He gets into the final round so that he can purposely lose and Vee can have her life back. Meanwhile, Vee’s friend races to shut down the game with his hacker friends. However, something goes awry when guns are revealed to be a part of the final round, and a rival player shows up to thwart Ian’s plans. With a gun pointed at Vee, and at the risk of losing the game, what will happen? Will Vee manage to get out of the game with Ian, and will her friend shut the game down? Or will there be a murder, and will the game continue on? Find out when you watch Nerve.  

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Rogue One - Movie Review By Rav Kaur

Rogue One - Movie Review
By Rav Kaur

            Everyone loves Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Yoda. However, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has almost nothing to do with these familiar characters.

            Set after the prequel series, and before the actual series, Rogue One is a tale that has to do with the Death Star. Jyn is the daughter of a man who worked for the Galactic Empire, and unwillingly designed the Death Star. Her mother was killed and the Galactic Empire took her father when she was a small girl. Now, years later, she is a young woman, and is kidnapped by the Resistance, because they think she can help their cause. She teams up with a pilot, a blind asian man and a guy with a giant gun to go and retrieve her father. However, the pilot has been given strict instructions to kill her father, and she does not know. Her father tells her that his plans for the Death Star have a way to disable it just before he dies. Now, with a newfound mission, Jyn and her friends go and infiltrate the facility that holds the plans. Barely hanging on to their lives, Jyn manages to get the plans. However, in order to send them to the Resistance’s ship, she must project them, and she cannot, as the Empire’s forces are preventing her from doing just so. Will she send the plans and be able to disable the Death Star? Or will they all die in vain? Find out when you watch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

How to implement healthy habits into your schedule by Krisha Shah

How to implement healthy habits into your schedule
by Krisha Shah

With the constant stress and homework that high school provides, it can be difficult to stay on top of your schoolwork and physical well-being at the same time.Whether you’re off-season, or just looking to stay healthy, there are a few things that you can do to help your body and mind feel great.

  1. Check your school for any strength and conditioning resources they may provide. If you are interested in a more high-intensity fitness schedule, these may be right for you!
  2. Instead of taking homework breaks on the internet, get off the internet completely. Walk around a bit, and talk to your family. Stretch your body to help get your blood flowing so you can go back to your homework feeling less drowsy.
  3. Make sure to have a bottle of water next to you while you are doing your homework. Not only will this make sure you don’t have to get up every time you need water, but it will also help your body in the long run.
  4. Eat a light snack after coming home from school. Drink a glass of milk and have a fruit on the side. Try to avoid unhealthier items, like Doritos, and replace them with cheese and crackers, or something with a higher nutritional value.
  5. Instead of reading on the sofa, sit in various stretching positions. Sit in a butterfly or straddle to make sure you are involving both your mind and your body.
  6. Finish your homework on the day you receive it. Try not to procrastinate. Make lists to help you stay organized, and stick to your lists. Create not only a “to-do” list, but also a “done” list to help you feel a sense of accomplishment on what you have achieved that day or week.
  7. Try to sleep earlier. Look to finish your homework when you get home rather than wait on it for later. A proper sleep schedule will keep you happier and much more relaxed.
  8. Seek help if you are feeling extremely stressed. Stress will take away from your mental well-being, which in the long run can also negatively impact your physical well-being. Talk to a parent or counselor if you feel that your schedule is too demanding for you.