Review of Winger by Andrew Smith

Hey there! You look super nice today - nicer than usual I mean. Welcome back to another book review, my last before starting university. The attention battle between textbooks vs novels will soon recommence. Let's get into reviewing. 

This is also a dang good cover too btw.

My first though as I finished this book was, 'Quick, write what you're feeling,' and the next few minutes I stared at a blank page. Pretty much, I didn't know what to feel about what just happened which, I guess, was the point. More on the ending later though.

Winger tells the story of a rugby playing, cartoon drawing, 14 year old boy who is struggling to 'not become an ass' under the influence of his new dorm mates. He is the youngest in the grade by 2 year and consistently tries proving self-worth to his teammates, his new friends and to his best friend Annie who has friend-zoned him to the max. Some standout characters included his stalker/perverted friend Seanie, the big-hearted Joey and of course the British rugby coach whose pleasant humour was emphasised by his 'Henry Higgins' accent.

I cannot adequately convey how funny this book was. The book was littered with cartoons Ryan Dean draws to relive moments, play out his weird nightmares or sexual fantasies. There were so many ridiculously hilarious situations -he's a male version of Mia Thermopolis really- and a lot of too-much-information alerts. Being a kind of girly-girl, it took a bit of convincing for me to truly immerse myself in the book. A few chapters in however, I was hooked. The gigantic presence of Ryan Dean as a narrator was the hero of the book for me.

And now we come to the end, which I don't really want to tell you about apart from the shell-shock numbness that washed over me. It was a great book. Truly. But I don't think I'll reread it any time soon for fear that I will notice things I over-looked the first time through. I do recommend you read this book if you like John Green. That means everyone :) 

Favourite quote:

"I shaved this morning, Joey. I had one whisker. Here Can you see it?"

I held my chin up and pointed. 

Joey leaned close and laughed.

"Yeah. Sure." And then he asked, "How was her place?"

"Incredible. I am so in love with her, Joey."

"I can see that, Ryan Dean. More than I can see that nonwhisker, that's for sure."

Leave me your thoughts on Winger and your book recommendations. Ciao!

Beyond words, reviewing The Book Thief movie

I am a strong advocate for great Australian authors and boy am I proud to claim Marcus Zusack and his brilliant imagination as ours. The Book Thief is one of my all time favourite books. I read it in two sittings –an accomplishment as the novel is a literary mountain. My eyes were hurting from lack of sleep and a constant stream of tears. Despite the sadness in the book, the unfairness of it all, I truly believe it to be a, “life affirming story,” as my little flyer said.

I’ve learnt over time to appreciate novels and movies as separate entities. With this in mind I had fun experiencing the story cinematically. There’s always an odd moment where you realise that what you are seeing is exactly what you thought you would see, a strange feeling of déjà vu overcame me as we entered Heaven Street and met Papa. Geoffrey Rush was incredible as was Emily Watson and our heroine, Sophie Nélisse.

There were so many beautiful cinematic moments such as the first look at the library. Liesel’s awe was a precious sight to behold. How the gold titles reflected in her eyes. Hans’ nickname for Liesel, “your Majesty,” melted my heart. The indoor snow fight complete with buckets for helmets and barracks was hilarious. Last but not least, our last look into the book thief’s life before the screen turns black *sigh* I knew the voice of Death, colours and faces would be forever burned into my memory.

My only critique was with the narration. Don’t get me wrong, I loved how direct narration was used sparingly –we all remember the Great Gatsby’s disaster narration, I felt like I waded through an entire book reading- but the voice of Death was not what I imagined, or liked. He was too polished, perfect. Not at all old, gravelly or sinister. It bothered me the whole time and I know I wasn’t the only one.

All in all, this was worth watching and I know it will grace my movie collection when released. Where were all the award nominations? But just a note, wear water-proof mascara and bring tissues. A whole box. To watch the trailer click here.

Let me know your thoughts. Was I too harsh on Death? Did you like the adaptation? Do you think it affirms life as such? I will definitely be responding to your comments J Ciao!