Theatre Review- The Collected by Dominic Bray

This will be on at the Oxford Firestation on Thursday 6 March. You should totally go and see it.

Title: The Collected

Writer: Dominic Bray

Performed by: Timeless Theatre Productions
Directed by: Hannah Phillips

Major cast: Rebecca Bujeda, Alex Hudson, Declan Kitchener, David Cox

Seen at: Bucks New Uni

Warnings: abuse

Review: Lily, after growing up with an abusive father, lives with neighbours Tom and his aunt Maggie. Tom and Lily's friendship grows, as does Tom's love for Lily. But then everything goes wrong. War breaks out and young men are called to the front line. There, Tom becomes best friends with Eddie. Meanwhile, Lily leaves for London and trains as a nurse. Later, Eddie is injured and is sent back to Lily’s hospital. Love and life tangle as death watches over them all.

I went because one of my friends is a cast member (Eddie) and it was advertised as something inspired my Marcus Zusak (I loved The Book Thief with all my heart) so of course I had to go.

The first act is mostly character and relationship exposition, with comedy, and a little seriousness. It was nice to watch, and but felt a little dragged out in some places. The second act was where the major conflict happens, and this was really intriguing to watch as relationships change with simple actions.

Maggie, the nurses, and Eddie provide comedic relief in the first act, with words, actions, and, in Eddies case, getting Tommy to make out passionately with his helmet. In the second act, we see completely different sides to them, which I liked.

I really like the fact that Death is ALWAYS  on stage, in the shadows, observing, and narrating as scenes change. I also find it interesting that he always has a drink with him. He does however have a tendency to spoil things, which takes away from the emotional impact of certain things happening.

The girl who plays Lily is a really good actress-emotion pours off her, and you really feel for Lily. I also liked Tom and Eddie, and Maggie. Tom, I feel bad for in the way his character developed after the war takes its toll on him.  The ending isn’t particularly happy, and is satisfying when it does end (towards the end, there’s Death interrupting to make little speeches more and more which made me think that it was going to end when the story wasn’t done yet, but luckily that didn’t happen.

Overall: Strength 4 tea to a small production that pulls you in from the start and doesn't let you go.

Book Review-Death, At Death's Door by Jill Thomspon

Title: Death-At Death’s Door

 Author: Jill Thompson. Characters created by Neil Gaiman

Series:  Sandman-Death

Published:   July 1st 2003 by Vertigo

Length: 192 pages

Warnings: Fantasy violence, nudity,

Source: Bought second hand

Summary : A member of the Endless, a family of beings who have existed longer than the gods, Death enjoys manifesting herself in the persona of a young Gothic girl. Along with her siblings, she interacts and influences the lives of humans on a daily basis. In this manga-style adventure, Death's little sisters, Delirium and Despair, have thrown a party at her apartment for hell's escapees. But as the festivities get out of control, it falls on Death's black-clad shoulders to regain order and save the afterlife. Printed in black, white, and gray tones, this trade paperback weaves an eccentric tale of danger, romance, humor, and fun

Review:  This is a book vaguely tied into Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, with a different spin on it. It focuses on Death rather than Dream, and has a completely separate storyline. Lucifer abdicates and gives the key to Hell to Dream who doesn't particularly want it. And while Dream hears from rulers of other Underworlds as to why they should claim Hell and its inhabitants, said inhabitants leave. And end up in Death's apartment and at some point start having a party. The story is generally Death, with sisters Despair and Delirium, trying to work out how to send the  partyers back to Hell where they should be, and how she can save her carpet.

I read the Sandman series some time ago and didn't really get what the plot was(don't shoot me. I only read Preludes and Nocturnes and I don't get what happened. I'll review it another day...). However I read this and really enjoyed it.

It's a much lighter and easier to read take on the Endless. As well as Death, we also see a lot of Despair, Delirium and a bit of Desire(who looks too much like a feminine Elvis for me). It's a nice way of getting to know them.

The concept and plot was good. Any party that is literally from Hell is, by me, worth checking out. And it was done very well.

The sub plot of Dream and his old lover was interesting, another facet to the Sandman we didn't see in the first book. 

I like the way the mythologies were woven together-Lucifer having his domain, and then rulers of other underworlds having theirs, and when Lucifer leaves said other rulers can come and ask for the key. Sorry if this is hard to understand, but it was hard to explain. You'll have to read the book to understand what I mean.

The art was good. As I said, Desire looks too much like a feminine Elvis for me to like him, but the other character designs were good. I like the way Thompson put her own spin on the appearances of the characters while still keeping their distinguishing features, such as Death's ankh and eyeliner.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to something for fans of the Sandman comics and  anyone looking for a quick fun read.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Jill Thompson website | Neil Gaiman website

Book Review-The Embalmer vol 1 by Mitsukazu Mihara

Title: The Embalmer vol 1

 Author: Mitsukazu Mihara

Series:  The Embalmer #1

Published:  8 August 2006 by Tokyopop

Length:162 pages

Warnings: graphic death, not gory, may be slightly disturbing

Other info: There are definitely 4 volumes in english. Vols 5&6 are published in another language and won’t be translated as Tokyopop died.

Summary : From the Goth Loli queen Mitsukazu Mihara--creator of the hit DOLL--comes a chilling dramatic series about Shinjyurou Mamiya, an embalmer in a nation where men of his profession are viewed as outcasts engaging in an unaccepted and unclean practice. For Shinjyurou, it's just a job. But in doing it, he's gained an understanding of death, and more important, what it truly means to live..

Review : Shinjyurou Mamiya is an embalmer, and therefore an outcast in society. This is a story about him and the people he embalms. It takes one person, who at some point dies somehow, and gets embalmed, and turns it into a little story, and also gives us a little more insight into his personality, history and so on. Its also a story of Azuki, the girl who’s his landlady, and the very slight romance between them.

The first story takes Azuki’s ballerina friend Shiori, who dies in a car accident just before she plays the lead Sleeping Beauty. She then gets embalmed and given a beautiful funeral. Erm, this is quite hard to describe because of the depth this goes into. The other chapters are very very similar.

The story is beautiful. It doesn’t go too deeply into the gory side of death, more into the what its like to be alive and how good that is. There’s  a lot of irony in the chapter titles, which are only revealed at the end of said chapter, so you read them and think how well it fits with the book.

 Shinjyurou comes off as being arrogant and annoying at first, but we soon see other sides of his personality, and understand the reason for his coldness. Azuki is your typical quiet romantic girl, but she can also stand up for herself when she needs to, and attempts to get through to Shinjyurou, with varying success depending on the day. Both are likeable characters, and their dialogue and actions suit their personalities.

The art in this is ok. It’s not as flowy as I like it, but it works for this story. It’s not shaded in grades, more large block colours, but it goes well with the whole them of black and white, life and death sort of thing.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a book that explores death and life in  unique way.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | 

Book Review: The Demon Trappers Daughter/Forsaken by Jana Oliver

Title:  The Demon Trapper’s Daughter aka Forsaken (US/UK titles respectively)

Author: Jana Oliver

Series: The Demon Trappers #1

Published: February 7th 2011 by MacMillan Children's Books

Length: 448 pages

Warnings:  demons, witches, magic, a bit of romance

Other info: The website is http://www.demontrappers.co.uk , and you can find Jana Oliver here. Book 2, Soul Thief/Forbidden, should be out in August.

Summary: Riley has always wanted to be a Demon Trapper like her father, and she's already following in his footsteps as one of the best. But it's tough being the only girl in an all-guy world, especially when three of those guys start making her life more complicated: Simon, the angelic apprentice who has heaven on his side; Beck, the tough trapper who thinks he's God's gift, and Ori, the strikingly sexy stranger who keeps turning up to save her ass. One thing's for sure - if she doesn't keep her wits about her there'll be hell to pay...

Book Review-Black Butler vol 3 by Yana Toboso

 Title: Black Butler vol 3

 Author: Yana Toboso

Series: Black Butler #3

 Published: 26 October 2010 by Yen Press. Originally published 2007

 Length: 177 pages

Warnings: violence, profanity, gore, minor fanservice

Other info: There’s currently ten volumes out. Four in English. Volume five should be coming out this month.

Summary from Amazon: Terrorizing its populace, Jack the Ripper has shaken London to its very core. But when Sebastian Michaelis, singular butler of the Phantomhive house, lays bare the madman's true identity, all that is left for him to do is eliminate the perpetrator in the name of the Queen and Phantomhive. But inhumanly efficient skills don't guarantee victory when the opponent is just as supernaturally gifted! And though Sebastian may be able to save Ciel from physical harm in the battle that ensues, will the young earl ever recover from the emotional scars it will leave on his heart?

Review: SPOILERS FOR VOL.S 1 AND 2 BUT NOT FOR 3. IF YOU'VE NOT READ THESE TWO, SEE MY REVIEW FOR THEM HERE.

First up, love the cover. Sebastian + cutlery = awesome (but possibly not so if you're on the receiving end of said cutlery)  

This volume continues the fight between Grell, the red death loving Death God/Grim reaper, and Sebastian, the butler from hell who serves a twelve year old boy. The first chapter is half full of action and half flashback of Madame Red's life. The second chapter is more flashback and more action. My favourite part of this chapter is Grell comparing his and Sebastian's relationship to that of Romeo and Juliet- i.e. a complete failure, and Grell quoting Shakespeare, even though it’s pretty obvious that "Wherefore art thou, Sebastian darling" does not work as well as with Romeo.

In the third chapter we get flashbacks of the Phantomhive servants failing at their jobs, even more chainsaw vs. Sebastian action and the introduction of a new death god, William T Spears. Really, half of this volume seems to be made up of speed lines. So much happens.

The fourth chapter is a fitting conclusion to the Jack the Ripper arc, which I can't tell you about without spoilers. The art is especially pretty in this, though some parts are completely random and unexplained, like the flowers that appear out of nowhere.

The final chapter is a filler one, which simply moves us on to the next story arc. It begins with Ciel (the twelve years old with the demon butler) waking up from a nightmare, because he read Edgar Allan Poe before sleeping (random side note: I read Poe when I was twelve before bed and I did not get nightmares). We then meet Lady Middleford, Lizzie's (Ciel's fiancée) mother, who takes a tour of the house, demonstrating the Phantomhive servants' skills at ruining things. She then challenges Ciel to a hunting match. He then protects Lizzie from a bear, which proves to Lady Middleford that he will be a worthy son in law (side note- if he lives long enough. What with being kidnapped and dragged into murder investigations, it’s not really certain as to whether or not Ciel will live to a marriage-able age. Just saying.) And it turns out Sebastian kills the bear with his silverware trick. I must say how much I love Sebastian's silverware trick. Everyone returns to the manner and Lady Middleford wishes Ciel a happy thirteenth birthday. It ends with snow, and the quick introductions of two Indians, leading onto the next story arc/volume.

The story is a good mix of serious scenes, action, and comic relief. The action scenes are well drawn (much better than I could do), but some parts are so busy that it’s hard to work out where to look first.

Another problem I had is with the translation. Take Sebastian's catchphrase, 'aku made shitsuji desu'. I get that they're translating it literally to 'I am merely a butler', but nobody would actually say that. It’s much more fun, more suggestive of his true nature and would simply flow much better if he said 'I am one hell of a butler'. Or maybe it’s just me being too used to the anime subs. But really, manga translators should always think about colloquialism when translating.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed this volume. It packs a lot into it, the art, the story, and the dialogue. It’s mostly serious, but gets interspersed with enough comic relief to stop it being boring. Also, it gets an extra half strength(not that they actually exist) because it features all the coolest characters-Grell, Undertaker, William, Lau, Madame Red, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Overall:  Strength 4.5 tea because of everything I said above. (The picture shows 5 because that’s how you rounding to the nearest whole number works).

Book Review- Death Note by Tsugami Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Title:Death Note
Author: Tsugami Ohba and Takeshi Obata
Series: Death Note
Published by: Viz Media 2005-7
Length: 12 volumes of about 200 pages each

Warnings: the whole idea of being able to kill anyone by writing down their name, mild fanservice if you know what to look for, the big question of is it ever right to kill someone

Other facts: There is an anime. It was published in Weekly Shonen Jump, before being made into tankobon versions in japanese and english.

Summary from Goodreads: Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?
Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note's powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is the strange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know?

Review: A book about a talented student (Light Yagami) being bored and wanting something exciting to happen, finding a note book that fell from the sky during class a black note book and later going to see what it is (a book with a set of rules, the most important of which is that the human who’s name is in this book will die). Light decides that the people who need to die are criminals and starts writing down lots of names with the help of the death notes owner, the shinigami/death god Ryuk. But the police aren’t too happy that criminals are suddenly dying form mysterious heart attacks (not sure why though) and they send the world’s best detective, known only as L, to find the culprit, who is known as Kira. L and Light inevitably meet, and the story becomes a pressured battle to find out L’s name so Light can kill him, and proof that Light is Kira. Later on Light is joined by more Kiras and L’s successors (who have major problems: Mello (who looks like a girl) and Near (who lacks basic life skills). How simple can a plot line get? I thought death note was one of the best mangas I’ve ever read. The plot (though I’ve explained it badly) was fast paced and the tricks that were pulled were things I would never have thought of. It’s realistic in the sense that the things that must happen, do, and the artwork is amazing. One of the cleverest things done with the artwork is that Light grows visually more evil as the story goes on. Though the story is dark, Death Note contains many comic scenes so it isn’t too serious or puts readers off.

Overall: Strength 5 for the reasons above.

Katy >.<

Book Review- Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Title: Fallen Grace
Author: Mary Hooper
Series: N/A
Published by:Bloomsbury 2010
Length: 320 pages
Warnings: References to rape, pregancy, suitable for 12+
Other facts: Mary Hooper has also written other historical novels such as At the Sign of the Sugar Plum and At the House of the Magician, as well as contemperary novels like Megan
Summary by me: Grace Parkes is a fallen woman-she has given birth to a child without being married, and must now lay him to rest. After placing the body in an rich coffin to be buried with an unknown body, Grace and her sister are thrown out of their home by no fault of their own. They must now find ways to scrape by day by day. Enter the Unwins, a family dealing in death, who will doanything to cheat two young women out of what they rightfully own.

Review: I never properly enjoyed Hooper's other books, but I liked this one a lot. most likely becuase its set in a funeral parlour. I also normally don't like little rags to riches stories, but I think I made an exception for this. O like seeing the highs and lows in Grace's life, like how a poor Victorian girl's life would be. Grace is well characterised as a young determined woman. The harsh look at Victorian lives is filled with historical accuracy- correct to almost every last detail, with the author's notes at the end explaining everything. The whole thing had beautiful descriptions, painting lovely pictures in my head and bringing the story to life. The Victorian style calling cards, epitahs, newspaper clippings and so on heading every chapter are the beautiful final touches.
Overall: I give this Strength 5 tea beacuse it was so beautiful, had a lovely setting and I couldn't find anything to fault with it.