We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.
Books: Showmance & The Empress of Cooke County
Me - Showmance was a fun read.
The writing style was extremely fast-paced but could be a bit cringey at times. Some of the dialogue, especially, did not feel like it would ever naturally occur in a real-life conversation, and there were numerous times when the use of slang felt over the top. However, I noticed these things less as the book went on.
The main character, Noah, was very flawed. He could be selfish, conceited, and stubborn but he was also determined and caring, and when he messed up or hurt people he apologized and tried to make it right. These different sides to him made him feel like a real person. He also developed really nicely into a better version of himself.
Unfortunately, the rest of the characters were pretty flat and felt almost like caricatures of people at times. Noah’s best friend Kiara was fiercely protective, his mom was quirky and liked gossip, his dad was gruff and struggled to talk about his feelings, and his love interest Luke was so kind and thoughtful he was basically an angel on earth. This lack of depth made it difficult to connect the characters or care too deeply about what happened to them.
Even though the love interest was two-dimensional on his own, the romance was cute. Like I said, Luke was a complete sweetheart and was obviously into Noah from the very beginning though Noah had no clue, which is always a fun dynamic to read about. However, the history between them could have been executed in a stronger way. Noah had hated Luke from the time they were teenagers and the way it was resolved seemed really weak and made the whole “enemies” portion of their relationship feel unnecessary. I also hated that Noah had a boyfriend who wasn’t the love interest for a large portion of the book and, without getting into spoilers, the way that was resolved seemed too convenient as well. That said Noah and Luke were supportive of each other and communicated well most of the time and Luke definitely helped Noah work on his flaws and brought out the best in him so I did like them as a couple.
I also enjoyed Noah’s relationship with his father. The two of them didn’t have a ton of direct on-page interactions but the tension and distance between them was constantly beneath the surface of the story. The exploration of this wasn’t as deep as it could have been but I still enjoyed the way their relationship had progressed by the end.
The theatre elements were some of my favorite parts of this story. There are multiple references to specific musicals and Broadway actors and there’s just a general love of musical theatre deeply ingrained in the narrative that any theatre fan is likely to appreciate. I also enjoyed watching Noah work through his complicated feelings about his professional failures in the theatre business and reignite his love and passion for his art. Overall, I’d recommend this book if you love theatre– especially musicals–and you’re in the mood for a quick and fun, albeit mostly surface-level, romance.
Mom - Today we are recommending The Empress of Cooke County by Elizabeth Bass Parman. This novel is centered around the inhabitants of the small town of Spark in rural Cooke County, Tennesse, one of those small towns where your neighbors are like family but on the other hand, everybody knows everybody else's business. Thus. the book is a mix of lovely found family vibes and small town narrow-mindness, Posey Jarvis struggles with the former. She never really fits into town nor does she want to. She is a spoiled selfish completely unlikable character. She thinks she is too good for everyone including her own husband. She wants to get what she thinks she deserves and control her daughter's life as well. Although her story may not go the way you'd expect it to or even the way you want it to, her surprisingly linear character arc does keep the story from becoming too cliche or predictable.
Her daughter, Callie Jane, is the other main character in the story. She is completely the opposite of her mother. She is the epitome of kindness and caring. Unlike her mother, her character is allowed to grow and change throughout the story, and her journey to become her own person and stop living her life according to what is expected and what other people want for her is admirable.
There are also a lot of side characters in the novel. For the most part, the author does a good job of differentiating them and keeping them distinguishable from each other. They really add to the story and help keep it moving along in an interesting way.
All in all the book is mostly a fun and engaging read except at times the character of Posey gets to be too much to take.
Movie: The Keeper of 5 Kingdoms
Today we are recommending The Keeper of 5 Kingdoms. When a young girl finds an ancient relic box, she, her grandfather and a couple of her friends are transportated through a secret portal to a mysterious world. There they have to keep an evil empress from getting the box and taking over the world while at the same time trying to find their way home.
This a fun and fast paced film It is full of exciting creatures like goblins, vampires, talking turtles and more that kids will love. Yet adults can enjoy it as well. It may be a little too scary for the youngest of children, however.
The Keeper of 5 Kingdoms is available now for purchase or rental digitally.
Music: Down the Rabbit Hole Concept Recording
Today we are recommending Alice Down the Rabbit Hole the musical studio cast recording. This musical is a modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland where Alice is a screen-addicted teenage who gets around by clicking on links. The White Rabbit is a climate scientist trying to warn the world of impending doom. The Red Queen is an evil billionaire spreading pollution.
The score is very timely and contemporary as well, It is has a modern pop sound reminiscent of the music of the musical, Six. which really helps bring the story into the modern age. It is full of fun and catchy beats like that musical as well.
Alice Down the Rabbit Hole the musical studio cast recording is available now from Center Stage Records
And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.
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