RedRose

So, season 2 of Elite premiered on Netflix recently and in short everyone lost their shit. This season dealt with the effect caused by Marina's death. Guzman spirals downwards and his vendetta for Samuel and his brother grows at a terrifying rate whereas Nadia keeps pushing him away as he falls back in his old habits of drinks and drugs, she cares about him and we get to see a lot of character development along with relationships. Carla keeps trying to hold herself together as the weight of what she's done keeps her on her toes. We see a different kind of relationship blossom between Samuel and Carla, which is just...really unexpected. Though it seemed mostly a 'friends with benifits' situation but there's more to it than what meets the eye. Samuel on the other hand tries to get close to carla as he believes that she is somehow related to Christian's accident and Marinas death. Polo is undoubtedly the character who spirals the most , he panics at the slight mention of the unfateful night but he could only hold in so much until he tells the truth to Ander. Ander struggles as he had promised polo he won't tell Guzman about what he had learned but he fears that he will lose both his friends at any rate. Omar on the other hand tries to socialize more and goes out to dinner with Guzman and lu , stands up to his father and my baby looks amazing as a drag queen. Ander and Omar are as beautiful as ever. Cayetna is a new character along with Rebeka, the former is the daughter of a janitor in the school and hence tries her hardest fit in by any methods necessary, whereas Rebeka is a badass who quickly befriends Samuel and Nadia, and has a little crush on Samu. Lu is beautifully depicted this season , last season I didn't like her as much but this season as she accepts the fact that she deserves better than Guzman and bares herself as a warm person in some scenes she totally stole my heart. And then there is her half brother Valerio who happens to have a more complicated relationship with Lu, he might seem as naive and aloof but plays an important role this season.

This show is something I wasn't really pumped for at least not in the beginning. I thought it was just some sappy soap opera thing but I thought let's give it a try if it's that terrible maybe I will have a good laugh.

Boy, was I wrong.

I love everything about this show from the cast, characters, even the music selection is pretty good. It gives us a different outline or a background to the feared and hated character of the devil aka Lucifer Morningstar who is immensely sexy might I add with the whole suit and british accent and the sarcastic charm thing ( I think I have a type). His inner turmoil between trying to do what he desires and what is right he meets Chloe Decker a divorcee with a daughter named Trixie (who is ADORABLE) . We have Maze a demon from hell who is loyal to Lucifer and followed him here to work at his bar. The chemistry between Chloe and Lucifer is Unreal like its so so perfect but is not in the least rushed.

So, I have been reading about these Stephanie Perkins trilogies and the fact that they are adorable and cute and have  tooth-rotting fluff and I thought ‘Wow!’ that's what I need after the shitty week I've had. So, without further delay let’s get to it-

CHARACTERS-

Anna Oliphant- Anna, in case you hadn’t noticed is the protagonist of this novel and at first she is exactly how I would have imagined a character to be in a young adult novel, she is quirky, funny, is a neat freak, etcetera but what really made me stop and think was the fact that she wanted to be a professional movie critic. Now, that's usually not a career choice shown in movies or books and I think it's interesting and fresh. Her mom and dad got divorced six months after the birth of her brother, Sean and she isn't a huge fan of her dad who writes sappy novels for a living and decides to send her from Atlanta to Paris, we see as Anna struggles to find her identity and explore a city and while there is not much character growth its still fun to read. 

Etienne St.Clair- He is the male lead and is well, pretty mediocre. He is one of Anna’s friends in the super fancy all American school in Paris. He has major daddy issues and loves her mother who isn’t living in the best of conditions. His girlfriend Ellie has been acting strange as she started pulling away from the common group of friends that they shared after shifting to another school. All in all, his life is pretty shite but he is humorous and funny and if nothing else the character is hugely likable.

Meredith Chevalier, Josh, Rashmi- Now, their characters all had pretty good arcs and so much potential with some storyline and maybe it's just me being nitpicky but I really wanted to see some interactions the group had when Anna and St.Clair were not the main focus. Why does Josh draw? How did Rashmi get into Brown? How did Meredith move on from St.Clair? I mean...

WRITING/DIALOGUES-

The one thing I loved about this book was the electric chemistry between the two main characters and the side characters. The whole pairing doesn’t seem forced or something that is just happening because the writer wants it too. The reader roots for them since the early pages and enjoys the eventual growth of their relationship. 

PLOT-

The plot seems pretty standard for a YA novel but its the little things that matter in this book. You get exactly what you were expecting out of a book like this, something quick and fun and light-hearted. The quirk of the characters and the diversity of the characters is a good concept. The book is from Anna’s POV as she leaves Atlanta, her family, best friend, crush at 18 and heads to SOAP in Paris, alone and not speaking even the slightest French. The whole experience seems relatable, it isn’t super intense but the story works pretty well. She develops a fast friendship with St.Clair and his group of friends when she starts having feelings for him even though she knows she shouldn’t as he has a girlfriend and one of her friends likes him too. But, things take their shape as she realises that her best freind and crush are hooking up (OUCH!) after a long back and forth with St.Clair , things finally start looking up. 

“So what do I wish for? Something I’m not sure I want, Someone I’m not sure I need? Or Someone I know I can’t have?

Screw it. Let the fates decide.

I wish for the thing that is best for me.” 

Until next time,

This book was well, as I had expected a YA fiction to be. It had a sick teen, a teen boy moves next door, the disease becomes the conflict along with the mother and well...the story goes. So, without further ado, let's get to it. -CHARACTERS Madeline 'Maddy' Whitter- I liked this character. But, there is nothing more to it. She is sick with a disease called SCID meaning she can't go out into the world and hasn't seen or experienced anything school, love, friends and its actually the part that interested me as it had so much potential but it just didn't live up to what I expected. I couldn't connect with the character or her emotions.

Oliver 'Olly' - I actually liked and connected more with this character than Maddy but well, maybe that's just me. He struggles because of his parent's complicated marriage, an abusive father, a sister he tries to look after and his mother who he wants to protect more than anything but hates to admit it. His life is messy and complicated but something I find realistic.

Pauline Whitter- Pauline is Maddy's mom and a doctor who subsequently has spent her life after her husband's and son's death with her sick daughter trying to take care of her which isolates her from several opportunities as we see Maddy mentioning the time and again. I sympathize with this character and the way she was written at the end makes the reader have mixed feelings about her. A well-written character with a meaningful set of flaws.

Carla- Carla is the nurse at the Whitter household who takes care of Maddy in the absence of her mom. She might be the best character in the novel, her humor and the whole Latina wit makes it easier to like her. Her struggle of moving from Mexico and raising her daughter, Rosa singlehandedly makes for a much more interesting character than the protagonist. Carla plays the role of a mother and a caretaker to Maddy. -PLOT

So, I would like to divide the review to this book into three parts- - Characters -Plot -Writing/Dialogue Before starting I would like to assure everyone that this contains only a few spoilers(not anything major). I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this even though I went in thinking I would hate it because I never thought anyone other than Rowling could write the magic genre better but...guess not. I am a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell and I love all her books from the bottom of my heart and this book, yes the one I have been blabbering about has given me major feels like in my soul. So, let's get started- CHARACTERS

Simon Snow- The most interesting thing about this character other than being the all-powerful protagonist with like abilities above and beyond is the fact that he and everyone around him presume he is not good with words or feelings but his point of view chapters are the most vividly written ones. I loved his take on things and how Rowell has shown us flaws and adorable quirks which makes this blonde idiot that much easy to love. Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch - I physically or emotionally can't encompass how much I love this character. He is dramatic, sassy, smart as hell, passionate about books, loves his sister, misses his mother and is a suicidal vampire who is secretly in love with his mortal enemy ( basically everything I am looking for in a person). His complexity and like his whole guilt-ridden thing just adds more flesh to this character.

Penelope Bunce- Penelope is Simon's best friend. She is his rock and like, the dynamic between those two is something that people crave for. She strikes an unlikely alliance with Baz and is seen as not a side character but someone with their storyline and a character basis. Agatha Wellbelove - Despite popular beliefs, I think this character is not talked about often how she literally puts up with so much and works hard to make a relationship work. She escaped and went to California, decided to keep a cat and well, just said a big f-you to everyone's faces. I love this character for how she stood up for herself and left the whole' damsel in distress' situation. And there are other great characters like Ebb and Lucy Salisbury and The Mage(not that great).

PLOT I don't think anyone who has ever read a Rowell book gets out disappointed due to the lack of a good and satisfying plot. The plot keeps you at your toes at ALL times, I could never have thought that the ending which she wrote would even be in the realm of possibility and I was shocked and thrilled and left wanting more in the best way possible. Not only did she portray emotion well but she also included DRAGONS !. The ending is nicely tied up and leaves nothing scattering or like leave the reader thinking something could have been done better( or maybe it does, I am heavily biased) I am not going to reveal much of the plot other than the fact that if you're looking for fantasy fiction with dragons and angst and magic and scones and hot British jokes this is your candy store.

WRITING The writing is beautiful and fluffy and so nicely wrapped. The reader doesn't feel lost or confused. Most of my complaints are when the writer doesn't let us see the inner turmoil of the characters or the emotionality of the plot or the character gets trumped by the action but in here we see friendships and young love and such diversity in characters and successful boy-girl friendships with no drama and family drama and confessing your love for your sworn enemy in a forest fire etc. 

"And when I felt myself slipping too far, I held on to the one thing I'm always sure of- Blue eyes. Bronze curls. The fact that Simon Snow is the most powerful magician alive. That nothing can hurt him, not even me. That Simon Snow is alive. And I'm hopelessly in love with him."

Hi! I am a 16 year old and I suffer from anxiety disorder. I have a loving home, amazing parents, a supportive sister and still I feel as if something is so irrevocably wrong with me that it can never be fixed. I hate Sunday's, they make me panic so hard over the coming week, I pace for hours in my room with my racing thoughts as if there is some current buzzing under my skin. I happen to believe that people who suffer from anxiety often think they are the only ones but guess what ? You're not. There have been multiple times when I have wanted someone to tell me that everything is okay and what I am going through is normal.

Please, please forgive yourself. For not working yourself to the bone, for ditching that party cause you were tired, for eating that extra slice of cake, for feeling miserable and unproductive. Smile more, do what you are comfortable with, crack cliche jokes, do what makes you happy, sing in the shower, dance, watch twilight or pursue your guilty pleasure.

MAGNUS BANE AND ALEXANDER GIDEON LIGHTWOOD ARE GETTING MARRIED TODAY AND I AM GIGGLING ABOUT IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT......