Reviews

City of the Beasts
by Isabel Allende

The descriptions in this book are magnificent. The characterization of the children and Alex's grandmother, Kate, is also good. My gripes with the book are these: it's extremely predictable and the author is far too conscious of audience. This is Allende's first novel for young adults, and it is pretty obvious. Young adult authors who do well don't tipically write for "young adults." They simply write a good story. Their agents and publishers are the ones who market it for a specific audience. I think Allende will get better if she chooses to continue to write in the young adult genre. It certainly must be a switch after her other books.

Prince Caspian
by C.S. Lewis

This is my favorite book in the series so far. I finished it a couple weeks ago and haven't taken the time to review it until now. The story is compelling, especially after reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. All of the children from the first story return in this one. It's the last book in which Peter and Susan are able to return to Narnia. It's a very plot-driven book. There is mystery and intrigue. There are also battles over a crown. All in all, it's a very exciting and quick read.

Watermelon Woman
Rating: *****

This movie is definitely worth watching. Basically it is about a black lesbian who makes a documentary about a black lesbian actress from the 1920's and 1930's. The actress is fictitious, but as the writer and star of the movie says, "Sometimes you have to invent your own history." It's a great movie about getting to know oneself, also.