The M.A. Times
Informing you about school and community news. We've got an eye for the dirt!
The Review
I read this book a while back and it's one of my favorites. Its a semi biographical and fictional telling of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald. It is told through the eyes of a fictional character Anna, Zelad's nurse and friend. I really enjoyed the story because its such a sad book. I really enjoyed the female friendship which we don't get a lot of in novels. I also thought the Fitzgerald's relationship was interesting: that they hated each other's guts but were madly in love. No matter how bad things got, they were so drawn to each other that they wouldn't ever think of leaving each other. Anna's story is so tragic, she suffered from so much which allows her to connect with Zelda who suffers from all sorts mental disorders. I had to reread it because I liked it that much. I highly recommend it!
My Rating:
Call Me Zelda by Erica RObuck
Jessica Saldana,November 11, 2014
Re-Cap of How to get Away With Murder
Susanna Gutierrez,November 10, 2014
If anyone like your aunt, mother, cousin, and/or father has brought up this show followed by the words “Oh My Gosh,” then you MUST watch it. Seven episodes into the series and every episode does not fail to amaze its viewers. How to get Away with Murder airs on Thursdays at 10:00 pm on ABC. The show follows the personal and professional life of Annalise Keating, a criminal law professor at Middleton University in Philadelphia, a fictional university that is held to a pristine standard due to its law program. Annalise selects a group of her best students from her class to work at her firm. The students are Connor Walsh, Michaela Pratt, Asher Millstone, Laurel Castillo and Wes Gibbins. In her personal life, Annalise lives with her husband Sam Keating, whose is a psychologist professor, but she also has a secret relationship with a local Philadelphia detective who is called Nate Lahey.
On November 6, How to get Away with Murder released its seventh episode entitled “He Deserved to Die". The episode left off on Annalise continuing to tackle Rebecca Stutter’s case for murder of Lila when they find out Griffin’s lawyers have been leaking information to the tabloids to make Rebecca look bad, resulting in a gag order. Rebecca is a suspect accused of killing Lila Stangard. During all of the commotion occurring in the court trial, Michaela finds out that she has an interview at a law firm, only to discover that it's her future in-laws who have called the meeting for a prenup agreement. Griffin's defense team wants to exhume Lila's body in order to show that Rebecca was the one who killed Lila, resulting in the prosecution coming to Annalise for help because they don't want the same thing. Asher sleeps with someone on the prosecution's team to obtain information, only for the prosecutor to double-cross Annalise and the judge orders Lila's body to be exhumed. After the examination, their case for Rebecca is supported by the fact that the marks on Lila's neck are from ant bites, but more problems appear for the case and Sam come to light when it is discovered that Lila had been six weeks pregnant when she died. During the flash-forward that occurs at the end of the show, Wes goes to a motel to clean up Rebecca after Sam's murder, resulting in her wanting to take the fall for Sam's murder saying that she's already on trial for Lila's murder so she's already going to jail. If this show doesn’t excite you as it excites me, you’ll regret it once episode 9 reveals who the true killer of Sam Keating is.
My Rating:
Re-Cap of Steven Universe
Susanna Gutierrez, November 10, 2014
If you’re a fan of adventure, action, and/or comedy-drama, then you might have heard of the show Steven Universe. Steven Universe revolves around a sci-fi fantasy world that is protected from evil by the Crystal Gems, a team of intergalactic warriors who draw their powers out from magic gem stones. The four Gems are Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl, and Steven. If you’re new to the Steven Universe fandom, here are a few things you should know. First thing to know, Steven is a boy who inherits his gemstone from his mother named Rose Quartz, who gave up her physical form in order for Steven to live. Secondly, the series is barely on season one, episode 32 which just aired last Thursday, so catching up on the show should be a breeze. Last thing to know, if you love Adventure Time, creator Rebecca Sugar was once a former storyboard artist, writer, and composer to the beloved series. Last week’s episode, Fusion Cuisine, told the story of Connie’s parents.
Connie is one of Steven’s best friends and love interest. In order to impress Connie’s parents, Steven asks the Gems to fuse together to pretend to be his mother. When the Maheswaran’s and Universes’ meet at the local crab shack, Alexandrite, the fusion of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, appears with Steven and Steven’s father, Greg, on her shoulders confusing Connie’s parents. As the night continues, everything goes horribly wrong. The fusion between the three gems does not last very long, because Pearl cannot handle eating human food since she does not find it appetizing. Seeing the three gems causes Connie’s mother to get very upset, and say that she never believed that she could not trust her own child. Upset that she may never be able to hang out with Steven again, Connie runs off to the nearest bus stop to leave town. Following behind is Steven, who believes running away is the best option and hopes to live in an actual apple farm. However, as the bus begins to move, Alexandrite, angered and upset, runs to the bus to get Steven and Connie. As Connie’s parents are about to lecture her, they overhear the lecture Steven is receiving from the Gems and his father. His punishment is that he cannot watch T.V for the next 1.000 years, upset that he will not watch the midseason finale of Under the Knife, he shouts into the air saying, “Why?” The episode ends with Connie’s parents appreciating the Gems discipline toward Steven, and agreeing to let Connie hang out with Steven once more. Tune in every Thursday at 6:45 to watch the latest Steven Universe. You won’t regret it!
My Rating
Magi : The Laybrinth of Magic
Rene Gamino and Bernardo Diaz,
November 12, 2014
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic follows the adventures of the three protagonists, Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana. Aladdin must find out his true origins in order to defend those whom he has been able to call family. Set in an ancient and magical world, Aladdin along with his family must fight against the power of an organization called Al-Thamen who wish to stop the flow of destiny completely, destroying all life in order to resurrect their Father. 'Dungeons' are magical buildings which hold magical beings called Djinns whom serve as servants to those who can brave the trials of a 'Dungeon'. Aladdin is a "sorcerer of creation"and “magi”, having the arduous task of choosing a candidate for king in order that will one day unify and rule the globe.
Magi proves to be a very emotional journey for the characters and viewers into the themes of friendship, virtue, and self-identity. The anime takes serious themes, such as slavery, dictatorship, and the hardships for those under such oppressive institutions. Though the villains often come off as the extremes with psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies at first, character development for the main characters make up for it with episodes dwelling into their hopes, fears, and their self-identity. The most explicit would be the Morgiana, whose past as a mistreated slave leaves her noticeably traumatized and nearly incapable of breaking from her metaphorical chains regardless of status. Side characters often support the plot and end up striking emotional moments from fans, including us.
Magi also revolves around the idea of predestined fate and vilifies the individuals who choose to write their own fate as evil individuals, who go against the 'natural' flow of fate. This idea is enforced with every action- packed scenes with heavy foreshadowing of three wandering main characters have to go through. The second season instills with us with the theme of corruption that mankind is faced with through conflicts such as betrayal, oppression, and deceit. The grim events reinforce the three-dimensional nature of the characters through their active growth accompanied by their sincere emotions.
The anime’s mood can change often, shifting from blissful to tragic in seconds. My only complaint towards the anime would be the one-dimensional villains in the first episodes, which range from psychopathic to cowardly. We only have two words for the moment to arrive, if you are to watch it, to prepare you : mother’s love. My least favorite part of this anime is the obligatory fan-service it must give the audience in order to maintain ratings high. Fan-service is the gift or vice of every anime and in this case, and in my opinion this necessary evil is a vice. The series make up with a favorite element of the series though from what we have watched. One of the greatest enjoyment was the immersion into the character development ; with gripping plot elements as support, the characters often pull you into their own struggles and leaves invested in the outcomes of their journeys. Another favorite element is the fact that it always has you on your feet. There is not a single dull moment that allows you to take your eyes off the screen without the fears that you will miss something crucial to the plot.
Our Rating
RecommendATIONS :
Books :
Naruto
Author: Masashi Kishimoto
Description:
The story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and dreams to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of all.
Original Run:
9/ 21/ 1999 – 10/ 05/ 2014
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Description:
The narrator is an introverted teenager known as Charlie, who describes his experiences in a series of letters to an anonymous stranger. Set in the early 1990s, the novel follows Charlie through his freshman year of high school in a Pittsburgh suburb. Intelligent beyond his years, he is an unconventional thinker.
Must Watch:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Rating: R
Description:
A loving couple, a few lost monsters, and a sweet transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania ; sing and dance through a campy, sloppy salute to horror movies and sexual liberation. Bring your sense of humor. And some toast.
How to Train Your Dragon
Rating: PG
Description:
The story takes place in a mythical Viking world where a young Viking teenager named Hiccup aspires to follow his tribe's tradition of becoming a dragon slayer. After finally capturing his first dragon, and with his chance at finally gaining the tribe's acceptance, he finds that he no longer has the desire to kill it and instead befriends it.