Harry Potter 7, Part 2. Quick Review

To a true Harry Potter fan, no review really means much. We will see the movies anyway, give them every benefit of the doubt, and count down the days to J.K. Rowling's new web site.

But since I'm being asked/texted, I'll put some quick thoughts here on the final movie.

I give it 3 stars out of 4... 3 1/2 if you infuse the movie with all you know from the books.

The reason for the loss of star (I totally give part 1 4 stars)? There's a return to stilted, non-acting. Everything feels rushed, but not in a get-your-heart-beating way. In an include-it-all way. The emotions and characters are very flat. Harry portrays intensity by mouth breathing, he and Ginny seem more distant than ever, the only way you know Ron and Hermione are in love is from the books. (You need a little more than obligatory hand holding and one abrupt kiss. There should be chemistry! You know, like there was in Part 1?)

The adult cast delivers, but no one really gets much screen time. I actually wonder if people who haven't read the books leave the theater confused on several levels. Several details are included without being explained. I would think they would leave people without the back story saying, "Huh?"--which, by the way, I'm totally fine with (because everyone seeing these movies should read these books). I'm glad the details are included, but it all seems quite obligatory.

Passionless. The movie really is that on most levels. The chemistry between characters is passionless, and even 99% of the death eaters seem somewhat blase about taking over the world.

But really what hurts this film (for me) is that the director is over his head in the action scenes. He doesn't know what to film and what not to film. Knock Michael Bay all you like, but when you compare the HP magical fighting to Michael Bay's muggles fighting in the recent Transformers movie, the gaping chasm of quality is a bit sad. I'd explain, but that seems spoilery. Needless to say, you're never really worried that Hogwarts will fall before Harry gets what he needs, and the loss of key characters is not something we're part of or are made to feel. We have to lean on the books for that.

So yeah. Those are my quick thoughts. And I probably would have forgiven it all if Rupert Grint and Emma Watson could have pulled some chemistry, or even some eye contact, out of their hats and made me believe they wanted to live through it all to be together. And I would give it 4+ stars if Daniel Radcliffe would stop mouth breathing to try to raise the intensity of a scene and learn how to do a reaction shot that actually moves through a thought process, not just the sustained single expression someone told him to do.

"Stand here. Look there. Try to smile like you're happy."

"Stand here. Look there. Look serious."

"Stand here. Look there. Be awkward."

Etc.

Fix those two things and I'd forgive the emotionless action scenes as a bonus and decree this movie epic.

The books are epic. One of the movies was on par. This one fell a bit behind.

There you have it. My brief thoughts on HP Part 2.

See it. It's worth it. And let me know what you thought! I'm going to a total nerd party on Saturday where I'm sure we'll talk about it for hours. I'm sure I will meet many who would have me burn for these thoughts, but they are what they are. I wanted more from the movie. More heart. But hopefully by telling you all this and lowering expectations, you'll go in and absolutely LOVE it.

Because chances are, you will LOVE IT!

Hope you enjoy!

March $$$ Madness

As I sit here using my psychic abilities to fill out the NCAA bracket, I just can't help but notice that I'm not exactly going mad over this whole tournament. I never have, and it seems very un-festive to me.

My March has no "madness" in it... and I kind of want there to be a little. So I thought and I thought about how I could be wild and crazy this March. And this is what I came up with:

Starting TODAY and ending the last day of this month, I'm going to hold a contest. In this contest there will be two, yes TWO, winners. Each winner will receive a $25 gift card to either B&N or Amazon to support your reading habit :)

How do you win, you ask?

Well, since you asked so politely, I shall answer. You see, my invisible buddy who tells me stories (i.e. Rhea) needs some reviews out there in internet land. We're talking on Amazon, B&N, Borders, Goodreads, blogs, Shelfari... wherever.

You see, just the other day I was in the book store trying to choose between three books on the same subject, and guess what I did? I pulled up their profiles on Amazon and read several reviews on each book. Those reviews guided me to the books I finally purchased.

Reviews matter.

For this reason, our dear Rhea needs reviews out there so people can get a feel of whether or not it's the book they're looking for, based on your honest reviews.

So here are the rules:

* Every review gives you one entry

* Each book counts separately (e.g., if you review all 4 books on goodreads, you get one entry for each separate review link)

* You can re-post the same reviews on multiple sites to rack up the points

* Previously published reviews posted prior to the this announcement are eligible (blog reviews or site)

* You must include a link to each review to get a point

* There are no deductions for not giving it every star possible

* If you know me personally, you are still eligible--same goes if you don't know me

* Easy points include being a follower of this blog (+1), follow on Twitter (+1), tweeting about this (+1), and/or pimping this with a link on an FB status update (+1). That's potentially four easy entries right there on TOP of your review entries :)

As mentioned before there will be TWO winners:

Winner #1 will be the ambitious soul who posts the most reviews, over and above everyone else

Winner #2 will be drawn by random from my souvenir "panning for gold" pan

Basically, anyone can win.

So, you ready to have some MARCH MADNESS bibliophile style?

Let's go to town and give Rhea some review love!!!

Who's with me???

To enter, fill out the form below:

Kay'sVille Reviews

Authors are cautioned not to read reviews of their books (especially while they are trying to write a new book), but I just had to sneak onto goodreads and look. There are 3 reviews so far, and happily they are reviews that make me sigh a breath of relief.

So here they are, for your convenience. If you agree or disagree, please feel free to post reviews of your own on sites like these!

Also note: Kay'sVille is the first book in the Rhea Jensen series that is previously unpublished and eligible for a Whitney Award, so feel free to nominate it if you would like. I don't know how many nominations it needs, but the deadline is the last day of 2010.

Reviews:

From Tracy:

Oh, sleep deprivation, thy name is Sheralyn Pratt! I foolishly picked up this book in the evening planning to just read a little bit, but there is no such thing with her books. Though being in Kay's head instead of Rhea's was a little odd at first, I quickly realized how much more I was learning about them both from the different perspective. Each chapter begins with a flashback to their college days, filling in important details that I never realized were missing. Now my only torment (besides the need for sleep) is that this may be the last of the series. I am so not ready to say goodbye.

From Heather:

First of all thanks so much to Sheralyn for sending me a sneak peek of book #4 in her Rhea Jensen series. This one felt like a companion novel to me as it takes a completely different point of view than the rest of the Rhea Jensen series. It is told by Rhea's best friend Kay and fills in the details of how they met and why they are who they are. Readers may be scratching their heads after book three wondering why Kay ditched her high powered reporting job in L.A. to follow Rhea to Utah. Kay'sville fills in those gaps. Kay is a strong willed, in your face type of girl with fashion sense and an attitude... but she hasn't always bee that way. In Book 4 we learn what her roots are, and I think you'll be surprised as I was. Her flashbacks of pre-college life were some of my favorite parts of the book. Dahl is her sidekick cop who helps her in reporting a story and solving a mystery. He is my other favorite part of Kay'sville. My favorite scene: I loved and laughed at like Kay's description of dating in Utah.

On the flipside Kay's ville was really hard for me to read from Chapter 11 on only because of a serious crime which as committed and the details used to describe it. Readers will want to be aware that it Kay'sville has some very raw spots and delves into adult issues. Sheralyn has reached out to readers on her blog to let them know that starting at book 4 the Rhea Jensen series is taking on heavy issues which move it more into mainstream fiction. Read what she had to say about the book in our interview.

From Rachael:

Review on her blog.

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!

Psst!

Okay, just a little stoked here. Kay'sVille is IN THE WAREHOUSE!

Yay! :)

That said, I know some of you out there are reviewers. If you want a copy to review for your site or blog, please contact me with your shipping address. My publisher requires that you have at least 100+ followers on your blog or an advertisement-driven site to send you a copy of the book.

So drop me a line (and feel free to include links to any other reviews you've done for my titles) and I'll get a book out your way!!!

Happy Reading :)

Oooooh! A Review from a Man!

I must confess that I always wonder what men think about the Rhea books. guys approach me at signings and ask me if they would like the books and I'm always a bit hesitant and say something like, "If you like girls that kick butt, yes."

So of course I'm immediately interested when a man reviews my books--and especially a man who does not consider himself LDS. This review is from such a man. So thank you, Jeffrey Needle. Granted, he didn't read books 1 and 2 before diving into 3, but he made it through the book anyway, and here's his review.

Thought I would share for those of you who haven't read the book yet :)

Who is Rhea Jensen? She’s a recent convert to the Church who has relocated to Salt Lake City and taken work as a private investigator.

Her closest friend, Kathryn McCoy, has likewise moved to Salt Lake.

Although not LDS, McCoy wants to be near her friend. She has landed a juicy post as an on-air news person. Meanwhile, Rhea is dating a fine young fellow who still has some time before he and Rhea can be married in the Temple.

The story begins when a man steps out onto a ledge, threatening to jump.

The news media find their way to the scene very quickly. Kathryn (“Kate” to her friends) is there with her photographer. But she is quick to involve her friend Rhea when certain parts of the story just don’t add up. Who is this guy? And who is the handsome cop who seems to show up at the scene but who ducks when anyone wants to give him some publicity? And what does all this have to do with Rhea’s former boss?

Why is the jumper such a mysterious quantity? And why do pictures of him not seem to jibe?

When the missionary who converted Rhea shows up on her doorstep, does he have something other than proselyting on his mind, or is he really just interested in following up? Rhea’s boyfriend isn’t so sure. They’re keeping an eye on him. He’s a bit clutzy, not sure what he wants to do (except start school at BYU as soon as possible).

As the story unfolds, we meet incompetent mobsters, a diabolical millionaire, a pair of rather inefficient enforcers, and a shy look into secret societies and their sometimes-underhanded ways of dealing with defectors. Not to mention exploding houses and other assorted nicities.

Improbably, the reader is left with an impression that all of these people are, indeed, real people. Real people? Indeed. Pratt has an unfailing sense of voice and tempo. The characters talk like real people. They laugh and cry like real people. Bravo! But, more important, they *act* like real people, and *interact* like the folks next door. As you read, you get crisp, clear visualizations of each of the players. They emerge as distinct personalities, each with his or her own strengths and weaknesses, habits and quirks.

Pratt’s characters are universally flawed. And this is the real revelation here. Can you write about a returning missionary who fumbles and stutters his way through re-entry into regular life? Can you have a convert who isn’t entirely “made new” — she describes herself as having “flexible morals with a comfort zone that expanded outside the norm.”

(p. 126-7) No heroics here, no astoundingly clever Mormons with all kinds of tricks up their sleeves. No angels appearing out of nowhere, no contrived story lines. (There is a bit of sermonizing at the end of the book. I thought it would have been a better book had this been toned down a bit.) Nope, this is a story about people who are trying to make it through the day and not flub things too badly. You know, folks like us.

By far the most interesting character, in my opinion, is Kate. Pratt’s writing is sufficiently vivid to make this slightly-wacky, but very canny, woman an infinitely appealing player. As with the others, she has her flaws. And she carries some baggage with her that is alluded to in the story, but is never made quite clear. Kate is the kind of person you may not want to deal with every day, but you surely want her on your side. Rhea is no slouch, either. But her assertiveness is usually understated. There’s a lot of healthy nuance in this story, and I loved every part of it.

Coming into this series in volume 3 made comprehending the whole thing a little difficult. I found myself having to catch up with the characters and their histories. Pratt spoon-feeds us these background items with some regularity, but a reader can find himself a bit off the reservation when trying to put the whole thing together. I would have liked to have had a summary introduction, bringing readers up to date with the story and the fascinating backgrounds of its characters. I found that I have Book 1 in my collection. I’m going to obtain Books 2 and 4 very soon.

Perhaps reading the previous volumes will help clear up some of the uncertainties.

“City Limits” is a breathless tale of detection and camaraderie, of faith tried in the fire and of loyalties tested. There are no heroes beyond the realm of ordinary heroism. There are villains aplenty, mysteries around every corner, and a cast of characters that will stay with you for a long time. Thanks, Pratt, for giving us a bit of mental floss for the LDS fiction reader. Highly recommended!

Jeffrey Needle

Association for Mormon Letters

Another Review/Interview

Two reviews/interviews for Kay'sVille on the same day?

I should be so lucky EVERY day!!!

This one comes from Fire&Ice Photo, and if you don't follow her reviews, you totally should. I don't know how a busy mom of hour reads so much, but Heather gives it to you straight in her reviews.

In this interview, Heather sticks me with some insightful questions and points out some of her concerns with book 4.

Check out Heather's review and interview here, and check out her fantastic book-themed jewelry at her Etsy store online.

Review from Jennie Hansen

Quoted from Meridian Magazine

Rhea Jensen isn't your typical twenty-something Mormon young woman. She's into skydiving, racecar driving, and mountain climbing. She's also a private investigator with a shed full of investigative tools, not all of which are quite legal. Her methods skirt pretty close to the line as well and raise a few questions of conscience in this recent convert's mind. Stalk Lake City is the second volume in the Rhea Jensen Series by Sheralyn Pratt.

Rhea, pronounced Ray, joined the Church at the end of volume one, without a lot of knowledge about the Church, but a conviction that what the missionaries taught her is true. Besides she made a bargain with God when her life was on the line that if she got out of that mess alive she'd be baptized and Rhea always keeps her word. Feeling certain her lifestyle and her job aren't compatible with her new religion and to be closer to a certain young man, she moves to Utah. But when an intriguing case falls in her lap with a little help from her best friend in L.A. she can't resist the challenge.

Someone is stalking the pretty red-haired news anchor at a local television station. There are plenty of suspects, including a motorcycle riding boxer the woman has been dating, the station manager, and a odd assortment of co-workers, and Rhea chases down their secrets one by one.

Rhea is quite sure she's in love with the young man who first introduced her to Salt Lake, but there's a neighbor who shares her love for living dangerously and she can't stop thinking about him or turning to him when her workaholic boyfriend isn't available.

The action is fast and dangerous, the language gritty, and though Rhea is firmly committed to the gospel, she's not sure she'll ever fit in or get the answers she seeks concerning the strange new culture she finds herself in.

This series is fun and more like a hard-boiled detective genre than is usually found in LDS mystery/suspense novels. Though there's a touch of romance in the novel, it's not the main story, and it's quite clear Rhea isn't really looking for "happily ever after" just yet. There are references to the Church and even one very nice answer to a question that bothers some converts, especially women, but the book is far from preachy and decidedly irreverent in places. Pratt's characters never actually curse and they don't use phony euphemisms either, yet there's a grittiness that may bother some readers. Rhea is a well-developed character and she does grow in self-awareness throughout the book, but other characters are only developed as far as necessary for their role in the story. That's alright because the hard-boiled detective novel is always long on action and mystery with the plot being more important than secondary characters. This plot is satisfyingly complex and it was fun to follow the twists and turns to a satisfying conclusion.

Sheralyn Pratt lives in Salt Lake City and has tried her hand at a number of things. She has been a karate instructor and a private investigator. She's also heavily involved in the publishing industry.

* * *

STALK LAKE CITY by Sheralyn Pratt, published by Bonneville Books, paperback, 214 pages, $14.99