Category: Senior Literary

cats, 2019.

Yes, it’s true. I sat in a theater for roughly two hours to see my favorite Broadway stars, singers, and late night show hosts fight each other to the death… for a chance at death.

I knew this movie would be good when I heard the woman sitting next to me attempt to stifle her profuse sobbing as Jennifer Hudson sang “memory”. At some point, she just let it all out. I feel for this woman, and I truly do wish I could have done something to comfort her. This is dedicated to you, sobbing woman in the theater.

I had been in the room for about half an hour when I let out my first audible “Huh?”

Munkustrap was singing about Jennyanydots in an attempt to explain cat heaven to Victoria, and suddenly, Rebel Wilson unzipped her cat body to reveal her SECOND cat body, which was the exact same, but with a vest. I don’t think that this was unusual for Jennyanydots as a character– Even in the stage play she rips off like two cat bodies until shes down to her normal suit. I love theater.

But, still, that was my first “huh?” moment.

The scene “Plato and Victoria” was cut out in replacement for a longer scene of “The Jellicle Ball.” You may ask, Kerri, how do you feel about this?

I understand WHY, 

I understand the reasoning behind this. Still, I do hate that such an iconic scene had to be removed. I can still appreciate the fact I could stare at Skimbleshanks in the background for a good amount of time. Boy could dance. Every time, and I do mean Every Single Time he was on screen, I found myself staring at him. The reason for this? This cat wore the brightest pair of red pants I have ever seen in my seventeen years of living. It’s impressive in a way.

The music was, overall, pretty great! I enjoyed most of the songs in their modernized form.  My personal favorite was the old-timey version of “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer” that got revamped. There were a few weeks where I really had to ponder if I was okay with them using that version of the song as opposed to the 1982 version. I am, it’s absolutely great. MungoJerrie and Rumpleteazer were probably the least terrifying looking cats in this film.

My opinion on the CGI– It’s not as bad as I was told it would be. Truthfully, it really didn’t bother me at all. It was interesting to watch! Of course, I still have a preference to the hand-painted cat suits that look ever-so-stunning on stage. The technology that went into making everything move the way that it did. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

One of my least favorite things was the absence of Sillabub. While it is fitting that Victoria be the one to first accept Grizabella, Sillabub still rightfully holds that title in my heart. I think the movie lost something special by removing her.

Overall, I think it’s worth a watch! It’s a very surreal experience, one everyone should have at some point in their life.

The Dirt: a biographical novel written (majorly) by the members of one of the world’s most notorious rock bands: Mötley Crüe. 

Perhaps you’ve never heard of them, but I’m sure you’ve heard a song or two without realizing it. Maybe “Smokin’ In The Boys’ Room”, “Girls, Girls, Girls” , “Looks That Kill” or “Dr. Feelgood.” These songs have put people in a rock n’ roll attitude for decades now, and there was a time when the bandmates themselves eat, slept, and breathed rock. 

How would you describe a rocker?  A greasy dude with long hair, a guitar, and a bad attitude? You’re missing a few key aspects: mental illness, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sex addictions, violence, and flat out immortality. For some that’s all apart of the image, but for Mötley Crüe, it’s a lifestyle. 

It’s difficult to know where to begin as I sit here, thinking of the surplus amount of life-sentence-worthy information. I’m not saying they were bad people, I’m just saying they were bad people. Does that make sense? I’ll shed some light. 

Nikki Sixx was tossed around like a rag doll for most of his life; one minute spent chasing the love of a selfish mother, the next spent with grandparents, all the while weaving a nearly unbreakable web of anger, abuse, and self destruction. Nikki didn’t know how to love for a long time, he’d never been taught how to. The only thing he knew was drugs and sex and music; the only consistencies that he’d ever known. As a result, he treated people horribly- betraying his friends and lovers and family. He was so messed up on heroin, he didn’t go to his own grandmothers funeral- the only woman who had shown him what a mother could be. He was violent, relentless, and a real jerk. He had to die, twice, before he turned his life around. Though, not much better can be said for the rest of them.  

Vince Neil is the lead singer. He broke so many hearts that one of them didn’t try to murder him. Honestly, Vince is really secretive about his background. He doesn’t say much about how he grew up or where he came from, he just picks up where the band starts. I don’t imagine he had a very healthy home life. He was really bitter as a young adult, and numb to any feeling of true affection for a woman. I wonder what happened to him when he was a child- what turned off those switches in his head. I guess that’s something he doesn’t want the world to know. What I do know about Vince is that he is so very dramatic (though they all are). He once got mad while backstage because someone had given him the wrong kind of mayonnaise; he angrily flung it against the wall, where it ricocheted back at him and sliced the top part of three of his fingers. He had to be air lifted to a specialist so that he could get his hand sewn back together before the show. Drama. Freaking. Queen. I will hand to him that he went through a lot of hard times; he was drunk driving one night, wrecked, and killed his friend. It was an accident, but he was arrested for manslaughter and spent about thirty days in jail. A regular person would have had to stay much longer, but money rules the world so I don’t expect any less. His band mates outcasted him, which isn’t fair because it could have easily been any of them. Nikki especially, considering how bad his heroin addiction was at that point.  

Tommy Lee is my favorite person in the whole world. He is the drummer and kind of an idiot. Or at least he was. No offense, but a lot of boys are idiots before they become men, so I don’t hold it against him. I figure he probably had the most stable family. His parents loved each other, they were somewhat financially stable, they encouraged him, showed him love. His fatal flaw, though, is his hopeless romance streak. He always has to be in love with someone, so I’m not sure if he can ever really tell when he’s actually feeling it or if he’s just making himself. I relate to him a lot because of his steady family and nice upbringing, but his choice to hang around people who others of his degree may not have. Tommy made horrible decisions, especially with Nikki involved. Tommy fed off of his energy, and became a chaotic burst of fire. I understand that because no matter where your born or who your born to or how you were raised, if you are born with a streak of recklessness, it’s going to come out, one way or another. Tommy was on and off with drug addiction; he’d get better, fall off, get better, fall off- he ruined his marriage, went to jail, and fell to the absolute bottom emotionally. He came back up, with the help of those who loved him. 

Finally, Mick Mars. Mick Mars deserves a lot more credit than he gets- he’s in constant pain because of a disease he has called ankylosing spondylitis. A definitive bone disease that effects all the ligaments and joints that allow the spine to move. Over the years, it hardens like cement, slowly pulling its victim to the ground. Mick stayed out of the trouble for the most part; he never got deep into drugs like the other members did. He was a quiet guy, kind of a push over, but he’s honestly the strongest guy in that band. No one talks about him much, and I think that’s unfair, because he’s literally one of the best guitarist to ever exist. Mick really did have a drinking problem- one caused by unfathomable physical pain and built up emotional turmoil. He made himself stop, and without all the help from therapist like the other members had. Do I think that’s healthy for his mental stability? No, of course not, but he’s a good bit older that the other guys, and grew up in a time where he was taught: “when it’s time to be a boy, be a boy. When it’s time to be a man, be a man.” 

These guys really went through the depths heck and came back to tell the story. All of them have children, and most are married or have been married. I hope their happier than they were. They are going on tour again this year, same members, same stories. I don’t think there’s much that’s cooler than that.  

Wow, so I haven’t done much reading lately. Especially considering the fact that I went from having two off blocks last semester, to having none at all. Time to do my everyday tasks has been limited; however, I have been able to read a little bit of the book, Looking for Alaska, written by John Green.

The book isn’t set up like normal books with normal chapters. It has a chapter-like set up, but instead of it reading “chapters” it says something like “128 days before” and so on. When I first picked up the book, this really sparked my interest because in my mind, I was thinking “before what,” so I think that Green did an amazing job at reeling the reader in with that.

128 days before

Within this first “chapter” the reader is introduced to the main character of the book, Miles. Miles is described as an “unpopular” teenage boy who lives in Florida. In the first chapter the reader is told that Miles is planning to soon go to a boarding school in Alabama. His parents throw him a going-away-party, however, no one shows up.

After reading this chapter, I noticed that the writing style was very familiar. Mind you, I didn’t look to see who the author was before I started reading it. I got about half way through the chapter and then realized that the author was John Green. It all made sense why his style of writing seemed so familiar; it’s because it was! I had read a few of his books in my early high school years. He definitely sticks to his unique voice in Looking for Alaska.

128 days before

In the next chapter, Miles begins his journey to the boarding school he will soon start attending. The reader is then introduced to Miles’ roommate, Chip. Chip is a very well developed character. Right off the bat, he tells Miles the “rules” of the dorm and the do’s and don’ts. After settling in, Chip takes Miles to meet a girl named Alaska. Miles is faced with an immediate attraction to her.

In this chapter I realized that “Alaska” which is in the title of the book, is an actual person. This got me even more engaged in the book due to the fact that I wanted to know why someone was looking for her.

The writing of the two chapters is very descriptive and entertaining. If I had the time, I know that it would be very hard for me to put down. I expect to finish this book soon, but as of now, I’m really enjoying it and enjoying the content.

This month, with the help of my sweet junior, Stephyne Weathersby, I chose to review Jada by Tupac. I highly recommend everyone retrieve the poem book, “The Rose that Grew from Concrete”. The poem Jada reads:

JADA

u R the omega of my Heart

The foundation 4 my conception of Love

when I think of what a Black woman should be

it’s u that I First think of

u will never fully understand

How Deeply my Heart Feels 4 u

I worry that we’ll grow apart

and I’ll never end up losing u

u bring me 2 climax without sex

and u do it all with regal grace

u R my Heart in Human Form

a Friend I could never replace

First, I would like to acknowledge that the poem speaks volumes on pure friendship. I truly admire how he was able to express his undying love for a person he has no desire to be with romantically. Anytime this is successfully done, I think it was one of the most beautiful things I could ever see. Him writing in what we call “text talk” captures the pure innocence of their relationship. But, I do enjoy the fact that he capitalized on the letters of the most important words in the poem. Because of this, the words that evoked emotion stuck with me. After reading this, I had a new found love and respect for platonic relationships. The metaphors he used to describe how severely he loved and appreciated her were perfect. They were some of what a married couple or puppy love staged relationship would be, but using them in a different context was genius.

Having something like this to keep in remembrance of Tupac, along with his legacy, is priceless. All generations should be familiar with who he was, what he stood for, and the creative approaches he took to get his point across.

I have been reading this book almost all nine weeks, I’m pretty sure. The app I read it on is called Radish, and it has a system where readers can either wait x amount of time to read a chapter or they can use coins. I’m broke, so I wait every two days to read this book. Chloe has heard me rant about Khaos several times because of its contents. 

Before I begin, there are several warnings that go along with this book. Are you ready? Too bad.

Khaos has mentionings of rape, murder, physical and mental abuse, and probably some other things that I don’t know about because I have not finished it yet. In case you could not tell, it is definitely not school appropriate, but I’ll skirt around most of that stuff; however some of it is essential to the plot.

Audrey “Jamie” Seo has been on the run from her exceedingly abusive and possesive ex-husband, Julian, who happens to be the heir to some Russian mafia.  She crashes in a small town and meets this man named Khaos who saved her from a possible rape. Turns out, Khaos was a member of a cult called Right Way and was one of the four Horsemen. Wild. They move in together because Audrey wants extra protection from Julian. That’s all you’re getting from me because I don’t want to spoil everything.

Now for the grittier stuff. The author has this magical way of making everything in the story feel real. And it’s awful. If you’re empathetic or just emotional, you probably shouldn’t read it because you will feel everything. Audrey often has flashbacks of her relationship with Julian and something about it is so immersive. The author makes it obvious who is meant to be the villain and who is the hero, so that makes it so much easier to hate Julian. He’s done plenty of horrid things to Audrey and even strangers when it came to her. At one point, she remembers going to a restaurant with Julian and talking to a man about the menu. The fact that she smiled at the stranger made Julian mad, so when they left, he caused a scene. That’s not the terrible thing though. They end up inside of a elevator with that man from the restaurant, and he happens to smile at Audrey, and that set Julian off. He grabbed the man and yelled at him for looking at his girl before stabbing his eyes out. Yeah, not the healthiest relationship… Of course, that’s not the worst thing Julian did to her. I won’t spoil that.

Enter Khaos. I love his character and that might include a bit of bias, but that doesn’t matter. Khaos has a bad past, so bad that he doesn’t even know how old he is. He was “adopted” into Right Way by the leader and was raised to become one of the Horsemen. As a Horseman, he was meant to keep all of the members in line, and if they acted out, he and his “brothers” had to dole out the punishment. I don’t remember if there’s a definite number of people that Khaos killed, but I’m just going to say that there’s at least ten. 

Anyway, I’m not going to give away too much of the story. Here’s a gist though: it’s violent, rated 18+, and it’s great. I’m not your mother, so I can’t tell you to not read Khaos, however, I’m not responsible for anything. Happy reading!

The Heroin Diaries. Pretty dark book title, huh? Well, he was a pretty dark man when he wrote them.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of a little band called Motley Crue, but if you have, a book like this produced by one of the members wouldn’t surprise you. Motley Crue was one of the biggest bands of the 80’s, and they were most defiantly the wildest.

Motley Crue was the headliner for all things rock; the poster child, perhaps, of the common phrase of the time, “sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll.” They had the biggest parties, the most girls, and more money than they knew what to do with. Nikki Sixx, the bassist of the band and the author of this book spent it the only way he knew how: drugs.

The Heroin Diaries came out on shelves when I was five years old, obviously long before I knew anything about this man. Nikki Sixx had been clean for years by this time, but he had found the courage within himself to publish his most private journals from the darkest point in his life: when he was addicted to heroin.

One of my favorite quotes from Nikki about his addiction is: “Alcohol, acid, cocaine… they were just affairs. When I met heroin, it was true love.”

He had a horrible addiction; so bad, in fact, he got to where he was spending up to one thousand dollars a day on heroin. Sick, right? He thinks so, too.

It took over his life; his music, his relationships, his friends. Ruined him, really. His first diary entry begins with him bundled beneath a Christmas tree stark naked beside a bent spoon and a rifle. Alone.

I feel as if he has grown a lot since that day beneath the Christmas tree. He had to die twice before he decided to get clean (I’m absolutely not kidding- he died- on record twice.)  He’s clean, he has a beautiful wife and kids. I think he’s happy. I hope he is. God gave him a lot of chances.

I’ve recently written him a letter. I hope he gets it. He inspires me a lot, and I hope he stays clean and stays happy.

As you all may or may not know, I have a tendency to get overly obsessed with things. She-Ra, is one of these things. This show follows Adora and her magical princess crew as they strive to save the world and defeat evil. Theres a bit of an unclear line between what is considered good and evil, as multiple characters have switched side. but, hey, I think it just makes it more interesting!

Season 4 specifically, focuses on each characters personal growth and ability to  overcome obstacles. For example: Glimmer adjusts to being the queen of Brightmoon, and Perfuma learns to work with cacti. That might be a bit vague, but, Perfuma just doesn’t like cacti.

Story 8/10

The story is, of course, a take on the old She-ra. This She-ra goes very in depth with characters, their motives, and their stories. Each plot point seems very fleshed out, and is not left unfinished. Even background characters have a full story within the show.

This season does a great job of giving us more insight into Scorpia’s life. In previous seasons, her past was vaguely mentioned, or hinted at. (Ex: getting an invitation to princess prom) This season explains Scorpia’s connections to her runestone, and how it came into the possession of the Horde. Scorpia has a breakthrough, and begins to stand up for herself. I am proud of her.

My one complaint for this season is the absence of Frosta. Frosta, like Glimmer, has dealt with grief. I feel there was a lost opportunity this season, in which Frosta and Glimmer could have strengthened their bond, and benefit each other through the power of understanding. Instead, there was a focus on the disconnection of Glimmer and Adora. The two were almost constantly arguing, which may have taken away from the plot.

Music 10/10

The background music in this show is absolutely phenominal. The music I would like to focus on, though, are the songs in the musical episode, “Boys’ Night Out.”

The song “Friends with Friends” is just the right level of chaotic and cursed.   I highly enjoy the fact that nearly all, if not every song in the entire series has been sung by Seahawk and Mermista. They’re the most musical characters in the show, and that in itself can be a crucial part to their personalities, and, really, it just makes it super fun to watch.

animation 6/10

I want to say upfront that there are some stunning sequences of animation in this show. I did notice that with this season, there tended to be more mistakes. A character may be wearing a flower crown in one shot, but then it suddenly disappears. The more I got into the episodes, the less I noticed. The first through third episode, though, had quite a few.

The episode with the coolest animation, in my opinion, was Episode 9, which focuses on Razz, and her memory. Seeing the world switch from present to past was quite trippy. A bit sad, too. I’m not sure if it was meant to evoke sadness from deep within me, but it sure did! great work, She-Ra team!

Overall, in conclusion, watch She-ra.