Author Archives: Lian L.

Book vs. TV Series: Percy Jackson

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians just wrapped its first season and is renewed for a second. Following the story of Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, the book and TV show showcase Percy travelling across the US, searching for the real thief of Zeus’s master bolt.

  1. Riptide
    • Book: Percy receives Riptide from Mr. Brunner when Alecto attacks him
    • Series: Mr. Brunner gives Riptide to Percy, encouraging to not let people like Nancy get to him
  2. Alecto Attacks Percy
    • Book: Alecto attacks Percy when they are alone in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
    • Series: Alecto attacks Percy outside in front of a crowd of people
  3. Percy Being Expelled
    • Book: Percy calls Mr. Nicoll an “old sot” and is expelled from Yancy
    • Series: After “pushing” Nancy into the fountain, Percy is expelled from Yancy
  4. Gabe Ugliano
    • Book: Gabe is abusive to both Sally and Percy
    • Series: Gabe is more of a deadbeat “dad” that is mostly just rude to others
  5. The Gateway Arch
    • Book: The trio visits the Gateway Arch due to Annabeth’s love for architecture
    • Series: The trio visits the Gateway Arch, a temple of Athena, searching for protection against Echidna and the Chimera
  6. Ares’s Introduction
    • Book: Ares and the trio meet at a diner
    • Movie: The trio encounters Ares when leaving St. Louis
  7. The Lotus Hotel and Casino
    • Book: The trio visits the Lotus Hotel and Casino after being enticed by a bellhop
    • Series: The trio specifically enters the Lotus Hotel and Casino to search for Hermes and ask for his help
  8. Percy’s Confrontation with Luke
    • Book: Luke sought to get rid of Percy, summoning a Pit Scorpion that later poisons him
    • Series: Luke attempts to recruit Percy for Kronos’s army, resulting in the two sword fighting after Percy refuses

The Percy Jackson & the Olympians book series by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book vs. Movie: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

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Taking place 64 years before Suzanne Collins’ infamous Hunger Games series, a Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes features a young President Snow as he struggles to maintain his status within the Capitol after the Dark Days. With the goal to secure his future and the Plinth Prize, Coriolanus Snow becomes the mentor for Lucy Gray, a District 12 tribute in the 10th Annual Hunger Games, who he eventually develops feelings for. However, as time goes on, Coriolanus gradually rises to the top, becoming the president of Panem seen in the Hunger Games series.

  1. Crassus Snow’s Death
    • Book: The Snow family receives news at the train station that Crassus Snow was killed by a rebel sniper.
    • Movie: At the Snow’s apartment, Peacekeepers reveal how Crassus Snow was killed by a District 12 rebel.
  2. Jessup’s Rabies Infection
    • Book: Jessup is bitten by a raccoon at the zoo, giving him rabies.
    • Movie: During the train ride, Jessup becomes infected with rabies after being bitten by a bat.
  3. Arachne Crane’s Death
    • Book: Arachne’s throat is slit by her tribute, Brady, and she is given a funeral alongside Diana and Apollo Ring, two other mentors who were killed later on.
    • Movie: Brady stabs Arachne’s throat with a bottle, but she is never given a funeral.
  4. Clemensia’s Fate
    • Book: After being bitten by Dr. Gaul’s snakes, Clemensia develops neurological damage, yellow eyes, a tongue that juts out periodically, twitching, peeling skin, and rainbow scales.
    • Movie: Clemensia is dragged away and never seen again.
  5. The Rat Poison
    • Book: Lucy Gray finds rat poison in the zoo’s monkey enclosure and stores it in a compact mirror that she received from Coriolanus.
    • Movie: Coriolanus supplies both the compact mirror and rat poison.
  6. Lucky Flickerman
    • Book: Lucky, accompanied by his parrot Jubilee, mainly interviews the tributes while Lepidus Malmsey covers the live recordings.
    • Movie: Lucky handles both the interviews and live recordings (without the company of Jubilee).
  7. The Tributes’ Deaths
    • Book: Wovey and Reaper are both killed after drinking poisoned water while Treech is killed by one of Lucy Gray’s snakes. Dill also dies because of tuberculosis.
    • Movie: Dill drinks the poisoned water while Treech inhales rat poison, killing both of them. On the other hand, Reaper and Wovey are killed by Dr. Gaul’s snakes.
  8. Spruce’s Death
    • Book: Spruce is beaten to death by Peacekeepers.
    • Movie: Spruce is hanged alongside Sejanus and Lil.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

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After her dad ships her off to the School of America in Paris (SOAP) for her senior year of high school, Anna meets St. Clair, a young boy with a British accent, who soon makes her forget her homesickness and begin to fall in love with more than just Paris.

There’s just two problems. He has a girlfriend who also just happens to be her neighbor and best friend, and Anna may or may not have a crush of her own back home, Toph.

Anna and The French Kiss is a truly beautiful romance filled with fluffy scenes between Anna and St. Clair as the two go to the theater, spend Thanksgiving with the each other, and visit Les Jardins de Luxembourg, the place where their romance begins to flourish.

Yet, personally, Anna can be a little hypocritical with the other characters in the novel. For example, Anna immedietely feels betrayed and considers breaking off her friendship with her childhood friend Bridgette after finding out that she started dating her old crush without telling her. However, Anna also goes behind her best friend Meredith’s back, choosing to continue her “friendship” and feelings with St. Clair, despite him already dating Meredith.

In spite of this fact, however, St. Clair truly is lovable and sweet, comforting Anna when she’s homesick and defending her against Ellie, his ex-girlfriend. Yet, even going so far as conquering his fear of heights for Anna, the book truly creates heartfluttering scenes atop Point Zéro as Anna and St. Clair begin to realize that home is when they’re together.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

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America Singer has been chosen to compete in The Selection for a chance at Prince Maxon’s hand. The only problem? She’s secretly in love with her best friend, Aspen.

Upon arriving at the palace, America and Maxon strike a deal. America will spy on the other girls for Maxon to find out what their true intentions are and Maxon won’t eliminate America from the competition, so that she can continue to improve her family’s financial situation.

As far as storylines go, it’s a little cliche with your typical childhood friend romance trope and rags-to-riches story. However, personally, I liked how it was kind of like a dystopian version of Cinderella.

America also has a very strong and selfless personality as she is willing to do anything if it means that her family’s living situation will improve. She’s also very sympathetic with others as she tries her best to make friends with the other girls in the competition, even though they all see her as an enemy. Prince Maxon is very sweet as well. He’s completely understanding when America is having a panic attack or when she’s feeling homesick, to the point where he arranges an event at the palace, so that she can see her family again.

Overall, I’d say it’s a 4/5. It can be kind of predictable at times but if you’re a fan of royal romances or books like The Red Queen, I’d say that this is right up your alley.

The Selection by Kiera Cass is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

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Juliette Ferrars has been locked in an asylum for over 264 days by the Reestablishment due to her ability to kill anybody with a single touch. One day, she is suddenly introduced to her new cellmate, Adam Kent, who just happens to be an old friend from her past. With the Reestablishment planning to use her as a new torture weapon, Juliette must make a choice in order to preserve her newfound freedom.

Overall, I really liked this book. Each character was very unique with their own backstory and voice, which made it really easy to tell when the character POV switched from Juliette to Warner in the sequel, Destroy Me. The characters felt like real people that you could relate to and I loved how they all had their opinions and ideas on what Juliette should do. Plus, Juliette’s character development was really great as she went from unsure and scared to starting to become more confident and embracing her powers near the end.

Personally, I feel like Warner and Juliette have more chemistry together than Juliette and Adam, but I can’t wait to learn more about Warner and his backstory as the series continues. I’d definitely recommend this book to anybody who’s a fan of books like The Hunger Games or the Delirium Trilogy.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

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Nathan and Bree have been best friends since high school, but never had the courage to tell each other about their true feelings. However, after Bree suffered from a life-changing car accident and Nathan left for college and the NFL, the two lose touch, only to be reunited years later with their feelings just as strong and still just as much stuck in the friend-zone. Eventually, after six long years, things begin to change as a drunken conversation with a nosy reporter forces them to start fake dating.

All in all, I loved this book. Personally, I’ve always loved friends-to-lovers and fake dating tropes, which is just two of the many things that I enjoyed about this book. Positives also include:

  1. Nathan is a big sweetheart. He was always so loyal to Bree and would stand up for her whenever someone tried to belittle her. He was also super patient with her when she was drunk and wanted to respect her boundaries.
  2. Jamal, Derek, Price, and Lawrence are probably the bestest friends you could ever ask for. The way that they were silently rooting for Bree and Nathan the whole time and even made Nathan a romance sheat sheet, so that he could woo her, automatically makes them the best matchmakers ever!!!
  3. Dylan was probably my favorite character out of this whole book. I found his interactions with Bree and Lily to be especially fun, espescially when he kept having to constantly shop for her and then carry them up several flights of stairs to Bree’s dingy apartment.

That being said, this book did have a few flaws.

  1. Personally, I would have liked to see Nathan stand up to his mom about her never letting him relax or do anything except play football.
  2. Again, just a personal preference, but I would have liked Bree to have had some involvement in the wedding planning. I know it was a little rushed since they literally got married on the same day that Nathan proposed and everything was planned beforehand according to her preferences, but I still would have liked to see Bree going around trying wedding cakes, dresses, or do anything wedding-related at all.

Overall, I’d probably give it a 4/5, but it’s definitely worth the read if you like a sweet, down-to-earth romance.

The Golden Slipper by Valia Lind

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After being abused by her stepmother and stepsisters for years, Mira finally has a chance to escape to the human world and open her own flower shop after her best friend provides her an opportunity to work at the palace. However, with the threat of Baba Yaga looming overhead and her secret romance with the prince, Mira’s plans may yet be delayed.

The Golden Slipper is truly a fantastical wonder piece that beautifully retells Cinderella’s story. It’s filled with magic, wonder, and a budding romance between two people who come from completely different worlds. After each subsequent encounter with each other, the two begin to literally fall for each other as they prove that with the power of true love, they can overcome any spell, whether it be from a wicked witch or a fairy godmother.

Although their relationship has its ups and downs, as the two attempt to navigate through arranged marriages and a wicked stepmother, they only continue to grow closer and closer to one another. However, as the two dance with each other night after night at the masquerade ball, completely unaware of each other’s identity, feelings, and dark past, the two prove that anything is possible.

The Golden Slipper is a great read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a little magic in their life!

Book vs. Movie: Love & Gelato

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After her mother’s death, Lina is sent to Tuscany, Italy where she discovers her mother’s old journal. Although she is first apprehensive about the idea of living in Italy, she begins to become more accustomed to Italian life as she meets a young boy named Lorenzo who helps her find out the truth about her biological father and her mother’s time in Italy. Despite this, there are many differences between the book and movie.

  1. Lina’s Home in Italy
    • Book: After arriving in Italy, Lina stays with Howard in a cemetery.
    • Movie: Lina lives with Francesca in a fancy, Italian mansion.
  2. Lina’s First Meeting With Her Biological Father
    • Book: Lina originally had a very heated conversation with her biological father, Matteo Rossi. During this conversation, Matteo accused Lina’s mother of being obsessive and blackmailing him, resulting in him being forced to resign from his job as a professor at the Fine Arts Academy of Florence.
    • Movie: Lina doesn’t talk with Matteo and instead storms out of his office after seeing him.
  3. Thomas Heath
    • Book: Thomas Heath was a handsome, British boy who Lina temporarily dated.
    • Movie: Thomas is not featured in the movie but is replaced by a rich boy named Alessandro Albani who Lina was also in love with.
  4. Lorenzo’s Passion
    • Book: Lorenzo is passionate about soccer.
    • Movie: Lorenzo is passionate about cooking and aspires to become a professional chef.
  5. Lorenzo’s House
    • Book: Lorenzo lives in a gingerbread house with his mom and little sister.
    • Movie: Lorenzo lives in a typical house with his two moms and grandmother.
  6. Hadley’s Journal
    • Book: Lina’s mom, Hadley, originally sent the journal to Italy as a gift to Howard.
    • Movie: Hadley told Francesca to give the journal to Lina after she arrived in Italy.
  7. Howard’s Profession
    • Book: Howard worked in the cemetery where he took care of a World War II memorial.
    • Movie: Howard is an art professor at a fancy prep school.
  8. Sonia
    • Book: Sonia worked alongside Howard in the cemetery.
    • Movie: Sonia is not featured at all.
  9. Lina’s Trip to Italy
    • Book: Hadley planned for Lina to visit Italy only after her death.
    • Movie: Hadley originally planned to go to Italy with Lina.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book vs. Movie: The School For Good and Evil

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Soman Chainani’s hit novel, The School For Good and Evil, was recently released as a Netflix movie on October 19th, 2022. It follows the story of two young girls, Sophie and Agatha, who are whisked away to a fairytale world where they are either trained as villains in the School for Evil or heroes in the School for Good. Despite their beliefs, Sophie is placed in the School for Evil while Agatha attends the School For Good, leading to an onslaught of adventure and excitement.

However, there are several differences between the book and movie adaption.

  1. Sophie and Agatha’s Friendship
    • Book: Sophie was extremely popular among the other villagers and was only friends with Agatha to improve her image and paint herself as a benevolent saint.
    • Movie: Sophie willingly became friends with Agatha and enjoyed her company, leading to her becoming ostracized by the other village kids who found the two of them weird.
  2. The Rules for Good and Evil
    • Book: The Rules for Good and Evil are as followed “The Evil attack. The Good defend. The Evil punish. The Good forgive. The Evil hurt. The Good help. The Evil take. The Good give. The Evil hate. The Good love”.
    • Movie: The only rule mentioned is that “The Evil attack. The Good defend”.
  3. Trial by Tale
    • Book: Trial by Tale was originally a competition between the School for Good and the School for Evil. The top students from each school were selected and would face horrific monsters and dangers in the Blue Forest. Afterwards, any student who has survived by sunrise, would be proclaimed the winner.
    • Movie: Trial by Tale is a test to see if Sophie and Tedros were actually each others true love. They would start at opposite sides of the forest and if they managed to reunite with each other, Sophie would be allowed to attend the School for Good with Tedros.
  4. The Circus of Talents
    • Book: The Circus of Talents was a show between the Evers and Nevers to decide which school would host the Theater of Tales.
    • Movie: There is no Circus of Talents.
  5. Lady Lesso’s Origin
    • Book: Lady Lesso is from The Endless Words.
    • Movie: Lady Lesso is originally from Gavaldon, like Sophie and Agatha.
  6. Gregor
    • Book: Gregor does not exist at all.
    • Movie: Gregor is the son of Cinderella and Prince Charming. However, despite his royal lineage, Gregor fails miserably at being a prince and aspires to run his own grocery store, leading to him being turned into a stymph after his third fail.
  7. Blood Magic
    • Book: There is no such thing as blood magic.
    • Movie: Blood magic is a dark but powerful type of magic that is used by both Rafal and Sophie.
  8. Sader
    • Book: Sader taught History of Heroism at the School for Good and was also a blind seer that guides Agatha along her journey by sharing his visions.
    • Movie: Sader is not present at all.
  9. Lady Lesso and Rafal
    • Book: There is no romantic relationship between Lady Lesso and Rafal.
    • Movie: Lady Lesso was originally in love with Rafal and attempted to win him over by becoming more and more evil.
  10. The Bridge
    • Book: At the bridge, there is a barrier between the two schools, preventing anybody good from going to the School for Evil as well as preventing anybody evil from going to the School for Good.
    • Movie: There is no barrier between the School for Good and the School for Evil.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.