Review: Kill Bill (Volumes 1 & 2)

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Kill Bill (Volumes 1 and 2) is a series of action/thriller movies directed by the renowned Quentin Tarantino. After watching Volumes 1 and 2 of this cult classic twice, I’ve decided to thoroughly rate the movies based on two aspects.

Plot & Story:

The movies’ premise is that a pregnant woman known as “The Bride” used to be a former assassin, but gave up her job for a normal life. Her former lover, Bill, and his posse of assassins attempt to murder her on her wedding day. Four years later, she wakes up from a coma, determined to get revenge on all of them. They made her lose her unborn child, her whole wedding party, and four years of her life. After making a hit list of everyone involved in the massacre, she gets her justice and ends her enemies. At the end of Kill Bill Volume 2, The Bride finally arrives at her last destination, Bill’s house. There she finds her little girl with Bill, who kept her safe all along. However, she knows what she has to do. Bill and The Bride battle each other, but in the end, The Bride wins and gets to take her daughter with her. I would rate the plot and story a solid nine out of ten because of the action and emotional aspects.

Musical Score:

The musical score of Kill Bill is masterful and I’d say it is one of the greatest film soundtracks. Each song plays with your emotions, making you feel fear, suspense, and excitement. My two favorite songs from the soundtrack are “The Lonely Shepherd” by Gheorghe Zamfir and “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” sung by Nancy Sinatra. “The Lonely Shepherd” is the iconic flute song from Kill Bill. It plays during key moments, especially in emotionally significant scenes that involve Bill. “Bang Bang” symbolizes The Bride’s past trauma and betrayal, which were the main reasons she went on her revenge quest. I would rate this chef’s kiss musical score a ten out of ten.

Overall, Kill Bill Volume 2 is my favorite movie. I’d say that Kill Bill Volume 1 has more action and Volume 2 has more emotional depth and character development. I hope you enjoyed this blog and watch the movies if you haven’t before!

– Sophia B.

Mission Viejo Biology Day Event

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Through the Mission Viejo Teen Advisory Board, I had the pleasure of volunteering at the STEAM Stations Biology Day event. It was held at the Potocki Center for the Arts, where we had organized hands-on activities to allow children to grow their curiosity and explore their interest in the field of biology! Two of the main activities were owl pellet dissection and fingerprint art.

I worked at the owl pellet table, where I taught the children about the different bones they were finding through a bone identification sheet. I remember being eleven years old and dissecting owl pellets for the first time, so it was exciting to share that experience with kids around the same age as I was. Their excitement when they identified a mole’s skull and other body parts filled me with joy. My favorite part of the whole day was seeing their “aha!” moments mainly because I felt proud to help them learn and embark on new discoveries.

At the fingerprint art station, the children drew different animals not only on paper but also on small wooden boxes they could take home. Many of them had very creative fictional animals, like dragons and unicorns.

Overall, I really enjoyed seeing the children’ s imaginations running wild and free. Volunteering at this event reminded me how rewarding teaching could be. As a potential biology major in college, sharing my passion with the children gave me a sense of fulfillment. I would definitely partake in this event next year and I hope that you and/or your children come! I’ll see you there!

– Sophia B.

Greece Summer Vacation

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During my summer 2025 vacation, I had the opportunity to travel to Greece with my family. Out of all the countries I’ve ever been to before, including Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Mexico, I would rate Greece as my favorite. Listed below are the four different islands I went to.

Athens (5 days)

Athens had the most attractions Greece had to offer. From ancient ruins to countless museums, I’d say if you want to take in as much history as you can from Greece, you should go to Athens. My favorite site we visited was definitely Acropolis. For some background, Acropolis is an ancient archaeological site where Greeks settled and proudly defended Athens. There are many columned buildings, like the Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its Porch of Caryatids, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Moreover, there were ancient theatres that were used for music, oratory, and poetic performances. These include the Theatre of Dionysus, birthplace of Greek theatre, and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Additionally, before taking the two hour drive to the Temple of Zeus, our taxi driver took us to my favorite restaurant in Athens, Labros. They had the best souvlaki, fries, meatballs, and Greek salad I had eaten in my whole trip. I highly recommend going there if you plan on taking a trip to Athens!

Mykonos (3 days)

Mykonos, known for being one of Greece’s “party islands” was my favorite island we went to. Our hotel, the Nissaki Boutique Hotel, had a jaw dropping ocean view with many party yachts anchored in the water. This alone made my Mykonos experience one hundred times better. Moreover, the island’s vibe was completely unmatched. Strolling through Mykonos town, petting the cats, and having delicious gelato was so different from visiting museums in Athens. Additionally, I took a day trip to Delos, an ancient sacred island known for being the legendary birthplace of the gods Apollo and Artemis. In its day, Delos was a thriving commercial and trading center in the Hellenistic period, with its original stones and houses still standing. I thoroughly enjoyed Delos and would recommend taking a day trip there if you are in Mykonos!

Santorini (3 days)

In Santorini, I went to its two main towns, Fira and Oia. One takeaway I have from Fira and Oia is that it’s like a hike. To see the different parts of the town, you must go up many hills and stairs, but once you do, it is so worth it. The sunsets and ocean views at the tips of these towns were breathtaking, and I did not regret the sore legs! I loved exploring these towns and I know you will too!

Crete (4 days)

I spent my last four days of my Greece trip in Crete, and I definitely believe that was too much time. Due to Crete being the biggest island in Greece, many of its attractions were spaced out. My family and I did not find this out until arriving there, so many of the attractions we planned to see and put time towards were not visited. I really enjoyed walking on Crete’s black-sand beaches and swimming in its clear green waters. Overall, I’d say Crete was a beautiful island and I liked its beaches the best.

I hope after reading this blog you plan a trip to Greece! 

– Sophia B.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Crimes of Grindelwald

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In the fictional movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, we are first introduced with a scene of Grindelwald (an evil wizard who want to go to war with the muggles) in jail being transported to Europe to face trial for his crimes. It turned out that this wasn’t actually him, and he apparated (teleported) to the flying carriage and killed all of the people transporting him. Thats how he freed himself. I think that fooling the authorities with someone who looks like him was a very smart plan. A couple months later, Newt Scammander (MC) gets called into the ministry to appeal his international travel ban. But the catch was that he had to help the ministry catch Credence, a powerful obcurial, before Grindelwald does. Meanwhile Tina Goldstein is working on this case and gets stopped by a man named Yusuf Kama because he believes Credence is his distant relative. Newt Scammander tries to save her and gets captured as well. They escape because one of Newt’s animals steals the key for the cell after Yusuf passes out from a water dragon parasite. After escaping, they are on their way to stop Grindelwald and save Credence. I really enjoy the role that magical creatures play in the movie. I rate this a 5/5.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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The Fantastic Beasts series is my favorite movie series for many reason. The main reason why is because it is in the same universe as Harry Potter, but is around 50~60 years prior and has my favorite character: Dumbledore. He is one of the powerful wizards of all time. In the first of the trilogy, the main character Newt Scammander goes to America to release a magical species called the Thunderbird in Arizona. He was transporting animals, which is illegal. I really like how this movie and this franchise is centered around animals and how they are not cold-hearted creatures but kind creatures with quirks and can even be a companion. The truth is that he first landed in New York to work on a special mission to help Dumbledore stop an evil wizard named Grindelwald from finding an Obscurial. The special thing about Newt Scammander is that he owns a magical suitcase that has a zoo-like area inside. That is where he keeps his animals. He cares a lot about animals and can sometimes even talk to them. A fact about him is that he went to Hogwarts and was a Hufflepuff. To learn more about his journey you can watch the movies or read the books. Thanks for reading!

Book Review: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

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Last summer, I decided to explore contemporary international literature further when I discovered Chinua Achebe’s African Trilogy, starting with Things Fall Apart, a book about an Igbo warrior’s struggle against British colonialism and the devaluation of his culture. I found this book particularly interesting, as it offered a new, first-person perspective of the effects of European colonialism that no history textbook could really replicate.

The book begins with an introduction to Okonkwo, the main character of this novel, who is a wealthy warrior and a “man of title” in his hometown of Umuofia. From a young age, Okonkwo adopts an opposite view of life to that of his father, Unoka, whom he viewed as weak and “effeminate” due to his laziness and love for the arts. Due to this start, Okonkwo worked as hard as possible to rise above his condition, gaining a rigid worldview as a result.

As the story progresses, Achebe reveals more aspects of pre-colonial Africa through his storytelling. After a funeral ceremony ritual involving a gun salute goes wrong, resulting in the death of a 16-year-old, Okonkwo gets exiled for 7 years to his motherland, Mbanta, as a punishment for his direct involvement. In Mbanta, Okonkwo begins to hear stories from his friend, Obierika, about the arrival of European missionaries. As years pass in exile, Okonkwo witnesses the devaluation of their traditional religious beliefs and values.

Through Okonkwo, Achebe attempts to explore the theme of masculinity as one that is central to the novel, particularly through Okonkwo’s rigid ideals about strength and weakness, which render him stoic to a fault. Okonkwo’s rigid categorization of activities that he considers “feminine” and “masculine,” along with his struggle to remain in control throughout the novel, can ultimately be interpreted as reasons behind his inability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Overall, I found Achebe’s storytelling style, as well as the narrative that this book sends, incredibly powerful. Through his usage of proverbs and an accurate depiction of traditional Igbo culture, Achebe paints a vivid picture of pre-colonial African society and gives the reader a new perspective on the effects of European colonialism. I would recommend this book, as well as the other two books in this trilogy, to anybody who is interested in world history, particularly the history of African literature.

Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers.

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Scorpions is a Newbery Honor book by Walter Dean Myers.  This novel tells the story of Jamal Hicks, a twelve-year-old boy living in Harlem.  Growing up in a challenging environment, Jamal faces tough decisions and growing pressure from his peers.  His older brother, Randy, is in jail for murder.  Randy’s absence leaves a void in Jamal’s life that other people seem to be trying to fill.  Jamal is approached by a member of Randy’s gang, the Scorpions.  He wants Jamal to take charge of the gang’s drug dealing business.  Jamal feels torn because he wants to stay out of trouble but he also needs money because his family is struggling financially.  As Jamal’s life becomes increasingly complicated and dangerous, he relies on his friendship with a loyal and thoughtful young man named Tito.  Tito helps Jamal as they navigate through difficult situations.

One of my favorite things about his book is its message about friendship and trust.  I appreciated the loyalty between Jamal and Tito.  They are just young kids trying to do the right thing in a world that keep throwing hardships and challenges at them.  This book shows the importance of having someone who has your back, especially if you are a kid dealing with things that no young person should have to deal with.  I like the way this book teaches to do the right thing even when it seems like the whole world around you is corrupt.  Unfortunately, this book has some inappropriate language and a bit of violence.  The story as a whole is also somewhat frightening and depressing, so I would not recommend this book to children.  However, older readers could benefit from the messages of this insightful book.

Book Review: Little Women

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Little Women is a semi-autobiographical novel by Louisa May Alcott that explores themes of family, identity, and the tension between personal ambition and traditional expectations for women, particularly during the Civil War era. The story follows the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—as they navigate growing up, facing hardship, and discovering who they want to become in a world that limits women’s roles and freedoms.

On the surface, Little Women might seem like a sweet, domestic tale, but it goes much deeper. Each sister struggles with her own dreams and limitations: Meg longs for stability and elegance, Jo fights to break free from gender roles to become a writer, Beth seeks peace and home, and Amy wrestles with her ambition and desire for refinement. Their journeys are rich with emotional nuance, and Jo in particular stands out as a deeply relatable character for readers who have ever questioned whether the life expected of them is the one they truly want.

One of the most powerful aspects of the book is how it presents the quiet strength and complexity of women’s lives. Alcott doesn’t dramatize the sisters’ challenges, but she writes them with compassion and clarity. Jo’s struggle with her temper, her ambition, and her resistance to conventional paths like marriage captures a sense of restlessness and yearning that still resonates today.

What makes Little Women stand out is its emphasis on choice and self-discovery within the bounds of family and society. The sisters are constantly making decisions about who they want to be—not just in terms of careers or relationships, but morally and emotionally. Jo’s internal battle between her desire for independence and her love for her family is especially compelling, and Alcott doesn’t offer easy answers.

The novel doesn’t shy away from sadness or loss—Beth’s illness and eventual death are deeply moving—but there’s also a steady current of hope and resilience. The March family endures, grows, and finds joy even in hardship. That balance between hardship and warmth is part of what makes Little Women such a lasting and beloved story.

I found this book emotionally rich and surprisingly modern in its themes. Alcott’s writing is heartfelt and honest, and she gives each sister her own voice and dignity. Little Women might not be fast-paced, but it’s deeply rewarding—especially for anyone interested in stories about women, family, and the lifelong process of becoming yourself. I’d give it a 7/10 for its timeless insight and emotional depth.

Book Review: Othello

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Othello by William Shakespeare is a powerful and emotional tragedy that explores jealousy, trust, manipulation, and the destructive effects of insecurity. The play follows Othello, a respected Moorish general in the Venetian army, who secretly marries Desdemona, a noblewoman. Their love is strong, but things quickly take a dark turn when Othello’s trusted ensign, Iago, begins to manipulate him into believing Desdemona is unfaithful.

One of the most fascinating parts of the play is Iago himself. He’s one of Shakespeare’s most clever and sinister villains, and watching how he carefully plants seeds of doubt and twists every situation to his advantage is both impressive and unsettling. Iago doesn’t use violence—he uses words, and it’s a chilling reminder of how dangerous manipulation can be.

What really stood out to me is how the play explores human emotion in such a raw way. Othello is a man of honor and strength, but he’s also deeply insecure about his race, his background, and whether he truly belongs in the world around him. Once Iago starts preying on those insecurities, Othello’s jealousy takes over, leading to heartbreaking consequences. The tragedy doesn’t come from evil alone—it comes from vulnerability, which makes the story feel very human and real.

Shakespeare’s language is rich and poetic, and while it can be challenging at first, it’s worth the effort. There are moments of beauty, especially in the early scenes between Othello and Desdemona, and moments of intensity that hit hard even centuries later. The famous line “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster” really captures the core of the story: how dangerous it can be when we let fear and suspicion control us.

Even though the ending is tragic, Othello leaves a strong impression. It’s not just a story about betrayal—it’s about how trust, identity, and love can be destroyed from the inside when people let doubt take root. I found the themes surprisingly relevant, especially in how it deals with race, manipulation, and the power of words.

I’d give Othello a solid 7/10. It’s emotional, intense, and thought-provoking, and it shows why Shakespeare’s works have lasted so long. If you’re interested in drama, psychology, or timeless human struggles, this is definitely a play worth reading.

Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye

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The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is often considered a classic coming-of-age novel, centered around a teenager named Holden Caulfield who has just been kicked out of yet another prep school. The story follows Holden as he wanders around New York City over a few days, trying to make sense of the adult world, his own emotions, and the loss of innocence.

The book is famous for its first-person narration, which is written in Holden’s distinct voice—full of slang, sarcasm, and a lot of complaints. He constantly talks about how “phony” everyone is and seems to be angry at just about everything. Some people really connect with that sense of disillusionment, especially during adolescence, but honestly, I found it kind of exhausting. Instead of feeling sympathy for Holden, I mostly just felt annoyed. He’s clearly going through something serious, like depression or grief, but the way he expresses it made it hard for me to really care about what he was saying.

I think part of the reason I didn’t enjoy the book is that not much actually happens. It’s more of a stream-of-consciousness story than a plot-driven one. Holden drifts from one place to another, meets a few people, and talks a lot about how much he dislikes things. The themes—like growing up, identity, and loneliness—are important, but I personally felt like the book didn’t explore them in a way that held my attention.

That said, I understand why some people really like this novel. It was groundbreaking when it first came out, especially for its honest portrayal of teenage confusion and alienation. And there are moments that are thoughtful—like when Holden talks about wanting to protect kids from the harshness of the adult world, which ties into the book’s title. But for me, it just didn’t live up to the hype. I found Holden hard to relate to and the story repetitive.

I’d give The Catcher in the Rye a 5/10. I can respect its place in literary history and see how it might resonate with others, but it just wasn’t for me. If you’re into character-driven stories and don’t mind a narrator who’s more about feelings than action, you might still find it interesting.