Subplots & Storylines – April 2020

How is April over already? Time is WEIRD right now, as I’m sure it is for everyone. I feel like the initial COVID panic has subsided and now life (for me) is a strange blur of home, walks, writing, video calls, shows, and being more tired than I feel I have a right to be.

But there’s a lot of good to be recognized and enjoyed. And on that note, I have some stories to review here that I’m head over heels in love with! Specifically my new favorite fairytale retelling and an epic sci-fi—and also a heart-rending anime that’s surprising me with how invested I’ve become.

Here we goooo!

Screen Subplots

Aquaman

After not really enjoying Batman v. Superman and Justice League, I had low expectations for this one. I even told my brother I thought it would be the superhero version of Barbie mermaids.

But it actually turned out decently better than that. The plot was pretty derivative and predictable—claim the weapon and take your rightful place as king, Arthur, and don’t forget the obligatory arena fight along the way—but it had some good moments, like Arthur’s parents’ backstory! Also some funny moments, like what’s-her-face (*checks Google* oh, it’s Mera) memorizing a prophecy after hearing it once.

And the visuals were stunning. Underwater scenes seem like a hard thing to pull off, but the effects and cinematography were beautiful!

All in all, probably not the first movie I’d grab for a rewatch, but it was leagues ahead of some of the recent DC movies, in my opinion. (Ha, see what I did there?)

EXO Next Door

K-pop is a guilty pleasure of mine, and the band EXO is my first love in the genre. Sooo a comedic K-drama featuring the EXO members was something I couldn’t pass up. 😛 (Technically this is a show, but when watched back to back, the episodes blend seamlessly. So… it felt like a movie.)

My sisters and I laughed the whole way through, and not because the comedy was all that brilliant, but because everything was so CHEESY. It was basically a Disney Channel-esque plotline, but with a Korean twist. A girl who gets tongue-tied around boys ends up housecleaning for some of the EXO guys* on vacation, one of whom secretly has a past with her.

*Their characters are supposed to be themselves, but the script is *cough* a wee bit stilted.

Cue the love triangle, uber-dramatic jokes, quirky sibling, and getting locked in a hidden passageway with one of the love interests!

It was one of those things that is objectively not that amazing, but so worth it if you’re a fan of EXO… which I’m assuming not many here are, so moving on… 😆

TV Shows

EXO Climb the Ladder Season 2 // MORE EXO, I’M SORRY. I watched three more episodes with my sisters this month. Much fun.

Once Upon a Time Season 4 // After logging in another four episodes, my siblings and I are SO close to finishing our rewatch of this season! And in comparison to the trash fire that is Season 7, I’m realizing I quite liked the rising action of S4.

Once Upon a Time Season 7 // IT IS FINISHED. I saw the final two episodes and I am done OUAT after who-knows-how-many years watching it. As much as I adored the first few seasons, and enjoyed the middle seasons, the final season was sadly a slog to get through. Like I mentioned last month, I have Thoughts, so expect a blog post in the near-ish future!

Attack on Titan Season 1 // Hello, new favorite show! My siblings dragged me kicking and screaming through eight episodes this month—and the reason I’m screaming is because IT’S SO GOOD and EVERYONE’S GONNA DIE, HELP. The character development, crazy stakes, and plot twists are fantastic and I’m here for it. (Somebody needs to give Armin a hug, okay.)

Page Storylines

The Wish Granter // C.J. Redwine // 5 Stars

Guys, I found one of my new favorite fairytale retellings.

While I enjoyed The Shadow Queen last summer, I LOVED The Wish Granter. Something about the southern kingdom of Sundraille, the character chemistry, and (of course) the fact that this is a RUMPELSTILTSKIN retelling was just… *chef’s kiss*

For starters, Ari is not a typical princess. In fact, she wasn’t even treated as a princess until the beginning of this book, because as one of the king’s bastard twins, she amounted to very little, politically speaking. Circumstances thrust her into the limelight, however, and now she has a ton more responsibility to contend with. Her intelligence, confidence, pragmatic nature, and passion for food made me love her. She can talk her way out of anything and serve you bacon while she’s doing it.

Then there’s Sebastian. This boy landed on my good side immediately because I love his name, but he also turned out to be a total softie with a tragic past–and I know that sounds cliché, but trust me. He’s amazing. The way he overcame the abuse from his past, faced his weaknesses square in the face, and slowly began to feel safe and at home in Ari’s presence… PARDON THE FANGIRLING, BUT I SHIP THEM SO MUCH.

Ari’s twin brother, Thad, wasn’t in here much, but he was precious too. So was her best friend, Cleo.

Another shining point in this story’s favor is Teague. I was worried at first that he would follow in the footsteps of the iconic Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time, but Teague was very much his own person while still hitting the must-have Rumpelstiltskin traits. He was positively chilling. I feel like not many villains are truly scary, but he was preeeetty darn creepy and intimidating. For the longest time, I couldn’t see how he could be beaten. He also well and truly shocked me a couple times, so props to C.J. Redwine for not pulling punches.

I’ve seen some reviews saying the plot was slow, but I honestly didn’t find it dragged at all. Something was always developing, whether it was Ari’s mission to save her brother from his deadly deal with the Wish Granter, the relationship between Ari and Sebastian (can we call them Aribastian? yes? yes.), the subplot with Hansel and Gretel (loved!), or Sebastian’s dogged determination to keep Ari safe.

(Speaking of which, I really appreciated Ari’s maturity toward Sebastian. She gave him space to breathe, respected him instead of pitying him, and affirmed his identity in such a powerful way.)

And… you know you’re reading a good retelling when one of the ORIGINAL PLOT POINTS from the ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE still takes you by surprise. I was too caught up in the story to remember what was coming.

My only complaint is that I wish a couple things about the ending hadn’t happened so fast; for one magical thing in particular, I could’ve used a smidgen more clarity.

But this book was delicious, and I’m already pining away for book 3. Five golden spinning wheels from me!!!

Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods: 12 Ways You Can Unlock God’s Word // Rick Warren // 3 Stars

As this book is more of a reference or how-to guide, the reading is a bit dry. I think I’ll get more enjoyment out of it when I actually start to use the different Bible study methods it laid out.

It has step-by-step instructions for how to study by book, chapter, verse, topic, Biblical figure, etc., which will give me a solid place to start diving into the Word more systematically.

There’s a lot of emphasis on personal application, which is great, and one of the appendices serves as a reminder not to let devotional time become a dry, religious ritual.

So I’m giving this 3 stars for reading experience and anticipating something closer to 5 stars when I put these Bible study methods to use!

Morning Star // Pierce Brown // 5 Stars

What an emotional rollercoaster. I went from shocked to saddened to laughing to “I’m ready to throw this book across the room because SO-AND-SO, YOU CAN’T BE THAT STUPID.” (All in a good way, you understand.) And that was just the first hundred pages.

(MILD SPOILERS AHEAD, by the way.)

This monstrous book took me three weeks to read, and usually my enjoyment of a book starts to decline if it takes me that long. But even though some sections were a little slow-paced, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

In fact, this might be one of the best-written revolution plots I’ve EVER read.

There are horrendous choices to be made. Consequences. Impossible alliances and heartbreaking betrayals. Underneath the Colors that define class, humanity shows its true nature, both the ugly and the beautiful.

Darrow is the perfect person to be at the helm of this revolution. His fear, perceptiveness, drive, fury, and love are crazy inspiring. But he’s not alone—and the fact that his friends are with him through all of this, willing to die for the dream of a better world… I choked up a couple times, okay? They’ve been to hell and back. I have so much love for Sevro, Mustang, even Cassius and Roque.

And those plot twists left me reeling, gasping, at times unwilling to turn the page because of how bad things got for the characters. But despite the grit, the bloody violence, the death, hope prevailed. It was messy and incomplete, but it was real.

I would be happy right here at the end of book 3 without continuing the sequels… but a dreadful part of me knows I’ll keep reading because I need to find out how everything will be ruined again in book 4, haha.

This series isn’t for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. But if you’re okay with a high level of grit, I can’t recommend these books enough. They’ll take you through a storm of impossible—and I mean impossible—odds and show you a light on the other side. Plus the sheer brilliance of the plot and character development will blow your mind.

I can’t think of anything else to say that wouldn’t spoil things, so…

Per aspera ad astra, my friends.

Have you read/watched any of these? Did you make it to the end of Once? What’s the best story you’ve consumed this month, either on the page or the screen?

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