Good Girls Don't Talk to Wolves

Enchanted by all things fairy tale-related, I know the film Red Riding Hood will be sure to impress. In just a few short weeks, I'll be at the movies, enraptured by Amanda Seyfried's performance as Little Red while chewing away on some twizzlers. What particularly draws me to this film is the fact that it's a darker interpretation of a childhood classic. I love it when someone takes an archetypal story and reinvents it completely, adding unexpected twists that bring the tale to a new level. This being so, I couldn't resist checking out Sarah Blakley-Cartwright's book version of the screenplay written by David Leslie Johnson. Besides which, a recent Barnard graduate with a published novel? Impressive.

As director Catherine Hardwicke explains in her introduction, Red Riding Hood the novel was written to draw out the relationships of the characters in fuller detail, tackling the emotions felt and what it means to grow up in a village crippled with fear of the big bad wolf. A wolf hunter's arrival triggers a witch hunt of sorts where innocent villagers are accused of being werewolves and loyalties are tested like never before. In the midst of this, Valerie has to face the loss of her sister Lucie and choose between two suitors: the golden boy of the village and the town rebel that is wrong for her in all the right ways. Plus she has to sacrifice herself to the wolf before the blood moon wanes. No pressure at all. Don't worry, Grandmother is still in the story, but unlike legend says, she's more than capable of taking care of herself out there in the woods.

My first impressions? Hats off to Blakley-Cartwright. Her descriptions of the surrounding landscape and ensuing events are poetic in tone yet very relatable to the teenage girl. She captures perfectly the struggles of growing up and trying to do the right thing when you're tempted by something else entirely. However, I do wish she had explored the village relationships even more and strengthened Valerie's internal monologue. As a reader, I felt a little too far removed from the characters of the story so that when I finished the book, I still didn't know them well enough and sensed that there was more to tell.

I hope the film will answer my lingering questions!

Think Pink

As Valentine Season dictates, the more pink the better.  Love is in the air, pink is everywhere...and my attempts at being poetic flounder.  Despite practicing on my long distance best friend, I may be lacking in mushy lines this year, but nevertheless can deliver one gem guaranteed to spice up your Valentine's Day.

Pinkalicious, written by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann, introduces a little girl who loves the color pink more than anything else.  She is so devoted to her passion that she insists on eating pink cupcakes (because, let's face it, they taste better when they're pink).  After surpassing her cupcake limit tenfold, Pinkalicious wakes up the following morning to discover that her fleshy hue has undergone a dramatic transformation.  She doesn't mind so much, though.  Just like her favorite cupcakes, Pinkalicious feels more beautiful (and special) in her magenta shade.

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too much pink, as this little lady is sure to find out.  Will Pinkalicious learn the art of moderation or will she indulge to the point of no return?  Marvel at the supremely fuchsia illustrations that seem to pop out of every page.  Chuckle at the influx of clever pink puns.  Overdose on pink (and love every minute of it).