Science fiction author
The traditional star system is just a bit limited in what it can tell a potential reader/viewer about what someone thought of a particular story. To make things plain and simple, here’s the breakdown of my system so you can understand at a glance why a book/movie/show received a particular
Madeleine’s Score: Loved it—telling everyone about it!(5/5 cool points) A few weeks ago, I decided to rewatch Netflix’s Daredevil series. I devoured each season when they originally came out several years ago, and I’ve rewatched them individually at one point or another. But upon my recent binge of the whole
Continue readingDaredevil (S1): Superior Superhero Storytelling
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson Madeleine’s score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) What if there were people with superpowers? And what if they were all villains? In the near future, Epics have taken over the world. In the U.S.—now called the Fractured States—Epics do as they please,
Madeleine’s Score: Enjoyed it—would watch it again (4/5 cool points) Gus is just a normal kid. He loves his dad, reading books, playing with his stuffed animal named “Dog,” and guzzling sugar. There’s just one thing… He’s part-deer. The world fell ten years ago during “The Great Crumble” when a
Continue readingSweet Tooth: An Endearing Tale about a Very Special Boy
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey Madeleine’s Score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) “The burn patrols have to be really careful, because there are lots of hungries still out there. If they get your scent, they’ll follow you for a hundred miles, and
Continue readingThe Girl with All the Gifts: Believable Zombie Apocalypse
Madeleine’s Score: Made myself finish it (2/5 cool points) Welcome to New World, a recently colonized planet where all male humans and animals have “noise” that everyone can hear and see. “Noise” is comprised of a man’s innermost thoughts, which appear in both audio and visual forms around his head at
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher Madeleine’s Score: Enjoyed it—would read it again (4/5 cool points) “…if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the
Continue readingA Boy and His Dog at the End of the World: Loyalty Epitomized
Madeleine’s Score: Loved it—telling everyone about it! (5/5 cool points) A Quiet Place is in my top five favorite post-apocalyptic movies of all time, and because A Quiet Place: Part II heads to theaters at the end of May 2021, it seemed an excellent choice for my first movie review.
Continue readingA Quiet Place: Familial Love Amid Terrifying Silence
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Madeleine’s Score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) It’s the end of the world as we know it, all thanks to a new strand of swine flu that takes people out in a number of hours. Now, fifteen years later,
Continue readingStation Eleven: Fragmented Storytelling in a Questionable World
Bird Box by Josh Malerman Madeleine’s Score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) Malorie is pregnant and finds herself suddenly alone in a world where people are dying just by looking at mysterious creatures who have taken up residence on Earth. We see her in the present
Continue readingBird Box: Great Premise, Missed Opportunities