BOOK REVIEW: 'Daughter of Smoke & Bone' by Laini Taylor

A good many of my reviews are autobiographical, but this one will be particularly so. There's a reason for it, though, and it's not like we bloggers aren't more than a little narcissistic anyway, so just indulge me.

A few months ago, with January 2012 approaching, I resolved to read more young adult fiction. This was not something I did when I actually was a young adult. I was too busy proving I was grown-up and intense, devouring Stephen King, Clive Barker and any other dark tomes I thought could impress my friends. My friends were never impressed (I wasn't surrounded by a lot of readers in high school.), but I did get some good reading done. The end result, though, was that I left young adulthood having read virtually none of the fiction written for my age group.

Now, firmly entrenched in adulthood (though doing my best to refuse to act like it), I'm surrounded by adults who read young adult. My girlfriend Kimberly reads and writes about it extensively , and she frequently leans over whilst in the middle of a new title to let me know that she thinks I might actually enjoy it. We're both ravenous consumers of all things genre fiction, so I tend to take those recommendations seriously. 

At last all of these things converged: desires to read outside my comfort zone, to know more about a field of fiction the serious readers around me love and to simply find more good stories to devour. It just so happened that when these things did converge, the book that everyone was talking about was Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
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Kimberly was raving about it, it's a fantasy novel, it didn't involve sexy vampires of any stripe and, perhaps most importantly for me, it wasn't written in present tense. I have no objection to the decision of any writer to use present tense in their narrative, but I often find it tedious to read, and present tense YA novels are legion these days. But I have digressed long enough. On to the book...

Karou is a young artist living and studying in Prague, but she's more than just that unusual teenage girl these stories tend to begin with. Karou has spent her life in two worlds. In one she's a teenage girl with a talent for art and picking the wrong guys. In the other she's a kind of errand girl for Brimstone, a chimaera who collects (among other things) human teeth for a breed of wish magic not even Karou fully understands.

It's a strange life, but it's all Karou knows. She steps through magical portals to run errands for Brimstone throughout the world, he rewards her with her own small wishes. Things being to change when black handprints begin appearing on doors all over the world, and suddenly Karou is thrust into a war she never knew existed, a war between angels and chimaera that she happens to be a central part of. 

That's all the plot description I'm attempting, mostly because the tale that Taylor weaves here is much too rich for book jacket copy. So many fantasy novels (YA and otherwise) fall into the trap of convenient plotting. You can see where it's going from the first page. For some readers that doesn't mean things are any less satisfying, but it does mean that you never feel like you're being told a real honest story. 

With Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Taylor seems to be telling every other novelist working in her field that this is how it's done.  This story doesn't dryly progress. It unfolds like a poisonous flower until you can't bear not knowing what happens next. This is thanks in part to Taylor's vivid and lyrical prose, but also to what seems to be a humble yet firm commitment to defy the predictability of paranormal fiction. This is not a story that you can easily sum up to your friends, or one that you can quickly recap in a review. This is a story that you experience, that you get lost in, page by page.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is proof that young adult fiction can resonate well beyond its intended audience. It's a staggering work of fantasy - imaginative, bold and surprising. Laini Taylor's gorgeously dark book will sweep you in and never let go. 

12 Must-See Films of 2012

Noomi Rapace in 'Prometheus'

Make no mistake, 2011 was a big year at the movies, but it’s nothing compared to what 2012 will be. It’s a year of big names pushing big movies with big ideas, and I can’t wait. Here are the 12 films I’m most excited to check out this year, in order of release.

John Carter (March 9)

Directed Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) steps away from animation to get his shot at a major blockbuster with Disney’s adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars. It’s a major sci-fi epic co-written by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon, and Stanton is a visual dynamo.

The Avengers (May 4)

Joss Whedon (the nerd god behind things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity) takes the helm of the biggest superhero movie ever made, bringing together Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk and other Marvel Comics superheroes into one supermovie.

Moonrise Kingdom (May 25)

Wes Anderson is one of the most original cinematic storytellers of the last 20 years, and this is his latest, a period piece with a cast that includes Bill Murray, Bruce Willis and Edward Norton.

Prometheus (June 8)

Ridley Scott returns to science fiction with this epic tale of space explorers who encounter something they never expected. Loosely connected to his classic film Alien, this is Scott’s chance to play with big ideas about human existence, and it might be the best sci-fi film you see all year.

Brave (June 22)

After 15 years as the best movie studio in the world, Pixar Animation has finally made a film with a female protagonist. Early trailers for Brave promise it will be one of the best family-friendly adventures of the year.

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)

Christopher Nolan concludes his Batman trilogy with what promises to be its most ambitious installment. A new villain, a new era and the end of the greatest chapter in Batman’s cinematic odyssey.

Twylight Zones (Oct. 19)

David Chase, the genius behind The Sopranos, makes his feature film debut this year with a rock ‘n’ roll coming of age story set in 1960s New Jersey.

Skyfall (Nov. 9)

This is the year that we finally get another Daniel Craig James Bond film. As an added bonus, it’s got a cast that includes the likes of Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes, and it’s directed by the great Sam Mendes.

Gravity (Nov. 21)

Alfonso Cuaron, widely viewed as a sci-fi visionary, directs George Clooney and Sandra Bullock in this tale of two astronauts trapped on a failing space station.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Dec. 14)

Peter Jackson returns to Middle-earth with the first installment in his two part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel. Much of the original Lord of the Rings cast returns as well, including Sir Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis.

This Is Forty (Dec. 21)

Judd Apatow returns to the director’s chair this year with his fourth film, starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprising their roles from his second film – Knocked Up – and dealing with the perils and pitfalls of middle age.

Django Unchained (Dec. 25)

Quentin Tarantino is finally making a full-blown Western. That’s more than enough to get me excited.

My Top 10 Films of 2011

It was an odd year for me, movie-wise. I didn’t see as many films as I planned to see, and some of them I saw far later than I’d hoped to. It was a year of jostling, and far too little time was spent at the cinema. This means I didn’t see all the movies people like me are “supposed” to see, but it also means that I saw 2011’s cinema scene in a different way. I ended up not focusing on the essentials, not following the critical beaten path, and in that way I think that makes my Top 10 list stand out, if only because I was too lazy or irresponsible to make it like everyone else’s. Whatever the case, here are the 10 best films I saw last year.

10. Hanna

Joe Wright is known best for English period dramas like Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. But then he turned his cinematic sensibilities on this sci-fi tinged thriller, and the results were astounding. Hanna might be derivative. It might even be predictable, but you’d be hard pressed to find another film of its kind more beautifully and grippingly put together.

9. 50/50

With 50/50, screenwriter Will Reiser took his own life story and spun something extraordinary: a comedy that takes the darkness of cancer and turns it into something life-affirming, bright and thoroughly funny. It might not be the first time it’s been done, but it might be the most effective.

8. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

This film and director David Fincher were made for each other. Following up his brilliant The Social Network with something much more visceral, Fincher brings all his raw power to bear on Steven Zaillian’s screenplay based on the international bestseller. The result is a primal, intense film of gorgeously dark visuals, strong performances and haunting moments.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

It took a decade to complete the eight film saga that is the Harry Potter story, but it was worth the wait. With most film franchises, you’re lucky if the first three manage to maintain any kind of quality. This franchise just kept getting better, and with the final installment, director David Yates cemented his reputation as a fantasy master. It was the goodbye fans deserved, but it was also a film that overcame the pressure of sequelization and became truly great in its own right.

6. Bridesmaids

Last year will go down as the year that both Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy became superstars, and this movie is a large part of why. It’s truly one of the best comedies of the last decade, full of heart and courage and a genuine love of storytelling. Wiig and her entire band of co-conspirators absolutely shine.

5. Moneyball

Sports movies can be a hard sell, but Moneyball bypasses that difficulty by making itself about so much more than sports. Based on the true story of the man who built the Oakland Athletics from Major League Baseball joke to world class franchise, Moneyball is both inspiring and relentlessly entertaining.

4. Super 8

I didn’t expect to love this film as much as I did, but it was easily one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had in a while. Nostalgic, magical and addictive, J. J. Abrams’ homage to creature features and Spielberg-style alien adventures is a true science fiction masterpiece.

3. Midnight In Paris

In his best film since Annie Hall, Woody Allen creates an intoxicating mix of romance and fantasy that sweeps you away from the first frame and never lets go. Midnight In Paris is a work of magic by one of our finest filmmakers, and a hefty blow to cynicism at the movies.

2. The Tree of Life

You will not take in everything The Tree of Life has to offer in a single viewing. It’s impossible, and it’s both a great virtue and a curse to Terrence Malick’s latest opus. It means some will never get their head around it, and others will never want to. But if you are patient, and if you are willing to simply allow the film to take you where it wants to go, you will be rewarded. It’s nonlinear, it’s abstract and it’s often puzzling, but Tree of Life is also lyrical, gorgeous and simply awe-inspiring.

1. Hugo

Before last year, the idea that Martin Scorsese would make a family film was ludicrous to some (including me). The idea that he would knock it out of the park was even more ludicrous, but Hugo proves everyone wrong. In many ways it’s Scorsese’s most personal film, a love letter to visual storytelling and to the history of the movies. But beyond the obvious intimacy of its subject is a fantastical film that proves once again that Scorsese is America’s greatest living filmmaker. For its ambition, its beauty, its power and its spellbinding emotional weight, Hugo is the best film of 2011.

The Best Books of 2011

In 2011 I read 212 books. I mention this because I’m often asked about my reading frequency by readers of my book reviews, but also because I’m frankly quite proud of it. It’s the most I’ve ever read in the space of 12 months, and in 2011 more so than any other year (so far), I made a very conscious effort to read currently, to try to keep up with new releases even as I tracked down old books that I hadn’t yet trudged through. Of the numerous new releases I read last year, these were the best. They include everything from nonfiction to children’s literature to comic books (do not be cynical about comics, please), and I believe the range of subject matter is broad enough that there’s something for nearly every reading taste here. In no particular order, these are my best books of 2011.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Too many people have written Stephen King off as a dinosaur, a once titanic writer churning out the last few pellets of story he has left before he fades away. I never believed that, but for those of you who did, this is the book that will change your mind. The thrilling story of a man who travels through a portal back in time to the late 1950s and attempts to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 11/22/63 is King’s most ambitious novel since “The Stand,” and cements him back at the pinnacle of great American storytellers.

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton

Step away from the TV. Turn off your “Chopped,” your “Top Chef” and your “Hell’s Kitchen.” Forget everything you think you know about chefs. Now read Gabrielle Hamilton’s raw, warm and exhilarating memoir spanning her entire life and detailing how everything along the way taught her not just how to cook, but how to take care of herself and everyone she feeds. This book will seduce and embrace you. For a particularly addictive experience, find the audiobook and hear Hamilton read the story herself.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Darkness in children’s stories is a trend that’s not going away anytime soon (it's been there all along, really), but few storytellers can tackle that darkness with the tenderness that Patrick Ness can. Taking the final idea of the late author Siobhan Dowd and spinning it into a tale all his own,  A Monster Calls is Ness’ magnificent fable about loss, life and taming our own demons.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean

Susan Orlean is one of the most gifted American nonfiction writers working today, and she tells the story of one of America’s first superstar dogs with enthusiasm and beautifully rendered prose. Rin Tin Tin is both an entertaining biography and a powerful study of American celebrity.

Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba

Daytripper was originally published as a limited comic book series in 2010. The trade paperback that collected every issue was released in 2011, and quickly won most of the major comics awards such a collection can win. If you think comics are only about superheroes, don’t miss this lyrical, heartbreaking story about how quickly a man’s life can change, and how easily we can all forget the moments that matter most.

Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt

I read a number of books by funny people in 2011, but it was Patton Oswalt’s that rose above the others and presented itself as a truly great work of humor writing. Part memoir, part collection of biting, uproarious and often simply insane observations, Zombie Spaceship Wasteland is proof that Oswalt can be funny in any medium he tries.

The Cut  by George Pelecanos

George Pelecanos might have more soul than any other crime writer working today. The Cut is only the latest in a series of almost unbelievably good novels. If you’re not reading Pelecanos, you’re missing one of the most important voices in crime fiction.

Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham

Bill Willingham is best known for his work on the critically acclaimed fairy tale comic book series Fables. With his second novel, he has charted new territory for himself as an exciting children’s writer. Drawing on L. Frank Baum’s Oz and a number of other influences, Willingham crafts a tale that’s both a complex allegory for the life of a story and a thrilling adventure for readers of nearly any age.

Life Itself: A Memoir by Roger Ebert

The world’s most famous film critic has always been autobiographical in the way he writes about the movies, so it comes as no surprise that his autobiography would be just as insightful and beautifully rendered as any of his hundreds of reviews. “Life Itself” might be the best thing Roger Ebert’s ever written, because he approaches the potentially ego-stroking exercise of memoir writing with grace, courage and uncommon humility. The result is an uplifting and inspired book.

A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

Readers of George R. R. Martin’s acclaimed fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire (basis for the hit HBO series Game of Thrones) had to wait half a decade for this, the fifth installment, to finally arrive. It was worth the wait. In his most sweeping novel yet, Martin charts the course of dozens of characters in a broad range of locales and does so with sharp, vivid prose and his addictive, characteristically unpredictable storytelling. After 15 years, this series just keeps getting better.

MOVIE REVIEW: 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'

The "I'm James Bond" line doesn't work on her.

The last time David Fincher made a crime film, it was the vastly underrated Zodiac, a film about obsession made with obsessive precision. There, the challenge was making a convincing, gripping crime thriller without a truly satisfying ending. Now, as he tackles the first novel in Swedish novelist Stieg Larsson’s ultra-bestselling trilogy, the challenge seems to be making a convincing, gripping crime thriller that seemingly everyone always knows the ending to.

A sizeable number of people who go to see Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are there to either prove that the book is better, or to prove that the 2009 Swedish film starring Noomi Rapace is better. As with any film popularly termed a “remake,” skepticism is the prevailing moviegoing attitude. But there are remakes and there are adaptations, and Fincher and screenwriter Steven Zaillian (who won an Oscar for Schindler’s List) have made a film that is decidedly the latter. Their Dragon Tattoo mines Larsson’s often overstuffed book for what’s best in it – the deepest, darkest, juiciest parts – and the result is a compelling, often harrowing thriller.

After a court case damages both his reputation and his financial future, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) retreats from his life in Stockholm to take an intriguing but seemingly futile assignment. Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy but fading tycoon with a family full of dark secrets, recruits Blomkvist to attempt to discover who murdered his great-niece Harriet on the family’s remote island some 40 years earlier. Her body was never found, no suspect has ever been narrowed down, and there are few clues.

As Blomkvist dives into his assignment, we get to know Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), Larsson’s iconic character, the titular Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She’s a computer hacker and surveillance expert doing research work for an investigation firm, but she doesn’t enjoy visiting the office. She’s different, as her employer says, “in every way.” Her body is a mass of pale flesh, ink, piercings and awkward, often paranoid movement. She doesn’t get along well with other people, and mental issues have made her a nearly permanent ward of the state.

Lisbeth’s early struggles in the film center on her relationship with her new state-appointed guardian. She was friendly with her old one, but a stroke incapacitated him, and now she’s stuck with Bjurman (Yorick  van Wageningen), a slimy man who forces her to trade sexual favors for access to money in what are among the most excruciating scenes you’ll ever see in a mainstream American film.

As Blomkvist interviews members of the Vanger family, including Henrik’s great nephew and Harriet’s brother Martin (Stellan Skarsgard), he feels his work on the case deepen and broaden. He asks for a research assistant, and the family lawyer recommends Salander (she did the background check on him). The unlikely pair meets, Salander agrees to help, and they set out on a mission to catch the killer who murdered not just Harriet, but a number of other women throughout Sweden in a series of bizarre, religion-motivated killings.

Dragon Tattoo is a dense web of story packed with characters, chronology, clues and dark themes centered on darker deeds. The filmmaker who can successfully commit it to the screen needs patience, and Fincher has it in plenty. For more than two hours he deliberately and skillfully constructs a mystery, building it to a crescendo with gorgeous photography, an outstanding cast and the precise intensity that defined his work on films like “Seven.” Zaillian aids in this effort with his beautifully honed screenplay, drawing out all the details of the story that make it powerful, while paring down what’s unnecessary. It’s a master class in true adaptation.

The search for an actress to play Salander made national entertainment headlines. Every actress even close to the right age seemed to be vying for the role. Scarlett Johansson, Keira Knightly and even Harry Potter star Emma Watson wanted the part. Fincher picked Mara out of this star-studded field, a virtual unknown who he worked with briefly on The Social Network, in part because he didn’t want the stigma that came from placing a big star in such a distinctive and rough role. Scarlett Johansson as Salander would never have been Salander. It would have been Scarlett Johansson with black hair and a few fake tattoos. But as you watch this film, it becomes clear that he also picked Mara because she owns this character.

Mara vanishes into Salander’s skin with a fearlessness that matches Fincher’s own. She maintains a constant intensity without ever once overacting, and her performance is often so subtle that you can’t see that she’s changing until after she’s deep into a new phase. Salander may seem like an archetype, but there are deeper things to explore here, and Mara nails that search time and time again. She understands this role, she embraces it with courage and confidence, and she rules this movie, which is no small feat considering every other member of the cast – including Craig – is performing at the top of their game.

Though it might be too slow for some, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a rewarding experience for those with the patience and the stomach to experience it in full. David Fincher has once again proven that he deserves his place among America’s best filmmakers. Forget everything you might have been expecting and just experience this film. Dragon Tattoo is bold, dark, rich with detail and honed to an almost laser precision, and never once does it feel exploitative or even close to a remake. If you want to see a master director bringing all his powers to bear on a massively talented cast and an internationally renowned story of uncompromising brutality, don’t miss this film.