In Which I Review 'Death Note'

Death Note Volume One

  I don't know if anyone even bothers to read this but its a good stress release for me so I'm going to keep with it.
    Don't let the name scare you. No, seriously don't. I remember having my doubts as I stood in the library, reading the back of the book. It seemed a little too morbid for me to enjoy. But after 45 minutes and one volume I had fallen head over heels in love with the series, the characters and the plot.
Here's a summary I snagged from Goodreads.com:
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?
Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note's powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is the strange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know?
Plot: 10/10    This book is not your average Shonen manga (Shonen is manga aimed at boys but many girls also read it). It examines our ideas of right and wrong, fear and even life after death! Light is killing villains but is killing so many people really okay? And what about when you might have to kill innocents to maintain your goals? I enjoyed the fact that this series could make you think and wasn't just fighting ( which can, surprisingly get tiring) but also had a nice amount of action.There were several scenes that were edge of your seat action, mainly with the police force(But Light does get some fight time). It was very wordy but I saw that as part of Death Note's unusual charm. It also gave you a real sense of being in the character's head because the author included all the possible actions the character considered and why they were good/bad.

Characters: 8/10 The characters in Death Note were very original.Ryuk the Shinigami had dropped the Death Note out of boredom because he wanted to see who would pick it up and use it.Doesn't that say enough about his personality? Light could have fallen under the typical 'good boy gone bad' except for he still did very well in school while in possession of the Death Note. Not to mention he was very calm and collected. And the detective L...don't get me started on L! L was probably my favorite character. He was wacky, sugar addicted, (insanely) intelligent and pretty cool looking. L and Light are the two main characters and they were both perfect(ly unique) enemies. There were a few stereotypical characters such as Misa Amane (The cute, peppy ditz) and Matsuda (The goofball) but overall very original development in the way of personalities.
Art: 10/10 The art here was done by someone other that the author (Takeshi Obata did the art, Tsugumi Ohba the plot). I thought they were a great team. The manga art style was very different than anything I had ever experienced at the time I read it and I loved how much more realistic the art felt. Since it took place in a modern day world the realistic art somehow made it more tangible for me.There were also detailed scenes which clearly had a lot of effort put into them (I couldn't tell if Obata or one of his poor assistants did the work) There was never a moment where I couldn't tell which character was which because of the art. It was pretty awesome drawing.
Other Notes: Death Note rocks! I also watched the Anime which I highly recommend (It follows Death Note's manga plot exactly). The voices seem to fit perfectly too not to mention the voice actors actually speak with *gasp* emotion! My experiences with the Death Note fanbase have also been pretty good so I recommend you investigate that if you're a fan!

Overall: 94/100
1-20= NEVER read this
21-40= Meh.
41-60= If you really want to read this
61-80= Enjoyed, but not the best
81-100= Awesome, totally reccomended
Death Note  PASSES!!!

DFTBA,
Sophia

In Which I am an Open Minded Nerd

    Doctor Who? Is the most common reply people make when I mention my favorite television show.  I then do an internal sigh and go into a speech explaining The Doctor, The TARDIS and a variety of other things people familiar with the show will understand. I try not to shake these people violently and scream "How do you NOT  know Doctor Who?????" Alas, many people aren't very familiar with it.
    I am not a very patient person, if you hadn't guessed. I don't like having to explain my fandoms to people, especially when they follow up my explanation with "That's weird" or "I still don't get it." So how do I stop myself from slamming my head on a table repeatedly?
Simple. Sort of.
1) Remember when you were a n00b. 
Oh, goodness that brings back memories. I can recall when I thought Daleks were called Darlings because of how those darned British people speak. I can remember when I thought The Doctor was human. I can remember when...okay, I will be quiet now. But honestly, when talking to them I think of them as people newly introduced to the series. What would I have wanted someone to say to me when I was little and confused?
2) Recommend a jumping-off point in the series
Instead of staring at someone who hasn't seen Star Wars with a confused look I try to recommend where they should start by saying "You should check out A New Hope. It's pretty fantastic." Hopefully they will join me as a fellow nerd before long.
3)Take a deep breath and get ready to answer questions
My parents were definitely confused by their daughter's newfound interest in Doctor Who. Understandably it didn't make much sense to them. I just had to talk. A lot. So mainly on this point keep calm and carry on (you got that didn't you? Aren't I hilarious?).

Hopefully you were enlightened by my genius and will use these tips when encountering a newbie or regular person.
DFTBA,
Sophia

   

In which I Write an Ode to Computer Games

Oh computer games,

You make me hate myself!

I stare at you alluring glow

Until my eyes ache

And then I play some more.

Because I just need to win

This game.

You are a fatal addiction

similar to drugs

When can I quit?

You reply

"Never"

But what about rest?

Oh who needs that

When I have the internet

And Armor Games

John Green, the Genius.

Just read it.

Stories

   Today, I was reminded again of my class label of "best writer". It was given to me when I received some praise on a short story I wrote in the beginning of the year. It was kind of a class joke, although it isn't that funny anymore. Worst part is, I thought I had finally shaken the label.
    Because when people think I'm a good writer they ask to see my work.

    I don't want to show them my work.

    It's true I have written dozens of short stories and poems, 3 fanfictions and a novella but only a fraction of those have been deemed appropriate to go off into the world. And even those I don't really want to share, I'm forced to for a passing ELA grade. But what is it about my stories that makes me so afraid to let others read them?
    Let me explain it in a metaphorical sense. My writings are my kids. Would you shove your kids out into the world randomly, even when they're not ready? Would you leave them to fend for themselves? I don't know much about parenting but I do know it's best not to ship someone out until they're mature enough.
And you may ask, "Knowing your mentality Sophia, would the stories ever be ready?"
I can't say I know the answer to that. Some of my poems may never meet the mark. Some of my stories may just be a little too boring but I'm slowly easing into the mindset of a writer. It's hard but occasionally I'll share a story.
   
    But I'm also afraid that people will hate my work.

    That ghost story I wrote? Too choppy. The play? The dialogue was too unrealistic. What will people think after they finish reading something I wrote? What if they hate it? What if they hate me? I honestly want everyone to like my writing. I know that's not possible but I still want it. That's part of why I don't share. I don't want to be rejected. I've hardly ever been rejected before and I don't know how to cope.

So how does one improve not only their writing but their mindset too? I'm not sure. I guess I'll figure it out as I go along.

    

Finals

    This week has been filled with tests. The tests themselves aren't particularly difficult but everything else associated with finals has been taking a heavy toll on my body. My legs ache from sitting in a seat for so long. My head hurts from all the stress and I'm up late worrying. Every day I get less and less rest until I can barely function when I come home on Friday.
    It's a strange kind of misery. I'm depressed but I don't really have time to dwell on it because BOOM, it's off to the next event. Even when I have the chance to collapse the light and noise or family and neighbors irritates me. Testing is exhausting. Being a student is a hard job.
    And when you think about it, what's the point of all these exams? To test what we learned over the year of course but are the results really valid when students are too nervous to properly function? Some kids may take tests with an 'I don't care' attitude but for someone like me, with anxiety issues. Smaller tests or quizzes show a more reliable set of data.
    I don't mean to whine, but one of my biggest worries is my test scores. I honestly can't wait until Summer when all of this is done and over with.

Dear Internet,

Dear Internet,
    My name is Sophia. I'm a teenager who lives in the state of New York in the USA.
    First off, let me say this: I'm not blogging for anyone. I don't care if my blog is totally ignored, not a single person visits it because I'm blogging for me.  I need to vent.
    I used to blog a few months ago but for personal reasons I stopped. In that time a lot of my personal views changed. I realized that during my first time blogging I had been brainwashed to believe certain things. So maybe I can share my new, reinvented self with the world.
    That's all you really need to know, Internet. I'm sure you'll learn more about me as I continue blogging so please, don't abandon me.
Sincerely,
Sophia