Mouthful of Diamonds - Phantogram (Single)

Reviewed by Dream Catcher

Mouthful of Diamonds
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Phantogram is one of those bands you hear by chance and are glad you did. I was listening to the different songs from Mtv's Teen Wolf soundtrack and heard this. I didn't really remember hearing it in the show, but I didn't care. Because I just liked it. I don't really know why. It was a song I'd never heard of by a band I'd never heard of. But it's one of my favorite songs at the moment. I don't deny that I have a new favorite song pretty frequently, but that doesn't mean the song isn't good. This song has an interesting vibe, very different. That's the music I've found I like recently. I'm always trying to find good songs by random bands I've never heard of, lately. It's weird. Like I'm trying to find my new favorite band by chance or fate or destiny or something. That may not happen in the near or distant future, but I've found that I do discover a few good diamonds in the ruff every so often. Example: this song.

It starts off choppy and fuzzy, kind of weird, but that's fine. Then there's some funky almost techno noises and they kind of become the background when the guitar starts. Then the singer starts up. This is probably a weird way to describe this song, but bear with me (I've always wondered...is it bear with me or bare with me...?). I'm a little delusional, but usually that makes an interesting review. I think I just write whatever I'm thinking when I'm tired, so the whole thing comes out in a long and very random rant that really has no relevance to the review, like what I'm writing now...Back to whatever I was saying before. The sounds of the song. Yes, it's kind of techno...to use the term loosely, I guess. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but it sounds different and cool. Perhaps not what everyone likes, but that goes along with anything, not just music. The singer is mellow, like most of the song, really. You can tell the singer's probably not the greatest singer in the world, but you don't have to be to sound good on this song, and the singer certainly doesn't sound BAD or anything. Sounds perfectly fine. Good. The chorus is my favorite sounding part of the whole song because it slows down a little and the singer has some eerie harmony which is pretty cool. The chorus blends together really well, which kind of balances out the rest of the song, which is kind of choppy - or at least choppier.

Lyrics. I won't try and convince you that they're genius song-writers. Because I'm not convinced they are either. But the lyrics aren't bad and I love the chorus. I love the lyrics because they're different. They're not exactly the type of things you hear everyday. I love that kind of thing in a song. When the lyrics are abstract and there are a few different ways you can interpret it. The lyrics really go with the sound of the song, too. I hate when there are these really sad lyrics to happy tunes or vice versa. Here they were fitting, I thought. I just think the lyrics were all-around pretty good. There's this one line that always stands out to me, whenever I look at it, but not in a bad way. It's "I wish I could believe the devils won't take you back out to the salty seas". I think it's the word "salty". It stands out. Not because the seas aren't salty, because they obviously are, but because I haven't heard people describe them as that. It's unexpected, but I like it. I think that describes the whole song, for me. Unexpected, but I like it!
Favorite Line: "You've got a mouthful of diamonds/ and a pocketful of secrets/ I know you're never telling anyone".

Real Teen Rating ~ A : Worth Buying!

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Amanda Lamb- Highwire

Reviewed by The North Star
Song Time: 33 Minutes and 8 Second

Highwire
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Amanda Lamb is fairly new to the music business but she is not afraid to get in and get her CD out there.  When I heard about her CD I couldn't wait to look her up and with a name like Lamb I was guessing that she had to be different, whether that was a good or bad thing.  I was pleasantly surprised when I heard her CD and some songs I listen to quite often


Kiss Me Now- 9/10- This song is beyond catchy.  If you listen to it once it gets stuck in your head for ages and I find myself singing it while walking or going to do something and then the people standing around me get the song stuck in their heads as well.  The lyrics aren't genius but they are fun to listen to.  I can see this song being up-and-coming on the radio and being played at school dances with everyone jumping up and down singing the lyrics.


Love Hate- 7/10- This song has a nice beat and is nice to listen to as long as you don't listen to the lyrics to closely.  When you listen to the lyrics you find that they are an oxymoron.  "I love hating you, I hate loving you". Maybe it is only me but these lyrics are confusing.  I get it if you love hating someone as a form of flirting and if you hate loving someone who is not good for you but, both at the same time doesn't make any sense.  The lyrics are why this gets a 7 but the beat is nice to listen to.


Infinity-8/10- I actually like this song a lot.  I didn't think I was going to because the beginning is weak but when Ryan Calhoun (who is featured in the song) comes in I really enjoy the song.  Their voices blend really well together and I think they make great duet partners. The lyrics to this song are quite cheesy, so be warned that they aren't the best but as long as you let yourself listen to the two voices blend together as one then you will be wanting to listen to the song over and over. 
 
Fallen- 5.5/10-  I don't really enjoy this song that much.  Amanda Lamb has a beautiful voice and this song makes her sound really bad and like someone who is doing mediocre karaoke.  It might have been the way she intended it to sound, she was having an off day or something else unknown but the way this song was recorded does not sound good.  The lyrics to this song are also not that great and like Love Hate don't make sense. "I'm following; My every dream; The ones I'm told; Aren't meant for me; I've fallen". If someone had told me that they had achieved their dream then I would think that they were picking themselves up not the other way around.  This is a flaw in the lyrics or I am just interpreting them a different way then most people but that is another reason why I didn't like this song.  All in all it is ehhh wouldn't recommend it.   


The Life of an Aerialist- 10/10- This is my favorite song on the CD.  The beat makes you want to dance and whip your hair back and forth to the rhythm.  After our interview with Amanda I had a new respect for this song because she talked about how it had to do with her Type-1 diabetes and it made a lot of sense.  An aerialist has an unpredictable life and she also has an unpredictable life as well.  My favorite line from the song is "Pretending I'm fearless; As I'm balancing the highwire".  After listening to this song 5 times in a row I started singing along to the lyrics from the chorus.  Once you listen to the song a couple of times you can't help but sing-a-long and I wouldn't be surprised if this song ended up on the radio!


Hypnosis- 7/10- This is not a song that I would pick to listen to if I was surfing through my iPod.  This is one of those songs that if I was listening to music on shuffle and this song came up I would probably keep it on but that would be the only time I would listen to it.  The beat is nice and makes you want to tap your foot but you would never sing in the car with your friends.  The lyrics (as most of Amanda Lamb songs) are not that good but as long as you don't pay attention to the lyrics you can enjoy the song.  Overall, the song is just OK but not worth $0.99 on iTunes.   


I'll Be Your Moonlight- 6.5/10- I don't hate this song but I don't love this song either.  This song is a lot more mellow than the rest of the songs on her CD.  I actually like the mellowness of this song because I didn't have to look up the lyrics to find out what she was saying.  I could just listen to the song and understand every word she sang.  This was a big bonus towards Amanda with this song.  The thing that bothered me was the actual lyrics.  I'm not sure who is writing these songs but they need to learn the definition of cheesy.  Just looking at the title the song is about what you think.  Also, who would ever tell their boyfriend/guy they like that they will be their moonlight, that does not sound romantic at all.  Although I like the mellowness and her voice sounds pretty on the song the lyrics are too cheesy for me and that is why it gets a 6.5.   


Banish Love- 8/10- I like this song because it has actual meaning unlike the other songs that are all about a girl floating on the clouds because she is so in love.  This song has good lyrics and it seems like someone sat down and really thought about the lyrics for a long time.  This song is about getting rid of love because it just causes heartbreak and then people would just be happier.  The one thing wrong in this song is it is about how girls are the ones getting hurt but I know a few guys who would disagree.  It would have been better if she sang from both points of view, but that is just me being picky.  This song has a nice beat and I love the bridge where they are clapping hands and singing the chorus.  The reason this song is getting an 8 is because its versus' and regular chorus feel disconnected to me and could use a better transition, something to ease you into the heavy beat.  Other than that this song isn't that bad.   


Funny Disaster- 5.5/10- I really don't like this song.  Amanda Lamb does not have a low voice but with this song I think she wants to believe that she had a low voice.  This is one of the lower songs on her CD and her voice goes flat a lot and that is never nice to listen to.  The thing that saves this song from getting a lower grade is the little story that goes with it.  I liked to follow the story throughout the song but when I listened closer I realized that they were a Funny Disaster.  When listening to this song I started to laugh because the lyrics were so silly.  "Love at first sight; we talked all night; but when you didn't accept my friend request; I should have known we were doomed."  I mean if it was love at first sight then why wouldn't he accept the friend request, so it wasn't love.  Another line is "It will take me 10 minutes to get over you". If you really loved someone it would take you a long time to get over them.  This song makes no sense but is funny to listen to for the lyrics.  


Don't Get Me Wrong- 7/10- When I first heard this song I thought that it was an original but I was informed that it is a cover of a song by the Pretenders.  I listened to the original shortly after at first didn't believe that they were the same song.  The original is very upbeat and fast and Amanda Lambs version is really slow and they seem like completely different songs that just happen to have to same lyrics.  Amanda seemed to be going flat on a lot of the notes in this song and I didn't really like it.  It was a good idea for a cover but was not executed that well.  


Real Teen Rating~ C-: Don’t waste your time listening to the whole album

Real Teen Download: The Life of an Aerialist and Kiss Me Now 

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Winnie the Pooh- John Cleese and Jim Cummings

The Gist

Winnie the Pooh
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In the hundred acre wood Pooh Bear, Owl, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore, Tigger and Christopher Robin live and play together.  They all get along and love having adventures with one another.  One morning Pooh wakes up very hungry but when he goes to the cabinet to get some honey there is none left and his tummy starts to make some funny noises.  Pooh is now on a mission to find some honey.  On his way to find honey he bumps into Eeyore and discovers that Eeyore has lost his tail.  Pooh quickly informs Christopher Robin and the gang what has happened and they decide to have a contest and whoever can find the best replacement tail for Eeyore and whoever does wins a pot of honey.  Determined as ever to find Pooh runs everywhere looking for a tail.  While he is looking for a tail and some spare honey he visits Christopher Robin's house and when he gets there he finds that Christopher Robin is not there but he had left a note.  Pooh cannot read the note so he brings it to Owl to decipher.  When he brings it Owl says that Christopher Robin has been taken by a monster referred to as the Backson and they must prepare for battle.  Startled, Pooh runs around trying to help Christopher Robin and find Eeyore a new tail, all on an empty stomach.   

What We Think

Reviewed by The North Star

Run Time: 63 Minutes 

Rating: G

Ever since I was a little kid I was in love with Winnie the Pooh.  The second that I saw the commercial for the new movie I knew that I HAD to see it as soon as  possible.  The next possible opportunity I had to see this movie I snatched up and saw it.  To be honest I was laughing almost the whole time.  It wasn't one of those awkward laughs where you only laugh because the joke was supposed to be funny, I was genuinely laughing.  This movie was thought out from beginning to end.  Something I was afraid of going in was the fact that Disney only made the movie for the sake of making more money and I couldn't have been more wrong.  Even though I'm a teen I enjoyed it just as much as a little kid because Disney threw in some jokes that only adults would understand and kids may not get.  If you are taking one of your kids don't worry, this is a movie you will enjoy and not have to suffer through.

There isn't much to say about the characters because they are the same that they have always been.  Pooh is still the silly bear obsessed with honey.  Piglet is still the worry wart who always gets stuck having to do the brave tasks.  Eeyore is the depressing one who makes everything sad by his pessimistic nature but you can't help but love him anyway.  Rabbit is still paranoid about everything.  Kanga + Roo are two peas in a pod and always stick together.  Owl is the know-it-all who really doesn't know it all and Tigger is bouncing around singing about he is the only Tigger.  The fact that the characters didn't change is something that I love because after all of these years Disney hasn't really touched upon Pooh and after bringing it to the surface their characters could still be buried under the dirt.  Something I loved in this movie was that there seemed to be a lot of interaction between the characters that I had never seen in a Winnie the Pooh movie previously. Before the seemed to be in groups (Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, then Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and Roo) but in this movie they seemed like a huge group of friends who would do anything for each other.  

The small thing that I didn't like about this movie was that parts of the plot have already been done before in other Pooh movies.  Christopher Robin usually leaves a note that they misinterpret and that sends them on a wild journey.  There isn't anything wrong with this plot but I wish they had mixed it up just a little more.  That is really my only complaint.

My favorite thing about this movie was that the book itself and the storyteller became characters.  Pooh would talk to the Storyteller all the time and then you could see in the book and all the words Pooh was saying and the Storyteller was saying on the page.  I also loved that fact that they incorporated the letters into the story.  For example, Pooh may fall on the words in the book and all of the letters will fall into the scene on the page and they will be used through out the story.  There is one part where Pooh takes all the letters and builds a ladder and climbs it and then they were used for things later that were completely ingenius and blew my mind.  The creativity that must have gone on behind-the-scenes was awesome and I give major props to all of the animators and screenwriters because the things they came up with made the movie just that much better.  One thing that you HAVE to stay for is that at the end of the movie after all of the credits have gone there is a little surprise that Disney put that is worth waiting for!

Overall, this movie was extremely cute and any Pooh fans or parents with young kids should see this movie.  Its a great was to spend your afternoon and really brought back memories for me. Go Disney!!

Real Teen Rating~ A- : See it with some friends!

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Starstruck by Cyn Balog - Advanced Copy

The Gist

Starstruck
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Gwendolyn Reilly just got the worst news of her life.  Her boyfriend is coming back from California.  The problem there?  He has gotten incredibly hot since she last saw him three years ago, and she has gotten - well - fat.  Her nickname, Dough, is accurate.  Wish, her boyfriend, has no idea that the girl he left as a best friend and starting dating over email has gained seventy pounds and is ostracized at school for being poor and fat.  It doesn't help Dough that her mom owns a bakery, and she works there.  Who could resist all the baked confections?  Dough's sister Evie can't either, though Evie stays stick-skinny, which isn't fair.  Dough isn't ready for Wish to come back, isn't ready to start junior year, and isn't ready for the new hired help in the bakery, a convict-looking boy named Christian.  But, she starts to learn, nothing is what it appears on the surface.  


What We Think
Reviewed by Living Destiny
Number of Pages: 244
The entire 244 pages of this book, I was thinking one thing.  STOP COMPLAINING!!!  The main character, Dough, is always complaining.  Reading almost turned into the Charlie-Brown-adult-voice in my head.  Whine whine I'm fat whine whine I'm poor whine whine no one likes me whine whine.  Guess who happens to especially hate whiny people?  Me.  I can not tolerate people who complain about their lives (or anything really) but don't do anything to fix it.  Just change it or shut up!  Nope, Dough liked to complain a lot, but really didn't do too much to remedy her weight situation.  She just gradually grew to be not as bothered by it.  But she was still fat at the end.  
The plot of this book was sort of...muddled.  It was almost like there were two different attempts at plot smushed into one book.  It was confusing, and not paced out well.  Most of the action was in the last seventy-ish pages, and the whole beginning was filled with typical teenage fluff.  Boring, typical teenage fluff.  The author tried to make Dough the poor outcast who tries to fit in with the popular crowd, but it didn't work well.  The popular crowd was so stereotypical they came off as flat.  Speaking of characters, I hated very nearly all of them.  Dough was whiny and annoying.  Wish, the boyfriend, was really fake.  I know he was supposed to seem that way, but he was so fake.  If I actually knew a person like that...well it wouldn't be pretty for them.  Evie, the sister, was naive, but also rude, which is a weird combination.  The only character I actually liked was Christian, and I still can't tell if I genuinely liked him or if he was just the only one I didn't totally hate.  He was creepy and sarcastic, but very intelligent.  Huh, maybe I did actually like him.  Yes, ok, so I liked Christian.  But that was literally it.  Everyone else made me cringe a little bit.  
At least the writing was good.  That saved this book from total fail-dom.  Cyn Balog is a witty individual, or at least her writing is witty.  I found myself giggling at some of the lines.  I mean, some of them were trying to be funny and just weren't, but some of them were genuinely funny.  I know I have a funny sense of humor, so I'm thinking that you have to appreciate heavy sarcasm to find this book even the least bit funny, because that's what I laughed at.  But it is funny.  It was boring, confusing, and blah, but it had wit.  Woo-hoo!  Note the sarcasm.  My favorite use of the English language ever, although irony is a close second.  
I have to talk about the first and last lines.  They are the most important part of the book.  The first line sets the tone, and the last line wraps it all up.  Technically, the first line of this book is 'HEY!', but that's in an obnoxiously capitalized email from Wish to Dough that is placed right before the first chapter, so I don't count that.  Which is good because that would be a very strange first line, and I don't think it could be considered strange in a good way.  So the real first line is 'For the first time in four years, I've lost my appetite.'  Way to set the fat girl tone early.  There isn't even some introductory part before pointing out her extra weight.  It's the very beginning.  Open the book and BAM I'M FAT!  Yow.  Already, I don't care.  Not a good first line.  The last line is 'Lacing our fingers together, we race breathlessly toward the school, on the wind, like two crazy people, two kindred spirits, laughing all the way.'  Well, I lost interest after the second comma.  And really, it could have ended at the second comma.  The rest is nice and all, but it's kind of overkill.  Too much description in one sentence.  I guess the story itself wrapped up ok, but it left a couple things hanging, and in a book that plans to stand alone and not be a series, it needs to be totally finished.  I don't want to finish a book and wonder what happens next if I never get to know.  If I wanted to tell myself a story, I would have pulled out my notebook, not your published work of fiction.  
This was the fat girl book.  That's what I called it, because I honestly couldn't remember the name, and it just seemed to fit.  It was about a whiny fat girl.  Surprisingly, I didn't hate it too as much as I thought I might from the first few chapters, but I certainly didn't love it.  It was just sort of there.  At least the cover art is cool looking.

Real Teen Rating~ C-: Read it if you're bored.

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There is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths

Reviewed by Dream Catcher
Song Time: 4 Minutes and 5 seconds

There is a Light That Never Goes Out
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Sadly, the first time I heard of the Smiths was when watching one of my favorite movies, (500) Days of Summer. The main character, Tom, loved the Smiths, and the first real conversation he had with his love interest (Summer) was about them. Summer actually hears him listening to this song and says he has good taste in music. Anyways, you don't really need to know the details of the movie (500) Days of Summer. Yet. That's another review, I guess. But, anyways, that's how I came to hearing about the Smiths. I looked them up. And then I heard this song. At first I wasn't sure what to think because they have an interesting sound that I'm sure not all people would like. But I have to say I LOVE the chorus. It make me laugh almost every time I hear it (it can at least get a smile), even if it isn't supposed to. It's just talking about different ways to die - only two reasons, actually - but the way they say it somehow makes it funny to me. A morbid type of funny, I guess. But my favorite line comes next and it's what makes the song: "To die by your side/ is such a heavenly way to die". I dunno. It's great. Then it goes onto "And if a ten-ton truck/ kills the both of us/ to die by your side/ well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine". But my favorite line is definitely "to die by your side/ is such a heavenly way to die". So that I love.

The song is sad and not at the same time. The meaning, I mean. Because it's about this guy who's out driving with someone they care about (be it friend or more than a friend, it doesn't really specify - but I'm going to go with more than a friend). He wants to drive somewhere where there's life. He doesn't want to go home because home isn't really home anymore. He's not welcome - for whatever reason. He likes being away from that - driving with this person he's singing to. He says he wouldn't care if he died right then, driving, because "to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die". I love that. Mostly the use of the word "heavenly", I think. It's not a word you hear very often (of course this song isn't exactly new...80s...still...) and it's not a word you would expect to hear when talking about being hit with a double-decker bus or ten-ton truck. But by that line he means that things aren't so bad, because he's with this person. Even dying would be heavenly. I love that. I just keep singing that line over and over. "To die by your side/ is such a heavenly way to die".  I was out driving today (basically learning how to drive with my mom, because I just got my permit) and I was singing this song under my breath. And then I was laughing, because singing about being hit by various vehicles isn't the greatest thing to be singing about during your third driving attempt. :) I'm proud to say I did not hit any double decker buses or ten ton trucks. Or any car, for that matter. I'm babbling. Anyways...

I don't know how to describe the tune. Kind of upbeat, I guess, but not like techno or pop or dance or anything upbeat like that. It's alternative/rock. There's some guitar but nothing crazy or distracting from the lyrics. Simple guitar that's in the background and doesn't change throughout the song. The drums are that way, too. They're there, but they don't jump out at you. The voice of the singer is interesting and different. Some people wouldn't like it, I think. But I do. It's cool. Like I said, different. And I appreciate different. And it's not like he can't carry a tune. Because he obviously can in this song. I dunno, I like it. But I also just love this song.  Overall I just think this song is really great. I've been listening to it on repeat (what I do when I decide to review a song/album) and haven't gotten tired of it yet. Not everyone will like something like this, because it's kind of different, but I think it's cool. And I'd recommend it. Listen to it. And love it. Now. Favorite Line (I'm sure you can guess it...) : "To die by your side/ is such a heavenly way to die".

Real Teen Rating ~ A : Worth Buying!

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Exclusive Interview with Singer Amanda Lamb

After we heard the beautiful voice that Amanda Lamb brought to this world we had to ask her some questions about her life and she couldn't wait to answer!

RTR: If you could have lunch with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Amanda: I would love to have lunch with P!nk! She is an inspiration to me because she has been in the industry since she was 16, and she is still rocking! :) I would love to pick her brain about her music and ask her what advice she would give to emerging artists. I love how she has a tough chick attitude, but she also has a soft side to her, and she has an amazing voice!

RTR: What is your guilty pleasure?

Amanda: The TV shows "Toddlers & Tiaras"! That show is so fascinating to watch in a train-wreck kind of way!

RTR: If you could sing a duet with anyone who would it be and why?

Amanda: I would love to sing a duet with Tyler Glenn, the lead singer from Neon Trees :) His voice is so gritty and powerful compared to my voice, which is softer - I think it would be a great contrast!  :)

RTR: Why did you pick Highwire as the title?

Amanda: "Highwire" is taken from the lyrics in my song called "The Life of Aerialist" on the album. That song is about my life with Type 1 Diabetes and how life with the disease is always a balancing act. One minute I'm fine and doing normal things, the next I could have a super low or high blood sugar and be completely derailed. I feel like it’s a universal song because everyone has to juggle and balance problems, and it seems like teenagers are always walking on some type of tightrope that way.

RTR: What's your favorite song on your CD and why??

Amanda: My favorite song is "Kiss Me Now" because it is a super fun party song, and I had a blast recording it! :) The song is very tongue-in-cheek and flirty, and I love listening to my 5 BFFs chant and giggle at the very end of the song!

RTR: Super spies or Bow ties?

Amanda: I'm going to have to go with bow ties :) There's nothing hotter than a nerd with an attitude!

RTR: Where is your favorite place to write music?

Amanda: My favorite place to write music is, strangely enough, the car! I like writing there because as I’m going along the freeway, there are so many things to look at and that gives me ideas. And also, I spend A LOT of time in the car driving to L.A., so I have to kill time somehow! ;)

RTR: Who or what inspired you to be in music??

Amanda: Music intrigued me very early in my life. When I was a baby, my mom would try to sing me to sleep with lullabies, but I would just stare right back at her, just listening. When I joined choir in middle school, that's when I started feeling the thrill of being the occasional soloist and I wanted to do it more and more!
 

RTR: What was it like recording a CD? A duet?

Amanda: Recording the album was so much fun! A lot of work and late nights, but definitely worth it! :) If I could, I would spend every summer in the recording studio! I loved it there!  Recording the duet was a lot of fun too – Infinity didn’t start off being a duet but after I had recorded my vocals we were all listening to it and the idea was brought up that making it a duet would make it over-the-top romantic :)  I got to choose the singer, and it felt like being a judge on American Idol! We (the producer, the engineer, and I) would go through singers that they knew, go to their website or iTunes, listen to them and then make a decision. I am so glad we decided on Ryan Calhoun - he is such an amazing vocalist! (And he's pretty cute! ;) ) We didn't sing the song together, but rather, I recorded my vocals a week prior to him. However, I hung out the day he did his and got to give my opinion. It was a crazy process, but super fun and I think the song sounds great!

RTR: What is your favorite type of cake, pie or other dessert? (We are currently eating cake  :) )

Amanda: I LOOOOVE red velvet cake! Let me know when you guys have my flavor, and I’ll be right over!!

Thanks soooo much Amanda!!!!  We wish you the best of luck with your CD and can't wait for more!!!  :)

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Exclusive Interview with Cat Patrick (Author of Forgotten)

The second that we finished Forgotten we had some lingering questions to ask and Cat answered right away!


RTR: If you could have lunch with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?

Cat: Do I have to pick just one person? If I could have lunch with anyone, alive or dead, I’d choose my grandmas and grandpa who are gone—I miss them; President Obama—I’d love to ask him what it’s like to run the country; Busy Philipps—I know we’d be BFFs; Ellen Degeneres—I love her and I love to laugh; Jane Austen—I want to know what it feels like to have such literary staying power; and famous neurologist and author Oliver Sacks—I love to write about characters with brain quirks and he’s a go-to expert on the brain. Oh, and maybe Jared Leto, because he’s eye candy who also makes great music—I think he’d be fun to hang out with.

RTR:What’s your guilty pleasure?

Cat: I’m a big fan of doing things that make you happy everyday: It only makes you more productive. So, I’m not really guilty about any of my pleasures. Things I (proudly) enjoy: Dystopian novels, fashion magazines, Fran’s Gray and Smoked Salt Caramels, Starbucks lattes, pedicures, America’s Next Top Model, champagne, Arcade Fire and any new series that AMC airs (Mad Men, The Walking Dead, The Killing…yes, please!).

RTR: How did you come up with this original concept?

Cat: My twin daughters were five months old at the time, so I wasn’t getting a ton of sleep at night. One morning, I was in my kitchen doing something, and I forgot what I was doing mid-activity. I felt like I had amnesia! I thought about how awful it would be to have amnesia as a mother, then wondered: What period of time in life would be even worse for dealing with memory issues? High school! But, I thought, what if you could remember forward instead of backward? The idea for Forgotten was born.

RTR: Jukeboxes or Juice boxes?

Cat: Jukeboxes.

RTR: Who is your favorite character in Forgotten?

Cat: That’s like asking me to choose between my children! I love all of them for different reasons: Jamie for her loyalty, Luke for his sweetness, Mom for her commitment to her family, Page for her quirk and even Carley for her candor (she could be a little nicer about it, though). And of course, I adore London. She’s the smart, easygoing, mature teen I wish I’d been.  

RTR: Did you write everything before in your head or did it all come to you while writing the book?

Cat: I’m not sure I understand this question: Are you asking about outlining? If so, I didn’t outline anything with Forgotten: I just started writing. Then I went back and edited, edited, edited.

  

RTR: Is Forgotten going to be a series? (Please say yes!)

Cat: I’m so sorry but no, I don’t have plans to do a sequel to Forgotten at this time. I love the ending because it tells the reader that everything will be okay without completely spelling it out. But my second book—which has the same sort of “strange in Normalville” vibe—will be out June 2012.

RTR: How did you think of the outfit that London has to wear in the beginning for gym class?

Cat: I remember feeling incredibly self-conscious when I had to wear shorts in gym class: That’s why I chose the shorts. For the cat T-shirt, I just tried to think of the thing London would definitely not want to be wearing while meeting a hot guy for the first time.

RTR: What are some odd jobs you had before you were a writer?

Cat: I’ve sold concessions at a movie theater; worked as a waitress at multiple restaurants and done a stint as a substitute teacher. During college, I worked in the admissions office as a telemarketer: That was my least favorite job ever!

RTR: Do you have any weird talents or hobbies?

Cat: I’m pretty good at creating PowerPoint presentations, I can do the Axl Rose dance, and I can clasp my feet together like they’re holding hands…so, I can hold feet!

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Super 8- Joel Courtney and Ryan Lee

The Gist

Super 8
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Joe Lamb has just lost the most important person in his life, his mother.  His father takes his job as the town police officer very seriously and has almost no time for Joe, so his mom was the one to watch over him and help him through his problems.  He doesn't even want to go to her funeral so instead he sits out on his swing thinking of what is to come.  
Months pass, school has just gotten out for the summer and Joe is getting over his mom's death with the help of his friends Cary, Martin, Preston and his very best friend Charles.  The thing about Charles is that he loves making movies and some day wants to be in the business.  He is currently working on a zombie film to enter in a contest starring his friends and Joe is the make-up artist.  The only problem with the film is that they need a love interest and they aren't really friends with any girls.  That is when Charles decides to ask the unapproachable Alice Dainard to play the love interest in the movie.  The second that Joe hears Alice is going to be in the movie he has a heart-attack because he happens to have a huge crush on her.  
Later that night Alice comes to pick them up to bring them to the spot where they are going to shoot and Joe is beyond excited.  When they get to the site they begin to film when Joe notices a car heading towards the train tracks and is about to hit the train passing through.  All of a sudden the car hits the train and explosion after explosion goes off.  The kids soon run to find safety as things are flying all over the place.  After the explosion the kids find one another and all of these strange little white shapes on the ground.  As the police approach the crime scene Joe steals a white shape and heads home.  Soon after the accident people start disappearing and it is up to the movie crew to figure why.


What We Think
Reviewed by The North Star
Run Time: 112 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
First off, when I first heard about this movie I read about it in EW (Entertainment Weekly) in the summer movie section.  I had never heard of any of the people starring in it and instantly put it on my to-see list in my head because of the lack of famous people.  I was so pumped that me, Dream and Living went to go see it the day that it came out and....it was AMAZING. 
First off, this movie was made by J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg who are two of the most successful film makers in the business so it was bound to be pretty good. 
super 8
My favorite part of this movie was the actor choice.  Going into the movie I knew NO ONE famous that was going to be in it.  Later, In found out that Dakota Fanning's little sister was in the movie and I was pleasantly surprised because she could actually act.  Anyways, this was something I loved about this movie because I  could see everyone as the characters they were trying to portray and not the actor that they were.  Ex.  When you go see a George Clooney movie, most times you are seeing George Clooney pretending to be a character instead of a character that ends up being George Clooney but you don't realize it.  The actors in this movie were also really good.  I gave huge props to the Casting Director because she REALLY nailed the actors.  Now, onto the characters themselves.  Joe, was one of my favorite characters in the entire movie. I truly cared about his character and what was going to happen with his story line.  Lately, when I have gone to see movies I have not cared one bit about what happens to the main character and mostly care about supporting characters but for once in a loooong time I cared about the main character.  Alice, was a great supporting character and even though she was the love interest she didn't annoy me.  Alice was played by none other that Elle Fanning (Dakota Fanning's sister) and I can't stand Dakota Fanning at ALL so it was surprising to see that she could act and was believable.  She was one of my favorite characters  and the love story between her and Joe was cute even though they were both kids.  Again, I cared about her character and didn't want anything bad to happen to her.  The last "main" character is Charles.  I LOVED his character so much and he had some of the best one liners in movie history. I really felt his pain and the things he went through.  Ryan Lee (the actor who played Charles) was brilliant and I couldn't believe that this was his first real acting gig and as he grows older he will go places because it was the best acting that I had seen in a LONG time.  The rest of the characters were great but there are too many to go into detail on each one.  
super 8
I would like to include a brief paragraph about the title of this movie.  During the entire movie I was trying to figure out why it was called Super 8 because there was only 6 kids.  At the end Dream, Living and I were all ranting about how it didn't make any sense and then my mom explained to us that they were using 8mm film in the movie, which made sense.  If there is anyone going to see the movie that is confused after watching about the title it is the film (we are probably the only people who didn't know that though).  I would also like to quickly mention that the ending of this movie was a little disappointing.  There is a little part of me that feels that something wasn't resolved but other than that this movie was AMAZING.  The last thing I am going to say about the ending is that, STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS IN THE END! TRUST ME!! Seriously, wait the extra ten minutes it is worth it. 
super 8
In the end, this movie was amazing and a breath of fresh air after all of these movie slumps that have been happening lately.  I would recommend this movie to everyone because of the great plot, character development and nailing the era.  This movie was set in the 1970-1980's and they get everything down perfectly and there is absolutely nothing wrong and it feels as if  that is really the time period that you are in.  In short, GO see this movie!


Real Teen Rating~ A: You MUST watch this movie 

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