Book / Podcast / Script Reviews

A Scroll column where writer Ella Hayes posts reviews for books and podcasts she has recently read and listened to, and takes suggestions for more books and podcasts to review for future columns.

Book/Podcast/Script Ratings and Reviews

By Ella Hayes & Sean Glover

Dear The scroll readers. . .

Hi all, and welcome back to another month of the book & podcast review column! Thank you so much for joining me again for this article! However, in case you are new, here is the rundown: In my section of this column, I review some books I’ve read and podcasts I enjoy listening to, along with some quick ratings and quotes about the books/podcasts. I also take recommendations for books people have read, and want to see reviewed in the column! For this month, however, my portion is going to be a little shorter than normal. As I’m sure everybody has been experiencing, the change in the semester has been pretty crazy and, unfortunately, my reading time has not been as extensive as I would like it to be. However, I am sure the column will be back up and running next month with the usual 2 podcasts and 3 books to review. Thank you all for your patience!

On to what you can expect for this month: for this article, I have a single new podcast to share with you all, and this one is a literature podcast all about the Harry Potter series and J.K. Rowling’s world. As for books, I have one book that I am currently reading to briefly touch on, and a review of a modern, yet controversial classic. (Can you guess what that might be?) Again, thank you all for reading, and happy Scrolling!

-Ella Hayes; Writer and Reporter

Hello Scroll readers! If you have already read our February 2021 issue, you are probably fond of the script portion that I have implemented in this column (big thanks again to Ella for having me here!). While I become involved in more plays and broaden my horizons to new scripts, I am always finding so many unique stories to dive into and give my deep analyses on. As the months go on, you can expect me to continue sharing my opinions on the reads I find, which will most likely include a classic play that I have decided to read for one my classes.

This month, I have compiled my personal reviews for three different plays that I have read fairly recently, all of which are some of my favorites so far. Hopefully, as you read them, they catch your interest as much as they've caught mine. Happy Scrolling!

-Sean Glover; Photojournalist and Writer

Where I Get My Books and Podcasts

Other than buying physical copies of books at local stores, I also check lots of books out online through the Josephine Community Library. Additionally, GPHS Library has great ways to get library books as well. (See the library page on the GPHS website!)

I use the app Overdrive, and use my local library card to sign in. (If you have a library card with the Josephine Community Library, you can do this, too!) The online library has thousands of books for you to choose from. It is also easy to find exactly what you are looking for; using the search engine and filters, you can find books easily by their title, genre, or format. You can check out books straight from your phone with the app, and read them on your phone, as well. If you prefer audiobooks, you can also check out audiobooks and listen to them with the app, too. If the book you want is unavailable, you can recommend the book or place a hold.

This is a great way to access many books for free (if you have a library card)!

Additionally, I would like to mention the site Goodreads as a resource that you can use. This is not a place to buy books, but a good website to find new books and read reviews of books you are planning to read. Goodreads has thousands of reviews on many books, and it is a great resource to use when finding a book that you might enjoy. Additionally, with a Goodreads account, you can write your own reviews for books, or just keep track of the books you have read and make reading goals. Altogether, it is a fantastic source to use when searching for new books to read.

As for podcasts, I listen to every podcast on Spotify, though you can find any episode on each podcast’s website (linked down below).

Podcast Reviews

For this article, I only have one podcast to review, but it is certainly a good one! This is a new category of the podcast: a literature podcast. For these types of podcasts, hosts discuss and analyze books or series. In this one, for example, four hosts reread the Harry Potter series and discuss the story one chapter at a time. So, without further ado, here is the single podcast I have for you all this month!

Swish and Flick: An All Potter Podcast

Title: Swish and Flick: An All Potter Podcast

Writer(s): Tiffany O’Malley, Megan Petras, Katie Petras, Sarah O’Malley

Focus: Literature

Review: Everybody has heard of the Harry Potter series, the classic 7-book series written by J.K. Rowling loved by children and adults alike. In this 183-episode podcast (and still running!), our four hosts break down every chapter of the Harry Potter series with their expert insight, analysis, and theories about the writing. If you have already read the series and loved it, this is a great podcast to dive into that reading, and also to learn some new things about the books that you have not learned before! However, this podcast is not for beginners who have not read the books (or have just seen the movies!). Like any good podcast, these four ladies have a wonderful dynamic and help you to feel like you are just having a conversation with friends. I highly recommend this podcast for fans of J.K. Rowling's work that want to dive even deeper into the series!

Book Reviews

This month, I only have two book reviews for y'all, but they are quite in-depth! For the first one, I'll talk about the book I am currently reading: a young adult fiction novel by a fantastic author: Shannon Hale. Secondly, I'll discuss a highly debatable modern classic (that I've reread numerous time since I first read it in sixth grade). Hope you enjoy!

Kind of a Big Deal

Title: Kind of a Big Deal

Author: Shannon Hale

Rating: ✰✰✰✰ (3.5 stars)

Genre: young adult/middle grade, fantasy, contemporary

Review: Okay. So I’m a little conflicted on how to discuss this book. For one, it was a pretty good book; it was entertaining, and it provided some good humor at times, as well. However, it just wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. But in a good way (??).

The first thing I should put out there about this book is that I would categorize this novel for more younger readers. Though this book is marked as young adult fiction, I probably call this one more like a middle-grade book. I was first attracted to this book by the author Shannon Hale. Hale is a pretty well-known author, and I have read at least one other book written by her, as well (The Goose Girl). So, when I began reading this, I was surprised to find myself a little. . . disappointed.

The basis of this book was a very good idea, though (as many Goodreads reviewers would comment and I would have to agree) it was a little poorly executed. In this book, the main character Josie Pie can escape her world through books, and can live out multiple lives within the pages of book. This is a fairly common fantasy storyline, and it is also one of my favorites. So, it is safe to say that my hopes were high. Nonetheless, I felt a little let down with how the book ended up playing out.

The writing felt a little corny at times, and the storyline seemed to move a little quicker, especially between present time and flashbacks. I found myself anticipating the exciting moments, but dragging during the slower ones. This book was not as much of the action-packed fantasy adventure as I had been expecting, but I would call it a cute, entertaining story.

What ended up at least partially redeeming this book, however, was the amazing characters. Within the first half of this book or so, I likely would have rated this book lower, but when the character development began happening, my opinions were instantly boosted. As many low-rating Goodreads reviewers would note, the main character Josie is self-centered, shallow, and incredibly vain. Considering Josie in the beginning of the novel, I can’t disagree, yet judging a character's negatives traits for a books “downfall” is not what I would consider thoughtful reviewing. What matters is whether the character was able to recognize their previous attitudes and behaviors and whether they were able to learn and grow from them. And, even though I am not completely through this book, I can already recognize the character growth that is beginning to happen.

I point to a particular instance about ⅔ of the way through the book as a fantastic example of Hale’s deep characters and how their internal struggles seriously skew the lens through which they view the world (namely, Josie Pie). I won’t spoil too much but, in this section, Josie has a heartfelt conversation with her best friend Nina that reveals some heart-wrenching emotions and struggles that both Nina and Josie carry within, and while I had been doubting the depth or significance of this novel until that point, this particular section helped to open my eyes to the internal conflict within the main characters.

In conclusion, I do recommend this book. It is a pretty cute, mostly light-hearted read that can keep you entertained for hours. (Also, I recommend Shannon Hale. . . her other books are pretty great too!)

Twilight

Title: Twilight

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ (4.5 stars)

Genre: young adult fiction, paranormal, fantasy, romance, supernatural

Review: Just from reading the title, I’m sure you already have an opinion formulated in your head about what this book is about. A sappy young adult novel containing overrated love stories between humans and vampires? Wait, aren’t there werewolves, too? Yes, you might be correct, but there is so much more to the story than what the movies alone can tell you. So, y'all get ready because I am about to debunk some serious myths about the ever-so-debatable beginning to a classic saga: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. As you will remember, I reviewed Midnight Sun several articles ago, a companion novel to the original saga, and I LOVED IT. Midnight Sun was an identical storyline to Twilight, but told from a different perspective. I felt as though it brought many important perspectives and thinking behind some characters’ thinking that was not properly explained in the original. But anyway, Twilight is a great novel just by itself, as well.

For those who are not familiar with the story, it is pretty straightforward. The average human girl falls in love with a mysterious vampire, and the resulting story is their struggles with the differences between them. To be quite frank, it is not an original idea. This idea has been used countless times: supernatural romance, love triangles, you get the gist. However, I will argue that S. Meyer was one of the few authors that were able to take this idea and use it well. She was able to create a deep story that took vampire stereotypes and threw them out the window. No, they don’t sleep in coffins. No, they don’t get burned by sunlight. No. They are quite similar to humans. Like any good author can and should, S. Meyer was able to take a common idea and shape it from within.

Let’s start with the setting. Though the main character, Bella, came from Arizona, she moves to the book’s main setting at the very beginning of the book: Forks, Washington. Forks is a tiny town, located basically in the middle of a giant forest. It is always wet and rainy, and everything is green. (As in the trees, moss, grass, any vegetation.) So maybe I am just a sucker for any setting that is dark, stormy, and rainy, but this setting seemed perfect for this story. Not only this, but the entire book was very atmospheric, and helped in crafting a certain “vibe” in the novel.

Secondly, let’s discuss the plot-line. If you have ever seen a paper copy of Twilight, you will know it is very lengthy. It is a total of 544 pages in the paperback version. Though this may lead you to think it’s too slow-paced or boring at times, I would have to disagree. I think this plotline is perfectly paced, switching between the inner monologues of our main character--there’s a lot--and action in the story. Though this book is so long, I can easily finish it cover to end in one boring, rainy day. (And I most certainly have. . .) It is only lengthy because there is a lot of story to cover. The first book takes place over several months, though readers get a glimpse into many moments of the main character Bella’s life over that period.

Third, let’s talk about characters. This is the thing I mainly hear being complained about regarding this book; I mean, just take a look at the Goodreads reviews. You won’t need to scroll very far before you are bombarded with passionate one-star reviews by readers. Many claim that Bella, the main character, is pretty much as dull as characters go. And, yes, while I can agree that she does have some moments where it can appear that way, I would also argue that is only perceived as a valid point because she doesn’t act the way typical YA main characters would. In many young adult novels, teen characters will act as you would expect teenagers to. Regardless, Bella is a little bit different, and that is exactly how S. Meyer intended it. Bella is described as an “old soul,” and she is significantly more mature than many of her classmates are described. This is actually part of what I believe fueled the chemistry between Bella and the love interest, Edward. They were both on the same intellectual level, and that set them far apart from their peers. Now, some angry Goodreads reviewers would argue that this only proves their relationship is cliched-- that these characters were so dramatic and infatuated with one another that they pulled away from other people that considered themselves their friends. Yes. That is the point. This story depicts how young love defies all odds and pulls characters together against their better judgment. It is the main conflict. In fact, both main characters struggle throughout the entire saga. It is this internal struggle that can sometimes create a ridge between Bella and her friends and family. This is where many readers find fault: they say that this relationship is toxic and it only points out the weaknesses in both characters. I will remind you once again, readers, that faults in characters is not a bad thing. Why would it ever be a bad thing?

I can assure you that perfect characters will only make the most boring books. This novel’s entire purpose is to point out the blindness that love can create in susceptible characters, and how much these characters are willing to sacrifice for their partner or their family. Additionally, I’d love to point out a different relationship developed mainly in the first book. Before this book began, Bella hadn't spent much time with her father, Charlie, yet the very beginning of the novel is explaining how she is going to live with him full time. The relationship between Bella and her father was, admittedly, awkward, but it led to so much development between the two. Though it is never outwardly acknowledged, they feel incredible companionship, where Charlie feels responsible for Bella and making her happy in her new home, while Bella feels fondly for him and his odd life alone at home, though she has not even seen him in years. There is a point towards the end of the book that tugged on my heartstrings, where Bella is forced to betray her father in the worst way possible. I won’t go any further into that to protect those who have not read the books, but I felt like this was an incredible detail that S. Meyer included that did not have to do with the classic love tale the book entails.

So. . . that concludes my in-depth review for Twilight! Of, course, I could go into much further detail about specific scenes or characters, but I will keep it pretty short for this review. I hope I have convinced you all to consider either reading the book for the first time or perhaps even to re-read it with a new attitude in mind. Anyhow, you must be aware of one more thing: DO NOT watch the movies before you read the books. You have been warned.

Finally--since I referenced it so much--here are the Goodreads reviews, as well!

Script Reviews

This month, I have compiled a series of scripts that are extremely varied in theme, conflict, and genre, but are on the same playing field regarding my personal reviews and ratings. All of these reads have a certain place in my heart, and comparing them is extremely tough. However, there are some in both literacy and theme that reign supreme over the others, and I am here once again to give a detailed analysis and opinion on them. Thank you again for checking out this section of the column, Scroll readers, and enjoy.

A Behanding In Spokane

Title: A Behanding In Spokane

Author: Martin McDonagh

Goodreads Rating: ✰✰✰✰ (3.8 stars)

Personal Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ (4.4 stars)

Synopsis: In Martin McDonagh’s first American-set play, Carmichael has been searching for his missing left hand for almost half a century. Enter two bickering lovebirds with a hand to sell, and a hotel clerk with an aversion to gunfire, and we’re set for a hilarious roller coaster of love, hate, desperation and hope.

Review: I’d rate this play “Double M” for “Double Mature,” since just about every other line drops the f-bomb. I’m not normally the kind of guy who has any interest in plays that use excessive cursing, but Martin McDonagh seems to take that fragment of playwriting and turn this one into something that seems very realistic.

Despite the absurd and ridiculous plotline, including suitcases full of chopped-off hands and mothers climbing trees to grab balloons, the way the characters are written makes me feel like this cast of four is an actual group of people-- experiencing an actual event. On top of that, this play is just extremely humorous and makes me giggle with every line I read. The dry, situational humor that unfolds every single second of the show is just hilarious and sometimes makes you wonder why you are laughing at the fact that the main character’s mom might have just died. I wish, more than anything, that I got the chance to see Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken play the roles back in 2010 that were specifically written for them, because I know these actors just have the absolute skill that would make me fall out of my chair laughing over a play like this.

A simple downside that caught my attention would be the density of the show as a whole. The play is only 40-ish pages long, with a run-time of about an hour and fifteen minutes. I feel like the purpose of the play was to make each character’s story as vague as possible; however, I believe the events that unfolded within the play would have been much more satirical and silly if there was more context to what each character was about. While there is background that each character reveals through monologues and conversations, like how Carmichael got his hand cut off and how Mervyn got addicted to crack, there is still a bit more that each person could have revealed in order to give the audience a better understanding of them and to generally lengthen the play itself.

Besides that, I feel that the positives definitely outweigh the negatives, and it’s not hard to find the simple and sweet qualities that make this story great.

The Lion In Winter

Title: The Lion In Winter

Author: James Goldman

Goodreads Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ (4.2 stars)

Personal Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ (4.8 stars)

Synopsis: Sibling rivalry, adultery, and dungeons-- The Lion in Winter, by James Goldman, is a modern-day classic. Comedic in tone, dramatic in action-- the play tells the story of the Plantagenet family, who are locked in a free-for-all of competing ambitions to inherit a kingdom. The queen, and wealthiest woman in the world, Eleanor of Aquitaine, has been kept in prison since raising an army against her husband, King Henry II. Let out only for holidays, the play centers around the inner conflicts of the royal family as they fight over both a kingdom and King Henry’s paramour during the Christmas of 1183. As Eleanor says, “Every family has its ups and downs,” and this royal family is no exception.

Review: This title may ring a bell if you’ve been up to date with Barnstormers Theatre and the list of productions they have done or have scheduled throughout the years. The Lion In Winter was originally set to be performed at the community theatre in April 2020, but quickly got cancelled due to the rapid concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. This play holds a really special place in my heart, which may influence my review on it because of my totally biased opinion-- and the fact that I played John Plantagenet in the recently deceased play.

First off, the stage directions in this script are absolutely phenomenal-- giving insight on the characters motives and backstory. This helps extremely well towards actors when sympathizing with their roles, as well as when digging deep into the relationships between the characters and the meaning behind their chemistry or tension. between them may be the way it is.

This was one of the first plays that I was a part of that was not connected to an educational organization, so I had a tough time interacting with the other characters who were played by actors ranging from their 20’s to their 60’s. The amazing direction from my director and the stage directions written in the script helped me immensely, and it is something I respect greatly when reading through plays. The play’s intricacy is really admirable as well, and the storytelling makes the play easy to follow and know who is on whose side.

A minor thing that I did not necessarily enjoy about the play is the way that most of the characters all sounded the same-- with the exception of accents, of course. In the manner that I speak of this, I mean that all of the characters have the same kind of tone and same pattern of speech, causing the reader to wonder, “Why does a sixteen year old sound like that?” But it is something that I think very little of when reading the play, so it doesn’t knock too many points off of my rating.

Overall, this is one of my favorite plays, and it will continue to be dear to me for a long, long time. This is one of the main scripts I would recommend to someone who is interested in taking a swing at script-reading.

The Prodigals: A Tale of Forgiveness

Title: The Prodigals: A Tale of Forgiveness

Author: John Buckley Sleadd

Goodreads Rating: Unavailable

Personal Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ (5 stars)

Synopsis: This musical play, complete with script and song lyrics, is based on the Biblical parable of the Prodigal Son, set in Victorian England and Morocco. Lawson Prodigal has just returned home to Portsmouth, England from engineering study in Germany as the celebrated firstborn son of Brunel Prodigal, a renowned engineer and wealthy businessman. Ferrell Prodigal, the wayward second-born son, asks for his substantial inheritance early, then promptly squanders it in riotous living in another country. Ferrell soon finds him destitute and enslaved to a maleficent master because of his debts. Ferrell escapes and returns home to receive his father’s forgiveness, but his brother's resentment. Love interests emerge along the way. An unexpected turn of events requires Lawson to make a great sacrifice to help his brother.

Review: The Prodigals: A Tale of Forgiveness is an amazing musical written by a playwright in our very own Grants Pass: John Sleadd. If you didn’t see it performed by Clarion Theatre in 2018, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for local authors.

The following story, due to its lyrical form, is the first musical I have reviewed- which means you can expect more reviews and ratings on musicals in the future. This musical play follows two brothers, Ferrell and Lawson Prodigal, in the biblical retelling of the Prodigal son in a Victorian set era, which means I give extra points for creativity. It truly shows the old story’s lesson, applying to any age and any time with different characters varying in intention, personality, and personal conflicts that arise frequently throughout the overarching plot. Out of all scripts that I have read, this one has proved to be the most inspirational and heart-wrenching, as it overflows with emotions of love, liveliness, faithfulness, and forgiveness (what did you expect me to say? It’s right in the title!).

This script has obtained the perfect score in my heart, which is mainly due to the fact that I was astonished by how wonderfully and eloquently the play was written by a local author. It captures the setting perfectly and implements original music into each scene that makes you walk out of the theatre humming the tunes for days ahead.

Playing devil's-advocate against a musical I absolutely adored is very difficult, but there are some minor things that rubbed me the wrong way while reading this script. Only one thing really stood out, and it was the fact that quite a few of the songs were sung or centered on a particularly minor character, whereas some of the more prominent leading characters did not have as many solos as I would have expected. A specific character I will use as an example is the slave owner, Bond, who enslaves Ferrell Prodigal after he goes destitute in the city of Permission. He has a few solos himself, while Ferrell, the main character, has very few and mainly sings with another person besides himself.

Besides this detail of sorts, my biases got the better of me. I can say with certainty that this is one of the best scripts I have read from a local author, and I believe anything else this author writes will be pure gold.

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