Media Reviews

Tone: Perfect mix of serious and comedic.

Morals/Complexity: 10/10

Story: 10/10

Acting: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Audience: Everyone

Long explanation: Avatar is  by far my favorite TV show, only being rivaled by Dexter.

(SPOILER WARNING)

 It tackles complex topics such as the morality of violence in any scenario(Aang's pacifism vs. the violence, danger, and tyranny of Ozai), the dangers of fascism, blind optimism, and misinformation("There is no war in Ba Sing Se" and fire nation school), ableism(Toph being looked down upon for being blind despite being arguably the second strongest member of the Gaang), sexism(Sokka starting sexist but being reformed by Suki), how violence and death can sometimes be necessary in protection of public good(Chin The Conqueror), clash of societal expectation with moral goodness(Zuko), love vs. external pressures(Azula and her mother, Zuko and Iroh), war and death(Iroh's son, dead airbenders), moral redemption(both Zuko and Iroh), vengeance as a coping mechanism(Katara and Zuko's Southern Raiders expedition), and many others. The coverage of these topics fits seamlessly with the story, is very nuanced, usually shows both sides although with a voice of reason for the morally good opinion(usually Aang) winning, and always puts levity between heavy topics to give time to digest them. The show provides good gags, storylines, and teaches critical thinking to kids while also having deep messages and moral dilemmas for adults. Truly the perfect show.

Tone: Mainly serious but with brief moments of levity.

Morals/Complexity: 10/10

Story: 9/10

Acting: 10/10

Overall: 9.8/10

Audience: Teens, young adults, and adults.

Long explanation: Breaking Bad is a fantastic show which does a great job of showing the evolution(or devolving) of a family man who just wants to protect his family into a ruthless drug lord. Some of the later seasons can feel a bit like filler, but overall a fantastic story that shows not only Walter White’s evolution but also that of Jesse. It also has a very well done side plot surrounding both Hank and Mike. Gus was also a really interesting and cool character.

Tone: Mainly serious but with brief moments of levity.

Morals/Complexity: 9.9/10

Story: 10/10

Acting: 10/10

Overall: 9.9/10

Audience: Teens, young adults, and adults.

Long explanation: Dexter is  a masterpiece, creating  a  dichotomy between the good Dexter is doing by avenging the innocent  and the reason it is being done(to sate Dexter's bloodlust). It has great social commentary(usually in the form of Dexter's thoughts) and a  great mix of seriousness and levity.

Tone: Serious with romance in the later titles.

Morals/Complexity: 8/10

Story: 10/10

Writing: 10/10

Overall: 9.8/10

Audience: Teens, young adults, and adults.

Long explanation: Michael Vey is probably my favorite book series(although none of the individual books are my absolute favorite, not because they aren't great but because I've just read so many other good books). It has great descriptive writing that builds a really interesting universe and characters with fascinating motivations, promotes inclusivity with the main character having Tourette's syndrome, has really good representations of character relationships and romance, and has some really epic scenes. There aren't too many moral dilemmas but it is very entertaining and is a must read for anyone who likes stories about teen superheroes.

Tone: Serious.

Morals/Complexity: 10/10

Story: 10/10

Writing: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Audience: Teens, young adults, and adults.

Long explanation: Frankenstein is an amazing work  that explores very interesting themes such as ambition leading to  ruin(just because you can do something doesn't mean you should), societal expectation and xenophobia feeding into a cycle of hatred, and encourages empathy for people who are different. Mary masterfully weaves all of the themes into a very entertaining and thought provoking story.