Author: Habiba Tahir

Creative Copywriter

Book Review: It Ends With Us

Book Reviews, Reviews

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 2.5/5

Warning: This review is full of spoilers.

I take ratings quite seriously, which is why, when I looked at the 4.4 stars given to this book, I allowed myself to become excited. However, I felt my hopes dwindle with each succeeding chapter. Such high praise for Lily Bloom’s life left me confused.

I understand that every book has characters who are different — different in behavior, different in their thoughts. But when characters are neither original nor different, you end up disliking the book.

Our main character, Lily Bloom, is a typical YA girl. Her character lacks depth and everything that happens in her life is full of clichés. She befriends a rich girl (Allysa), who not only decides to help her with her business, but also happens to have an extremely hot brother (Ryle). He also happens to be the handsome surgeon Lily randomly met on a rooftop. And he also happens to be a brooding rich guy who hates commitment.

In the first half of the book, Lily and Allysa continue to squeal, hug and share cringe-worthy experiences. They come up with an idea, they squeal. Lily decides to marry Ryle, they hug. Those chapters were extremely difficult to read — when has the sexy, mysterious boy not given up his single life for a sweet and innocent girl.

I was equally annoyed with the I-can’t-help-but-notice-how-cute-he-is scenes and I-can-feel-his-voice-in-all-of-my-body-parts-one-by-one feelings.

In the second half of the book, Lily finds out that Ryle isn’t the perfect guy after all (which truly wasn’t shocking). It seemed to me that Colleen wrote a story on domestic abuse, and then filled the gaps with a childish love story.

Don’t get me wrong, I admire Colleen for dealing sensibly with a sensitive topic which, in turn, makes the book bearable. The question domestic abuse victims constantly hear is “why don’t you leave your partner?” And Hoover, through Lily’s indecision and reluctant realization, shows us that it is not as simple as it seems. We see that Lily eventually steps up, allows Ryle to become a part of their baby’s life, and leaves him and her past behind.

This is the only part that I liked. A mature decision made by our protagonist who failed to show signs of rationality earlier in the book.

But let me end this review on a lighter note: I like to think that in an alternate world, Hoover changed her characters and improved their storylines, and everyone lived happily ever after.

What did you think of the book? Which character did you like/hate the most? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

My First Shutterstock Picture Ended Up On Top Of a Forbes Article!

Story Time, Uncategorized

I love taking pictures.

I love capturing moments in a photograph so that I can look at them in the future.

When my family bought a DSLR camera, I went through the awkward phase of zooming in on plants and thinking that the pictures were breathtaking.

However, later I turned my focus towards humans, and covered bridal showers, engagements and a family wedding. I remember dressing up and trying to take pictures of the bride and groom from different angles.

That day I thought to myself: I could become a professional photographer.

Unfortunately, engineering took over my life. It was only a year after graduation that I came across Shutterstock. I knew you could submit pictures on the website, however, I personally thought I would never get approved.

But I had told myself that I would try everything that I liked. So, I created an account as a contributor and spent the next six months forgetting that I did.

I wasted a great deal of time thinking about the various things I could add to my portfolio. However, one look at the top-rated Shutterstock pictures made me re-consider all my options.

Taking pictures of flowers, landscapes and rocks meant nothing. The website had plenty of such beautiful pictures. I knew I had to find a category that was still in its infancy.

Now, I was already writing articles and news pieces on blockchain and cryptocurrency. I always found it difficult to find exact images for these topics. After all, the concept exists on the internet and has no physical form.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head.

Cryptocurrency!

I had finally found my main subject.

Then, I ordered three cryptocurrency collectibles: two Bitcoins and one Ether. Unfortunately, the process took more than two months, and I lost my motivation during that time.

I was as tired of myself as you are after reading my continuous failure to follow my plan.

After a horrible case of writer’s block, I sat down and had a talk with myself.

It was now or never.

The pep talk surprisingly worked and I wrote a list of areas I needed to visit in order to take pictures. I went to my local cafe and the beach at night. I also created a mini photo studio for the rest of the pictures.

After a week of working hard on my ideas, I sat down and uploaded the best pictures on Shutterstock.

The road to acceptance was going to be difficult, they said.

And it was.

I got rejected the first time because I accidentally put the pictures in the wrong category. All ten of my pictures were rejected within two days!

Thankfully, my second attempt bore fruit and I could finally sit back and earn.

Wrong, again.

Two months later, I realized that absolutely no one was going to buy my pictures.

However, it would have been nice to see that someone thought my pictures deserved a home on their website.

After a long month of looking at $0, I stopped checking my contributor account. I put my collectibles and my mini studio in a cupboard.

Until now!

On July 17, I opened my account because Shutterstock had sent an automatic email regarding the tax form. And there I saw that the number had changed from $0 to $1.15!

The figure was infinitely small but at least someone had bought my picture!

I could hear the exclamation marks in my head!

I, then, rolled up my sleeves and went online to find out the article which had used the picture.

I was slightly disappointed by the money, but then I saw Forbes and I saw an article with the picture on top of it.

I couldn’t believe it.

My first ever picture was uploaded on Forbes! I kept staring at it for a while and bookmarked it as my first successful attempt at Shutterstock-ing.

So, what now?

This is the question I keep asking myself. I didn’t find it difficult to take pictures. But I also don’t think I’d be one of those Shutterstock photographers who earn $500 every week.

The reason why I took up the challenge was to see what would happen if I gave photography my best shot.

In the time that I wrote this article, another one of my picture was sold. So, my answer to my own question would be to push myself a bit harder.

How was your experience with Shutterstock? Where did your first picture end up? Let me know in the comments section below.

Book Review: Dark Matter

Book Reviews, Reviews, Uncategorized

“All your life you’re told you’re unique. An individual. That no one on the planet is just like you. It’s humanity’s anthem.”

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Rating: 4/5

Warning: This review is full of spoilers.

You know how you read a book which messes with your mind, and you think you have understood it completely, but then it surprises you again? Yeah, that’s what reading Dark Matter is like.

We are introduced to the simple, yet balanced life of Jason. Within the first few chapters, everything is taken away from him, and he is sent to another reality by his abductor. This world belongs to the other Jason, and it feels cold and unfamiliar even to the reader.

After a series of unfortunate events, Jason runs from this world along with a new companion, and ends up visiting a lot of other realities. From the Supervolcano/Nuclear War world to a reality where they never made it out of captivity, or from a frozen world to a plague-ridden city — they visit so many versions of Chicago that you feel as helpless as Jason does.

He finally hits the lowest part of his life when he ends up begging for money. But then he comes home to the real Chicago. His Chicago. Now, this is where things get even more interesting because of a shocking twist.

There are many versions of Jason hiding around, waiting to kill each other just to get back to their original life. Imagine being scared of yourself. Imagine what you would do in times of extreme desperation. Imagine thinking of ways to be one step ahead of yourself. It seems impossible but Jason manages to find a way out.

Once he is able to rescue his family, we finally get a sort of happy ending for him. The topic was so complicated and demanding, that there was no way we could get a clean and ‘proper’ ending. But that’s one of the best parts of Science Fiction — the possibilities are endless.

The only problem I had with the book was how.

Words.

Were.

Broken.

Down.

Like.

This.

Other than that, I enjoyed reading every bit of it. Dark Matter is one of those books that will leave you thinking about the way you live your life and how much you take it for granted. Kudos to Blake Crouch for using various quantum theories to create such a compelling story.

What did you think of the book? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Book Review: How To Stop Time

Book Reviews, Reviews

“It was like being stuck in the same song, with a chorus you had once liked but now made you want to rip your ears off.”

How To Stop Time by Matt Haig

Rating: 3.5/5

I bought this book as soon as I heard Benedict Cumberbatch was going to play Tom Hazard in the movie. I was intrigued after reading its synopsis — after all, this is a topic not every author can handle well.

The most fascinating thing about books is that, anytime you think a topic has been used far too many times, someone comes up with a different way to present the idea. Which is why I truly enjoyed Matt Haig’s story about a man who ages really, really slowly.

The book, divided into five parts, presents Tom’s story in tiny snippets of his entire life. We get to see him as a child and we are able to understand his unusual struggles. But Tom is neither a bad person nor a good one — he is just someone who is trying to live his abnormally prolonged life. And so for me, his story was much more interesting than his character. When you read the book, you may even find Tom’s encounters with a lot of famous people a bit unrealistic.

But since it’s fiction, and the scenes are written really well, I enjoyed reading those parts. One beautiful addition to this book was the poem written by Camille. It’s not a spoiler but just a piece of art that certainly deserves appreciation.

“I
Like
The Way
That when you
Tilt
Poems
On their side
They
Look like
Miniature
Cities
From
A long way
Away.
Skyscrapers
Made out
Of
Words.”

The reason why I took back 1.5 star from the review was because of the ending. It all happened too fast and seemed like a far-stretched coincidence. Another thing I expected from the book was a better explanation of the rare condition anageria. In a way, the story had more potential if the author had not been in a hurry to wrap things up.

How To Stop Time is a book that takes you through different timelines and describes time exactly as it is — uncontrollable. Matt Haig is successful in combining the real and the fictional world in order to present a story worth reading.

What did you think of the book? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

TV Review: The Punisher

Reviews, TV Reviews

One Batch, Two Batch, Penny and Dime

Netflix has made sure that the last few months of 2017 are the ones we remember the most. Not only did we get the second season of Stranger Things, we also got to see our very own troubled vigilante The Punisher. We will also be treated to the second season of The Crown next month.

The show has received mixed reviews ever since it was released. I binge-watched the entire season and honestly, I enjoyed it.

Here’s the thing: Half the people are complaining about how The Punisher is too violent and brutal, and the other half are complaining about how there’s too much drama and less action.

Now, let me tell you one thing. None of us supports violence and murder – we don’t. But The Punisher is a violent ‘hero’ who kills criminals. It’s as simple as that. So, you really can’t say it’s too much brutality when this is what the comic book is based upon. And while more action would have made it better, there is always the need to make a character more human for the audience. If he were going around killing people the entire season, people would have complained that it got boring and repetitive.

So, give it a chance because even though there are flaws in the show, there are some episodes that will blow your mind away. ‘Gunner’, ‘Virtue of the Vicious’ and ‘Home’ being one of those few.

Also, is it just me or does anyone else find Jon Bernthal’s wobbly head a bit distracting?

You can also read my review on IMDb by clicking here. What did you think of the show? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Book Review: Turtles All The Way Down

Book Reviews, Reviews

“… no one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

Rating: 4/5

Warning: This review is full of spoilers.

A lot of people are confused whether they liked this book or expected just a bit more. I have to admit, I was in a similar place. But I will tell you why I rated it with 4 stars.

First of all, we have to talk about Aza and her mental illness. Not only was she a different character, but also one that was extremely difficult to describe. When she was dealing with her anxiety and becoming overwhelmed with the littlest of things, I wasn’t annoyed. I actually understood her character. And that was only because John Green wrote her really well. I was not a big fan of the car accident because it has been overused as a climax in many other stories. But the event was heartbreaking, because at one point, you actually get to see how helpless she becomes when she is forced by her ‘self’ to drink the hand sanitizer.

Moving on to other characters, you have Daisy, a true friend who vented out her frustration of dealing with Aza in a Star Wars fan fiction. She knew about Aza’s mental illness but found herself getting annoyed sometimes. It made her character feel more human and it made me sympathize with both of the friends.

Davis was a character that I liked, but found too good to be true. After reading the book, I found the entire plot with Russell Pickett to be a bit … unattached to the story. It was the only thing that started and ended the main events of the book. Other than that, nothing that happened to him seemed interesting to me.

Once again, I think that this book gives us a very clear idea of how serious mental illness is. I believe that Green did justice to it by elaborating on it repeatedly. I also liked the ending because it allowed us to imagine what to expect for Aza without really saying it.

Turtles All The Way Down is a book that takes a serious issue, and combines it with love and friendship in a perfect balance. John Green wrote Aza with such dedication that you can’t help but hope that she makes it through her spirals.

What did you think of the book? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Wrath

Free Verse, Poetry

Vile,

Inhumane,

Someone

Fits the outline;

 

Planning,

Reaching out,

For the

Darkest ways;

They are wrong —

But why

Would they still succeed? ­

 

Frozen,

Shocked,

Someone

Fits the outline;

 

Waiting,

Looking forward,

To a day

Of justice;

They have the chance —

But why

Would they still forgive?

 

Bitter,

Revealing,

Life

Fits the outline;

 

Destroying,

Moving forward,

To the

Very end;

It is ready —

But tell me

Would they now think twice?

Burning Questions

Anaphora, Poetry

Is it really how they say?

To live your life

with emptiness so deep,

it kills you within.

Is it really how it sounds?

To shout and wail

with a voice so desperate,

it tears you apart.

Is it really how it tastes?

To swallow the truth

with flavors so bitter,

it poisons you within.

Is it really how it feels?

To touch your inner self

with hands so impure,

it darkens you forever.

Is it really how they say?

To live your life

with thoughts so shallow,

it kills you within.

SDCC 2017 Trailer Review #2: The Flash Season 4

Reviews, Trailer Reviews

Bring me The Flash or else your city falls.

The Flash’s trailer for its fourth season was released at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con.

It shows the impact of Barry Allen/The Flash’s (Grant Gustin) absence on the lives of his family and friends in a completely different way.

The trailer begins with Iris West (Candice Patton) narrating her story to the viewers. She has decided to follow Barry’s advice to become strong and move on.

It’s particularly interesting because Iris has been used mostly as a plot device in the previous seasons. Her character has a lot of potential, and so this is a fresh start for the fans as well.

Returning to the series are Team Flash members Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker), Cisco Ramon/Vibe (Carlos Valdes) and Wally West/Kid Flash (Keiynan Lonsdale).

Joe and Cisco are not reacting well to Iris’s decision, and are surprised to see her constantly reminding them that Barry will never come back.

The trailer also shows us that the team is back in action. They are fighting meta humans in the city just like good old days.

Last season, Barry was forced to go into the speed force in order to save Central City.  So, it was only a matter of time before a villain, in this case a Samuroid, demanded that Barry be handed over to him or else Central City will fall.

The team decides to bring Barry back and offer him up to the villain. Towards the end, we see that Cisco and Caitlin have successfully created a device to force Barry out of the speed force.

It is not clear whether Samuroid is the big bad this season, but here’s hoping that the producers will not make the same mistakes as they did in season 3.

Season 4 of The Flash will premiere on October 10th at 8/7c on The CW.

So, what did you think of the trailer? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!