Replication: The Jason Experiment by Jill Williamson

   Lemme tell ya something: If you don't want to read this, you must be crazy.
   If you're looking for an exciting adventure, filled with Christian values, incredible characters, and scenes that can make you laugh and cry at the same time, then look no further. Replication is a must-have if you loved Jill's Blood of Kings series. If you haven't read those yet, I would strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of each (By Darkness Hid, To Darkness Fled, From Darkness Won.)
   Replication is a story about fifty-five clones living in a secret lab in Alaska. More specifically, it is about clone J:3:3, otherwise known as Martyr.
   The clones believe they have been created to expire on their eighteenth birthday, and through their deaths save hundreds of people from the toxic air. But when Martyr escapes to see the sky just once before his death, he discovers the truth about the Jason Experiment with the help of a highschooler named Abby Goyer. Together, they must unveil the true reason for the Jason Experiment, and expose the man behind it all.
   This is such a cool book. The storyline is very original and intriguing, and the characters are very believable and well-created. Of all the characters, Martyr has to be my favorite. His innocence and funny lines, as well as his sacrifice for others, really makes him stand out. I just couldn't get enough of the guy :)
   One of the things that just really brought the book to life was how real everything was. Fishook High didn't have a whole lot of students, so there was co-ed PE and a rotating schedule. There was only one African American person in the whole school. OH. MY. GOODNESS. It's Lusk, Wyoming! In Alaska! How cool is that?
   The powerful story and character combined result in a laughing so hard you double over and crying so much you need a box of tissues experience. If Jill Williamson wasn't already near the top of my "favorite authors list" she definitely shot right up there when I finished Replication. This book definitely gets five stars.

   Replication: The Jason Experiment is available on Amazon.com in hardcover form and for the Kindle, and on Barnes & Noble in hardcover and Nook format. More information about it can be found here: http://www.replicationbook.com/

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

     I had patiently awaited the DVD release of the fourth Pirates movie. When it finally I arrived, I forgot about it. Go figure. However, Mom saved the day (and a very boring night) by having it sent to us via Netflix. I was very excited to see the latest installment of one of my favorite movie series, but having seen it, I would warn you not to get your hopes up if you are a Pirates fan.
     The movie starts out as almost all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have: Jack is in a sticky situation, and he finds some overly creative and far fetched way to get out. This is actually repeated many times in the film, and each time the method of escape becomes harder and harder to believe.
      There is, of course, romance to make up for the disappearance of Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly's characters, Will and Elizabeth. The love between the missionary and the mermaid is interesting and entertaining, but that between Jack and Angelica was just.... uhg.
      On Stranger Tides provides the same amount of action and daring-do as its predecessors, but there was quite a bit of down time. Sure, it was filled with backstory and dialog, but it wasn't anything you'd really care about missing. In other words, you probably wouldn't even bother to tell someone to pause the movie as you took a bathroom break or replenished your popcorn. Especially considering you wouldn't be missing anything "LOL" worthy. I think my brother and I only laughed during 3 scenes.
      The whole film was ultimately disappointing, especially the endings, which were awkward cliffhangers that left you unsatisfied. The film had three separate endings: one for the missionary and mermaid, one for Jack, and one for Angelica. All three were quite poorly written, especially Angelica's. In At World's End, the ending was well done, in my opinion. Elizabeth and her kid are living happily together on their little island and we see Will sailing towards them. Cool. Good ending. Kill it there before it suffers a long, painful death, unless you're really confident the next movie will be a hit.
      Go ahead and rent it and kill three spare hours, but I wouldn't recommend buying it, unless you've seen it already and thought it was awesome.