The Twilight series are books for the romantics. It is an account of the unconventional romance of a vampire and a human being. Stephenie Meyer pens a riveting saga on their perilous love story.

The beginning of Twilight can be a bit boring as it introduces Bella and her family (who are relatively ordinary) and how Bella ended up in Forks (the main setting of the novel). I believe, those who have read the book will agree with me that the book gets interesting only after Edward makes his appearance.

New Moon (the second novel in the saga), is where Edward leaves Bella. The whole novel was basically about Jacob (Bella's werewolf "best friend") and Bella’s relationship as it grew to transcend friendship. Only the first and last few chapters of the novel were dedicated to Edward. Meyer advised the fans to read the book twice, as she was sure that most would skip the middle section in search of Edward in the book. When they read it a second time, assured that Edward would reappear, only then will they appreciate Jacob’s chunk in the story. In New Moon, Edward's departure was essential in highlighting, the desperate way the couple love each other. How they each coped when they were apart is the evidence of how they were meant to be together.

Eclipse is one for those who are into mystery and suspense. This book is a transition to Breaking Dawn (the last novel). It explains Bella's haste to become a vampire herself, and what she really means to Jacob. It also hints that Edward was ready, however unnecessarily, to fight for Bella. But he will let her go if she chooses Jacob. But just to make his intentions clear, Edward goes down on one knee and presents Bella with a ring.

Breaking Dawn is written from Bella's and Jacob's perspectives. It is the big finale of the saga which depicts the evolution of Bella's character from human to mother and finally, vampire. It tells of the horrors before the happily-ever-after and the emotional trials and tribulations of the main characters themselves. This book is no doubt packed with action, danger, betrayal and of course, more romance.

There is little horror in this vampire novel series. Unlike most of them, Twilight does not focus on the gory scenes of murder and death, not even the sinister yet mysteriously elusive quality of conventional vampires. It depicts the compassionate side of vampires, and the way they force themselves to be civil. However there are a few graphically depicted scenes of gore, but what is a vampire novel without bloodshed?

Meyer has recreated vampires to be capable of controlling their bloodlust, immensely strong and above all, strikingly beautiful. Chalky white yet smooth and impenetrable skin that sparkles in the sunlight (the real reason why they have to remain indoors during the day), blood red irises and sharp perfected features are the hallmarks of a vampire. Cullen's eyes are a mark of their sacrifice, that is to deny themselves entirely of human blood.

The Movies

After Meyer’s fans have read the series, they go to the movies expecting the story to come alive. However, given the length of the novels, saying that the directors bit off more than they can chew would not be an overstatement. The problem here lies in that two hours is often not enough for the novel to be experienced thoroughly.

The movie started with Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), unconscious on a beach somewhere in Japan, or so it seems. He was then brought to see an old man, Saito (Ken Watanabe). It was an incredible adventure from then on.

Journey through the bewildering world of the subconscious and the puzzling mind of Christopher Nolan. With a refreshing concept of travelling to the world of dreams while extracting and planting ideas or information, Nolan has proved once again his movie-writing and directing skills since his last blockbuster, The Dark Knight. Along with the talented Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe and Ellen Page, the movie will keep you at the edge of your seats.

The most appealing action scene is where Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), fought with a mercenary subconscious projection in a dream where the gravity always changes due to the van that is rolling down a hill, which is a dream where Arthur’s body is sleeping in. This entire thing happening in a dream! Amused yet?

Other than the outstanding acting and directing of the movie, Inception also has very impressive computer-generated imagery where Ariadne (Ellen Page), “The Architect”, was introduced into the subconscious world. She had the ability to architecturally change the world and decided to make it such that a stretch of a road is folded onto itself.

Inception sounds crazy and out-of-the-world, and it is. It is one of those movies that would leave you thinking about it even after it has long ended. Half the fun of the film is getting everything straight in your head after you have watched it. A masterpiece of a movie from a man who seemingly has no boundaries to his imagination.

The animated 3D movie “Despicable Me” would not be entertaining without the exciting articulation of Steve Carrell. His unrealistically magnified Eastern European accent is beyond excellent as Gru, the psychologically abnormal, egotistic, bottom-tier and insane scientist/villain who, together with his solely amiable but not-too-bright mutant minions and his feeble evil assistant, Dr Nefario (Russell Brand), make this an excellent movie.

To conquer his younger nemesis Vector (a politely obnoxious Jason Segal), Gru ultimately adopts a trio of adorable girls to realise his dreams of stealing and shrinking the moon. The marvellous Julie Andrews adds to the laughs as Gru’s mum while the girls (including teen favourite Miranda Cosgrove) are mild without being too cloying.

Having a villain as a protagonist is a tad too risky but he ends up to be a brainy lead though, and Carrell fantastically makes Gru both vulnerable and attractive. The yellow mutant minions are very cute but clumsy. You would laugh when you watch the scene where they do funny actions. There is also some suspense in the movie, especially when Gru needs to make impulsive decisions towards the ending.

The 3D technology is skillfully handled, and is especially fun during the roller-coaster scene, as well as the playfully self-conscious end credits. Stay on for it! You would feel as though you are really riding on the roller-coaster. There are also some scenes where you might feel the urge to touch the items or block them from flying towards you. Anyone who watches this movie would enjoy it and feel satisfied after the movie. I would rate this movie a 5/5. You would definitely want to watch it again. Have fun watching the movie!

"Liquid thinking" uses creative methods adopted by great achievers to show readers the effectiveness of changing one’s attitude, which can eventually change one’s behavior and consequently, change one’s action and fate.
As a PU3 student, I personally feel that we cannot afford to lose our sense of direction, especially with piles of homework and numerous rounds of revision. With just months away from the ‘A’ Levels, one cannot afford to lose the determination or faith. Some key lessons that I find particularly useful are the need for us, as individuals, to define what success is, and to have the courage to meet your own expectations. Hughes stresses the importance of living up to your own beliefs and allowing those beliefs to shape our actions and attitude.
One little story shared by the author: in 1928, Walt Disney was only an average Joe and at the age of 26, he drew a cartoon of a mouse on his sketchpad. Convinced that this drawing had the potential to be a success, he decided that he wanted to use it in a new form of film, known as animation, which had started to emerge. Walt Disney needed $15,000 and he started to ask for loans from banks. Put yourself in Walt Disney’s shoes. How many banks do you think you would have visited, receiving a mixture of negative, hostile and bemused reactions, before you gave up and thought of something better to do? One? Two? Ten? Twenty? 
Walt Disney visited 305 banks before he found one that was prepared to take a gamble on him. This interesting story has certainly created an impact on me. If you feel inspired, you should really pick up this book in our school’s library. Enjoy!

-- Koh Yuqi (08S3)

Some people have their heart-to-heart talks over coffee, some over pizzas, but have you tried having them over ice-cream? Oh, and not over any random ice-cream, but premium brand - Ben & Jerry’s.

Vienna George (10A4)