Hi, everyone! I hope you are all safe and healthy. If you need emotional support, please reach out to me. I care about you and I am here for you. In the meantime, please enjoy this exclusive essay I wrote that I will only be publishing on this website. As an elementary schooler, I was never a huge fan of Star Wars. Movies were a family thing and with my feelings toward my family often being rather complicated, I preferred to find shelter with more personal enjoyments-- mostly books like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Warriors-- that I could hold in my hand. The strongest memory I have of watching Star Wars in my elementary school years is of viewing The Empire Strikes Back with my aunt during a snow day and I was more focused on the fact my aunt napped through the whole movie than on the film itself. Fortunately for today, in eighth grade, my opinion of the franchise was shaken after I experienced one of the newer films, The Force Awakens, in theaters. Now, as I am at home with my mind overloaded with worries for my extended family members losing jobs, for my friends struggling with complex home situations, and for my country scrambling to find an adequate solution to handle a deadly virus, I can find validation, unity, and hope in a galaxy far, far away. One thing I love about being a Star Wars fan: you are never alone. Even though the story takes place in another universe and is rife with fantasy, so many issues the franchise tackles are visible on Earth. Although, of course, on Earth, these challenges are much more serious because they are real. One parallel is how the original trilogy centers on imperialism with the main antagonists allying with the Empire. On Earth, we do not have to fight a galactic authoritarian government, but we do have a long history of colonialism. Additionally, similar to how Star Wars’s sequel trilogy concentrates on the difficulty of escaping past horrors, we humans on Earth are still combating the negative effects of European and East Asian imperialism. Just a quick listen to the podcast Illuminative can paint a powerful picture of the struggles Native people in America possess right now during the COVID-19 crisis due to the ramifications of colonialism. On a personal level, Star Wars can be quite validating. The Star Wars prequel trilogy is all about the harmful impacts of emotions as seen by Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side. Chronologically, in the following trilogies, viewers watch Anakin’s son Luke and grandson Ben encounter similar hurdles. On my mother’s side of the family, we, too, have a pattern of mismanaging emotions. We jokingly label the matter as the “Yee anger,” but it’s a serious issue that has led to emotional, verbal, and, at times, physical abuse in my extended family. Star Wars has always reminded me that the troubles I face with my family are universal and that I am not alone. As a sensitive person myself, I feel acknowledged by how, in Return of the Jedi, Luke illustrates by trying to save his father that emotions can be healthy as long as you use them to selflessly help others. Besides solely relating to life, Star Wars can also unite and inspire people. Although, as a child, I disliked the community feel of the franchise, I have now grown to respect the way the movies brought my family together. In my middle school years, watching films became a highlight of my weekends. Movie nights were a time when my family could be with one another, all focused on the same thing, in peace. Recently, during the lockdown, my family was privileged to a free two-week trial of Disney+ and for three nights, we were able to quietly watch The Mandalorian together. My family are not the only people connected by Star Wars. Just visit Star Wars Wikipedia, a.k.a Wookieepedia, and see how the site has over 155,000 articles and updates daily. Wookieepedia is a glimpse at a vast and motivated fandom. With my family’s Disney+ trial having ended, I have relied on YouTube to provide me with summaries of the most recent Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes. Even during this global pandemic, channels like Star Wars Explained, ScreenCrush, and StarForceOne, among others, are steadily producing videos. To further showcase the inspiring nature of the franchise, on the activist side of things, one young supporter of the Green New Deal wrote on their protest poster, “We grew up on Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Marvel. Of course we’re fighting back.” One thing Star Wars is able to offer, especially now with the spread of the coronavirus, is hope. I am so anxious. Every single day brings more and more bad news. The longstanding inequalities in the US are sharper. Scapegoating is prevalent everywhere from the United States to India to China. With so much negativity in the world, it is difficult to feel optimistic. Yet, just reading Star Wars books like Last Shot, Master & Apprentice, and Black Spire can comfort and encourage me. In Last Shot, Lando Calrissian and Han Solo try to prevent an evil alien from controlling all droids. Master & Apprentice centers on two Jedi struggling with the intricacies of politics and slavery. Black Spire follows a Resistance agent setting up a base on a remote outpost. The common thread between these three stories is that the characters persevere and do good despite how powerless they may feel. Even though I find myself in despair at times, I remind myself that there are things I can do to aid others. I can help my parents deliver extra grocery bags to the local food pantry. I can knit scarves for my friends and family. I can simply listen and read the accounts of those who are suffering and need a platform the most right now. It’s funny how a franchise I disregarded as a child became such a motivator for me as a teenager to assist others. But, as one episode of The Clone Wars states, “Never give up hope, no matter how dark things seem.”
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Hello, everyone. As you've probably noticed, it's not March, meaning I lied. I'm going to change my big update schedule to every three months: April, August, and December, or AAD. This goes for the Zyanya Ridge website as well. I'll try to fit at least one review between each of those months as well. I don't have that much to say and I don't want to bore you with rambling, so I'm going to keep the rest of this post short. I have lots of stories and art projects to be published soon. I've also realized that I am genderfluid, asexual, and aromantic. Finally, I'm still struggling with mental illnesses. Life has been a mixture of a windy storm and a calm snowfall, but I have hope for the future. Well, see you in August! Have a good next few months!
Sisters of the Sword: Journey through Fire by Maya Snow was a fabulous read. The story follows two sisters fighting against their powerful uncle in Japan. They are desperate for the higher class to help them in their war. This book is actually the third book in the Sisters of the Sword series, but you can still understand everything if you read Journey through Fire by itself. The characters of the book were very relatable and strong. I loved how the females were good fighters as well as brave. The other characters were wise and added to the story in countless ways. The book did a gateway job teaching the power of controlling your anger. The narrator, Kimi, struggles with this action, but through the story, she slowly learns. I could relate to times of losing my temper, so I found this to be helpful with my own life. Since this is a third book in a series, the beginning was well-paced and not slow at all. The story caught me in the first chapter. The rest book was slower, but still full of action. Luckily, none of it was gratuitous. All of the fighting scenes contributed to the plot and weren't over done. There was romance hidden in the words of the story, but that's not what really sparked the plot. The two sisters’s relationship really brought the story together. They were so loyal to each other, but like most siblings do, they fought, made fun of each other, and were envious of one another. Even so, they still loved each other and that was evident. Journey through Fire has inspired me to see life as an opportunity to make life better for others. The book relentlessly teaches this fact through all the characters. The monks in the monastery the sisters visit, work hard in healing the people Kimi’s uncle has hurt. The cooks in the shogun’s home, give the plentiful food to the starving people around them. I chose this book for International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons because it teaches the effects of war. How it changes people, land, situations, events, and actions. Everything Kimi does is for winning the battle against her uncle. She does things she probably wouldn't do if there hadn't been a war going on. Maya Snow’s Sisters of the Sword: Journey through Fire is a fabulous read. The characters and plot lines were strong and the lessons easily understood. I watched the power of anger, the love of sisters, and the effects of war all in one book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in seeing the world beyond themselves. The Miracle Worker was an interesting book. I can't say I loved it, but I didn't hate it either. The characters, being based after real people, were interesting and full of personality. Just from reading the dialougue and stage directions, you could get a good glimpse into their life. I felt Annie was portrayed well and was consistant throughout the story. The plot moved along nicely and I liked how Annie didn't manage to succeed the first time around. I did feel the times with Helen at the dinner table were slow and not at all exciting as the words made it seem. If I wasn't reading the book outloud, I don't think I would've been able to finish it. The imagery was nice, but not at all exciting. This is a play, afterall, so I wasn't expecting fancy descriptions that pull readers in, but I felt it could be slightly more interesting with its word choice. The imagery did help me in understanding what was happening. The dialougue was the star of the show. I could understand which character was speaking just by looking at the words being said. There were times I couldn't tell if James was speaking or Mr. Keller, but overall, I understood. The character interacton was good. As annoying as it was, it was realistic for Mrs. Keller to be overly protective of Helen. I liked how Annie stood up to Helen and saw her as an equal, not someone who should be exempt from simple manners. The storyline, although slow, finished well and I was pleased with the ending. I haven't read many books in the style it was written, so I was pleased by the end. The setting was fairly easy to tell. They were in a country area in a big house. The mood was light with a hint of dark. Overall, The Miracle Worker was a good book. It wasn't one I would read again, but I reccomend it to those in need of inpsiration. "The Young Elites" was a new taste. Adelina is a strong, female character, but at the same time with all the doubts and worries we all face. I loved how though the story included romance, the main love was between two sisters. I have a sister and I consider her one of my best friends. It's great seeing that relationship in a story.
The plot went along at just the right pace and I found myself excited to go to school to read. Very rarely am I excited. There were plot twists and information that flew by, making the story more exciting. The part Adelina was being tested by the stones felt long. Some of the feelings swirling inside of her were emphasized too frequently. The imagery was just the right amount. Of course there were times I found the imagery dull, but that's normal in a book. For the most part, the imagery was entertaining and kept me reading. The dialougue brought out the characters feelings. It was realistic and formatted nicely. You could tell who was speaking just by reading. The character interaction was interesting and unique. I liked how same-sex relationships were accepted in the Kennetran world without even being made a big deal out of. The romance between the characters felt real and the sister relationship shone extraordinarily well. The storyline was interesting and new. I haven't read too many books from an antagonist's point of view and Marie Lu made me love her. I found myself wanting more. The setting was easy to tell thanks to all the imagery. At first, I thought this was Earth in the future, but I don't think it is. The mood was dark with hints of light. Overall, the book was a good read and if there was less imagery and repetition, I would rate it five stars. For now, four stars will do and I may read the next book. {MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS}
I just finished reading the first two chapters of "Magnets" by Abisha on Wattpad. I'm not a huge fan of romance, but this story is fairly interesting. The story follows childhood friends Josh and Veronica through their high-school years. There are positive elements to this story as well as parts that need some work. The characters are entertaining. I can understand Veronica's crush on Ashton and her uncertainties with Josh. I don't really understand Josh so well. I know it's only the first two chapters, but I should know more about him by now. All I know is he likes Veronica and the two of them are starting to have a sexual relationship. Try giving more indirect information about him by his posture, his looks, and the way he speaks. This way I can see him much better. The plot is at steady rate. The hook definitely was good and introduced the setting fairly well. I'll go more into setting later, but you've been doing a good job at not information dumping. Overall, I like the pace you're going and I'm excited to see what will happen. The imagery needs to be stronger. You have imagery, but I need to know more. What does the room look like? Are there any smells that affect the way she holds herself? Does the warm air calm her? Is the party loud? What sounds does she hear? Answering questions like these throughout the story will make your story so much stronger. The dialogue is awesome. I can tell their age and peek into their personalities through it. The dialogue was a way to help me learn more about Josh, so keep that up. Nice job! Now for the character interaction. You do a good job at showing what Veronica and Josh feel towards each other. The Ashton Miller part was great. At the party, show more of what Veronica thinks of the other people. It seems that she's embarrassed and maybe angry. Emphasize the feelings more. In all, nice job again. The storyline is intriguing. I'm not a huge fan of love stories, but yours isn't too bad. What really brought me in was the sarcasm and humor. The love story isn't predictable which adds to its uniqueness. I'm enjoying your story. The setting is fairly easy to tell. Adding imagery will definitely help with mood and temperature. The story seems to be taking a serious mood rimmed with humor in an average town in modern times. Thank you for making those facts clear. Your story, "Magnets" is good love story I hope you continue. Thank you for sharing and keep on writing. |
AuthorI'm Darcy Ridge, creating stories that all revolve around family and identity in a myriad of ways. In the past, I have shared multiple stories and published a novella online. You can find me on Wattpad and many other social media websites. They/them [Image Description: black background with the words "Social Justice and Mental Health Resources" in white in the center /end ID]
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