Game review by Joelene Pynnonen

A bio-terrorist attack has left the President infected and Leon trapped in a zombie infested campus with a Secret Service agent called Helena. Meanwhile DSO agent Sherry Birkin may have found hope for a C-virus cure in ornery mercenary, Jake Muller. In Edonia Chris Redfield and his partner, Piers, discover that Ada Wong may be behind the latest spate of biological warfare and they set out to stop her.

Storyline: More complicated than the Resident Evil 5 plot; Resident Evil 6 follows three sets of characters before finally unlocking Ada Wong’s campaign. As always, the characters drive the narrative, each one having their own attributes, motivations and goals. The plot is carefully crafted so that by the end of the game, all of the chapters slot together like pieces of a puzzle. While RE5 was enjoyable and the characters were likeable, RE6 hits a whole new level for plot and character development.

 The storyline on a whole is incredibly enjoyable. An eerie atmosphere permeates through the campaigns, which can still creep me out in a rather delicious way. There’s a certain amount of tension between the characters that makes for good story-telling, and with so many characters everyone is bound to like at least one of the campaigns. Ada is, unsurprisingly, her usual amazing self and could carry the game on her own, but graciously allows the others to do little bits here and there. Yes, I’m partial to Ada. From the people I’ve talked to, every fan really connects with one RE character through the games. Not sure why anyone would choose someone who was not Ada, but each to his or her own.

Gameplay: Each character has their own strengths and each team has its own campaign. Based on the team strengths or weaknesses, there are several places where characters have to split up, so that in order to appreciate the entire game it must be played through at least twice. Even without taking this into account, RE6 is a much longer game than I was expecting. Each campaign has a different feel and is set over a variety of locations, making the gameplay consistently interesting.

 As an action-shooter, RE6 spices up its fight sequences by setting certain missions against time with others requiring stealth. The enemies also vary, and their weak spots will often direct the course of the action.

There are new additional options to the main game as well. Agent Hunt gives players the chance to randomly spawn as enemies into other people’s games while Mercenaries pits players against masses of enemies.

Qualms: RE6 has an entirely different type of inventory to RE5, making unlimited stockpiling of ammo and supplies impossible. It’s not necessary as ammo is abundant, but stockpiling was always more fun.

 The chapters are long, which makes it more difficult if you’re playing the campaign with a friend.

Overall: Great characters, storyline and voice-acting. This is the kind of game that you can play several times and still enjoy. The Agent Hunt and Mercenaries modes are a great addition for when there isn’t time for a chapter or you’re in the mood for something different.

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Cooking with Lisa Smith

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of seeded chopped tomatoes
• 1 bunch of cilantro (just the leafs) chopped
• 1/2 white onion chopped
• 1 large lemon 
• salt to taste 

Directions:

This is a very simple recipe, and after taking the time to chop up all the ingredients the only thing that remains is throwing them together in a bowl.

I would recommend taking you’re time chopping both the onions and tomatoes, not only will it look much better, but also you wont end up with just a big chunk of onion on your chip when dipping.

 I usually like my salsa a little bit more on the sower side, so I always make sure to add extra lemon juice. Cut the lemon into two, squeezing one half and tasting the salsa before squeezing the other half; that way you can determine if that’s enough lemon for you. 

This recipe is really simple, and quick to make! I hope you guys try it out, and let me know what you think!

We’ve all heard of Jamie Oliver’s battle with the British Education system to give the kids healthy school meals… right? Well if you haven’t then know that they travelled to some pretty grim-looking schools in the poorer areas of the UK.

These schools are the kind I imagined for the setting of Siege by Sarrah Mussi.

Here’s the Goodreads blurb.

“Leah Jackson – in detention. Then armed Year 9s burst in, shooting. She escapes, just. But the new Lock Down system for keeping intruders out is now locking everyone in. She takes to the ceilings and air vents with another student, Anton, and manages to use her mobile to call out to the world.

First: survive the gang – the so-called ‘Eternal Knights’.
Second: rescue other kids taken hostage, and one urgently needing medical help.

Outside, parents gather, the army want intelligence, television cameras roll, psychologists give opinions, sociologists rationalize, doctors advise – and they all want a piece of Leah. Soon her phone battery is running out; the SAS want her to reconnoiter the hostage area … But she is guarding a terrifying conviction. Her brother, Connor, is at the center of this horror. Is he with the Eternal Knights or just a pawn?

She remembers. All those times Connor reached out for help … If she’d listened, voiced her fears about him earlier, would things be different now? Should she give up her brother?

With only Anton for company, surviving by wits alone, Leah wrestles with the terrible choices …“

This is a relatively small book visually, however the horrors bound between the covers are anything but. There is an adapted Harry Knowles quote from Ain’t It Cool News directly before the title page that reads

‘If you leave this story feeling unsettled, disturbed, alarmed that this could happen – good. You should be alarmed. That is the point: to scare you, to make you not want to be another mindless, thoughtless, follower.’

When I was in school, we didn’t even know what a ‘lock down’ was. Sure you had fire drills and practising for a bomb scare, but these things all included leaving the school behind and fleeing to safety. It wasn’t until my daughter started school that I ever knew anything of a ‘lock down’. It describes a situation where you are a prisoner in your classroom until the all clear is given. What scares me the most is that they’ve had a few real ones to go with the drills. And we’re in a ‘safe’ suburb of Brisbane!

The thought of something like the occurrences in Siege happening isn’t a far-fetched stretch of the imagination. It scares the goobers out of me. So you can imagine the nightmares I had while reading about the amazing heroine named Leah Jackson. The girl who really is just a normal student who behaves heroically in a frightful set of circumstances.

I did happen to begin reading this book during a thunderstorm and the first character to be shot in front of Leah coincided with a rather close thunder clap. I had one of those cartoon-cat-on-the-ceiling moments and from there I was well and truly on the edge of my seat.

This is not a pretty book to look at, or to read. The subject matter is gritty and disturbing. However I think it is a story that is relevant and shows how things may turn, if we don’t take notice of the way society as a whole disenfranchises disadvantaged young people.

A modern day Lord of the Flies, with a far better hero.

http://sarahmussi.wordpress.com/

301 pages
Published March 7th 2013 by Hodder Children’s Books (first published March 1st 2013)
ISBN13: 9781444910087

I reviewed Night School #1 back in early 2012. So to receive book #2, Legacy, to review made me smile.

Goodreads blurb reads …

“In the last year, Allie’s survived three arrests, two breakups and one family breakdown. The only bright point has been her new life at Cimmeria Academy. It’s the one place she’s felt she belongs. And the fact that it’s brought dark-eyed Carter West into her life hasn’t hurt either. But far from being a safe haven, the cloistered walls of Cimmeria are proving more dangerous than Allie could have imagined. The students and faculty are under threat, and Allie’s family – from her mysterious grandmother to her runaway brother – are at the centre of the storm. Allie is going to have to choose between protecting her family and trusting her friends. But secrets have a way of ripping even the strongest relationships apart…”

Allie has done a little growing up since the dramas at the end of book 1. There are fewer secrets and her relationships are becoming more complex and strained. She is inducted into the mysterious ‘Night School’, and things progress from there. The conspiracy theory feel of Legacy was something I found quite appealing.

Daugherty’s writing style has hit it’s stride. Between character story arcs and the intensity of the suspense, the thought that this series will most likely only run on for 1 or 2 more books makes me pout a little.

I’m not entirely a fan of books set in a boarding school, however I do have a few exceptions. This series would be one of the few.

Fracture, book 3 of Night School is due out some time in 2013. Looks like it’ll be one not to miss.

http://www.cjdaugherty.com/

Paperback, 385 pages

Published January 3rd 2013 by Atom

ISBN: 1907411224 (Isbn13: 9781907411229)

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself–and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Hardcover, 327 pages  Published April 24th 2012 by HarperTeen (first published 2012)  ISBN  0062059939 (ISBN13: 9780062059932)

In a war torn country in the early years of being rebuilt. We have a monarchy and a caste system. Strict rules of who can marry whom, and what jobs each can hold, but mostly how much money you can make. America just so happens to be the right age at the right time when the Prince is looking for a spouse. Her invitation is a blessing for her household, but a horror for her personal life. Her heart is already taken, even though her chosen mate maybe from a lower caste and the reality of them marrying is slim. His choice to push her to apply, and better her family will get her to act.

America Singer is a talented musician and just so happens to be very pretty. A shoe-in for the competition, she makes the cut. But going to live in the Castle is beyond what she imagined it would be. Exciting, claustrophobic and frightening. Between the rebel attacks on the Castle and the time the Prince must spend in meetings, it’s hard to imagine he has time to fit in finding a wife. But he manages to spend alone time with all of the girls, narrowing it down to just 10 by the end of the book.

What caught me off guard with this story was how detailed the world building was. I was expecting just a competition for a husband, and girls being petty and drama-filled. But this story has depth, a lot of character growth and a world that is on the edge of falling into chaos. Of course, there is some drama and pettiness between the contestants, but so little that it’s not a huge part of the plot.

The Selection really surprised me and I found it a very entertaining to read. America was a thinker, always making smart decisions with the situations she was put in. Not only did I admire her for her perspective on things, but also the Prince. They did what most people don’t do enough … communicate. Honesty really is the best policy, and even when the timing may be off, their intentions were good. But without that bad timing, we wouldn’t have the same amount of suspense.

I am really excited to jump into the next book The Elite so see what happens as the competition gets down to the narrow last few contestants and the attacks against the Castle surely become more dangerous.