The Next Best Thing

You don't need your best friends and tickets to a place to make your new year night. I've settled for an alone-at-home party this year probably because none of my friends are going out. And if they are, they're doing a pretty good job of keeping me in the dark.

That reminds me! I don't have any friends. Not ones who make cool-kid plans, anyway.

While my parents and my siblings will be at my cousin's wedding, this is what I have chosen to do.

1. Finish that book.

I'm currently reading Heartless by Marissa Meyer. It's the author's retelling—or rather her idea—of the perils that made The Queen of Hearts The Queen of Hearts. I'm visualizing the characters from Alice in Wonderland. While Lady Catherine Pinkerton is Gigi Hadid, the Joker is naturally Zayn Malik. I couldn't think of any other. Most of the time in my fantasy during reading, all that I do imagine is the Joker's garb rather than his face which makes it more digestible to read and visualize. Hatta is Johnny Depp's character from the movie, and so is the Jabberwock and the hare—or as Marissa Meyer has him: Haigha. I hope that's the right spelling. I tried a not-my-usual genre before Heartless. The Chemist turned out to be a cruel letdown. I read it anyway. Here is the review I gave it.

There are a whole lot of books in my electronic, to-be-read pile.

2. Watch a movie.

Still don't know which one, though. I was thinking of watching Trolls. I guess that should be it, then. I'm not much a fan of non-animated movies. The last one I watched was Moana. It had annoying music in some places, though. I might be writing a review on it. Stay tuned. 

Should I settle for a scary movie, instead? Or my favorite TV series?

3. Music on speaker.

This one's a must. I'm turning my songs on to the max as soon as they leave. My favorite songs are those of Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. Also, Selena Gomez and whatever comes to the top on the Billboard. I also listen to Demi Lovato and any other new album that I might like. I've done some music and album reviews as well. More are to follow. 

4. Order cake.

Not necessarily. I believe I have just discovered my sweet tooth. It's what happens when you've binge-eaten to much savory. There's a bakery quite close to where we live. I saw the newly made cakes and how invitingly they sat inside of that oh-so illuminated display fridge. I just might go and buy one—a whole cake just for me.

Pizza would do fine, too. Maybe some popcorn and a large bottle of cold drink to go with the movie?

5. Make resolutions.

I'm still not done with mine. While most people think of interactive decisions, I stick to a rather goal-related list of things—things that I can do on my own. Like saving up for a new gadget or learning a new skill. Stuff like that. This fifth one is going to be the best part, I guess. Sticking to your resolutions, however, is not. You get so sidetracked every time you try. 

Some people say that you know you've grown up when you know a new year won't change anything. I could make a whole new resolution to spite the little someone who told me this. Let's prove her wrong!

Happy new year! What're you doing tonight and what are your resolutions?

The Chemist was released on the 8th of November by the highly acclaimed author of The Twilight Sage and The Host, Stephenie Meyer. The cover of the book, alone, intrigued Meyer's fans. What would a syringe mean on the cover of a YA romance author? The title combined with the cover left pretty much everybody with clues.

You'll only find out how wrong you are when you've read the book.

This review contains spoilers. I suggest you read the book first. Or if you're one of those spoiler-crazy readers, go on ahead.

Well, if you're a true Meyer fan, you won't have any qualms about picking up this book. I can promise you this: It is unlike her previous work. If you're tired of blood-sucking vampires and fluffy werewolves and desperately need a break, you should pick The Chemist. It involves human beings—all of them human—and what could actually happen in real life.

I hope not.

There is action, you'll be glued to your reading spot with the book in your hand when you reach all the right places. Also, some romance. Not much, though. Which is really surprising. We know how Twilight went down. If you're into those spy novels, The Chemist will partially quench your thirst. There are a lot of disguises and you'll learn some stuff about chemistry. But not much.

The title will make sense at places.

The story revolves around Juliana Fortis, who has many names. She'll finally stick to Alex for the rest of the book. Basically, she has a new name for each of her disguises. Alex is always on the run. Such was her job and the people who are after her...

She is a strong personification of what an independent woman should be like. Always on the run, Alex makes sure that nothing is amiss. Nothing that might lead her pursuers right to her. She is overly cautious and practically a genius. Who wouldn't want to be like her? 

And, she falls for a guy.

This is the guy our good old Chemist falls for. Alex bumps into him on a train and it's love at first sight. Well, at least for Daniel. The book describes him as attractive. While Alex is okay-ish. Not to Daniel. 

It's not fate that Alex meets Daniel. But rather a carefully choreographed setting. The two meet, have a casual conversation, Daniel tries not to drool and asks her out, and then Alex knocks him out! 

In what way? Read the book to find.

Daniel's feelings for Alex remain intact even after what happens to him on the "table of torture." Any normal person would probably want to kill Alex, but this guy doesn't. How weird is Daniel Beach? Really, really weird. But, he's the main male and you'll like him still.

In the beginning, we're told Kevin is dead. Stephenie Meyer made sure a surprise bomb hits us here. Kevin is Daniel's twin brother. In a weird, biological kind of way. It is weird in the beginning, but you'll be crying tears of joy when this twisted biology ends up saving the life of a core character.

When Alex first sees Kevin and tries to form strategies to turn the encounter into her favor, that's when she names him: Batman. He's the first one with guns, though. Ex-CIA and outrageously handsome—Kevin's got all the muscle Danny doesn't—Kevin makes for a perfect big brother. Even though Daniel is older by two minutes. 

Kevin has a girlfriend.

Introducing the doggie buddies: Einstein, Khan, and Lola.

Kevin's retirement plan, which is burned down to the ground later by Alex, includes a whole farm of dogs. Really weird. But this, too, will save lives. Unfortunately, not all...

Einstein, Khan, and Lola are the most mentioned dogs in the book. Einstein being Kevin's sidekick, and later one to Alex as well. Khan being Daniel's nanny, and Lola being the first to fall for Alex. There is some cuddling, and some really intense life-saving on Einstein's part that will really make you want to buy a dog as spy-trained as Einstein.

It wouldn't be wrong if we called this dog very, very, very important.

Well, it was different. It was nice in the beginning then turned psychopathic soon after. It turned out that our psychopath is not a psychopath after all and the loving and caring begins. The shock factor isn't that much. It's only restricted to a few chapters. But, The Chemist is not a Dystopian novel so it wouldn't be fair to judge it with that in mind. Stephenie Meyer kept it to a minimum, and still managed to leave us speechless.

There are government thugs in the mix and our core characters are on a constant run, exacting revenge on their oppressors in the end.

It was a relaxing read to have no blood-thirsty vamps in the story. Neither were there any werewolves. Stephenie has proven that she doesn't need such mythical creatures to tell her story. She can do just fine without. 

She probably needed a break herself from the Twilight Saga. Too many vampires and too many wolves can get boring.

Meyer is yet to write a sad ending. This one, too, was a happy one. With all the baddies getting what they deserve and our heroes finally making it alive and well. 

The Epilogue was a little confusing. Or maybe it was just me reading a different approach by an author labeled as a vampire-slash-werewolf writer. It did feel sort of like a failed attempt at an interesting ending. But, it didn't fail that much.

Absolutely! The author could do a whole new angle of how some loose ends take the book even further. Even though the end is very clear in telling us that The Chemist was meant to be a standalone novel, you never know what an author has up their sleeve.

I say yes; yes to a sequel.

If a sequel is not possible, I would love to read the story again through Daniel's point of view. Or perhaps, Meyer could write a regular companion novella or a novel. 

Given how successful The Twilight Saga has been on screen, and then The Host, I definitely see a movie being made secretly. Even though it's too early to say anything. Or maybe a deal has already been struck and I don't know?

I'd love to see my dream cast become the actual cast. What do you say? Mila Kunis as Juliana Fortis and Tom Hardy as Daniel Beach? I know it's yuck-ish...

It could happen!

Last time I searched, the author was going to expand The Host into the originally intended trilogy. I do want to know what becomes of my favorites characters from that book.

Or, she could be working on a movie for this one.

Honestly, I only read on to get to the end. I didn't want to abandon this one. I believe it got a little boring for me. I left it for a day and then continued. I did this more than once. This is my strategy for reading books that become uninteresting later in the future. 

You will love The Chemist. It has enough to make sure that you do.

That was all. Make sure you get your copy of The Chemist today!