2015 was quite the year for books, movies, and television. We saw the end of some beloved franchises, were introduced to new characters and worlds, and we got to geek out over a little bit of everything.
For me, this was a year of transitions and finding myself. For the first time ever, I called myself a writer. I sent my first query letter and endured my first rejection. I finished a novel and started a new one. There was growth fueled by discoveries I never expected, and I fangirled through the entire thing, always having some sort of release date to look forward to.
So, here are the unforgettable pieces that I encountered along the way. I laughed. I cried. I spent too much money. It was awesome.
Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
It Follows
For me, this was a year of transitions and finding myself. For the first time ever, I called myself a writer. I sent my first query letter and endured my first rejection. I finished a novel and started a new one. There was growth fueled by discoveries I never expected, and I fangirled through the entire thing, always having some sort of release date to look forward to.
So, here are the unforgettable pieces that I encountered along the way. I laughed. I cried. I spent too much money. It was awesome.
Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
This was a really impressive year for new books, especially in the wide young adult genre. We had Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, which presented a unique and fascinating cast of characters all written with a ferocious honesty. There was The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich, which nearly scared me to death with its eerie mix of different styles of storytelling. Renee Ahdieh's The Wrath and The Dawn brought us an intricate tale with diversity that the YA community was more than ready for.
Readers have been captivated, but one beautiful book stood out from the rest for all the right reasons. Magonia caught my eye from the second I saw the cover. I only needed to read the first few sentences of the description to know this was going to be a big deal for me, someone who thrives on imagination and fantastical imagery.
But, it wasn't the whimsical plot or the constant stream of poetic sentences that earned this book a spot on my top shelf. It was the unapologetic characters and the love that developed in and around them. I talked a lot about the love story in my last post about male characters in YA, and I still can't get over how true it all felt. I got goosebumps and chills sometimes when the main characters spoke to each other. Even though it was a love story that left us wishing someone would look at us like Jason Kerwin looks at Aza Ray, but it was so much more. It was pain and suffering illuminated by small flames of hope. It was real.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Okay, of course I'm going to talk about this one. The Hunger Games has been a pretty huge part of my life for the past five years, so saying farewell to Katniss and her story was quite an emotional thing. I have to give credit to everyone who worked to bring Suzanne Collins' finale to the big screen, displaying brutal character deaths and capturing the winding, agonizing tunnel that is grief. These movies were always made with a deep respect for the source material, and that held true up until the very last frame. There was just so much to love, with Josh Hutcherson stealing every scene with his portrayal of the hijacked, tormented Peeta. Finnick's death was entirely heartbreaking, but done in a way that eased the pain of his swift passing in the book. The effects brought muttations and Capitol traps to life and Katniss lead us through a strong and satisfying ending to one of the biggest franchises of the decade.
There were many, many tears.
PS: Gale is in District 2. With me.
Move the powerhouse franchises aside, and this is by far my favorite movie of the year. It Follows is everything that the horror genre needed this summer, and it delivered with a fresh feel and highly sophisticated scares.
Murderers can be killed. Demons can be vanquished. Giant sharks can get blown to bits. But dread itself is no so easily conquered. The fear is so sharp in this movie because the 'killer' is entirely undefined. There's no name or history or explanation beyond how you get it and how you try to escape it. I tried to imagine what I would do if I were in such a situation. Usually, with horror movies, the answers are rather simple. Run. Hide. Fight. With It Follows, there really doesn't appear to be a true way out. They're just a group of kids, and, while they bring a certain authenticity and intelligence to the table, this incomprehensible monster has them outmatched and desperate in a way no one should ever have to be. It is a simple concept, and it worked.
Another thing that needs to be mentioned about this film is the creativity used in its cinematography. The shot choices are mesmerizing, whether it's blades of grass resting on the protagonist's knee or blood spreading through a swimming pool. A lot of thought went into every aspect of It Follows, and it has set a new standard for the horror movies to come. It's about time.
The Walking Dead-Season 6
Oh, Glenn. The Walking Dead is known for its no one is safe attitude towards even the most beloved characters. However, this season did something that the show has never really done before. It let us get our hopes us, and then they let it all pay off.
At first, all the theorizing surrounding Glenn's supposed death kind of infuriated me. I have always been a huge fan of Glenn, and I believed that his character deserved more than to be used as a cliffhanger to stir up the fandom. I didn't understand the point of keeping us waiting and distracting us from the other story lines, such as the fascinating episode on Morgan's character. However, when it was revealed that Glenn made it under that dumpster, and after I was done jumping up and down while screaming, Steven Yeun said something that made everything make sense. He said that it's okay to let the good guy triumph, even in such a broken world. They took us on that uncertain journey because we then got to see what it's like for those characters. Maggie didn't get to know if her husband was dead or alive, and neither did we. Now, that's effective. That's daring and, ultimately, rewarding storytelling.
This season had a lot of other things going for it. There was the dynamic between Carol and Morgan, two firm believers in entirely different things. It's always amazing to watch Daryl's character growth, and we got a lot of that in his episode with Sasha and Abraham. We saw Alexandria fall to wolves and then walkers, left wondering how in the world Rick and his group are going to make it out of this one. Valentine's Day just can't come soon enough.
And Finally
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Yeah. That was awesome.
There's always a risk when you try to reboot something as widely adored as the Star Wars franchise, but this worked in every way. So many good things came out of this movie. The rise of Rey. Han Solo's return. Kylo Ren as our new, complicated villain. It had wit, heart, and a whole lot of promise for what is to come.
In a world that hungers for strong female leads, we got all of that and more with Rey, the young and capable scavenger who takes a perilous journey and discovers the power of the force. She gets to be a badass and vulnerable at the same time, hardly fearless as her world is turned upside down. She finds her bravery and her power along the way, and no one has to save her but herself.
I couldn't help but get goosebumps every time an old character showed up or there was a nod to the original trilogy, but I appreciated that the main focus was kept on the new characters and their stories. It wasn't a recycled string of nostalgia to pander to fans; it was a serious and exciting new chapter that I can't wait to see more of. It looked incredible, with an appropriate mix of practical and special effects. The acting was top notch, bringing in new talent out of obscurity with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. The story took us on a ride we'll likely want to experience over and over again.
I could go on and on. Mad Max. Jurassic World. Game of Thrones. It really was an awesome year no matter what you were looking forward to. Not only were we blown away by dinosaurs and flaming electric guitars, but we also saw progression in the world of storytelling. Female characters were given new, long awaited life, which is a huge milestone to get excited about.
2016 will bring us Batman vs Superman, Star Trek, X-Men, Captain America, Independence Day, Suicide Squad, and so much more. But for now, 2015 holds the crown.
