Entertainment December 12, 2014The West Wind8

“Will Grayson

Will Grayson”

captures hearts

John Green’s books never fail to impress me. His book, “Will Gray-son Will Grayson,” is no exception. Co-written with award-winning au-thor David Levithan, this story will have readers addicted.

Something unique about this book is after each chapter the point of view and author changes. Green’s writing is more light hearted, Levi-than’s is more sarcastic. This made the book intriguing and kept reading from getting tedious.

The boys happen to share the same name. It is through the co-incidence of their names and Tiny Cooper, an enormous gay football player, their paths meet.

Both boys are struggling with personal identity and high school’s everyday obstacles. It’s these ob-stacles that cause them to meet in a sketchy porn shop in New York City. Green and Levithan make the boys’ journeys so unbelievable funny; the UHDGHU�ZLOO�À�QG�WKHPVHOYHV�ODXJKLQJ�out loud until they cry.

However, not all tears will be IURP�ODXJKLQJ��:LOO�DQG�:LOO·V�Á�DP�boyantly gay friend, Tiny, has an obsession with being loved. It’s his GHWHUPLQDWLRQ�RI �WU\LQJ�WR�À�QG�DQG�comprehend love, especially of the same-sex, that will have the reader also pondering into their own love life.

The audience most suitable for this book is teenagers, but adults may enjoy it too. Anyone who was RU�LV�FXUUHQWO\�LQ�KLJK�VFKRRO�ZLOO�À�QG�something engaging and relatable in this story.

With the book costing around $8.90, it is well worth every penny. “Will Grayson Will Grayson” is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a romantic comedy, be-cause it’s exactly that. Will and Will’s story is a tear jerker that will leave you thinking about your own life.

Many people get their holiday shopping done shortly after black friday. If you’re stressing because there’s only two weeks left until &KULVWPDV�DQG�\RX�KDYHQ·W�À�QLVKHG�your shopping, here are some quick gift tips.

If you’re a crafty person there are all kinds of things you can do to shorten your holiday shopping list. One great idea is putting all of the dry ingredients of a favorite recipe in a mason jar. Recipes can vary from cookies, hot chocolate, to even homemade chex mix. Another idea buying a roll of yarn and mak-ing bracelets, knitting scarves and crocheting mittens. Homemade gifts show you care while being easy on the wallet. These presents aren’t dif-À�FXOW��MXVW�WLPH�FRQVXPLQJ��

Buying the right gift for someone can be stressful, so gift sets are a great option. Gift sets are assort-ments of items from certain stores; little lotions and perfumes from Bath and Body Works, sets of socks from Dicks, the options are limitless.

%XGJHWLQJ�LV�GLIÀ�FXOW�GXULQJ�WKLV�season, especially for teens, but there are things you can do to save a little money. A cheap gift doesn’t need to be unthoughtful. Going to the dol-lar and buying a bunch of silly little presents that remind you of a person shows you care.

If you give gifts to people you don’t know as well over the holidays there are simple things you can do. Baking a loaf of banana bread, mak-ing cookies, or even just giving a nice little bag of chocolates can brighten your acquaintance’s day or let them know that you were thinking of them during the holiday season.

When all else fails, there’s the ultimate back-up; the gift card. This allows your giftee to decide what they want on their own, however it’s just not always as thoughtful as other gifts.

There are all kinds of last minute presents you can purchase or make WR�IXOÀ�OO�\RXU�KROLGD\V�QHHGV��

Left broken by the loss of Peeta to the Capitol after the Quarter Quell, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) must face the reality of 3DQHP·V�GHVWUR\HG�VWDWH�DQG�À�QG�WKH�À�UH�WR�UHEHO�DJDLQVW�WKH�WUXH�HQHP\�-the Capitol--in the most recent À�OP�RI �WKH�+XQJHU�*DPHV�WULORJ\��Mockingjay, Part 1.

7KH�À�OP�RSHQHG�XS�ZLWK�.DWQLVV�having some sort of mental break-down due to a nightmare about her disturbing experience during the Quarter Quell. A majority of the movie focused not on external con-Á�LFW��EXW�RQ�WKH�LQWHUQDO�FKDOOHQJHV�Katniss faced regarding her role in the rebellion. President Alma Coin of District 13 (Julianne Moore) and mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) convinced her to be the face for the rebel forces WR� JLYH� WKRVH�À�JKWLQJ� VRPHRQH� WR�look up to, even though Katniss was originally more concerned with the safety of her “star-crossed lover,” Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).

Because a large portion of the À�OP�ZDV�.DWQLVV·� SHUVRQDO� UHÁ�HF�tions, the movie was a bit slow. Not D�ORW�KDSSHQHG�ZLWKLQ�WKH�À�UVW�KRXU�of the movie, and the events that did occur would have been hard to fully grasp if one hadn’t read the books, or at least seen the two previous movies. However, once the pace started to quicken, it was evident that the special effects and futuristic design were above aver-age. For example, the structure of the underground District 13 and the white, robotic suits of Capitol

soldiers brought the novel to life.As someone who read the book,

I was surprised at how similar the movie was compared to the images ,� KDG� FUHDWHG� LQ�P\�KHDG� WKH�À�UVW�time around. The underground structure of District 13 and Peeta’s brainwashed broadcasts felt like a bizarre déjà vu at times. Much like the novel, the movie left me feel-ing both inspired and depressed. The prominent message of rebel-OLRQ� DQG� GHÀ�DQFH� JLYHV� WKH�PRYLH�a deeper meaning and caused me to think deeper into society in general. However, there were a few GLVWXUELQJ� VFHQHV� LQ� WKH� À�OP�� )RU�H[DPSOH��.DWQLVV�Á�HZ�EDFN� WR�KHU�

old hometown in District 12, which had been completely demolished E\� WKH�&DSLWRO�� 6KH� À�QGV� KHUVHOI �ZDONLQJ� LQ� D�À�HOG� RI � ERGLHV��PRVW�likely her former neighbors. Another scene that was hard to watch was when President Snow’s (Donald Sutherland) army bombs a hospital in District 8. Gruesome images of the bombing aren’t displayed, but the scene still made me cringe.

Another large component of the movie was the dilemma with Kat-niss’ love life. Life-long companion Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) was obviously jealous of her connec-tion with Peeta, but still struggles to support her no matter what.

Peeta, once taken by the Capi-tol, was cold and cruel, a side of him Katniss had never known. All the while, Katniss was unsure of her feelings and emotions the entire movie. The movie producers focused on the romantic aspect of the original story more so than in WKH�ERRN�WR�WDUJHW�D�VSHFLÀ�F��WHHQDJH�audience.

Overall, Mockingjay, Part 1 is worth your money. Although parts RI �WKH�À�OP�DUH�VORZ��LW�ZLOO�XQGRXEW�edly leave you wanting more. It achieved its overall purpose, to build suspense for the Hunger Games À�QDOH��0RFNLQJMD\��3DUW����ZKLFK�ZLOO�hit theaters in November of 2015.

and mentor Haymitch Abernathy

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games:

Mockingjay, Part 1.” (Murray Close/Lionsgate/MCT)

During the colder months of the \HDU�WKHUH·V�D�VHW�RI �À�YH�PXVW�KDYHV�to look cute and stay warm. These EDVLFV�FDQ�DGG�WR�\RXU�RXWÀ�W�WR�HQ�sure that you’re dressed accordingly for Nebraska’s winter season.

You can wear sweaters with just about anything. They look good with leggings, jeans, skirts, sometimes even dresses. Knit, tight or printed VZHDWHUV� FDQ�PDNH� DQ\�RXWÀ�W� ORRN�cozy. The best thing about sweaters is how easy it is to dress up or dress down a sweater. One plain gray sweater can be the start of multiple RXWÀ�WV�RI �GLIIHUHQW�VW\OHV��1RW�RQO\�are sweaters nice for keeping one comfortable, but they’re a great add-on to a wardrobe overall.

Cardigans are a cute way to add a little coverage and warmth to your outfit. There are a few different styles of cardigans. Button up car-digans are versatile because you can wear them buttoned, making it a bit more formal, or unbuttoned, a little laid back. Belted cardigans are great for a comfortable yet put together look. “Boy-friend cardigans” are

bigger and extremely cozy, wearing RQH� DOZD\V�PDNHV� DQ� RXWÀ�W�PRUH�casual. On top of the different styles, there are so many different designs and colors for cardigans, there will DOZD\V�EH�RQH�WR�PDWFK�\RXU�RXWÀ�W��

Scarves may have started out as a way to keep warm outside, but they’ve evolved into a simple way WR�VQD]]�XS�\RXU�RXWÀ�W��7KRVH�GD\V�when jeans and a t-shirt are your only option, throwing on a scarf can JLYH�\RXU�RXWÀ�W� VRPH�SL]D]]�ZKLOH�remaining nice and casual. There are different ways to wear a scarf WRR�� LQÀ�QLW\�� WLHG� DQG� UHFWDQJXODU�scarves can be plain fabric or knit with tons of colors, patterns and so on. Scarves are a lot like cardigans in the way they can go with nearly everything in a closet.

Almost any kind of boot you can WKLQN�RI �ZLOO�WLH�DQ�RXWÀ�W�WRJHWKHU��and there’s plenty of options to choose from when looking for the perfect style. If you’re looking for an edgier look, combat boots or boots with studs are the way to go. Knee high boots are also cute and can be worn with jeans or leggings for a casual and sophisticated look. Uggs are the must have comfy boot. You

don’t have to have the name brand either, others are just as soft. The great thing with boots is they nor-mally come in three neutral colors, black, brown and gray. That way they JR�ZLWK�DQ\�RXWÀ�W�\RX�FDQ�LPDJLQH�DQG� DUH� VLPSOH� HQRXJK� WR� À�QG� DW�most clothing stores.

Socks are a cute warm way to add a soft bit of personality. Long knit socks will stick out a little at the top of your boots for a little pop of color or style. Fuzzy socks provide an easy way to keep your toes toasty

and cozy in the cold weather while being a cute quirk to an outfit. Nike socks are always great with an DWKOHWLF� RXWÀ�W� OLNH� VZHDWSDQWV� DQG�a sweatshirt, and they’re soft and comfortable. No matter what you’re ZHDULQJ��WKHUH·V�D�VRFN�IRU�WKH�RXWÀ�W�

The best part of these essentials is how easy they are to put together. It’s important to be dressed appro-priately in the winter, but it’s also fun to look cute. Throw on any of these items in the right way and you’ll be VHW�IRU�D�FXWH�DQG�ZDUP�RXWÀ�W��

Emma Larson

Reporter

Patience Jurgens

Reporter

Tips and tricks from Patience: Dressing

appropriately for the seasons isn’t hard

Mockingjay, Part 1 impresses

“Rudolph the Red Nose Rein-deer.”

-Tommy Hart, freshman

“Jingle Bell Rock.”

-Josh Mitchell, sophomore

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause.”

-Emily Byrne, junior

“Twelve Things I Hate About Christmas.”

-Jessica Muhammad, senior

What's your favorite holiday song?

Facebook no longer ‘cool’ for teens

With 2014 wrapping up, Face-book celebrated its 10 year an-niversary this year amid continued success, boasting a market value of over $200 billion and bringing in more than 1.35 billion users who log on monthly.

But with the social network le-viathan swallowing up every corner of the market, grandparents and developing nations alike, the very thing that once made Facebook cool among teens--its status as a site primarily geared towards young people--is vanishing faster than a Snapchat photo.

Facebook continues to be the most widely used social media site among teens, with the highest per-centage of teens who are members, daily users and mobile users of any social media site.

But it is not, however, the fast-est growing social media site. That coveted spot is reserved for sites like Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. According to a Nov. 25 Global Web Index survey report, within the past six months Tumblr’s active user base grew by 120 percent, Pinterest by 111 percent, and Instagram by 64 percent. In contrast, Twitter grew by just 26 percent and Facebook a lonely 2 percent.

The data, which comes from sur-veys of over 165,000 internet users over 32 global markets, represents a marked shift in growth from Face-book to other social network sites.

Facebook is now a place that many people have, well, just to have. It’s for those friends who moved away when you were eight, or so you can see old vacation photos and FUHHS�RQ� \RXU� H[·V� QHZ� VLJQLÀ�FDQW�other.

Now, of course, for a company with Facebook’s size, it’s only natural for some slowing in growth to occur. It’s large, well-established, and has already reached much of the world’s internet user population.

Facebook simply can’t keep up ZLWK�WKH�UDSLG�À�UH�DQG�OLYH��G\QDPLF�feel of Twitter. It can’t match the addictive, self-indulgent allure of 6QDSFKDW��ZKHUH�VHOÀ�HV�DUH�HQMR\HG�in seven second servings. It can’t compete with the uncensored, anonymous freedom of Tumblr.

And that’s the problem with Facebook now, why it may be falling to the wayside in terms of teens’ love: it’s not an escape anymore. It’s old news, passé, lumped in with serious things like jobs and college and not full of that spontaneous passion, that rebellion and freedom that drove youth to the internet in WKH�À�UVW�SODFH�

Grant Harrison

Editor-in-Chief

Kylie Fenger

Commentary Editor

How to do

holiday gifts

last minutePatience Jurgens

Reporter

Escape Key

Bellevue West'saward winning

literary magazine

is now seeking submissions for

the 2014-2015 issue

See Mr. Stueve or Mr. Sullivan with any questionssubmi t at bwescapekey@gmai l.com

Escape Key

Bellevue West'saward winning

literary magazine

is now seeking submissions for

the 2014-2015 issue

See Mr. Stueve or Mr. Sullivan with any questionssubmi t at bwescapekey@gmai l.com

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