“Sometimes beautiful things come into our lives out of nowhere. We can’t always understand them, but we have to trust in them. I know you want to question everything, but sometimes it pays to just have a little faith.” – Fallen

Fallen, written by Lauren Kate, takes readers into a world where not only angels exist, but so do fallen angels, star-crossed lovers and a confused-by-love lead character who is reborn every 17 years to fall in love with the same man. The main character, Lucinda “Luce” Price, is not an angel and as far as anyone is concerned, she’s a defect.

In fact, Lucinda is spending her junior year of high school attending a “reform school” complete with video cameras monitoring students’ every move, barbed wire surrounding the campus, overgrown vegetation, a full Olympic-sized swimming pool inside a church and a military graveyard where students get to spend detention cleaning up old marble statues.

This dream school? It’s called Sword and Cross.

Luce is sent to the school after a serious accident has taken place with one of her best friends. Her parents no longer trust her and she is quite unsure of herself most of the time. However, one thing she is sure of is that when the shadows (black creatures that lurk around her constantly) come, she cannot control them and bad things tend to happen.

This book, while true to the Romeo and Juliet motif, has a much more complicated plot, which features a twist.  In addition, the other characters have their own personal stories, which are filled with hidden secrets that are revealed as the novel progresses deeper into the plot.

First, we have Daniel. Daniel is a mysterious, handsome, grey-eyed, rough-and-tough guy. He is an alluring character who clearly has some hidden secrets of his own.

Then we have Cam, who is charismatic, smooth-talking, and equally handsome, but also that character readers just love to hate. Cam is also the guy who is there to pick up the pieces after Luce first makes eye contact with Daniel…..and he flips her off.

As the introduction to the novel says, “Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce – going out of his way to make that painfully clear – but she just doesn’t seem to want to let it go.”  It would be easy enough to paint their relationship as cliché, especially as she is said to be “drawn to him like a moth to a flame,” but her motivation is runs deeper than that:  Luce is desperate to understand why she feels like she already knows him

What makes Fallen different than many of the other contemporary teen romance novels? One, there are no vampires involved in the story.  Two, through Kate’s use of descriptive elements, the story becomes both ominous and beautiful.

Fallen leads readers to believe that Luce is just another typical damsel in distress, and while this is true for the most part, in the next two books in the series (Torment and Passion), Luce’s character evolves immensely, as does the plot.

While the book could easily be compared to Stephanie Meyer’s banal Twilight series, it deserves bit more credit than that. The themes, characters and problems in Fallen are all unique and darkly romantic. Fallen grows increasingly more complex as its plot thickens and draws the reader in.

The overall theme – the struggle between good and evil – is, of course, not so new; however, Fallen takes a different spin as the way the story is presented and the twists it provides are all original, aiding to a pleasurable gothic love story featuring a winning formula of fallen angels and forbidden love.

Lady Gaga’s latest video, “Marry the Night”, was directed by Gaga herself to be an autobiography on her life, and rise to stardom. The video features several references to other movies and stars such as; “Fame”, “Black Swan”, and Madonna. The 13 minute mini-movie certainly takes interesting look into the mind of Mother Monster.

It starts out with Gaga waking up in,what seems to be, a mental hospital. As her nurse is caring for her, she looks up with tears in her eyes, and says, “I’m gonna make it… I’m going to be a star, you know why? Because I have nothing left to lose.” 

 Apparently, the video is a look into how Gaga recovered and recreated herself after being dropped by her first record company. It shows her at her lowest low of depression, through her unique transition process and into her auditions for becoming the pop idol she is today.

The video shows her struggling to convince various directors that she is an artist, but no one seems to give her a chance. She falls into this sort of insanity of writing songs, pouring Cheerios on her body and dying her hair. It seems that she has lost everything she ever wanted. But with Gaga that simply can not be the case.

 As she starts to rebuild herself she says, “You may say I lost everything, but I still had my BeDazzler and I had a lot of patches, shiny ones from M&J Trimming, so I wreaked havoc on some old denim. And I did what any girl would do — I did it all over again.” She comes into the scene in her glitz out ensemble with a new confidence.

 Next, Gaga is shown in a wrecked car with fire and explosions surrounding her. One could infer that the several explosions could be Gaga’s failures to make it, or they could just be added for dramatic effect.

 Then, she enters a dance studio for,what seems like, an audition. Gaga is shown stretching and trying her hardest to stand out. When the actual dancing comes into play, Gaga does an amazing job and really makes an impact on the choreographer. The dancing in the video is creative and has great musicality when it comes to the beat of the song.  

 In the end, she is seen in a car looking at her hand. Gaga’s hand is revealed, reading, “Interscope Records;Hollywood,CA; 4 p.m.” Interscope Records is the record company that Gaga is currently with and the pair seems to be happy and successful.

 The overall video might seem strange and confusing, but when looking at it through Lady Gaga’s life it actually makes sense. It shows that although she is a famous pop idol now, it took several crashes to bring her to the top. The video has some unnecessary and slightly inappropriate scenes, but as a whole, it gives an interesting look into Gaga’s climb to fame.  

 How many dancers does it take to screw in a light bulb? A hundred. One to screw it in and 99 to sit back and think, “I could have done that so much better.” This is the kind of attitude and mannerism being portrayed on Dance Moms, a peak into the competitive world of dance via television.

 Now that the new Lifetime hit, Dance Moms, has had its first season, it is getting mixed reviews from the dance community. This new show follows the Abby Lee Miller Dance Company from Pittsburg, PA.

The program showcases some of the company’s younger dancers during their competition season. It focuses on the dancers’ mothers and how they react to the treatment of their children, mostly in comparison with the treatment of the other dancers in the company. The show puts a negative light on the world of competitive dance.

 Middletown High School Junior and 13 year dancer at the Mid Maryland Performing Arts Center, Kira Jahrling, said, “I feel like everything on Dance Mom’s is unrealistic, no dance studio should be even remotely like that. I enjoy watching the show for entertainment but I don’t agree with a lot of the things on it.” 

 The dancers on the show range from age six and a half, to thirteen. The company is constantly traveling around the country to compete. They generally compete one or two group numbers, and then Abby and the pyramid decide who gets to perform solos, duets, or not at all.

 The pyramid is the way Abby Lee Miller categorizes each of her dancers, on levels. The top of the pyramid is the dancer that has been the most successful lately, and they usually get to perform a solo at competition. The bottom of the pyramid is for the girls Abby feels need to work harder.

 “I feel the show portrays dancers in a demeaning way, that all dancers are so competitive and have very little respect for one another, themselves, parents, and teachers. All in all, dance is meant for people to embrace their passion in an art,” said MHS junior, Kaylie Miller who has danced at the Dee Buchanan Studio of Dance for 13 years. “It over exaggerates everything in the dance world, blowing every single piece and competition out of proportion.”

 Abby runs her studio with a very tough love approach; she likes to push and enhance her students through long hours of learning and rehearsing new choreography with her dancers. In most episodes, the girls learn and clean a new piece for competition in a week. Costuming, timing conflicts and stresses are mainly what  get the dance moms fired up.

 “I’m surprised by the popularity of Dance Moms. It has always been important to me (and every dance teacher I know) to help students explore the artistry of dance, and to help them gain self-esteem. Dance Moms portrays a whole other world, I’m grateful our dancers are not a part of it,” said Dee Buchanan, owner and director of the Dee Buchanan Studio of Dance.

 The Moms themselves are a ferocious group of women who are portrayed as living vicariously through their talented children. They push their girls to be the best and fight for them if they are not receiving the proper respect or attention. The mothers are constantly picking fights with each other, but mostly they disagree with the owner and company director Abby Lee Miller.

 Kim Bower, a 25 year dance mom had this to say, “I’m appalled at the behaviors of all the adults.  The moms act more immature than the children.  I don’t understand why you would ever subject your child to such an unpleasant environment!”

 With both the pressure of Abby’s “win, win, win” attitude, and the fear of disappointing their parents, the young girls on the show are constantly tense and overworked. Some have even said that they don’t want to dance anymore because it just isn’t fun for them. The girls are constantly busy and are hardly shown outside of a dance environment.

 Meltdowns are a very common occurrence on the show, especially with the girls who don’t receive as much attention as say the top of the pyramid. Although the girls have experienced great opportunities such as being in a music video, winning National dance titles, and auditioning for a Broadway casting agent, they really haven’t experienced a normal childhood. Their mothers might argue that “Who wants their child to be normal?” but the girls are threatened by a future of blow ups and burn outs.

By Ally Caho
Round Table Editor

 The MHS Haunted House, “Things That Go Bump in the Night”, made a screaming impact on the Middletown community. Just standing in line, one could hear the screams and terrifying fate awaiting departure.

It was carefully planned from beginning to end, starting with the screeching and creepy characters laying down the house rules, to the eerie Grim Reaper who sealed your trip to the screaming lair.

 The layout of the house was cleverly designed by Bill Pressley, the tech dad of the Middletown High School drama department. He is the man responsible for creating the beautiful sets for all of the fabulous Spring Musicals, but he also designed the Haunted House to have all of the twist and turns to scare and confuse its captives. The sporadically placed niches and alcoves were perfect for the dark characters to jump out of and frighten the unsuspecting victims.

When walking through the Haunted House, one would experience various encounters with some ghoulish characters. The realistic costuming and characterization helped portray the overall idea. However, the scenes that showed bloody and gory messes were well designed, but not very frightening in my opinion.

The gore made me feel more uncomfortable and uneasy. The creepy children or people in the house also created an eerie feeling of anxiety and nervousness. The creepier scenes were usually followed by the dark characters that seem to pop out of nowhere.  

The characters all played their parts frightfully well, and created that spine-chilling feeling throughout the house. They all were remotely disturbing with their voices, actions, and facial experiences, but I found that some characters had trouble staying in character.

Although the displacement of character hindered the illusion, it also put some of the more frightened patrons at ease, and gave them a second to collect themselves.

Overall, the effect of the Haunted House was astounding. The tech work and set was very well done. The two rooms that stood out the most were the “dot room” and the “hall of mirrors” due to the disorienting effect they had on visitors.

 The moving of the “dot” people on the wall and the illusions of all the mirrors made one feel mystified and slightly claustrophobic. The panic made one try to escape the mirror room in hurry. This lead to the final area: the asylum.

The asylum had a mix of gore and jumpy effects. The constant yelling of the patients kept the house goers on edge. The electric chair effect was mind-boggling, between the strobe effect and the acting of the unfortunate electrified created the real effect of watching a man being electrocuted.

The overall effect of the Things that go Bump in the Night left Middletowners screaming for more, and I’m anxious to see what the drama department can brew up for next years Halloween house of fright and terror.

Violet has a special power. She can’t fly. She’s not super strong. She can’t stop time. She’s not indestructible. But she can find bodies.

Ever since she was a little girl, bodies have been calling out to her. Sometimes it’s a sound or a taste, other times it’s a color or feeling. Some she’s able to control the sounds, while other times they call to her so strongly that she’s pulled to them. However, the bodies aren’t always animals. Sometimes they’re human.

In The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting, a killer has started attacking Violet’s town. Violet finds the first body accidentally, and before long, more girls go missing. Her uncle, head of the police department, knows Violet is the only one who can find them.

As she struggles to find the killer, Violet is forced into life-threatening situations that test her mental strength. While she deals with a killer, she also must deal with the changes in her relationship with her best friend Jay.

The killer becomes more desperate, striking closer to home, and Violet knows she only has a few days to figure out who it is before he strikes again. However, the closer she gets to him, the closer he gets to figuring her out.

Derting’s approach to such a radical power is both thrilling and terrifying. The way she adds in parts of the killer’s thoughts creates a whole other dimension of depth to the story.

The novel lacks surprises and twists, but the book is still good enough to not be able to put down. I wish it had contained a few, which would further increase the suspense in the book.

Unfortunately, the plot wasn’t quite scary enough for me. I don’t typically enjoy scary stories, but I expected more from a novel about a girl with the ability to find dead people.

While the plot lacks terror, it balances with realistic aspects. Although Violet has a weird, supernatural power, she is mainly a normal teenage girl. She struggles with dealing with her friends, her parents and Jay. The relationship between Violet and Jay is heartwarming, sincere and romantic as they discover how to deal with the killer.

As Violet and Jay start piecing together their murder mystery, the killer begins moving in on them, faster than they think. Before Violet knows it, she could be next.

On last week’s “Survivor: Redemption Island,” history was made when Russell Hantz, who had previously attended final Tribal Council for two seasons within a three year period, was voted out of his tribe.

In “Survivor,” contestants are brought to an exotic, un-civilized location and are divided into two teams. They are given a fixed quantity of food, minimal supplies and are forced to live in the wilderness. The two teams face each other in challenges, and the losing team is forced to attend Tribal Council, where they vote out one of their players.

Eventually, the two teams merge into one. Once there, players battle each other in challenges to earn “immunity” from being voted out at tribal council. After each challenge, players vote for the contestant they think should be eliminated from the game. At the end, the formerly eliminated contestants vote for which of the final three “survivors” they think deserves the one million dollar prize.

In this season, the players who get voted off their tribe are sent to live on Redemption Island as opposed to being immediately eliminated. They must duel other eliminated contestants in order to remain in the game, and at some point in the game, the contestant on Redemption Island will be able to re-enter the game.

Although it’s unusual for contestants to play multiple seasons, Hantz gained notoriety through competing in “Survivor: Samoa” and then was subsequently brought back for season 20, “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.” In both seasons, he earned a place as one of three finalists for the final prize of one million dollars, but did not earn the majority of the final vote. He did, however, win the Sprint “Player of the Game” award.

Russell’s strategy has been defined by his ability to find hidden immunity idols without the help of clues, orchestrate elaborate blindsides and forge strong alliances with attractive, young female contestants. Since the advent of Russell, the strategy of players within the game has become more and more radical and devious. 

In “Redemption Island,” Hantz was brought back for the third time to compete with fellow veteran player Rob Mariano and 16 new contestants for the one million dollars. On the March 2 episode, Russell’s team grew tired of his lack of progress around camp and decided to purposely lose a challenge in order to get the opportunity to vote him out.

Russell was allied with contestants Stephanie and Krista against the other six members of their tribe. The other six decided to divide their votes between Russell and Stephanie to ensure that one of them would be eliminated. Although Russell and Stephanie tried to convince another contestant, Julie, to help them vote for someone else, their plan ultimately failed, and Russell was sent to Redemption Island.    

Though it is yet to be seen whether Russell will be permanently eliminated, voting Russell Hantz out of Survivor is no small matter.

Love is a disease. It causes difficulty focusing, euphoria, despair, fixation, paranoia, dizziness, difficulty breathing, even death. It is the deadliest of all diseases. It is amor deliria nervosa.

This is the world Lena lives in. When she turns 18 in a few months, Lena will undergo the surgery that will remove the part of her brain where the deliria is located. As far as Lena was concerned, it was a good solution, and she did not rebel against it.

That is, until she learned about the Invalids, the Wilds and the people living there. Her best friend Hana has slowly started to pull away from the accepted idea, sneaking out after curfew to go to parties and listening to music that has been banned for years.

The first time Hana sneaks out, Lena follows her. While at the party, Lena meets Alex, and her world is forever changed. The more time she spends with Alex, the more rebellious she becomes, and the more she catches amor deliria nervosa.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver tells the story of Lena and her struggle to do what she feels is right. She has seen what the surgery does, to her family, her friends and the people she cares for.

The story line is absolutely incredible. The topic is innovative, new and a little bit terrifying. Imagining a world without love, where love is even an illegal world, is a place that doesn’t look appealing.

As Lena learns to love, she learns to let go of her past. “The past is nothing but a weight. It will build up inside of you like a stone. Take it from me: If you hear the past speaking to you, feeling it tugging at your back and running its fingers up your spine, the best thing to do – the only thing to do – is run.”

My only problem with the novel is that it seems like it is exactly like the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield. There is a “solution” to a “problem” in society, and the main character has to decide whether to stay or go into the “Wilds.”

The way Oliver tackles such an extreme topic is better than Westerfield. She writes the story like it’s truly realistic and a possibility for the future. The characters are not struggling with “beauty” issues, they’re struggling with love and how it affects the world.

The more Lena learns about true life, the more she tries to teach the reader. “I know that life isn’t life if you just float through it. I know that the whole point – the only point – is to find the things that matter, and hold onto them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go.”

“The first order of business in modeling is rejection. I had been rejected by 6 agencies before I was signed. The road to success is a zigzag line,” said America’ Next Top Model host, Tyra Banks.

The CW’s popular series has returned with more fashion and drama in cycle 16 on which premiered on Feb. 23. The show will run on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m.

Tyra Banks leads the panel of judges, which is also composed of the prominent fashion editor André Leon Talley and photographer Nigel Barker. Jay Manuel serves at the photo shoot creative director and Miss J. Alexander trains the girls in runway technique.

With guest judges such as model/stylist Erin Wasson, stylist Rachel Zoe, fashion model Sonia Dara and Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, this season is to be better than ever.

“Fourteen model hopefuls will compete for the ultimate career-launching prize package: a contract with IMG Models, one of the top international modeling management companies in the world; a fashion spread in Vogue Italia and an additional spread in the cover of Beauty in Vogue; and a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl Cosmetics,” according to cwtv.com.

In Malibu, the first runway show took place. With a quick photo shoot backstage by the admired Russell James, the girls were ready for their big challenge. The contestants must walk on a 12-inch runway surrounded by water while walking inside a huge plastic bubble.

Who will come out as the winner? Only thirteen girls will continue to have a chance at becoming America’s Next Top Model.

I love going to see movie productions of my favorite books. Around Christmas I bought I Am Number Four, and was delighted to find that it was going to be made into a feature-length motion picture. Unfortunately when I went to see the movie, I was less than satisfied.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore is based around “John” and “Henri” also known as Number Four and his protector. John and Henri are from Lorien, a planet much like our own.

John and Henri escaped their planet when the Mogadarians, an evil, imperialistic alien species, attacked their home. The Mogadarians’ planet had collapsed on itself, so they chose to take over the next life-sustaining world. Only nineteen people escaped the battle, nine children and their nine guardians.

However, the Mogadarians have used up all of Lorien, and now their sights are set on Earth. The only hope for Earth is the remaining six teens, and the Mogadarians’ know it. To cause the destruction of the human race, they must hunt down the nine.

“In the beginning we were a group of nine. Three are gone, dead. There are six of us left. They are hunting us, and they won’t stop until they’ve killed us all. I am Number Four. I know that I am next.”

Usually John is at terms with the constant running, escaping towns that get too aware. But when John and Henri arrive in Paradise, Ohio, and John meets Sarah, he knows he can’t leave again, not without her. Staying in Paradise is all that he wants, but the Mogadarians are quickly catching up with him.

The novel was absolutely phenomenal. It has equal parts of thrilling events, romance and suspense. Every moment of I Am Number Four leaves the reader wanting to know more, about John and Henri’s families, about the planet of Lorien and about the other remaining five.

Lore himself is a Lorien Elder. He ruled Lorien while it was still thriving, but escaped when it was being attacked. Lore has been living on earth for twelve years, but where he is located is unknown.

I love the fact that the author is using a penname, especially in the fact that he is using a character in the novel. It adds extreme depth and mystery to the novel itself. All throughout the book Lore leaves questions unanswered and questions formed that further intensify the plot.

I was extremely disappointed in the movie. While the movie stands amazingly on its own, it’s a sad adaptation from the book. It seems that the screenwriter cut out major moments in the book and replaced them with incorrect events.

Although I was disappointed in it, there is no reason not to see the movie. It is full of action and adventure, while blending in romance and suspense. The movie is also fantastically cast, with Alex Pettyfer as Number Four and Dianna Agron as Sarah.

The Lorien Legacies series continues to The Power of Six on Aug. 23. I Am Number Four leaves so many questions unanswered that I hope I will learn in time. Until then, I will be anxiously waiting.  

Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook are just a few of the once small-time singers who made it big on the hit TV show, “American Idol.”

 “American Idol,” a show dedicated to find the next big star in the music industry, was a hit with crowds across the United States, providing countless laughs and much entertainment.

 In the past, the show’s judges consisted of Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowell. First Paula left; she was replaced with Kara DioGuardi, and then Kara was replaced with Ellen DeGeneres.

 The next season held the largest concern, with the always truthful, though not always kind, Simon Cowell leaving the show.

 The new panel of judges for the upcoming season was chosen carefully. The panel for this year’s season is Randy Jackson, the only original judge, Jennifer Lopez, and the lead singer of Aerosmith, Steven Tyler.

 The changes have brought questions like: is this season of “American Idol” going to be as good as others, and is the talent going to get better or worse?

 The season started the same as always, with auditions. The auditions were just as amusing, if not more amusing, than previous years. Tyler provided much entertainment with his inappropriate, yet hilarious, comments and foul language.

 Viewers were concerned about the truthfulness of the judges, and if they had the heart to break the dreams of millions of participants, but the judges came through by speaking the truth.

 The talent this year has been amazing; stories and voices have been heard that melt the hearts of viewers all over the world.

 The most memorable contestant is Chris Medina, who sang “Breakeven” by The Script. His voice stunned the judges and his story broke their hearts. Medina spoke of his fiancée, to who come to find out, had a terrible accident and suffered severe brain damage and is bound to a wheel chair.

 During the audition Medina brought in his fiancée to meet the judges and they were shocked to see how serious the injury was. Medina made it to Hollywood week and then passed to the next round with no difficulty.

 It’s easy to say that only good is to come as Season 10 continues. This season has already been full of tears, excitement, disappointment and shock, but things are just starting to heat up with Hollywood week.