Tres Promesas (Book)
Tres promesas de Leslie Velasquez, cuenta la historia de tres adolescentes que deberán enfrentar un acontecimiento del pasado que los marcó para siempre y un futuro que espera a que se decidan a tomarlo de la mejor manera. Ana desde pequeña sabía que quería ser artista y, a nada de salir del colegio, ya tenía una reputación en su gremio y ve con cierta claridad su futuro. Del mismo modo le ocurre a Lily quien sabe que quiere dedicar su vida a ayudar a los más necesitados. Sin embargo, Pablo no sabe a qué quiere dedicarse. Él es hijo de un importante empresario que espera que el legado de su compañía quede en manos de su primogénito, pero Pablo no está convencido de querer hacerlo, por eso a lo largo de esta historia podemos verlo intentando descubrir su verdadera pasión.
Este libro va dirigido al público juvenil (lo recomiendo para mayores de 13 años). Es excelente ya que muestra lo difícil que puede llegar a ser encontrar nuestro lugar en el mundo ya que seguramente les habrán dicho que deben dedicarse a algo que los sustente económicamente y no necesariamente se alínie a sus pasiones. Hay algo que comparto con la autora, y es que no hay nada mejor que hacer lo que nos apasiona y, aunque pueda parecer difícil, trabajando duro y siendo disciplinado hay grandes posibilidades de lograrlo. Resulta muy valioso que voces con influencia como Lesslie quieran dar resonancia a este mensaje porque, aunque pueda parecer como algo superficial y carece de contenido o interés, la verdad es que a este mundo le hace falta más personas felices con lo que hacen.
Supergirl (TV Show)
This series is about Kara Zor-El, a thirteen-year-old girl who was sent to Earth from her dying planet Krypton by her parents Zor-El and Alura. She has to confront an entire world completely unrecognizable from the one she grew up in. The series begins twelve years later when Kara is learning to embrace her own superhuman powers as a Kryptonian and has adopted the superheroine alias "Supergirl".
The Girl of Steel possesses all of Superman’s powers: From superhuman strength, speed, and invulnerability all the way down to his flight and enhanced senses. Still learning to control her awesome powers she managed to save the world many times earning her place among Earth's heroes.
The series is extremely relatable and it has a lot of LGBTQ+ representation- particularly lesbian and transgender- in a way that is not overly sexualized but instead seems natural and closer to real-life, something more shows need to adopt. I was one of those people who almost cried the first time I watched the trailer for Supergirl‘s first season. It felt so good to finally have a superheroine on the screen, and one who was girly and feminine yet strong and powerful. Kara is groundbreaking simply because she’s herself and she doesn’t apologise for it. Many saw her girlishness as a weakness after that first trailer, and I’m thankful the series proved them wrong. The show has become one all about how women relate to each other, with everything else secondary to the relationships between Kara and her sister, Alex, and her aunt Astra. This series is very special, and I completely recommend it because as you may see, it is one of the series with the most diversity that has ever been on the big screen
Tokyo Revengers (TV Show)
Tokyo Revengers follows Takemichi Hanagaki, a middle schooler who gets hit by a train and is teleported back in time. Now, he has the chance to rewrite his life and finally have the life he wants to have. For this, he has to prevent the death of his girlfriend- seems easy, right? He knows the future after all. Wrong. He goes through so much trying to get his life together, he not only has to join a gang but also make sure two gang leaders never meet each other.
This is such a unique story. Besides, it has won major awards so it's almost a guaranteed enjoyment. The fight scenes are great and the animation overall is amazing. It’s gangs, high school, and time travel, need I say more?
The Secret History (Book)
This is a dark academia thriller book narrated by Richard Papen, who reflects on the murder of his friend Edmund and the events leading up to it. In this elite New England college, a classics professor influences a group of students and they discover a new and questionable way of living which leads them gradually into evil. They become morally questionable, corrupt, and betray people left and right.
This book is so good, you have to read it. Only the aesthetics make the book worth reading, it has all the dark academia vibes. It is also a very interesting story with interesting characters, the way the story is told really lets you know the characters in depth. Also, the way in which the story advances is very fascinating, and it’s also not predictable, there are some very unexpected scenes in this book. Last but most certainly not least, the language in these pages is beautiful, there are so many lines of the book that are quotable, so this book is definitely for people who read books for the writing.
I Wish You All the Best (Book)
This book follows Ben De Backer, who comes out to their parents as non-binary and they threw them out of their house. They are forced to move in with their older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never met before. They come out to them and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in school while struggling with mental health. However, they meet Nathan Allan who decides to take Ben under his wing. Their friendship grows as their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started out really tough and scary could become a happy life.
This is such an important story to read. Set aside the fact that the book is amazing, it deals with many important themes. As you probably already noticed there is LGBTQ+ representation which we love to see. It talks about identity, the struggle of not being accepted by others but also struggling with self-acceptance. It also deals a lot with mental issues and the path of learning how to open up to people as well as family themes. Besides, it gives a voice to non-binary characters to share their experiences and make other non-binary people feel seen. Also, there are interesting character dynamics and it will most certainly make you emotional.
Gravity (Movie)
This movie is set on an outer space mission when high-speed space debris hits them and the only survivor is Dr. Ryan Stone and she realizes that the only way home may be to venture further into space.
This is a very emotional movie that hits really hard. One of the reasons is the SPECTACULAR acting- the actors really bring the characters to life and you can see and feel their emotions. Moreover, the plot is incredibly entertaining as well as sad, so you won’t be able to look away. It is truly a beautiful movie and one that you have to watch for yourself.
Bibliography
Deaver, M. (2019) I Wish You All the Best. [Photograph] Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/I-Wish-You-All-Best/dp/133830612X
CW (2017) Supergirl: Season 3. [Photograph] Arrowverso. https://arrow.fandom.com/es/wiki/Temporada_3_(Supergirl)
Heydey Films (2013) Gravity. [Photograph] Dailymotion. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7zq9cb
N.A. (n.d.) 19+ Mangas Like Tokyo Revengers (Recommendations). QuoteTheAnime. https://quotetheanime.com/mangas-like-tokyo-revengers/
N.A. (n.d.) I Wish You All the Best. Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41473872-i-wish-you-all-the-best
N.A. (n.d.) The Secret History. Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29044.The_Secret_History
N.A. (n.d.) “Tokyo Revengers” Characters ‘ Profile [Photograph] Manga Freaks.
Polinesia, L. (2019) Tres Promesas. [Photograph] Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/TRES-PROMESAS-LESSLIE-POLINESIA/dp/6073172524
Preece, C. (2016, August 29) How The CW’s DC Universe Became One of TV’s Most Inclusive. Den of Geek. https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/how-the-cws-dc-universe-became-one-of-tvs-most-inclusive/
Tang, E. (2017, February 20) How Supergirl Became One Of The Most LGBTQ-Friendly Shows On TV. Elle. https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a43186/supergirl-sanvers-lgbtq-fandom/
Tartt, D. (1992) The Secret History. [Photograph] Literary Hub. https://lithub.com/interview-with-a-bookstore-riverbend-books/secret_history_penguin/
Wikipedia Authors (n.d.) Gravity (2013 Film). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_(2013_film)
Wikipedia Authors (n.d.) The Secret History. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_History