Movie: Dumbo (2019)
Director: Tim Burton
Writers: Ehren Kruger (screenplay)  & Harold Pearl, Helen Aberson (novel)
Release Date (Malaysia): 28 March 2019
Genre: Adventure / Family / Fantasy
Synopsis: Struggling circus owner Max Medici enlists a former star and his two children to care for Dumbo, a baby elephant born with oversized ears. When the family discovers that the animal can fly, it soon becomes the main attraction -- bringing in huge audiences and revitalizing the run-down circus. The elephant's magical ability also draws the attention of V.A. Vandevere, an entrepreneur who wants to showcase Dumbo in his latest, larger-than-life entertainment venture.

My rating: 4.9/5 stars (★)

Dumbo has always been one of my favourite Disney classic tales, so when it was announced that the flying elephant will have his film being remade into a live-action movie, I knew that I must go watch it. When none of my friends or family were able to make time for me, I decided to just watch Dumbo alone (a wise choice, which I should have done more). I admit that I have forgotten most of the parts in Dumbo (1941), but one thing that I'm sure of is that Dumbo (2019) definitely led to a new ending unlike the original film.

Dumbo (2019) shows the story of a newborn elephant in a circus, which was later put under the care of a man who returned home from the war, along with his daughter and son. The elephant was separated from his mother, and his oversized ears earned him the name Dumbo. Mocked and made fun of, Dumbo soon earned his "fame" when humans learned that he can fly. But fame does not equal to freedom, and Dumbo accompanied with those that truly love him struggles to find the real freedom.

Dumbo is absolutely a dear little elephant, and I love that Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) were there by his side. Unlike the original film, where Dumbo's companion is a talking mouse named Timothy (there was a cameo of a cage of mice, and one of them resembles Timothy, so Timothy-lovers, we're good), it was Milly and Joe who discovered that Dumbo could fly. Many other parts like Dumbo earning his fame and was made to perform in a bigger circus were never in the original film, but it made the new version of Dumbo better, in my opinion.

The part that struck me the hardest was when Dumbo was separated from his mother; one of the scenes were just like in the original film, and I was glad I went to watch the movie alone because I could not stop crying. Circus is just another way of promoting animal cruelty, and it pained me a lot whenever animals were forced to become human's source of entertainment.

Overall, Disney made a wonderful job in recreating the classic Dumbo—truthfully, the changes they made and the new ending was so much better! It also became a film about family and friendship, and I appreciate it with my whole heart.

Extra: If you have watched Dumbo (or don't mind spoilers), go and read this article for the differences between Dumbo (1941) with Dumbo (2019) ✨

Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'


Title: Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha #1)
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Genres: Young adult, Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: March 8th 2018
Pages: 531

Synopsis (Goodreads): 
They killed my mother. 
They took our magic. 
They tried to bury us. 
Now we rise. 

Zelie remembers when the soil of Orisha hummed with magic. When different clans ruled - Burners igniting flames, Tiders beckoning waves, and Zelie's Reaper mother summoning forth souls. 

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, anyone with powers was targeted and killed, leaving Zelie without a mother and her people without hope. Only a few people remain with the power to use magic, and they must remain hidden. 

Zelie is one such person. Now she has a chance to bring back magic to her people and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zelie must learn to harness her powers and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. 

Danger lurks in Orisha, where strange creatures prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zelie herself as she struggles to come to terms with the strength of her magic - and her growing feelings for an enemy.

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My rating: 5 / 5 ★

Oh, lord. I have so much love for this book, I've no idea where to start.

I've finished reading Children of Blood and Bone for several weeks already, but I find it very hard to express my opinion on it in a proper review. I'd say it's for a good reason, and a bad reason all at the same time. Good because it just proves just how much I enjoyed reading the book; bad because I may risk spoiling a thing or two in this review—I really need to rant. Oh well, I'm just going to let this out.

Plot-wise, I would admit that it was rather slow at the beginning. It did not grab my attention too much, and I feel like there were too many "magical" elements being thrown into the pages. With all the gods and magic things, it was hard to keep up. I thought I would end up not enjoying the story.  But it turned out that I'm just a bit slow at picking things up. By the time I almost reached halfway through the book, the storyline just got a whole lot intense and I found myself unable to put the book down. The struggles and pains that Zelie, Tzain, Amari and Inan went through made me want to delve in deeper into their world.

A fiery personality that I relate to: I'm talking about Zelie. I am aware that a lot of people did not enjoy COBAB because of Zelie's temper and childish antics, yet to me, her personality almost hits home. I have my own tempers to deal with, so I feel like I can relate to Zelie so much. She might cause trouble because of her tempers, but those tempers are also the reason why she survived and become strong enough to fight using her new powers. And the love affair that she had with Inan was definitely controversial, but I'm afraid that I love this kind of forbidden love more than I'd admit. Inan's inner turmoils and his struggle to choose what to believe in were rather painful to read, but I do have hope that he'll find the right side someday.

I have no problems with Amari, I quite adore her. Her change from being terrified of everything into a powerful queen-to-be was a real wonder. Although at some point, I don't see the need for her to have her own POV in the story, I'm guessing that she will shine more in the next book. It's just a bit disappointing that Tzain never got to have his own POV in COBAB; I would actually love to know his inner thoughts and emotions.

Overall, Children of Blood and Bone is a rather vicious-ride for me. All the bloods shed in the story; the pain; the tortures; everything was very well-written that it brought tears in my eyes. It's the very first fantasy book with all black characters that I have encountered in my entire life, a great applause to Tomi Adeyemi for making this book alive! Also, the fact that this book is inspired by black lives being taken away without mercy, the very thought made me love Tomi Adeyemi so much more. I definitely will look forward to the author's works, especially Children of Virtue and Vengeance that is set to release by the end of 2019!

Thank you Pansing for providing me with this copy to be read in exchange for an honest review. I would definitely recommend COBAB to all young adult fantasy lover—some of you may think it's a little cliche at first, but give it a chance like I did, and who knows if you might love it as much as I do!
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“ I teach you to be warriors in the garden so you will never be gardeners in the war.

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Fun fact: I came up with an enamel pin design for COBAB and it has personally been loved by Tomi Adeyemi ✨ I will be opening pre-orders for the pin by the end of April on my pin shop, so look forward to it!



Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'



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