REVIEWS+

My Necklace, Myself

NOT- -AVAIL-ABL-E.
COPY ISBN
Gr 7 Up—Lacie, 15, and her friend Serrin are deciding what she should wear on a first date, when her mother gives her a gift of a necklace. "Believe" is engraved across one side of the necklace, which is a family heirloom passed down from first daughter to first daughter. Her mother hints that it has special powers, allowing the wearer to become anything she wishes to be. What follows are magical journeys in which Lacie becomes a princess and is transported to a ball, Serrin becomes a rock star, and Lacie becomes a movie star and sees the seedier side of the film business. They return to the present day and Lacie decides to leave the necklace behind and just be who she is on her date. This enjoyable coming-of-age film is about believing in yourself. The characters are typical middle-class teenagers, and the casting is great. Among the six featurettes in the "Special Features" section are some of the screen tests, the choreography of a waltz scene, the creation of the rock concert scene, and bloopers.—Cynde Suite, Barstow County Library System, GA
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , Feb 01, 2011

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?