Share
Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr
The Knife of Never Letting Go / Chaos Walking
Season 4, Ep. 45
•
Mind your Noise because we're headed to New World for a discussion of Patrick Ness' famed first novel in the Chaos Walking series, The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008), as well as Doug Liman's long-delayed 2021 adaptation.
This one is a struggle: not only is there plenty of walking, but the repetitive writing, the whimper of a climax and the disinterest in exploring colonialism (despite introducing it!) makes for frustrating reading. The film is watchable thanks to Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley's charm, but it fails to adapt large parts of the book and feels like a pretty standard big budget dystopian YA. Overall this is a mess...and the dog dies to boot!
Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:
> Brenna: @brennacgray
> Joe: @bstolemyremote
Have something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:
> Aug 18: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
> Sept 7: Lord of the Flies by William Golding / Film by Harry Hook
More episodes
View all episodes
36. Aquamarine
31:30Joe and Brenna dip a toe into romantic fantasy with Alice Hoffman's 2001 novel Aquamarine and Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum's 2006 film adaptation.The book is a cute, slight, fast read, which begs the question: how is the film 1hr 50 mins?! Answer: Add a villain, give her endless cronies, then stretch the action out over a whole summer!Plus: teen feminism, mermaid FX, himbo lifeguards, and the film's perplexing soundtrack decision.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"33. Mailbag 33: A Series of Unfortunate Events & The Satanic Mill
04:40Brenna and Joe respond to a question and a request from listener Tuck, who wants to know if we'll cover A Series of Unfortunate Events and recommends Otfried Preussler's hard to find (in English) book, Krabat: The Satanic Mill (1972).Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.comTheme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"35. Like Real People Do (2022)
32:55Brenna and Joe dip back into queer romance (and fan fiction!) with Book 1 of E.L. Massey's Breakaway series, Like Real People Do (2022).This is very cute and sweet...but where is the conflict?! Everyone is so perfect! Massey needs to let people suck!Plus: comparisons to Heartstopper, Red, White & Royal Blue and The Kissing Booth 2, predictions for where Books 2-4 will go, and why Kuzy and Hawk are our fave characters.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"34. Turtles All The Way Down
49:16Brenna and Joe discuss John Green's last YA novel Turtles All The Way Down (2017) and its 2024 adaptation by Hannah Marks. C/W: self-harm.This is a tough read because of its visceral depiction of OCD, but we love the friendship between Aza and Daisy. Meanwhile, the long in-development film does a great job of visually capturing the intrusive thought spirals, though Brenna is unimpressed with a new character who steals Daisy's best bits.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"33. Boys State (2020) / Girls State (2024)
33:09For the first time on the show, Brenna and Joe check out a documentary...or rather a pair of documentaries: Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine's Boys State (2020) and Girls State (2024)These docs fill us with dismay for the future of US politics. But while Boys State has a dark nihilism to it, Girls State feels slight and surprisingly unaware; even its own subjects seem determined to break free of the narrative that the camp and the directors are trying to box them in to. It's quite odd.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"The Spiderwick Chronicles S01 (2024)
18:13As promised/threatened, we're back with a review of Roku's The Spiderwick Chronicles S01.Join us as Joe walks Brenna through the highs (the focus on Jared's mental health) and lows (that theme song!) of the series' first eight episodes.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"32. The Spiderwick Chronicles
49:00Brenna and Joe are back in fantasy territory with the first five books in Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's The Spiderwick Chronicles, as well the 2008 adaptation from Daniel Waters.We're mixed on lead Freddie Highmore's success playing twins, though we both like Sarah Bolger's Mallory, the use of fencing and <gasp> Brenna even likes the CGI!Plus: innocuous voice casting, the film's horrifying end, and a mini tangent about Hollywood nepotism and privilege.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"31. Percy Jackson and the Olympians S01
34:36At listener Kaetlyn's urging, Brenna and Joe check out S01 of the Percy Jackson TV show on Disney+.It's a much better text than the film! With more time, the central trio gels better, the motivation of Percy's mom is more clearly defined, and the adventures aren't as rushed.Plus: our fave Gods, a "feminist" Medusa episode, a few rushed elements, and whether we'll watch S02.References: Selome Hailu. "How ‘Percy Jackson’ Updated the Book’s Medusa Storyline to Get Closer to the Original Myth: ‘She Was a Victim of Rape.’" VarietyWanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"32. Mailbag 32: Listener Recommendations
06:34Mailbag returns after a brief hiatus, so we're showcasing listener recommendations from Clara, Charlotte, and Tea, Books and Chocolate, including:> Silverhorse by Lene Kaaberbøl> A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson> Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur by writers Brandon Montclare & Amy Reeder and artist Natacha Bustos> Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher LeeWanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"