01/01/2023
Turning Pages with Ainslie
Vivian's Views
Ainslie Koreski, Staff Writer
This week’s page turner is Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh which is the first book in the Boys of Tommen series. This book focuses on the two main characters, Shannon Lynch and Johnny Kavanagh.
This book does a good job of expanding the world and setting up for future books by following the problems of each character while also covering deep themes like child abuse, drug use, malnourishment, death, S.A, and other extreme situations.
Walsh gently handles these themes in meaningful ways, showing the impact and emotional damages caused, and how that can affect people later in life. The realistic emotions and reactions from people in these extreme situations, including the negative, was very authentic.
The book details Shannon’s abuse from her father and how years of built-up fear can hold people back and influence them for life. On the other hand, Johnny has his own trouble even though he is extremely talented at rugby and has a happy family; he still feels this imposter syndrome, a feeling of not being good enough. He also experiences the feeling of always needing to do better and work harder, even if it hurts him or he needs the rest.
The story also shows how forming a relationship and helping each other grow helps both sides be stronger, all while showing the ups and downs along the way.
Overall, I loved this read and would 100% recommend it, it’s a 10/10 from me and I’m extremely excited to read the rest of the books in the series.
Micheal- A Biopic
Vivian Grimm, Staff Writer
Micheal, a biographical film about Micheal Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua and stars Jamar Jackson, Micheal Jacksons nephew, as Micheal Jackson. The movie covers his life from the Jackson 5 to his solo shows up to the Bad era. It shows his musical success and the personal struggles he faced throughout his life.
The movie shows Micheal growing up in a strict and demanding household where music becomes his whole life. As part of The Jackson 5, he becomes famous for his incredible singing and performance. The movie then follows him into him becoming a solo artist, where he created some of the most popular albums and songs ever. It showed the creation of music ideas, major performances, and his impact on pop culture around the world.
The movie also shows his creativity, his dancing, and the way he changed the music industry. But also, the movie shows the pressure of fame and how being watched by the public affected him. It shows the emotional side of Micheal, like loneliness, stress, his father, and trying to remain perfect while having the entire world watching.
Personally, I thought the movie was very heartfelt and interesting because it combined his emotional life and music and performance. If you are a fan of Micheal Jackson, you will enjoy hearing his famous songs, the way each moment was created, and seeing iconic moments on screen. Jaffa Jackson has been praised for his role because of how he closely resembles Micheal and shows many of his movements and styles.
Overall, the movie was entertaining and emotional in all, it shows how Micheal Jackson became one of the biggest stars in history while also struggling with the challenges with his dad and the public. But one negative thing people have on the movie is that the film could have focused more on celebrating his achievements more than the other parts of his life. The movie still gives people a deeper look into the life, talent, and legacy of one of the industry’s most iconic performers.
Mamma MIA!
Stranger Things
Henry Cain, Guest Writer
March 2, 2026
Get Ready to Dance: Mamma Mia! hits the Stage March 13!
The Parkersburg South International Thespian Troupe 1540 is thrilled to present this year’s musical--Mamma Mia! The show will run for two weekends, starting March 13 at 7:00 p.m. Following opening night, additional shows will run that weekend and the following weekend. For a special experience, a dinner theater performance will be held on March 14, and a special school show on March 13 at 8:30 a.m.
Online tickets are $10 for adults (12+) and $8 for seniors/children. Tickets purchased at the box office are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors/children. The production runs just under two hours.
Following months of hard work that began in December of 2025 with auditions, the cast and crew have built a high-energy show from the ground up. “The cast is amazing to work with,” said Gabe Rice, who plays Sam Carmichael. Co-star Ali Evans, who plays Donna Sheridan added, “Seeing everyone grow together to bring this show alive is wonderful, and it gives us such a rewarding sensation. “Speaking on the dynamic between their characters, Rice described it as, "sandpaper and wood—abrasive and rough at first, but it becomes a lot smoother, leading to the end product they both wanted."
Featuring iconic ABBA hits like 'Dancing Queen' and 'Mamma Mia,' this show promises an emotional experience that hits home for audience and cast alike. The production marks the final high school performance for seniors Gabe and Ali, who have both described the theater department as a family.
For those looking to build confidence and develop acting skills, Rice and Evans highly recommend joining the theater community.
This is a must-see, farewell performance for both thespians.
Vivian Grimm, Staff Writer
The television series Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers, is a five season show shown on Netflix. The first season was released on Netflix on July 15, 2016. The second was released in October 2017, with the third season following in July 2019. The fourth season was then released in two parts in May and July of 2022. And, the fifth and final season was released in three parts starting with November and December 2025, with the finale being on December 31.
The show is a science-fiction horror series set in the 1980s in the town of Hawkins, Indiana. The show begins with Will Byers mysteriously disappearing, which leads his friends Lucas, Mike, and Dustin to discover secret experiments, supernatural things, and a dimension called the ‘Upside Down’.
During this period of discovery, they meet Eleven, a girl with mind powers who escaped from a government laboratory. Spanning the series, more monsters begin to show up. Starting with the Demogorgon, The mind flayer, Demo dogs, Demo bats, and lastly, Vecna.
Vecna was an actual person, with powers like Eleven, that was transformed into an Upside-Down creature by the mind flayer. Vecna was in the center of everything and was the the main villain. Other characters included in the show were, Max Mayfield, Nancy Wheeler, Johnathan Byers, Steven Harrington, Jim Hopper, and Joyce Byers, all of which played big roles in the show. All the friends had to save their town, and ultimately the world from Vecna. In the end, they save Hawkins and their world but along the way, sacrifices were made.
The show depicted many themes like friendship, loyalty, courage, teamwork, and standing up to fear. The show included supernatural horror, but balanced this element with emotional relationships, which made the show not only frightening but also heartfelt. The show ended up being a big success, being one of the number one shows in the world, but, like everything, there were some complaints.
Leading up to season four, everyone loved the show and there were almost no complaints with new characters, monsters, losses, places, emotions, patience, and nostalgia. Season five was very different. It was rushed. Without any spoilers, recurring things from all seasons saw resolution in a matter of minutes. Also, many things were unexplained and forgotten about.
Overall, it was good- not great. It showed a combination of suspense, happiness, and emotions. Stranger Things will always be known as one of the greatest shows ever made. It was much more than just a scary show with monsters and another world, imparting the importance of values like friendship, bravery, courage, and loyalty. Stranger Things is a memorable series, loved by people every age.