2 Cents Critic

Tune in for Arthur’s breakdown of The Push by debut author Ashley Audrain. Having been advertised as a psychological thriller, this much-hyped novel about chillingly dysfunctional mother-daughter dyads is actually much more of a psychological drama. But don’t think that diminishes any of the slow-burn shudders and anguish that you’re sure to experience over the course of the novel. TW: child negle...

Tune in for Arthur’s thoughts on Steelstriker, the second and final entry in the Skyhunter Duology by Marie Lu (Legend, Warcross). Like the first book, this sequel brings out the dystopian YA tropes: “special rebel youngsters lead an insurrection against a dictatorial government,” “post-apocalyptic world built on the ashes of a technologically advanced civilization,” and “psychic bond romance.” Is...

Tune in for Arthur’s two cents on What If…?, the Disney+ nine-episode animated anthology series that takes the various characters and events we’ve followed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and shows us the divergent paths they head down throughout the parallel realities of the multiverse. In addition, Arthur declares that T’Challa and Chadwick Boseman are cinnamon rolls, does a Megamind impression...

Tune in as Judith and Roxana (Books n Things Podcast) drop by to discuss The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch, the sci-fi thriller that follows NCIS Special Agent Shannon Moss’s twisty and grim journey through space and time to solve a murder investigation that might be linked to the impending doom of everything we know and love. Ah yes, terrifying, isn’t it? The hosts also touch on topics like the...

Tune in for Arthur’s take on Under the Whispering Door, the contemporary queer fantasy novel by TJ Klune (The House in the Cerulean Sea) that follows selfish and heartless lawyer Wallace Price as his soul embarks on a posthumous journey of kindness, empathy, and self-transformation. What Arthur felt for THCS🌅 is too precious to put into words, so it isn’t a surprise that UWD🚪 leaves him feeling...

Tune in for Arthur’s review of Cruella, the 2021 Disney prequel that wants to be Joker, The Devil Wears Prada, Maleficent, Ocean’s 11, and a sprinkling of M. Night Shyamalan’s Split for kicks. A diatribe about Paddington 2 losing its 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, befuddlement over dog murder of more than one kind, and a rundown of the numerous times when Disney has bragged about their first openl...

Tune in for Arthur’s thoughts on The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang. Her third #ownvoices contemporary romance stars Anna Sun, a violinist who seeks out a one-night stand after her boyfriend Julian announces that they should try an open relationship before making plans to tie the knot, and Quan Diep, the tattooed and motorcycle-riding cousin of Michael Larsen from the author’s debut novel The...

Tune in for a pod crossover as Arthur welcomes Beth and Maddie (Off The Book Podcast) onto the show for a review and recap of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (The Bride Test, The Heart Principle). If you want to hear them talk about a book that’s essentially a gender-swapped Pretty Woman starring an econometrician with high-functioning autism and a hapa male escort, you’ve come to the right place...

Tune in for Arthur’s two cents on The House in the Cerulean Sea, the contemporary fantasy novel by TJ Klune (The Extraordinaries) that takes the “found family made up of magical children on a remote island” element of the Miss Peregrine series and infuses it with the irresistible whimsy of Roald Dahl and The Mysterious Benedict Society. TW: Child abuse that took place in the past, bigotry that tak...

Tune in for Arthur’s take on CODA, the heartwarming family film that centers around a teenage Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) whose singing ambition clashes with her lifelong charge as the interpreter for her hearing impaired parents and brother. Having made headlines when Apple bought it for $25 million at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, the movie is now streaming on Apple TV+. Directed and written...

Tune in to hear what led Arthur to give Hang the Moon, the latest #ownvoices queer romcom by Alexandria Bellefleur (Written in the Stars), the first ever windup score of 100/100 in the 2CC catalog! Lavender-scented Breathe Right nasal strips, linguistics, the Rick Astley Paradox, and more will all be covered on this episode. Spoilers start at 8:00 Good Word: Fresh by Margot Wood Reach out at email...

Tune in for Arthur’s review of The Mysterious Benedict Society, the eight-episode Disney+ TV show adapted from the 2007 children’s book by Trenton Lee Stewart. Co-created by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (co-writers of Aeon Flux and The Invitation), the show stars Mystic Inscho, Seth Carr, Emmy DeOliveira, Marta Wessler, Tony Hale, Kristen Schaal, MaameYaa Boafo, Ryan Hurst, and Gia Sandhu. Spoilers...

Tune in as Arthur teams up with special guests Ryan LaPlante and Tyler Hewitt (Dumb-Dumbs & Dragons, Garbage Town) to discuss the Amazon Original time-travel blockbuster, The Tomorrow War. Just how little training do the draftees get before the military dumps them off in the future? Is Chris Pratt the most boring Chris out of all the Chrises? Are the Whitespikes a ripoff of the aliens in Edge...

Tune in for Arthur’s two cents on Black Widow, the 24th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the superhero franchise’s second female-led picture, and the first title to (finally!) give top billing to Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. It was originally scheduled for a theatrical release on May 1, 2020, but COVID-19 left Disney to delay it to November 6, 2020, then May 7, 2021,...

Tune in for Arthur’s take on Loki, the third Marvel Cinematic Universe show to stream on Disney+. It stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius, Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15, and Tara Strong as Miss Minutes, with Michael Waldron (Rick and Morty) serving as creator/head writer and Kate Herron (Netflix’s Sex Educati...

Tune in to hear Arthur rhapsodize about Silver Tears by Camilla Läckberg, her spellbinding sequel to The Golden Cage (which I highly recommend you read before listening to the general review, since it spoils major plot points in TGC). Let’s just bow down to the Faye Adelheim supremacy, all right? TW: Domestic abuse, gang rape, incestuous rape, murder, a pedophilic villain, misogyny, suicidal eleme...

Tune in for Arthur’s opinions on Luca, Pixar’s 24th film (but not before he momentarily digresses at the beginning to touch on his faulty Wi-Fi that had most likely been caused by the Pacific Northwest heat wave, followed by the matter of that garbage bag Bill Cosby being released from prison). Directed by Enrico Casarosa (the 2011 Oscar-nominated Pixar short La Luna) in his feature-length directo...

Tune in for Arthur’s thoughts on Skyhunter by Marie Lu (Legend, Warcross, The Young Elites). An 18-year-old mute soldier, a despotic government that controls an army of genetically engineered beasts, a viscerally post-apocalyptic backdrop, and more can be found in this refreshing and action-packed take on the dystopian YA genre. Good Word: “SOUR” by Olivia Rodrigo Skyhunter blog review: https://2c...

Tune in for Arthur’s two cents on The Ex Talk, the Seattle-set rom-com novel by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Today Tonight Tomorrow). Enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, fake dating, public radio, a dog named Steve Rogers—all of that and more can be found in this delightful romantic comedy. Reach out at email2centscritic@yahoo.com if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or ju...

Tune in for Arthur’s review of Wonder Woman 1984, a movie that he desperately wanted to love to no avail. This bloated and listless DCEU misfire is directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster, 2017’s Wonder Woman) and stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva/Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord. Spoilers start at 10:30 Resources: Wonder...

Tune in for Arthur’s opinions on five queer books for the young adult audience in celebration of Pride Month. - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera - Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard Note: Arthur refers to Aiden Thomas as “...

Tune in for Arthur’s review of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, the surprisingly well-executed YA fantasy series adaptation of the Grishaverse books by author Leigh Bardugo. Developed by showrunner, writer, and executive producer Eric Heisserer (screenwriter of Arrival and Bird Box), the show stars Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, Archie Renaux as Malyen “Mal” Oretsev, Ben Barnes as General Kirigan, Fred...

Tune in for Arthur’s two cents on You Love Me, the third psychological thriller entry in the You series by Caroline Kepnes. Prepare yourself for Joe Goldberg’s sociopathic and stalkery ways as he heads up to Bainbridge Island and falls for librarian Mary Kay DiMarco. Surely, Joe’s latest romantic endeavor will turn out okay this time around...right? Reach out at email2centscritic@yahoo.com if you...

Tune in for Arthur’s thoughts on Tenet, the 2020 sci-fi spy thriller in which John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, and Kenneth Branagh reverse the flow of time, while director Christopher Nolan urges us to not try to understand his inversion puzzlebox, but instead feel it. Reach out at email2centscritic@yahoo.com if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecd...

Tune in for Arthur’s opinions on RWBY: Volume 8, the American anime web series by media giant Rooster Teeth. Hop on over to the blog if you’re up for breakdowns on all fourteen episodes of Volume 8. There, you’ll find salty rants on authoritarians who illogically pursue genocide, the show completely wasting the combat-ready treasure that is Penny Polendina, plot holes big enough to maneuver a flyi...