SHS_Warrior

The Warrior • Entertainment
February 20, 2025
What We’re Reading
Absolute Batman is a comic book series from DC comics, written by Scott
Snyder. Its debut six-part edition, Absolute Batman: The Zoo, has been releasing issues
monthly and is almost at its epic conclusion. The stunning art style aside, this
series has the most new and refreshing take on Batman. The most intriguing part of
this series is how Snyder reimagines the life of Bruce Wayne, trading in his usual role
as an eccentric billionaire for the life of a blue-collar construction worker in Gotham.
This new take on a renowned superhero is perfect for former comic fanatics as well as
those wanting to get into the comic scene.
~Zach Geller ‘25
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In the mood for a fast-paced novel full of relatable characters, compelling
metaphors, and haunting illustrations? Francesca Zappia’s 2022 YA thriller Katzenjammer
grabs you from the very first page and never lets you go. This captivatingly
grotesque book tackles real-world problems—such as school safety, bullying, and
mental health—in a unique yet accessible way. Balancing alternating chapters of unsettling
magical realism and contemporary slice-of-life, Zappia tells the story of public
school student and oddball artist, Cat, who is trapped in a living, breathing version of
her high school and must retrace her memories to catch the killer hiding among the
captive—and slowly transforming—students.
~Fiona Lipczenko ‘25
Only the second of her small but mighty repertoire, Donna Tartt’s The Little
Friend is a dramatic, moving piece of American literature. Resembling the style of
classic American novels, Tartt follows precocious twelve-year-old Harriet Cleve Dufresnes
as she grows up in the backdrop of 1970s rural Mississippi. Tartt opens frigid
and unforgiving, with the death of Harriet’s eldest brother Robin ten years previous
gathering like an impenetrable cloud over her family’s history. As she attempts to discover
his murderer, Harriet faces adulthood — and all of its dangers — head on. Serving
as a delicious commentary on rural Americana, Harriet’s journey tells a harrowing
coming-of-age tale, with a rich cast of lovable characters to adore along with it.
~Evelyn San Miguel ‘26
For a novel over 25 years old, Stephen Chbosky’s 213-page wonder, The
Perks of Being a Wallflower, is timeless. Chbosky beautifully depicts what it’s like to
be a teenager through an observant boy who takes us on his rollercoaster ride during
freshman year. In an easy-to-read format of written letters, Charlie and his lovable
personality allow the reader to experience loss, friendships, football games, love,
drugs, mistakes, mental health struggles, and the discovery of himself and his past. If
you’re looking for a book to capture what it means to grow up, this one is for all ages
to admire with nostalgia and empathy fondly.
~Maya Dorsam ‘27
Containing eight absurdist style horror stories, Your Utopia by Bora Chung
dives into topics of dystopia, immortality, death and dilemmas. In “The Center for
Immortality Research,” a worker in a dystopian future works a low level job at a place
developing immortality for the rich. “The End Of The Voyage,” is about cannibalistic
disease that has plagued all humans, and how a group of individuals escaped on a
spaceship to try and start fresh. “A Song For Sleep” sees into the “thoughts” of an AI
elevator that begins to develop “emotions” towards a human during its intelligence
enquiring. Each story is a new blend of plot twists, perfect for philosophers wanting a
thrill.
~Lilah Boig ‘26
Drama Intensifies between Stars
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
by Madelyn Awwad ‘27
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni,
the stars of the film It Ends
With Us, have been engaged in
a huge legal battle that has garnered
a lot of attention. It all
started when Lively accused Baldoni
of sexual harassment during
the making of the movie. In December
2024, she filed a lawsuit
claiming Baldoni and his production
company, Wayfarer Studios,
tried to ruin her public image after
she spoke out about the issues
she faced on set.
Lively’s allegations began
after a meeting in January 2024,
when she says that she laid out
specific demands to make the
filming environment safer. “No
more showing nude videos or images
of women to Blake,” Lively
reportedly said, according to her
lawsuit. She also asked for “no
more discussions about sexual
conquests in front of Blake and
others,” and “no further mentions
of cast and crew’s genitalia.” She
added that she didn’t want anyone
to comment on her weight or talk
about her late father. Lively said
these demands were to create a
“safe and professional” working
space. However, she claims Baldoni
and Wayfarer ignored her
and later worked to destroy her
reputation by spreading false information.
Because of this, she is
suing for harassment and retaliation.
Along with Lively’s lawsuit,
Baldoni just filed his own legal
action against The New York
Times. Baldoni is accusing the
New York Times of misreporting
the entire situation and publishing
false information. The article,
titled “We Can Bury Anyone:
Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,”
reported that Baldoni and
his team were behind a smear
campaign against Lively. Baldoni
argues that the Times “cherry-picked”
text messages and
emails to make him look bad. In
the lawsuit, Baldoni says the messages
were edited and taken out
of context. He is suing for $250
million, claiming that the article
is not only false but also caused
serious damage to his reputation.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan
Freedman, said in a statement,
“Make no mistake, we will continue
this campaign of authenticity
by also suing those individuals
who have abused their power to
try and destroy the lives of my
clients.” Freedman also claims
that the media unfairly supports
Lively’s side of the story, calling
the situation a “vicious attack.”
However, Lively’s lawyers
say she is being unfairly targeted
for speaking out. They pointed
out that her case is “not a ‘feud’
arising from ‘creative differences.’”
They also said that Baldoni’s
actions were part of a retaliatory
campaign against Lively
for trying to protect herself and
others on set. “As alleged in Ms.
Lively’s federal Complaint, and
as we will prove in litigation,
Wayfarer and its associates engaged
in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing
against Ms. Lively for
simply trying to protect herself,”
they argued.
Both Lively and Baldoni are
now asking for a jury trial to decide
who’s right. This legal drama
is far from over, and people are
following closely to see how it all
turns out. With both sides claiming
to have evidence to back up
their claims, the case could go on
for months or even longer.
Exploring Emma Chamberlain’s Journey
by Shannon Naas ‘26
Emma Frances Chamberlain
is a 23 year old American influencer,
YouTuber, model, podcaster
and businesswoman. Chamberlain
was just 16 when she first
launched her YouTube channel.
She started off by creating videos
of relatable content of her regular
teenage life, such as trips with
her friends or getting her license.
Being relatable and honest helped
her build an audience of most
teenage girls and young women.
Chamberlain’s most popular videos
tended to be collaborations
with other social media stars,
which led to the creation of “The
Sister Squad” that took over the
internet by storm.
Once the Covid pandemic
began, Chamberlain increasingly
began to divulge her personal
struggles and focused on her own
mental health and happiness. In
2020, she launched her podcast,
Anything Goes. In a world full of
people who seem to have something
to say into a microphone
and grapple for attention, Chamberlain
manages to stand out the
most by being relatable and genuine
while balancing her signature
take on specific topics such as
mental health, personal growth,
self-discovery, societal pressures,
and how her chaotic life has
shaped her as a person.
Due to today’s societal standards,
it can be challenging when
you constantly feel like you’re
falling behind in life without any
clear sense of direction. The podcast
is directed for people who
need a space for vulnerability
and need aid with self-reflection
which helps the audience navigate
through struggles and gives
a sense of direction. Her candid
discussions come across as heartfelt
conversations with a close
friend rather than a formal lecture.
Personally, navigating through
life’s uncertainties can feel overwhelming,
especially with the
constant pressure of wanting
to have everything figured out.
Chamberlain’s open discussions
help with the feeling of being understood
while also giving unique
perspectives. The podcast is a
blend of vulnerability, insight and
inspiration that can help offer new
perspectives on life triumphs.
As Anything Goes evolves, it
continues to demonstrate Chamberlain’s
overall growth as a
person. Her ability to fearlessly
dissect emotions while staying
authentic has made her podcast
an effective tool for self-discovery
and self-reflection. Listeners
can find the podcast on Spotify.
Grade: B+
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