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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Primary Victim in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Primary Victim by Christopher Cihlar
Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary (from back of book): A serial killer whose victims don’t die. An innocent man who believes he is guilty. A police officer who may solve the crime but in doing so gives the killer exactly what he wants. A legal defense that challenges the very core ideals of justice.
Primary Victim is a thriller that tests both the psychological breaking point of an individual and the strength of the legal system governing society.
Review:
I’ll admit up front that I have a weakness for crime fiction—but this book was amazing. Words escape my mind as I try to explain how blown away I am by this book. I gasped and grinned and nearly cried and laughed at the surprises thrown at me through this stunning debut novel.
The psychological aspect of PRIMARY VICTIM was mainly found in the “Victim,” Brice. I won’t say what happens to him, but it amazed me as his mind began to twist and change through the course of the story.
The plot: PRIMARY VICTIM was full of twists and turns that I never expected, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put it down! The viewpoint alternates between the criminal, the police officer, and the (living) victim, and switches back and forth at the most inconvenient places, forcing you to read on.
Characters: All the characters in PRIMARY VICTIM were strongly developed with real personalities. I hate books where people are just to perfect to be real (what I call “happyland syndrome”)—this book had the good guys and the bad guys, the the ones you hoped it all worked out for them, and the ones that you wished would be the next to die because they were such jerks (cough Nick cough).
By the end of the book I wasn’t sure what Michael (the criminal) was going to pull out of his hat, and was, from the very first page to the very last, impressed with Michael’s genius and creativity. At times I actually found myself almost cheering for him, but had to remind myself that he was the bad guy. It was almost hard to see him as the bad guy at times, because of his “work—” Michael considered himself a God in a world that needed one and didn’t have one, victimizing the people that he thought needed to be victimized.
Brice and Sarah were such a perfect yet sad couple, and for the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, I won’t say anything… but I thought I was going to cry at one point.
Writing: The writing was the weakest point of this book. The prose itself seemed written in an unfamiliar style, minimizing comas in the sentences, and it made for a harder read. I caught myself occasionally re-reading sentences and paragraphs to understand what had happened. Aside from the prose, the vocabulary was broad enough and the pacing was good.
As of now, PRIMARY VICTIM is unedited, but there is only an occasional grammatical error, formatting error, or typo scattered through the book. However, all in all, it didn’t take away from the story.
Content: There was brief mention of sex between husband and wife (example: “they made love,” no other details, and the fact that they’re married made it that much better), and an occasional foul word from an angry officer, but other than that this book was refreshingly clean. I applaud Christopher for writing a crime thriller with low content—especially compared to some of the other crime thrillers out there. Maybe he can start a revolution. It’s true, people—you can have a good book without excessive sex and language!
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to lovers of Crime fiction, thrillers, and psychological thrillers.
Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary (from back of book): A serial killer whose victims don’t die. An innocent man who believes he is guilty. A police officer who may solve the crime but in doing so gives the killer exactly what he wants. A legal defense that challenges the very core ideals of justice.
Primary Victim is a thriller that tests both the psychological breaking point of an individual and the strength of the legal system governing society.
Review:
I’ll admit up front that I have a weakness for crime fiction—but this book was amazing. Words escape my mind as I try to explain how blown away I am by this book. I gasped and grinned and nearly cried and laughed at the surprises thrown at me through this stunning debut novel.
The psychological aspect of PRIMARY VICTIM was mainly found in the “Victim,” Brice. I won’t say what happens to him, but it amazed me as his mind began to twist and change through the course of the story.
The plot: PRIMARY VICTIM was full of twists and turns that I never expected, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put it down! The viewpoint alternates between the criminal, the police officer, and the (living) victim, and switches back and forth at the most inconvenient places, forcing you to read on.
Characters: All the characters in PRIMARY VICTIM were strongly developed with real personalities. I hate books where people are just to perfect to be real (what I call “happyland syndrome”)—this book had the good guys and the bad guys, the the ones you hoped it all worked out for them, and the ones that you wished would be the next to die because they were such jerks (cough Nick cough).
By the end of the book I wasn’t sure what Michael (the criminal) was going to pull out of his hat, and was, from the very first page to the very last, impressed with Michael’s genius and creativity. At times I actually found myself almost cheering for him, but had to remind myself that he was the bad guy. It was almost hard to see him as the bad guy at times, because of his “work—” Michael considered himself a God in a world that needed one and didn’t have one, victimizing the people that he thought needed to be victimized.
Brice and Sarah were such a perfect yet sad couple, and for the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, I won’t say anything… but I thought I was going to cry at one point.
Writing: The writing was the weakest point of this book. The prose itself seemed written in an unfamiliar style, minimizing comas in the sentences, and it made for a harder read. I caught myself occasionally re-reading sentences and paragraphs to understand what had happened. Aside from the prose, the vocabulary was broad enough and the pacing was good.
As of now, PRIMARY VICTIM is unedited, but there is only an occasional grammatical error, formatting error, or typo scattered through the book. However, all in all, it didn’t take away from the story.
Content: There was brief mention of sex between husband and wife (example: “they made love,” no other details, and the fact that they’re married made it that much better), and an occasional foul word from an angry officer, but other than that this book was refreshingly clean. I applaud Christopher for writing a crime thriller with low content—especially compared to some of the other crime thrillers out there. Maybe he can start a revolution. It’s true, people—you can have a good book without excessive sex and language!
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to lovers of Crime fiction, thrillers, and psychological thrillers.
Becs (244 KP) rated Garden of Ashes in Books
Apr 11, 2019
Overall - an amazing story (1 more)
Background was added
There were a few plot holes (1 more)
Something was lacking but I'm not sure what
Thrilling!
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
I received a copy of Garden of Ashes (book 2 of the Snow Spark series) to read and review for my honest opinion from The Parliament Press.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Gore, Oppression, Violence, Discrimination
This little novel carried a good left hook. It picks up right where The Bone Roses left off and really delves into the background of a few characters. The story still is geared toward a mature audience, especially with Garden of Ashes so beware of more graphic scenes when reading.
Starting where we left off, Rags has been caught and is now on a train with Colton and Nigel to the Kingdom. More specifically, the Threshing Floor. This is not any place for a rustler, or really anybody for that matter. Just think cattle herding but with humans and loads of death. That's what you get when dealing with the Threshing Floor. The major problem with the non-bowing criminals who go in, they never come out and are never seen again.
Rags is given only two options - either bow to the Kingdom and Hyperion or face death. Using everything she has to survive, she is forced to play the twisted rigged game that the Kingdom has laid out. Luckily, she has the help of Henny and Colton, who both stand by her side helping shape her into the Kingdom's standards and also giving her opportunities to remain a rustler at heart.
The overall story had me reeled, but I also felt like something was lacking a tad bit. I have no idea what that bit that is missing is but you could just tell that the story was lacking in places. There was plot, as it continued on from book 1, and new characters were introduced with a small bit of background on them that eventually came to light later on down the road. Drama upon drama was interlaced into the story-line and really kept the reader engaged with the story as a whole.
Characters:
Rags - stubborn and yet sympathetic, able to get in and out of trouble, and very realistic.
Henny - the smol angry cinnamonroll we all thought was going to be the person to cause Rags' death has turned to be an ally. Maybe even a possible love interest to Rags?
Colton - still a sarcastic green-eyed red head as he was in book 1. He was there to help Rags stay out of trouble and seemed to become more friends with Rags then a possible love interest.
Hyperion - the complete a** of a king that wants everyone to worship him.
Sahrobi - Hyperion's sadistic murder loving daughter that honestly needs to be in a psych ward cause she got some problems!
Margo - Sahrobi's husband, as cruel and sadistic as Sahrobi also got some problems. Thank goodness he got his a** handed to him in the end.
Ethan and Ali - two slaves that Rags helps saves and cares for while in the Threshing Floor.
Rosemary - a slave that is in debt to the Kingdom, possible relation to Rags?
Reasons why I rated it 4 stars:
1. It was lacking something and I can't put my finger on it.
2. Grammar and spelling seemed to be great!
3. There were a few plot holes while reading, but that could be because I feel asleep during reading and lost where I was at.
4. There was background added to some of the characters, but there wasn't as much that really needed to be added.
5. The overall story was amazing and really added to the story that took place in The Bone Roses. I will defiantly be rereading!
"False hope is worse than no hope on a good day."
I received a copy of Garden of Ashes (book 2 of the Snow Spark series) to read and review for my honest opinion from The Parliament Press.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Gore, Oppression, Violence, Discrimination
This little novel carried a good left hook. It picks up right where The Bone Roses left off and really delves into the background of a few characters. The story still is geared toward a mature audience, especially with Garden of Ashes so beware of more graphic scenes when reading.
Starting where we left off, Rags has been caught and is now on a train with Colton and Nigel to the Kingdom. More specifically, the Threshing Floor. This is not any place for a rustler, or really anybody for that matter. Just think cattle herding but with humans and loads of death. That's what you get when dealing with the Threshing Floor. The major problem with the non-bowing criminals who go in, they never come out and are never seen again.
Rags is given only two options - either bow to the Kingdom and Hyperion or face death. Using everything she has to survive, she is forced to play the twisted rigged game that the Kingdom has laid out. Luckily, she has the help of Henny and Colton, who both stand by her side helping shape her into the Kingdom's standards and also giving her opportunities to remain a rustler at heart.
The overall story had me reeled, but I also felt like something was lacking a tad bit. I have no idea what that bit that is missing is but you could just tell that the story was lacking in places. There was plot, as it continued on from book 1, and new characters were introduced with a small bit of background on them that eventually came to light later on down the road. Drama upon drama was interlaced into the story-line and really kept the reader engaged with the story as a whole.
Characters:
Rags - stubborn and yet sympathetic, able to get in and out of trouble, and very realistic.
Henny - the smol angry cinnamonroll we all thought was going to be the person to cause Rags' death has turned to be an ally. Maybe even a possible love interest to Rags?
Colton - still a sarcastic green-eyed red head as he was in book 1. He was there to help Rags stay out of trouble and seemed to become more friends with Rags then a possible love interest.
Hyperion - the complete a** of a king that wants everyone to worship him.
Sahrobi - Hyperion's sadistic murder loving daughter that honestly needs to be in a psych ward cause she got some problems!
Margo - Sahrobi's husband, as cruel and sadistic as Sahrobi also got some problems. Thank goodness he got his a** handed to him in the end.
Ethan and Ali - two slaves that Rags helps saves and cares for while in the Threshing Floor.
Rosemary - a slave that is in debt to the Kingdom, possible relation to Rags?
Reasons why I rated it 4 stars:
1. It was lacking something and I can't put my finger on it.
2. Grammar and spelling seemed to be great!
3. There were a few plot holes while reading, but that could be because I feel asleep during reading and lost where I was at.
4. There was background added to some of the characters, but there wasn't as much that really needed to be added.
5. The overall story was amazing and really added to the story that took place in The Bone Roses. I will defiantly be rereading!
"False hope is worse than no hope on a good day."
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Too slow in parts
The Hunger Games series has become something of a worldwide phenomenon over the last few years, with over $1bn in takings between two films, success is a bit of an understatement.
A year after the critically acclaimed Catching Fire, director Francis Lawrence returns with the first part of Suzanne Collins’ underwhelming finale – Mockingjay, but can it continue with the series’ success and improve on the lacklustre novel?
Partially is the short answer. Lawrence continues to provide a slick environment in which the film resides and commands the best from the actors, but severe pacing issues occasionally stop the movie dead in its tracks.
Mockingjay begins just hours after the end of the second film with Jennifer Lawrence becoming a completely deflated Katniss Everdeen when she realises that Peeta wasn’t rescued with her in the arena.
She is now hiding out in District 13, along with a host of familiar faces including Elizabeth Banks’ brilliant Effie Trinket who provides the majority of the film’s comedic moments – though these are few and far between this time around. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman also returns as Plutarch Heavensbee and completely commands the screen in every scene.
However, the standout performance doesn’t belong to one of the old favourites. Julianne Moore enters the series as President Alma Coin and is a complete joy, her warm yet steely persona is engaging and mesmerising and her character promises to be even more intriguing in the next instalment.
It’s also nice to see Liam Hemsworth take on a more central role as Gale, which leaves Josh Hutcherson’s whiny Peeta very much in the background.
The film centres around the creation of numerous propaganda videos, each designed to threaten the Capitol and President Snow, played by such a convincing Donald Sutherland you actually believe he is evil, made by the rebellion to show they are fighting back.
The lack of a games for a focus point could’ve had a huge impact on this film’s popularity, but Francis Lawrence gets around the lack of them with style and flair, blending truly horrific images of war with those of running water, forests and wild animals – all the while showing us how even in the darkest of times, there is beauty in this world.
Moreover, the special effects have once again been stepped up a gear. The onslaught of the Capitol’s bombers is realised beautifully and really drives home how brutal this film can be in parts. It is the first in the series where its 12A certification may have been slightly too lenient, with images of Snow’s increasing brutality proving a shock to the system.
Unfortunately, the decision to split Collins’ last novel into two films was a controversial one which hasn’t paid off. The pacing of the film is appalling and some of the worst I’ve seen. You can fill a 2 hour runtime with as much beautiful scenery as you like, but if there isn’t enough action to counterbalance it, you end up with something that feels a little hollow.
The story simply isn’t there and we spend the majority of the film watching Katniss recoil in shock at seeing Peeta in the Capitol and wandering around the different districts aimlessly, searching for more atrocities to become angry at.
Mercifully, there is one scene towards the climax which rivals Gareth Edward’s Godzilla for the most eerily quiet and exquisitely shot action sequence of the year – see if you can spot it.
Overall, Mockingjay: Part 1 is a decent film if not quite to the standard of last year’s Catching Fire. The decision to create two films has destroyed the series’ pacing and reeks of money grabbing.
However, stunning performances from all the actors, in particular Julianne Moore and Donald Sutherland ensure that fans of the series will be dying to see the next instalment in a year’s time.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/11/22/too-slow-in-parts-mockingjay-part-1-review/
A year after the critically acclaimed Catching Fire, director Francis Lawrence returns with the first part of Suzanne Collins’ underwhelming finale – Mockingjay, but can it continue with the series’ success and improve on the lacklustre novel?
Partially is the short answer. Lawrence continues to provide a slick environment in which the film resides and commands the best from the actors, but severe pacing issues occasionally stop the movie dead in its tracks.
Mockingjay begins just hours after the end of the second film with Jennifer Lawrence becoming a completely deflated Katniss Everdeen when she realises that Peeta wasn’t rescued with her in the arena.
She is now hiding out in District 13, along with a host of familiar faces including Elizabeth Banks’ brilliant Effie Trinket who provides the majority of the film’s comedic moments – though these are few and far between this time around. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman also returns as Plutarch Heavensbee and completely commands the screen in every scene.
However, the standout performance doesn’t belong to one of the old favourites. Julianne Moore enters the series as President Alma Coin and is a complete joy, her warm yet steely persona is engaging and mesmerising and her character promises to be even more intriguing in the next instalment.
It’s also nice to see Liam Hemsworth take on a more central role as Gale, which leaves Josh Hutcherson’s whiny Peeta very much in the background.
The film centres around the creation of numerous propaganda videos, each designed to threaten the Capitol and President Snow, played by such a convincing Donald Sutherland you actually believe he is evil, made by the rebellion to show they are fighting back.
The lack of a games for a focus point could’ve had a huge impact on this film’s popularity, but Francis Lawrence gets around the lack of them with style and flair, blending truly horrific images of war with those of running water, forests and wild animals – all the while showing us how even in the darkest of times, there is beauty in this world.
Moreover, the special effects have once again been stepped up a gear. The onslaught of the Capitol’s bombers is realised beautifully and really drives home how brutal this film can be in parts. It is the first in the series where its 12A certification may have been slightly too lenient, with images of Snow’s increasing brutality proving a shock to the system.
Unfortunately, the decision to split Collins’ last novel into two films was a controversial one which hasn’t paid off. The pacing of the film is appalling and some of the worst I’ve seen. You can fill a 2 hour runtime with as much beautiful scenery as you like, but if there isn’t enough action to counterbalance it, you end up with something that feels a little hollow.
The story simply isn’t there and we spend the majority of the film watching Katniss recoil in shock at seeing Peeta in the Capitol and wandering around the different districts aimlessly, searching for more atrocities to become angry at.
Mercifully, there is one scene towards the climax which rivals Gareth Edward’s Godzilla for the most eerily quiet and exquisitely shot action sequence of the year – see if you can spot it.
Overall, Mockingjay: Part 1 is a decent film if not quite to the standard of last year’s Catching Fire. The decision to create two films has destroyed the series’ pacing and reeks of money grabbing.
However, stunning performances from all the actors, in particular Julianne Moore and Donald Sutherland ensure that fans of the series will be dying to see the next instalment in a year’s time.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/11/22/too-slow-in-parts-mockingjay-part-1-review/
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Gunning for Trouble in Books
Jun 12, 2019
Bland Characters Gun Each Other Down in Gunning For Trouble
Genre: Contemporary
Page Count: 217 Pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.79 out of 5 stars
My rating: 1 out of 5 stars
Caleb was in a dead sleep until his phone alerts him to a break-in to his apartment. Immediately his defensive instincts — honed by his dangerous work of tracking missing persons and protecting witnesses — surface and he springs out of bed with his gun to tell the would-be burglar they have chosen the wrong apartment. But he ends up pointing the gun at Avery Walters, his former boss and ex-lover.
To Caleb’s irritation, Avery is on an assignment from Caleb’s boss about a string of murders in the witness protection program. Now dangerous people are after her and the only person she could turn to was Caleb. Despite Caleb’s resentment and anger toward Avery, he still feels the need to protect her. While they work together to stop the murders, old anger and mistrust rises between them, but so does the lust they feel for each other. Can they move forward and learn to love each other, or will the past always hold them back?
This book was awful. Caleb and Avery have the chemistry of fifth graders in their Drama Club rendition of Romeo and Juliet.
Caleb is a complete jackass. He protects Avery but it’s clear he doesn’t want to do it out of anything other than a sense of duty. Not only is he angry about her waking him up in the middle of the night– you know, just because her life is in danger. She should stop whining, right?– but he constantly makes her feel stupid and makes it clear he resents the shit out of her. He says she fired him so she could get a promotion, when in reality he was a loose cannon who deserved to be fired.
Even his friends and coworkers think he needs to tone down the anger.
“Haven’t heard you apologize to her,” (Zach, Caleb’s friend and coworker said).
“For what?”
“You tell me.”
“I was blindsided by what she did back then.”
“Any chance you had tunnel vision?”
Caleb is also so hot-headed I wouldn’t be surprised if he took steroids on a regular basis. Even someone like Avery, who has little more character than a stock photo, deserves better than that.
Caleb does eventually realize he’s been acting like a PMSing Neanderthal and “forgives her”, still thinking he did nothing wrong but wanting to put it behind him.
Avery isn’t as bad as Caleb, but Avery isn’t much of anything at all. She probably goes down in history as one of the least interesting protagonists ever created.
I might have cared more about the characters if I understood and liked the plot. But even that was a hot mess. While I get the gist of the situation– someone is selling names of people in the Witness Protection Program– I can’t make sense of the finer details. A hailstorm of minor characters were dumped on me at once and I couldn’t even keep them straight, let alone focus on what they were saying.
On top of that, there are a couple of times Avery seems to just “get” stuff and the reader is supposed to just “get” it too. But these aren’t obvious things, nor are they minor.
These things are like why Avery is too dangerous to be around Caleb’s coworkers’ wives. Avery just accepts that it’s reasonable she would put the wives in danger, but it’s not.
Even after reading the entire book and going back to skim parts of it for this review, I still don’t understand the plot that well.
If you are looking for a good Harlequin Intrigue book, you would be better off reading Scene of the Crime: Black Creek by Carla Cassidy. But don’t waste your time reading a half-assed story like Gunning for Trouble
Page Count: 217 Pages
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.79 out of 5 stars
My rating: 1 out of 5 stars
Caleb was in a dead sleep until his phone alerts him to a break-in to his apartment. Immediately his defensive instincts — honed by his dangerous work of tracking missing persons and protecting witnesses — surface and he springs out of bed with his gun to tell the would-be burglar they have chosen the wrong apartment. But he ends up pointing the gun at Avery Walters, his former boss and ex-lover.
To Caleb’s irritation, Avery is on an assignment from Caleb’s boss about a string of murders in the witness protection program. Now dangerous people are after her and the only person she could turn to was Caleb. Despite Caleb’s resentment and anger toward Avery, he still feels the need to protect her. While they work together to stop the murders, old anger and mistrust rises between them, but so does the lust they feel for each other. Can they move forward and learn to love each other, or will the past always hold them back?
This book was awful. Caleb and Avery have the chemistry of fifth graders in their Drama Club rendition of Romeo and Juliet.
Caleb is a complete jackass. He protects Avery but it’s clear he doesn’t want to do it out of anything other than a sense of duty. Not only is he angry about her waking him up in the middle of the night– you know, just because her life is in danger. She should stop whining, right?– but he constantly makes her feel stupid and makes it clear he resents the shit out of her. He says she fired him so she could get a promotion, when in reality he was a loose cannon who deserved to be fired.
Even his friends and coworkers think he needs to tone down the anger.
“Haven’t heard you apologize to her,” (Zach, Caleb’s friend and coworker said).
“For what?”
“You tell me.”
“I was blindsided by what she did back then.”
“Any chance you had tunnel vision?”
Caleb is also so hot-headed I wouldn’t be surprised if he took steroids on a regular basis. Even someone like Avery, who has little more character than a stock photo, deserves better than that.
Caleb does eventually realize he’s been acting like a PMSing Neanderthal and “forgives her”, still thinking he did nothing wrong but wanting to put it behind him.
Avery isn’t as bad as Caleb, but Avery isn’t much of anything at all. She probably goes down in history as one of the least interesting protagonists ever created.
I might have cared more about the characters if I understood and liked the plot. But even that was a hot mess. While I get the gist of the situation– someone is selling names of people in the Witness Protection Program– I can’t make sense of the finer details. A hailstorm of minor characters were dumped on me at once and I couldn’t even keep them straight, let alone focus on what they were saying.
On top of that, there are a couple of times Avery seems to just “get” stuff and the reader is supposed to just “get” it too. But these aren’t obvious things, nor are they minor.
These things are like why Avery is too dangerous to be around Caleb’s coworkers’ wives. Avery just accepts that it’s reasonable she would put the wives in danger, but it’s not.
Even after reading the entire book and going back to skim parts of it for this review, I still don’t understand the plot that well.
If you are looking for a good Harlequin Intrigue book, you would be better off reading Scene of the Crime: Black Creek by Carla Cassidy. But don’t waste your time reading a half-assed story like Gunning for Trouble
I am honestly not completely sure about my thoughts on this play. I was so excited when it was announced that they would be releasing the script, especially since I will most likely not be able to see the stage production any time soon, but it left me in a weird mental state after reading it. Warning, there may be plot spoilers in this review, so read at your own peril. If you do not want to be spoiled, read the play first, then come back to my review.
I know that a play will never really be the same as reading a novel by good old JK, but it still felt so different from the rest of the Harry Potter series. I found myself wanting more out of it than I got. There was a lot of nostalgia for the other books that I felt when I was reading it. And I loved this play for that reason.
Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the play. It was different, we got to see our Golden Trio all grown up, and see their interactions with other characters, including their children. I did, however, find myself getting angry at the characters--Harry and Ginny in particular. These two characters know, probably more than anyone else in this series, what it is like to be an outsider and to feel ostracized from other people. Yet they let their son feel the same way they did. To me, that sucks. They gave him huge shoes to fill in naming Albus what they did, but it seems that they never explained to him the meaning behind it. They let him hear all of the glorious stories of Dumbledore and Snape, but never let him in on the truth that both of those men were flawed individuals who messed up a lot. In not knowing that truth, Albus was made to think that he was not good enough. Again, super crappy thing to do to a child. Harry, you should know this!!
The plot itself was interesting. I think having to look at the past and see what changing any part of it could do to the future is something Albus, and even Harry, needed to understand. They must acknowledge the past, but still have the hope to look at the future. (Boom. Dumbledore style wisdom right there.) Even Scorpius needed to see what could happen. (By the way, I love Scorpius. I think he is my favorite of all of the children characters because he is adorable and so sassy.)
Just one question: WHERE WAS MY BOY TEDDY LUPIN?!?!?!?! I was looking for him the whole freaking play because I needed to see some of Remus and Tonks in another form, but we got NOTHING and I am upset. I was thinking of taking off another half star just for that fact alone, but I need to be not as bitter about it.
I cried while reading this. Whenever Albus was being self-deprecating, my heart broke even more. And Act 4 killed me. (SPOILERS) I sobbed when they were watching Voldy kill Lily and James. Straight up sobbed like a child.
I loved all of the stage directions and I think it would be very interesting to see how it all plays out on the stage. I honestly have no idea how they would do some of the effects.
Overall, it was a good addition to the Harry Potter novels. Was it as good or give me as many emotions as the novels did? No. But I enjoyed it for what it was.
I know that a play will never really be the same as reading a novel by good old JK, but it still felt so different from the rest of the Harry Potter series. I found myself wanting more out of it than I got. There was a lot of nostalgia for the other books that I felt when I was reading it. And I loved this play for that reason.
Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the play. It was different, we got to see our Golden Trio all grown up, and see their interactions with other characters, including their children. I did, however, find myself getting angry at the characters--Harry and Ginny in particular. These two characters know, probably more than anyone else in this series, what it is like to be an outsider and to feel ostracized from other people. Yet they let their son feel the same way they did. To me, that sucks. They gave him huge shoes to fill in naming Albus what they did, but it seems that they never explained to him the meaning behind it. They let him hear all of the glorious stories of Dumbledore and Snape, but never let him in on the truth that both of those men were flawed individuals who messed up a lot. In not knowing that truth, Albus was made to think that he was not good enough. Again, super crappy thing to do to a child. Harry, you should know this!!
The plot itself was interesting. I think having to look at the past and see what changing any part of it could do to the future is something Albus, and even Harry, needed to understand. They must acknowledge the past, but still have the hope to look at the future. (Boom. Dumbledore style wisdom right there.) Even Scorpius needed to see what could happen. (By the way, I love Scorpius. I think he is my favorite of all of the children characters because he is adorable and so sassy.)
Just one question: WHERE WAS MY BOY TEDDY LUPIN?!?!?!?! I was looking for him the whole freaking play because I needed to see some of Remus and Tonks in another form, but we got NOTHING and I am upset. I was thinking of taking off another half star just for that fact alone, but I need to be not as bitter about it.
I cried while reading this. Whenever Albus was being self-deprecating, my heart broke even more. And Act 4 killed me. (SPOILERS) I sobbed when they were watching Voldy kill Lily and James. Straight up sobbed like a child.
I loved all of the stage directions and I think it would be very interesting to see how it all plays out on the stage. I honestly have no idea how they would do some of the effects.
Overall, it was a good addition to the Harry Potter novels. Was it as good or give me as many emotions as the novels did? No. But I enjoyed it for what it was.
Dana (24 KP) rated Blood and Salt (Blood and Salt, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Once again, I am giving the old spoiler alert right at the beginning, so you have been warned.
I am actually giving this book a 3.5 stars instead of a three star review.
Okay, so now onto the actual review. I found this book very interesting. Though I was expecting something more like a thriller and/or horror novel, this was more like a non-scary cult novel. But it was not as creepy as I had hoped. I wanted to be terrified, but instead I was left without much of an emotional response at all.
This book reminded me, in a lot of ways, of that movie Children of the Corn. I don't really know why because the plot is not the same, but I think because it was set in the middle of a corn field that ate people with a cult in the middle of it. (Side note: I am not a fan of that movie, but my friends made me watch it with them. I found the movie quite boring, to be honest.)
Ash was an okay main character. I mean, she was strong, in a way, but she wasn't particularly striking in many ways. She, like many other young adult heroines, falls in love with the wrong guy, then gets betrayed by him, but unlike some of those other heroines, she doesn't really do much about it. Yes, she gets angry, but it almost feels like she is about to forgive him immediately. That didn't particularly make sense to me because if she was really pissed at him, I doubt she would forgive him that quickly.
Rhys was kinda annoying, to me. Yes, he is the twin brother so he is going to feel protective of his sister, but he refused to listen to anyone but himself. There is also the fact that, even though he sees all this magic stuff around him, he doesn't believe in it. Plus, to top it all off, he thinks his sister and his mother are crazy just because he thinks differently. I was not a fan of any of this. He is discounting the women in his family because he does not know how to deal with what he cannot see.
I wasn't a fan of Dane either, to be honest. He didn't help Ash as much as he said he was and when she would come to him for help, he would brush it off as if it didn't matter. He was kind of an ass.
The whole Katia plot was a bit weak. I saw it coming from a mile away, but I did enjoy the bits with Marie (her daughter). Whenever Marie was in a scene, even though she hardly talked, the scene, to me, got a whole lot more interesting. I loved seeing Ash try to figure out what the hell was going on with her.
I am not sure where I stand with the whole "light and dark" blood with Ash and Rhys. It seems a bit strange, but I think I can be okay with it if it is explained more in the next book.
Also, the magic as a whole has not been fully fleshed out and I hope to see more of it in the next book. I feel like there was a lot briefly touched on, but not fully explained.
All in all, I am looking forward to the next book, if only to see what the hell is going to happen next. The characters, while not my favorite, have the potential to grow into who they are and be developed more. I did not hate this book, but going with that, it wasn't my favorite book either. I am giving it the extra half-star because it has the potential to become something really cool in the next book.
Speaking of: The Last Harvest comes out 7 February 2017.
I am actually giving this book a 3.5 stars instead of a three star review.
Okay, so now onto the actual review. I found this book very interesting. Though I was expecting something more like a thriller and/or horror novel, this was more like a non-scary cult novel. But it was not as creepy as I had hoped. I wanted to be terrified, but instead I was left without much of an emotional response at all.
This book reminded me, in a lot of ways, of that movie Children of the Corn. I don't really know why because the plot is not the same, but I think because it was set in the middle of a corn field that ate people with a cult in the middle of it. (Side note: I am not a fan of that movie, but my friends made me watch it with them. I found the movie quite boring, to be honest.)
Ash was an okay main character. I mean, she was strong, in a way, but she wasn't particularly striking in many ways. She, like many other young adult heroines, falls in love with the wrong guy, then gets betrayed by him, but unlike some of those other heroines, she doesn't really do much about it. Yes, she gets angry, but it almost feels like she is about to forgive him immediately. That didn't particularly make sense to me because if she was really pissed at him, I doubt she would forgive him that quickly.
Rhys was kinda annoying, to me. Yes, he is the twin brother so he is going to feel protective of his sister, but he refused to listen to anyone but himself. There is also the fact that, even though he sees all this magic stuff around him, he doesn't believe in it. Plus, to top it all off, he thinks his sister and his mother are crazy just because he thinks differently. I was not a fan of any of this. He is discounting the women in his family because he does not know how to deal with what he cannot see.
I wasn't a fan of Dane either, to be honest. He didn't help Ash as much as he said he was and when she would come to him for help, he would brush it off as if it didn't matter. He was kind of an ass.
The whole Katia plot was a bit weak. I saw it coming from a mile away, but I did enjoy the bits with Marie (her daughter). Whenever Marie was in a scene, even though she hardly talked, the scene, to me, got a whole lot more interesting. I loved seeing Ash try to figure out what the hell was going on with her.
I am not sure where I stand with the whole "light and dark" blood with Ash and Rhys. It seems a bit strange, but I think I can be okay with it if it is explained more in the next book.
Also, the magic as a whole has not been fully fleshed out and I hope to see more of it in the next book. I feel like there was a lot briefly touched on, but not fully explained.
All in all, I am looking forward to the next book, if only to see what the hell is going to happen next. The characters, while not my favorite, have the potential to grow into who they are and be developed more. I did not hate this book, but going with that, it wasn't my favorite book either. I am giving it the extra half-star because it has the potential to become something really cool in the next book.
Speaking of: The Last Harvest comes out 7 February 2017.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Mountain in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I was really looking forward to this book because I’d seen loads of great reviews for it, unfortunately I did not enjoy this for a number of reasons… let me explain.
I want to start off this review on a positive note. I did initially enjoy this book. It was slow to take off and the accident in the Bletterbach was gone in seconds (when it seemed like such an important part of the plot!) but the mystery of the years old Bletterbach killings did grab my interest quite quickly and I was looking forward to knowing what the hell happened. Unfortunately, that’s where the good things I have to say end.
This book was so ridiculously drawn out and slow, it really couldn’t grab my attention for very long. I would read about 30 pages and then put it down because I was so bored by all the tedious, pointless descriptions and scene that weren’t necessary to progress the plot. Most of this novel was conversations between two people, that 90% of the time ended with no further information or revelations to the mystery. Then, the bits that weren’t people talking were extremely long, often times overly scientifics bit of information that I think were meant to be eye-opening and exciting, but instead they often confused me and were extremely boring to read.
The writing in this one was also a little weird. I always find I have a bit of trouble with translated books – they feel clunky to read – and this one felt just the same. The conversations that were had between people felt forced and unrealistic most of the time and there was no atmosphere whatsoever. When Salinger was down in the Bletterbach before the accident, there was no nail-biting edge of the seat moment, and again, when he was experiencing his panic attacks, these was no tension or feeling of claustrophobia. I was hoping this was going to give me the same creeped out, terrified feelings that The White Road did, but it let me down.
I thought that maybe while I was being put to sleep by the slow moving story, I might enjoy the characters, however I was disappointed by those too. More specifically, by Salinger, our main character. I hated him. I really, really hated him. He didn’t progress as a character after everything he had been through and no matter how many times his wife came to him angry and distraught at what he was doing. Throughout the novel he was just an awful person, always thinking about throwing a punch and being inconsiderate to other people. There really was nothing nice about him. And then the other characters in the story played such small parts that we really didn’t get to know them very well. Even Werner who seemed to play an important part of the story didn’t get much “screen” time.
In the end, I skim read the last 100 pages of this novel! I’m still counting it as a full read because I pushed myself through <b><i>t h r e e h u n d r e d</b></i> tedious pages. The conclusion of the mystery was disappointing to say the least and I’m glad I didn’t attempt to read the rest of the story.
Overall, I really didn’t enjoy this book, apart from maybe the first 50 pages. I wouldn’t recommend this one, I think there are plenty of better similar books out there that you could pick up instead.
<i>Thanks to Bookbridgr and MacLehose Press for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I’m just sorry I didn’t enjoy it!</i>
I want to start off this review on a positive note. I did initially enjoy this book. It was slow to take off and the accident in the Bletterbach was gone in seconds (when it seemed like such an important part of the plot!) but the mystery of the years old Bletterbach killings did grab my interest quite quickly and I was looking forward to knowing what the hell happened. Unfortunately, that’s where the good things I have to say end.
This book was so ridiculously drawn out and slow, it really couldn’t grab my attention for very long. I would read about 30 pages and then put it down because I was so bored by all the tedious, pointless descriptions and scene that weren’t necessary to progress the plot. Most of this novel was conversations between two people, that 90% of the time ended with no further information or revelations to the mystery. Then, the bits that weren’t people talking were extremely long, often times overly scientifics bit of information that I think were meant to be eye-opening and exciting, but instead they often confused me and were extremely boring to read.
The writing in this one was also a little weird. I always find I have a bit of trouble with translated books – they feel clunky to read – and this one felt just the same. The conversations that were had between people felt forced and unrealistic most of the time and there was no atmosphere whatsoever. When Salinger was down in the Bletterbach before the accident, there was no nail-biting edge of the seat moment, and again, when he was experiencing his panic attacks, these was no tension or feeling of claustrophobia. I was hoping this was going to give me the same creeped out, terrified feelings that The White Road did, but it let me down.
I thought that maybe while I was being put to sleep by the slow moving story, I might enjoy the characters, however I was disappointed by those too. More specifically, by Salinger, our main character. I hated him. I really, really hated him. He didn’t progress as a character after everything he had been through and no matter how many times his wife came to him angry and distraught at what he was doing. Throughout the novel he was just an awful person, always thinking about throwing a punch and being inconsiderate to other people. There really was nothing nice about him. And then the other characters in the story played such small parts that we really didn’t get to know them very well. Even Werner who seemed to play an important part of the story didn’t get much “screen” time.
In the end, I skim read the last 100 pages of this novel! I’m still counting it as a full read because I pushed myself through <b><i>t h r e e h u n d r e d</b></i> tedious pages. The conclusion of the mystery was disappointing to say the least and I’m glad I didn’t attempt to read the rest of the story.
Overall, I really didn’t enjoy this book, apart from maybe the first 50 pages. I wouldn’t recommend this one, I think there are plenty of better similar books out there that you could pick up instead.
<i>Thanks to Bookbridgr and MacLehose Press for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I’m just sorry I didn’t enjoy it!</i>
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Gran Torino (2009) in Movies
Mar 25, 2018
Original
A racist Korean War veteran has to deal with his own prejudice when a Hmong teenager tries to steal his car.
Acting: 8
Clint Eastwood comes out of the gates swinging in playing racist Walt Kowalski. I thought it was a daring role seeing as, even though the character had a strong prejudices, you were still supposed to somehow like and respect him. Clint walks that line finely and pulls the role off with that smooth ease I've seen in a number of his previous roles.
Special love to a strong supporting role from Chee Thao who plays the angry Grandma of the Hmong family. She hates Clint as much as he hates her and their chemistry makes for some hilarious scenes. She captures the role perfectly.
Beginning: 1
Characters: 10
Gran Torino features a rich array of characters with meaning and depth. Walt is a man set in his ways after the war hardened him, but you find his walls slowly tearing down as the movie progresses. He reluctantly lets in the people that he wouldn't normally and finds himself becoming closer to them than his own family. While his heart may have changed, I appreciated the fact that his mouth didn't. Walt, with his brutal honesty, always spoke what was on his mind at all times which was funny and refreshing at the same time.
Thao (Bee Vang) has his own internal struggle as he deals with getting his education while trying to take care of his family and still fit in with the men in his family. He wants to be different than his thug cousins but he's too much of a softy to stand up for himself. Thao and Walt end up on a collision course towards each other surrounded by a number of characters that have their own stories worth paying attention to.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
A lot of scenes stuck out in my head when considering Gran Torino. From family dinners to one-off scenes with Walt and Thao, the film provides believable insight into Walt becoming closer to his "enemies" than his own family. The dinners were shot in a claustrophobic type of way. Thao's house was littered with people and you find a surrounded Walt trying to navigate his way through while steering clear of being social. The film as a whole was shot in a dark style indicative of looming danger. It's unnerving in a way, but effective at the same time.
Conflict: 10
Genre: 7
Memorability: 10
The hard dramatic shift in the film is like a gut punch, both jarring and unexpected. I appreciate when a film can change tones and still be effective. I also appreciate when films show racism from both sides of the fence. There's a refreshing sense of realism you get with Gran Torino that may be sacrificed in other films for the sake of getting a point across. In Torino, no one is innocent. No one is exempt.
I can't even count the number of one-liners that Walt provides throughout the span of the movie. My personal favorite: "Good day, puss cake." I have often considered how hilarious it would be to randomly say that to someone. There's still time...
Pace: 6
Definitely could have been improvement in the pacing department. The beginning starts off extremely slow before moving at a shaky pace. It finally levels out at about the half hour mark, but the damage had already been done for me at this point.
Plot: 10
Solid storyline from beginning to end that is both intriguing and unique. We are provided with an insight into a different culture in an endearing way that makes you smile.
Resolution: 5
Overall: 77
Gran Torino is an original film that succeeds with gritty realism and strong characters. A few tweaks, particularly a stronger ending, would have put the movie into a higher tier for me. Still a solid watch.
Acting: 8
Clint Eastwood comes out of the gates swinging in playing racist Walt Kowalski. I thought it was a daring role seeing as, even though the character had a strong prejudices, you were still supposed to somehow like and respect him. Clint walks that line finely and pulls the role off with that smooth ease I've seen in a number of his previous roles.
Special love to a strong supporting role from Chee Thao who plays the angry Grandma of the Hmong family. She hates Clint as much as he hates her and their chemistry makes for some hilarious scenes. She captures the role perfectly.
Beginning: 1
Characters: 10
Gran Torino features a rich array of characters with meaning and depth. Walt is a man set in his ways after the war hardened him, but you find his walls slowly tearing down as the movie progresses. He reluctantly lets in the people that he wouldn't normally and finds himself becoming closer to them than his own family. While his heart may have changed, I appreciated the fact that his mouth didn't. Walt, with his brutal honesty, always spoke what was on his mind at all times which was funny and refreshing at the same time.
Thao (Bee Vang) has his own internal struggle as he deals with getting his education while trying to take care of his family and still fit in with the men in his family. He wants to be different than his thug cousins but he's too much of a softy to stand up for himself. Thao and Walt end up on a collision course towards each other surrounded by a number of characters that have their own stories worth paying attention to.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
A lot of scenes stuck out in my head when considering Gran Torino. From family dinners to one-off scenes with Walt and Thao, the film provides believable insight into Walt becoming closer to his "enemies" than his own family. The dinners were shot in a claustrophobic type of way. Thao's house was littered with people and you find a surrounded Walt trying to navigate his way through while steering clear of being social. The film as a whole was shot in a dark style indicative of looming danger. It's unnerving in a way, but effective at the same time.
Conflict: 10
Genre: 7
Memorability: 10
The hard dramatic shift in the film is like a gut punch, both jarring and unexpected. I appreciate when a film can change tones and still be effective. I also appreciate when films show racism from both sides of the fence. There's a refreshing sense of realism you get with Gran Torino that may be sacrificed in other films for the sake of getting a point across. In Torino, no one is innocent. No one is exempt.
I can't even count the number of one-liners that Walt provides throughout the span of the movie. My personal favorite: "Good day, puss cake." I have often considered how hilarious it would be to randomly say that to someone. There's still time...
Pace: 6
Definitely could have been improvement in the pacing department. The beginning starts off extremely slow before moving at a shaky pace. It finally levels out at about the half hour mark, but the damage had already been done for me at this point.
Plot: 10
Solid storyline from beginning to end that is both intriguing and unique. We are provided with an insight into a different culture in an endearing way that makes you smile.
Resolution: 5
Overall: 77
Gran Torino is an original film that succeeds with gritty realism and strong characters. A few tweaks, particularly a stronger ending, would have put the movie into a higher tier for me. Still a solid watch.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The One And Only in Books
Aug 20, 2018
When bio-terrorism threatens to obscure humanity, one woman has the power to restore hope.
Ruby Spencer is a wife and a mother. She also happens to be the only person that could save the people on Earth from dying! In moments when she is planning to resign from the U.S. Special Warfare Council, Ruby and her husband Clay are sent to one last mission.
With the last assignment being a low-risk mission to Taiwan where they need to analyze the zombie infection and consult with scientists, it seems like they are about to go on a long-deserved mini honeymoon.
But everything goes wrong! They get kidnapped, the biggest world powers all plan a war ahead, and it seems that only the ones that have Ruby are likely to win the war. They all fight over her, and she has no clue why. What makes her so special?
Review:
First of all, I have to thank the author, Julia Ash, for sending over this amazing book to me, in exchange for an honest review!
The beginning of The One and Only is extremely breathtaking! I believe that the beginning might be the best part of the book, actually! The flow of the story is well-thought, and I especially loved the scenes where the author refers to the past, and made me feel like there was another book before that. It is quite easy to catch up with the beginning and the brief details of the past, but if in the future there is a prequel that explains it all – I would love to be the first one to know about it!
Now, the characters are probably the reason that made the book the way it is! We have Ruby, who is our heroine, a brave lady, ready to give all the love, courage and wisdom in the world. She is a mother, a wife, and a brave fighter that never gives up and is never afraid to stand up against evil.
On the other hand, we have her husband – Clay. He was… alright. I suppose? His love for Ruby and their daughter is incredible, but somehow, I could think of him as a manly enough figure in their relationship. He was smart and brave, but not as smart and brave as Ruby.
I couldn’t somehow connect with him.
The character that intrigued me the most is Ox. I loved how Julia has shown us the psychological profile of this man, and the way he thinks. It was lovely reading about his part of his story, and even though he was on the wrong side, it is what he believes in. And the way it is written in so extraordinary, that at times I could see myself giving him an excuse.
The only part that I couldn’t agree with, and I am refusing to accept is – THE ENDING! I will withdraw myself from spoilers, but that’s not how things should have ended! That is not the ending I wanted, that is not the ending I was hoping for. No, no, no. It made me upset, and angry, and I wanted to break something very bad! That was a huge disappointment for me and it changed my whole perception of the story and the book itself.
If you ever get the chance to read this book – you should expect a lot of twists, a lot of ups and downs, and if you are like me and are trying hard to not bite your nails – well, you’re about to fail. This is not your typical book about zombie apocalypse. This is not your usual book about a heroine being kidnapped. This is not your usual book of how a person saves the world. This will be nothing like you expected, and everything you hoped for.
Ruby Spencer is a wife and a mother. She also happens to be the only person that could save the people on Earth from dying! In moments when she is planning to resign from the U.S. Special Warfare Council, Ruby and her husband Clay are sent to one last mission.
With the last assignment being a low-risk mission to Taiwan where they need to analyze the zombie infection and consult with scientists, it seems like they are about to go on a long-deserved mini honeymoon.
But everything goes wrong! They get kidnapped, the biggest world powers all plan a war ahead, and it seems that only the ones that have Ruby are likely to win the war. They all fight over her, and she has no clue why. What makes her so special?
Review:
First of all, I have to thank the author, Julia Ash, for sending over this amazing book to me, in exchange for an honest review!
The beginning of The One and Only is extremely breathtaking! I believe that the beginning might be the best part of the book, actually! The flow of the story is well-thought, and I especially loved the scenes where the author refers to the past, and made me feel like there was another book before that. It is quite easy to catch up with the beginning and the brief details of the past, but if in the future there is a prequel that explains it all – I would love to be the first one to know about it!
Now, the characters are probably the reason that made the book the way it is! We have Ruby, who is our heroine, a brave lady, ready to give all the love, courage and wisdom in the world. She is a mother, a wife, and a brave fighter that never gives up and is never afraid to stand up against evil.
On the other hand, we have her husband – Clay. He was… alright. I suppose? His love for Ruby and their daughter is incredible, but somehow, I could think of him as a manly enough figure in their relationship. He was smart and brave, but not as smart and brave as Ruby.
I couldn’t somehow connect with him.
The character that intrigued me the most is Ox. I loved how Julia has shown us the psychological profile of this man, and the way he thinks. It was lovely reading about his part of his story, and even though he was on the wrong side, it is what he believes in. And the way it is written in so extraordinary, that at times I could see myself giving him an excuse.
The only part that I couldn’t agree with, and I am refusing to accept is – THE ENDING! I will withdraw myself from spoilers, but that’s not how things should have ended! That is not the ending I wanted, that is not the ending I was hoping for. No, no, no. It made me upset, and angry, and I wanted to break something very bad! That was a huge disappointment for me and it changed my whole perception of the story and the book itself.
If you ever get the chance to read this book – you should expect a lot of twists, a lot of ups and downs, and if you are like me and are trying hard to not bite your nails – well, you’re about to fail. This is not your typical book about zombie apocalypse. This is not your usual book about a heroine being kidnapped. This is not your usual book of how a person saves the world. This will be nothing like you expected, and everything you hoped for.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Piasa in Books
Aug 21, 2018
My full review can also be found on my blog:
https://diaryofdifference.com/2018/04/11/piasa-michael-kott-book-review/
The author - Mr. Michael Kott sent me this book for an honest review! I honestly enjoyed reading every single page, and I couldn't put the book down, which deprived me from some sleep a few nights. This is what I thought about PIASA:
This is a very warm story that covers the life of Sara, a young little girl (don’t call her that, she’ll get angry!). My apologies - a young fifteen-year-old lady that survives a car accident while her whole family dies. In times when destiny is hard to accept, she will get involved into resolving the mystery behind the legend of the Piasa, and this adventure might actually mean a new start in life for her!
For a lady of this age, this destiny is extremely hard to accept, and on top of that, she has a few scars that will mark that experience probably for the rest of her life.
Her life is not easy - she lost her family, and all of her belongings, and here she is now, at her Aunt Claire’s hotel, still unsure whether she is ready to move forward with life.
Sara is a very unusual character. I have to admit that at times, she would made me cringe. Some of the things she says and does doesn’t comply with my opinion, but there are things that I really loved about her. I loved the way she is coping with all the challenges she has, after everything that she’s been through, her ability to admire someone the way she admires Mike, to start believing again, even despite everything that happens around her, to seize the day and enjoy the moments that life can offer. I love how she would find hope even in the darkest of places.
Even though I really liked the character of Sara, my favourite character has to be Mike. The way he thinks, acts and motivates everyone around him is unique. Mike is one of the characters that will make you realise and question some of your decisions in life.
The only character I couldn’t connect to at all was Pamela. I honestly am not sure why - it might be that there weren’t too many situations involving her that would make me care.
The story hooks you onto it and it is hard to put it down. I have never heard about the legend of the Piasa before, and one part of me wanted to find out before reading the book. I am glad that I didn’t, as I found out slowly about it, page by page, and that is an experience that will stay with me.
I love how it is presented that life is so unpredictable in so many ways, that mysteries are all around us, and that we are able to move forward and win - only if we wish to believe that we can do it. And sometimes, we are in doubt, and that is when precious people come into our lives - it all happens with a reason.
The only thing I wish was different about ‘’Piasa’’ is that I could’ve read this amazing book way, way sooner, when I was fifteen. I can’t wait to read the second book of this series - Cryptid.
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https://diaryofdifference.com/2018/04/11/piasa-michael-kott-book-review/
The author - Mr. Michael Kott sent me this book for an honest review! I honestly enjoyed reading every single page, and I couldn't put the book down, which deprived me from some sleep a few nights. This is what I thought about PIASA:
This is a very warm story that covers the life of Sara, a young little girl (don’t call her that, she’ll get angry!). My apologies - a young fifteen-year-old lady that survives a car accident while her whole family dies. In times when destiny is hard to accept, she will get involved into resolving the mystery behind the legend of the Piasa, and this adventure might actually mean a new start in life for her!
For a lady of this age, this destiny is extremely hard to accept, and on top of that, she has a few scars that will mark that experience probably for the rest of her life.
Her life is not easy - she lost her family, and all of her belongings, and here she is now, at her Aunt Claire’s hotel, still unsure whether she is ready to move forward with life.
Sara is a very unusual character. I have to admit that at times, she would made me cringe. Some of the things she says and does doesn’t comply with my opinion, but there are things that I really loved about her. I loved the way she is coping with all the challenges she has, after everything that she’s been through, her ability to admire someone the way she admires Mike, to start believing again, even despite everything that happens around her, to seize the day and enjoy the moments that life can offer. I love how she would find hope even in the darkest of places.
Even though I really liked the character of Sara, my favourite character has to be Mike. The way he thinks, acts and motivates everyone around him is unique. Mike is one of the characters that will make you realise and question some of your decisions in life.
The only character I couldn’t connect to at all was Pamela. I honestly am not sure why - it might be that there weren’t too many situations involving her that would make me care.
The story hooks you onto it and it is hard to put it down. I have never heard about the legend of the Piasa before, and one part of me wanted to find out before reading the book. I am glad that I didn’t, as I found out slowly about it, page by page, and that is an experience that will stay with me.
I love how it is presented that life is so unpredictable in so many ways, that mysteries are all around us, and that we are able to move forward and win - only if we wish to believe that we can do it. And sometimes, we are in doubt, and that is when precious people come into our lives - it all happens with a reason.
The only thing I wish was different about ‘’Piasa’’ is that I could’ve read this amazing book way, way sooner, when I was fifteen. I can’t wait to read the second book of this series - Cryptid.
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