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Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! in Video Games
Apr 24, 2019
The original 151 Pokémon (5 more)
Not just a remake of yellow
Graphics
Gameplay mechanics
Nostalgic but also very fresh
Being able to see what you're running into
A little too easy (1 more)
Sometimes miss the battles between wild pokemon
Fun, adorable and nostalgic
So I got Lets Go Pikachu, and withing 30-40 minutes, I had completed it, Elite four and all, but I had so much fun!
This game was first introduced to me by a friend who told me it was a refreshed version of Pokémon Yellow, but with Eevee as a starter if you got Pokémon Let's Go Eevee. However this game is so much more than a modern day reboot.
Mechanics wise, they've brought in the catching system from the popular mobile app Pokémon Go, with the player having to use the joy cons, the Pokéball Plus or the switch as a whole, to catch Pokémon by throwing a Pokéball with a chance to get 1 of 3 catch ratings (Nice, Great, or Excellent) if you can throw the ball through a ring that shrinks repeatedly. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this because I suck at this on the app, but it's something that grew on me because the switch version of this mechanic is easier to achieve, and when the player uses the whole handheld format of the switch (joy cons still attached to the sides, holding the whole body of the console) it's a lot easier to catch the Pokémon that move around a lot from side to side, other than the player having to try and throw curve balls which can sometimes ache your arms if your building up a catch combo.
I do however miss battling Pokémon in the wild sometimes, to me the old mechanics had this sense of achievement that (as cruel as it sounds, but come on this is Pokémon we're on about) you were able to beat that high level Pokémon in a battle and have therefore not just got lucky with throwing a Pokéball in the hopes that it stays in. Saying that though, you do have to battle the legendaries, Mewtwo and the two sleeping Snorlax's before you can catch them, which is a nice addition they kept in.
On the other hand though, your entire 6 Pokémon party gets experience from catching and battling, which makes it so much easier to level up your entire party without having to send out a weak Pokémon and bring it back or finding the XP share stone from the scientist guy later in the game. I can now judge which Pokémon I need to send out for the particular battle, and feel comfortable in the knowledge that I can keep my strong Pokémon on the battlefield whilst my other Pokémon share in the levelling up.
Some people have complained that they prefer the grind and think that this makes it far too easy, and I can see what they mean, but at the same time, grinding would take 10x longer due to the previous wild encounter mechanics I just spoke of. No more battling wild Pokémon means that grinding now requires a lot more money and Pokéballs.
I do think this game can be too easy at times, your companion Pokémon (the one you receive from the start, either Pikachu or Eevee) is incredibly Over Powered! I was able to defeat near enough every gym with just my starter, because even though the types weren't weak to electric or fighting, if you level up your Pikachu and are say 5-10 levels higher than the gym Pokémon, I was able to kill most of the Pokémon in one hit and a lot of the Gym battles before you reach the leader, only seem to have one Pokémon nowadays, and this isn't because you can't leave and go heal 'cos you can still do that. I thought battling Misty's Gym was a breeze because my Pikachu was two/three levels higher, and everything died in one shot. So I can see why some people complained it was too easy to complete this game. For anything that wasn't effected by electricity, I used double stomp, which in later battles usually took one hit as well, but as your progressing it can take two-four hits depending on the Pokémon your battling.
To argue with the difficulty level though, I would say that if you've never played a Pokémon game, or at least the original Pokémon games, or maybe you want to introduce someone to Pokémon young or old, this is actually a great starting place. The easy difficulty makes it enjoyable and less frustrating, the designs of characters and Pokémon are fantastic, the story is just about the same but you no longer have items that your Pokémon hold like XP Share, or Everstone. (You just have to press B everytime a Pokémon levels up if you don't want it to evolve).
It's a great introduction to Pokémon with added bonuses. You can actually get the Alolan forms of some Pokémon in the game, as there are NPC's around the map that want to trade you for your Kanto versions such as Geodude, Sandslash, Meowth (Eevee exclusive), Vulpix (Eevee exclusive), Exeggutor and a few others. So it's even more fun to hunt for Pokémon in all shapes and sizes and types.
As usual, there are some Pokémon that are exclusive to one version of the game, which is annoying because the only Pokémon I now need for my Pokédex is Pinsir who just happens to be a Let's Go Eevee exclusive, so make sure that like me, you have friends with the opposite game so you can trade, OR, if you have certain game exclusive Pokémon on Pokémon Go, you can send them across to the Go Park in Fuschia City and catch them there. They'll stay in the box you sent them too and even if they flee while you're trying to catch them, fear not, they can't run away if you sent them over. They will stay in the box and you can just try again instantly. I however do not have Pinsir in Pokémon Go but luckily my friend has a spare ?
Overall this game is so much adorable fun, whether it's catching them all, or battling the trainer's and gyms to be the very best, or even just kicking back and having a little play with your companion, you can be sure that with these new mechanics, including a new system that makes shiny Pokémon easier to find/catch, you'll find plenty to do even after you've completed the game.
This game was first introduced to me by a friend who told me it was a refreshed version of Pokémon Yellow, but with Eevee as a starter if you got Pokémon Let's Go Eevee. However this game is so much more than a modern day reboot.
Mechanics wise, they've brought in the catching system from the popular mobile app Pokémon Go, with the player having to use the joy cons, the Pokéball Plus or the switch as a whole, to catch Pokémon by throwing a Pokéball with a chance to get 1 of 3 catch ratings (Nice, Great, or Excellent) if you can throw the ball through a ring that shrinks repeatedly. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this because I suck at this on the app, but it's something that grew on me because the switch version of this mechanic is easier to achieve, and when the player uses the whole handheld format of the switch (joy cons still attached to the sides, holding the whole body of the console) it's a lot easier to catch the Pokémon that move around a lot from side to side, other than the player having to try and throw curve balls which can sometimes ache your arms if your building up a catch combo.
I do however miss battling Pokémon in the wild sometimes, to me the old mechanics had this sense of achievement that (as cruel as it sounds, but come on this is Pokémon we're on about) you were able to beat that high level Pokémon in a battle and have therefore not just got lucky with throwing a Pokéball in the hopes that it stays in. Saying that though, you do have to battle the legendaries, Mewtwo and the two sleeping Snorlax's before you can catch them, which is a nice addition they kept in.
On the other hand though, your entire 6 Pokémon party gets experience from catching and battling, which makes it so much easier to level up your entire party without having to send out a weak Pokémon and bring it back or finding the XP share stone from the scientist guy later in the game. I can now judge which Pokémon I need to send out for the particular battle, and feel comfortable in the knowledge that I can keep my strong Pokémon on the battlefield whilst my other Pokémon share in the levelling up.
Some people have complained that they prefer the grind and think that this makes it far too easy, and I can see what they mean, but at the same time, grinding would take 10x longer due to the previous wild encounter mechanics I just spoke of. No more battling wild Pokémon means that grinding now requires a lot more money and Pokéballs.
I do think this game can be too easy at times, your companion Pokémon (the one you receive from the start, either Pikachu or Eevee) is incredibly Over Powered! I was able to defeat near enough every gym with just my starter, because even though the types weren't weak to electric or fighting, if you level up your Pikachu and are say 5-10 levels higher than the gym Pokémon, I was able to kill most of the Pokémon in one hit and a lot of the Gym battles before you reach the leader, only seem to have one Pokémon nowadays, and this isn't because you can't leave and go heal 'cos you can still do that. I thought battling Misty's Gym was a breeze because my Pikachu was two/three levels higher, and everything died in one shot. So I can see why some people complained it was too easy to complete this game. For anything that wasn't effected by electricity, I used double stomp, which in later battles usually took one hit as well, but as your progressing it can take two-four hits depending on the Pokémon your battling.
To argue with the difficulty level though, I would say that if you've never played a Pokémon game, or at least the original Pokémon games, or maybe you want to introduce someone to Pokémon young or old, this is actually a great starting place. The easy difficulty makes it enjoyable and less frustrating, the designs of characters and Pokémon are fantastic, the story is just about the same but you no longer have items that your Pokémon hold like XP Share, or Everstone. (You just have to press B everytime a Pokémon levels up if you don't want it to evolve).
It's a great introduction to Pokémon with added bonuses. You can actually get the Alolan forms of some Pokémon in the game, as there are NPC's around the map that want to trade you for your Kanto versions such as Geodude, Sandslash, Meowth (Eevee exclusive), Vulpix (Eevee exclusive), Exeggutor and a few others. So it's even more fun to hunt for Pokémon in all shapes and sizes and types.
As usual, there are some Pokémon that are exclusive to one version of the game, which is annoying because the only Pokémon I now need for my Pokédex is Pinsir who just happens to be a Let's Go Eevee exclusive, so make sure that like me, you have friends with the opposite game so you can trade, OR, if you have certain game exclusive Pokémon on Pokémon Go, you can send them across to the Go Park in Fuschia City and catch them there. They'll stay in the box you sent them too and even if they flee while you're trying to catch them, fear not, they can't run away if you sent them over. They will stay in the box and you can just try again instantly. I however do not have Pinsir in Pokémon Go but luckily my friend has a spare ?
Overall this game is so much adorable fun, whether it's catching them all, or battling the trainer's and gyms to be the very best, or even just kicking back and having a little play with your companion, you can be sure that with these new mechanics, including a new system that makes shiny Pokémon easier to find/catch, you'll find plenty to do even after you've completed the game.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Jetpack Joyride in Tabletop Games
Jan 8, 2020 (Updated Jan 8, 2020)
It should come as no surprise that I love to play board games. Hence my involvement in this wonderful group! But besides board games, I also enjoy my fair share of video games too. These two worlds of gaming occasionally collide when a classic from one realm is transferred over to the other! Is the adaptation as fun as the original, or does it leave much to be desired?
Originally a mobile game, Jetpack Joyride follows our main character, Barry, as he attempts to escape a top-secret lab with a stolen jetpack! He must avoid being hit by zappers, annihilated by lasers, and blown away by missiles in the process. If Barry succeeds, he escapes with not only the high-tech jetpack, but also with as many gold coins and other top-secret gadgets as he can get his hands on! So the risk is definitely worth the reward. But if Barry is unable to escape, he will face the consequences for his unauthorized joyride… In all honesty, I had never heard of Jetpack Joyride before I Kickstarted the board game version, so I downloaded it on my phone to see how it plays. Do you remember Flappy Bird? The mobile version of Jetpack Joyride is kiiiinda like that, but more exciting and way less infuriating. It’s free to download in the App Store and Google Play Store, so check it out if you’re interested! Anyway, back to the board game version. The premise is the same as the app – you have to create a path for Barry to use for his escape from the lab, utilizing the gadgets available to you and collecting gold coins on your way.
DISCLAIMER: We are using the Kickstarter Deluxe version of the game. We do have the expansions from the KS campaign, but will not be using those for this review. Also, we do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
Jetpack Joyride is a real-time game of tile placement in which players are racing to see who can complete their run (path through the lab) the fastest. The game lasts for 3 runs, and points are earned throughout all runs. To setup, each player receives a set of 4 lab sector cards and sets them on the table in front of them in numerical order, 1-4. Three mission cards (cards that score points at the end of the run) are revealed and available for all players. Players may also have gadgets, available only to them, to help score extra points. When a run begins, all players grab translucent polyominoes (like matte versions of bits from Blokus) from the common pool and place them on their lab cards to create an unbroken path through the lab. There are specific placement restrictions that I will leave for you to discover in the rulebook. The game has no set time limit for each run, but it is a race to complete a path before your opponents. At the end of the run, points are tallied for completed missions and gadget cards. Easy, right? Here’s a small twist – before starting the next run, all players pick up their lab cards and pass them to the player on their left. So each run, players are looking at new cards and must find new paths through the lab! New mission cards and gadgets are revealed before subsequent runs as well. The player with the most points at the end of all 3 runs is the winner!
Jetpack Joyride is a fast-paced, exciting, and surprisingly strategic game that keeps all players engaged and entertained. And that’s what I love about it. First of all, real-time games are always high-energy, at least in my opinion. It’s nearly impossible to stay calm and collected when you’re literally racing against your opponents! Jetpack Joyride is definitely not a passive game, and there’s so much action and excitement that you sometimes forget you’re literally just laying tiles on cards. The next thing I love about this game is how deceptively strategic it is. Laying tiles to form a legal path across cards is not complicated, but doing so while also trying to earn extra points by completing missions (like placing 3 tiles of the same shape in a row, for example) adds a strategic element that you don’t expect. You’re not only trying to finish your run the fastest, but you’ve also got to fulfill the requirements for multiple mission and gadget cards too. One misplaced tile could decimate a run for you, so you’ve always got to be thinking several tiles in advance.
Going along with that, another neat thing about Jetpack Joyride is that all players are drawing tiles from a common pool. There is a finite number of tiles, and a specific number of the different shapes, so if the shape of tile you need is gone from the pool, you’re outta luck! You have to think and move quickly, otherwise you might get knocked out of a run, and that costs you valuable end-game points. For such a simple game, Jetpack Joyride also has a lot of variability. All lab cards are double-sided, and can be mixed and matched in any combination, as long as they are in a numerical set of 1-4. There are so many possibilities, chances are you won’t ever play with the same card combo twice….and if you do, chances are you won’t remember it 😛 All of these aspects elevate this game from a simple party game to a strategically fun game that can be played with any player count.
Overall, I think Jetpack Joyride is great. After my first play, I rated it a 4+, but after a few more I’ve changed my rating to a 5. As you can see from our scores above, Travis and our guest judge Luke enjoyed it as well. It’s a nice, light game that can be used as a filler between heavier games, or as a main-event game all on its own. Definitely a game I will use with newer gamers, and the strategic side will keep me coming back for more. I think Jetpack Joyride will get a lot of playtime from me, and it was worth my investment on Kickstarter. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a jet-powered 15 / 18.
Originally a mobile game, Jetpack Joyride follows our main character, Barry, as he attempts to escape a top-secret lab with a stolen jetpack! He must avoid being hit by zappers, annihilated by lasers, and blown away by missiles in the process. If Barry succeeds, he escapes with not only the high-tech jetpack, but also with as many gold coins and other top-secret gadgets as he can get his hands on! So the risk is definitely worth the reward. But if Barry is unable to escape, he will face the consequences for his unauthorized joyride… In all honesty, I had never heard of Jetpack Joyride before I Kickstarted the board game version, so I downloaded it on my phone to see how it plays. Do you remember Flappy Bird? The mobile version of Jetpack Joyride is kiiiinda like that, but more exciting and way less infuriating. It’s free to download in the App Store and Google Play Store, so check it out if you’re interested! Anyway, back to the board game version. The premise is the same as the app – you have to create a path for Barry to use for his escape from the lab, utilizing the gadgets available to you and collecting gold coins on your way.
DISCLAIMER: We are using the Kickstarter Deluxe version of the game. We do have the expansions from the KS campaign, but will not be using those for this review. Also, we do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
Jetpack Joyride is a real-time game of tile placement in which players are racing to see who can complete their run (path through the lab) the fastest. The game lasts for 3 runs, and points are earned throughout all runs. To setup, each player receives a set of 4 lab sector cards and sets them on the table in front of them in numerical order, 1-4. Three mission cards (cards that score points at the end of the run) are revealed and available for all players. Players may also have gadgets, available only to them, to help score extra points. When a run begins, all players grab translucent polyominoes (like matte versions of bits from Blokus) from the common pool and place them on their lab cards to create an unbroken path through the lab. There are specific placement restrictions that I will leave for you to discover in the rulebook. The game has no set time limit for each run, but it is a race to complete a path before your opponents. At the end of the run, points are tallied for completed missions and gadget cards. Easy, right? Here’s a small twist – before starting the next run, all players pick up their lab cards and pass them to the player on their left. So each run, players are looking at new cards and must find new paths through the lab! New mission cards and gadgets are revealed before subsequent runs as well. The player with the most points at the end of all 3 runs is the winner!
Jetpack Joyride is a fast-paced, exciting, and surprisingly strategic game that keeps all players engaged and entertained. And that’s what I love about it. First of all, real-time games are always high-energy, at least in my opinion. It’s nearly impossible to stay calm and collected when you’re literally racing against your opponents! Jetpack Joyride is definitely not a passive game, and there’s so much action and excitement that you sometimes forget you’re literally just laying tiles on cards. The next thing I love about this game is how deceptively strategic it is. Laying tiles to form a legal path across cards is not complicated, but doing so while also trying to earn extra points by completing missions (like placing 3 tiles of the same shape in a row, for example) adds a strategic element that you don’t expect. You’re not only trying to finish your run the fastest, but you’ve also got to fulfill the requirements for multiple mission and gadget cards too. One misplaced tile could decimate a run for you, so you’ve always got to be thinking several tiles in advance.
Going along with that, another neat thing about Jetpack Joyride is that all players are drawing tiles from a common pool. There is a finite number of tiles, and a specific number of the different shapes, so if the shape of tile you need is gone from the pool, you’re outta luck! You have to think and move quickly, otherwise you might get knocked out of a run, and that costs you valuable end-game points. For such a simple game, Jetpack Joyride also has a lot of variability. All lab cards are double-sided, and can be mixed and matched in any combination, as long as they are in a numerical set of 1-4. There are so many possibilities, chances are you won’t ever play with the same card combo twice….and if you do, chances are you won’t remember it 😛 All of these aspects elevate this game from a simple party game to a strategically fun game that can be played with any player count.
Overall, I think Jetpack Joyride is great. After my first play, I rated it a 4+, but after a few more I’ve changed my rating to a 5. As you can see from our scores above, Travis and our guest judge Luke enjoyed it as well. It’s a nice, light game that can be used as a filler between heavier games, or as a main-event game all on its own. Definitely a game I will use with newer gamers, and the strategic side will keep me coming back for more. I think Jetpack Joyride will get a lot of playtime from me, and it was worth my investment on Kickstarter. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a jet-powered 15 / 18.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Proving Grounds in Tabletop Games
Aug 23, 2021
Maia Strongheart sees the eight opponents surrounding her and knows exactly how to handle each one. She makes a dash for #4, a simpleton Warrior in Training, and whoosh – misses. “Huh, that’s never happened to me before,” she thinks. Performing a daring backflip whilst targeting the Clan Elder in the #6 position with a well-placed finishing blow and whoosh – her armor seems to part like the Red Sea as the Clan Elder finds its weakness and delivers a wound to our heroine. “WHO IS PLAYING ME?” Maia wonders. It’s me. Travis. The worst player of Proving Grounds. Poor Maia.
Proving Grounds is a solo fighting dice game with real-time phases. Players will win by defeating eight opponents in battle and will lose (often, in my case) if the heroine suffers too many wounds. The game is played over several rounds, and Renegade has provided an app to act as a timer during the rolling dice phase. Obviously I am terrible at the game, but how does it play and do I feel like continuing to suffer subsequent losses?
To setup a basic game, place the Encounter Board in the middle of the table. Shuffle the enemy cards (with swords & board backs) and deal one per slot around the Encounter Board. These are the first set of enemies Maia will be fighting. Place Battle Markers (silver ninja stars that track wounds inflicted to enemies) in the outlined spaces of the enemy cards. Place Maia’s health token (a heart) on the tracker and one each of the green, yellow, and blue dice on the health area in the space with a rainbow surround. Fill the exhaustion track with one white die per space (on the right side of the Encounter Board), and take the rest of the dice into hand to use as the dice pool. For this review I also used the Dragonling Die module.
As mentioned, Proving Grounds is played solo over a series of rounds. Each round consists of three phases: Roll Dice, Resolve Attacks, and Recover. The first phase of the game, Roll Dice, is also the most chaotic. During this phase the app timer (or your phone or sand timer or sun dial) will allow 60 seconds to roll the dice and arrive at a final result. The interesting aspect of this mechanic at play here is that only sets of dice may be rerolled, not singles. So players may only roll that set of four 3s and not the solitary 1 sitting there all alone. This causes some brain freeze because many games utilize this in reverse, where only singles may be rerolled. Factor that into a 60 second frenzy to get the greatest results and brains will smoke.
Once the timer is up or players are satisfied with the rolled results, they move to the next phase: Resolve Attacks. Each number rolled on the dice correspond to the enemy’s position around the Encounter Board. So that solitary 1 that was rolled earlier is assigned to the enemy in position #1. Here’s the kick in the rear though: any single dice assigned to an enemy will result in a wound dealt to Maia, and would require the player to sacrifice one of the dice to the exhaustion track! Should an enemy require three or more dice but only two are assigned, or if zero dice are assigned, nothing happens to Maia nor the enemy. But those dang single dice will come back to haunt the player. A lot, if they play like I do. Some enemies will require at least one of the dice to be the blue/green/yellow die in order to be successful while others are just straight number of dice. Calculating everything that is needed during the Roll Dice phase is something that I have yet to master.
After attacks are resolved, players enter the Recover phase. During this phase players will gather all assigned dice from the round as well as any dice on the lowest spot of the exhaustion track to be used for the next round. Any enemies that were defeated have left an empty slot on the Encounter Board, so a new enemy will now fill that void. Play continues in this fashion of three phases per round until either eight enemies have been defeated or Maia suffers too many wounds to continue.
Components. I am fascinated by how few components are needed to put a game like this together. Yes, the Encounter Board is mostly unnecessary, but a great way to organize the game and keep everything spacially relevant for those of us that need that. The cards are fine quality and the game has great art. The dice are very cool, but I am unsure how the colors pop for our colorblind gamer friends. While the game doesn’t necessarily refer to the damage markers as “ninja stars” I cannot get over the fact that they are ninja stars. They are certainly out of place in a game like this where I encountered zero ninjas in my plays. Everything else, though, is great and it comes in a nice-sized box: a little smaller than my Century: Golem Edition box.
It was Kane Klenko’s birthday recently, so I wished him a happy birthday on social media and informed him that I was celebrating by playing Proving Grounds. His response was absolutely perfect: “Good luck!” Well, Kane, I never have good luck with this one! It is certainly a combination of poor dice rolling, poor decision making whilst rolling dice, and just dumb luck (emphasis on dumb). I love playing this game but it is infuriating that I have yet to beat it! Even with just the first Dragonling Die module! Gahhhhhh!!!
However, Proving Grounds is an excellent dice game that breaks out of the Yahtzee clone mold and into something fresh and exciting. The twist of only being able to reroll sets instead of singles makes for interesting decisions when you really need to defeat enemy #5 but just cannot roll ANY 5s to save your life (in the game). I just want to beat it once with the Dragonling Die so I can start adding in other modules (oh yes, there are several other modules to add). When games force me to WANT to play them more and more, even for the sheer hope of victory, I consider that a mark of distinction and a sign of a great game.
So if you are like me and enjoy the pain of defeat over and over again then I invite you to try Proving Grounds. It will not be easy. But if you happen to beat it, especially on your first try, please let me know. I need all the cheat codes I can get here. It will stay in my collection probably forever because I just need to overcome it, and then once I figure it out completely, I will just need to wallop it over and over to teach it a lesson. Enjoy Proving Grounds everyone!
Proving Grounds is a solo fighting dice game with real-time phases. Players will win by defeating eight opponents in battle and will lose (often, in my case) if the heroine suffers too many wounds. The game is played over several rounds, and Renegade has provided an app to act as a timer during the rolling dice phase. Obviously I am terrible at the game, but how does it play and do I feel like continuing to suffer subsequent losses?
To setup a basic game, place the Encounter Board in the middle of the table. Shuffle the enemy cards (with swords & board backs) and deal one per slot around the Encounter Board. These are the first set of enemies Maia will be fighting. Place Battle Markers (silver ninja stars that track wounds inflicted to enemies) in the outlined spaces of the enemy cards. Place Maia’s health token (a heart) on the tracker and one each of the green, yellow, and blue dice on the health area in the space with a rainbow surround. Fill the exhaustion track with one white die per space (on the right side of the Encounter Board), and take the rest of the dice into hand to use as the dice pool. For this review I also used the Dragonling Die module.
As mentioned, Proving Grounds is played solo over a series of rounds. Each round consists of three phases: Roll Dice, Resolve Attacks, and Recover. The first phase of the game, Roll Dice, is also the most chaotic. During this phase the app timer (or your phone or sand timer or sun dial) will allow 60 seconds to roll the dice and arrive at a final result. The interesting aspect of this mechanic at play here is that only sets of dice may be rerolled, not singles. So players may only roll that set of four 3s and not the solitary 1 sitting there all alone. This causes some brain freeze because many games utilize this in reverse, where only singles may be rerolled. Factor that into a 60 second frenzy to get the greatest results and brains will smoke.
Once the timer is up or players are satisfied with the rolled results, they move to the next phase: Resolve Attacks. Each number rolled on the dice correspond to the enemy’s position around the Encounter Board. So that solitary 1 that was rolled earlier is assigned to the enemy in position #1. Here’s the kick in the rear though: any single dice assigned to an enemy will result in a wound dealt to Maia, and would require the player to sacrifice one of the dice to the exhaustion track! Should an enemy require three or more dice but only two are assigned, or if zero dice are assigned, nothing happens to Maia nor the enemy. But those dang single dice will come back to haunt the player. A lot, if they play like I do. Some enemies will require at least one of the dice to be the blue/green/yellow die in order to be successful while others are just straight number of dice. Calculating everything that is needed during the Roll Dice phase is something that I have yet to master.
After attacks are resolved, players enter the Recover phase. During this phase players will gather all assigned dice from the round as well as any dice on the lowest spot of the exhaustion track to be used for the next round. Any enemies that were defeated have left an empty slot on the Encounter Board, so a new enemy will now fill that void. Play continues in this fashion of three phases per round until either eight enemies have been defeated or Maia suffers too many wounds to continue.
Components. I am fascinated by how few components are needed to put a game like this together. Yes, the Encounter Board is mostly unnecessary, but a great way to organize the game and keep everything spacially relevant for those of us that need that. The cards are fine quality and the game has great art. The dice are very cool, but I am unsure how the colors pop for our colorblind gamer friends. While the game doesn’t necessarily refer to the damage markers as “ninja stars” I cannot get over the fact that they are ninja stars. They are certainly out of place in a game like this where I encountered zero ninjas in my plays. Everything else, though, is great and it comes in a nice-sized box: a little smaller than my Century: Golem Edition box.
It was Kane Klenko’s birthday recently, so I wished him a happy birthday on social media and informed him that I was celebrating by playing Proving Grounds. His response was absolutely perfect: “Good luck!” Well, Kane, I never have good luck with this one! It is certainly a combination of poor dice rolling, poor decision making whilst rolling dice, and just dumb luck (emphasis on dumb). I love playing this game but it is infuriating that I have yet to beat it! Even with just the first Dragonling Die module! Gahhhhhh!!!
However, Proving Grounds is an excellent dice game that breaks out of the Yahtzee clone mold and into something fresh and exciting. The twist of only being able to reroll sets instead of singles makes for interesting decisions when you really need to defeat enemy #5 but just cannot roll ANY 5s to save your life (in the game). I just want to beat it once with the Dragonling Die so I can start adding in other modules (oh yes, there are several other modules to add). When games force me to WANT to play them more and more, even for the sheer hope of victory, I consider that a mark of distinction and a sign of a great game.
So if you are like me and enjoy the pain of defeat over and over again then I invite you to try Proving Grounds. It will not be easy. But if you happen to beat it, especially on your first try, please let me know. I need all the cheat codes I can get here. It will stay in my collection probably forever because I just need to overcome it, and then once I figure it out completely, I will just need to wallop it over and over to teach it a lesson. Enjoy Proving Grounds everyone!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Every Last Lie in Books
Jan 23, 2018
Irritating characters (1 more)
Letdown of an ending
A bit of a letdown
Clara Solberg's new son, Felix, is just days old when her husband, Nick, and four-year-old daughter, Maisie are in a terrible car crash. They are heading home from Maisie's ballet class when Nick takes a curve too fast and the car slams into a tree--Maisie is amazingly uninjured, but Nick is killed. Devastated, Clara finds herself unable to sleep or eat and soon, Maisie begins having nightmares, telling her mother a bad man is after her and showing fear about a particular kind of car. Clara begins to wonder if her husband's death was really an accident. As she investigates, she also starts to ponder if she knew Nick at all.
Kubica's latest is told in alternating perspectives: Clara, as she deals with the aftermath of her husband's untimely death, and Nick, in the months leading up to the car crash. It should be an effective format, causing things to unfurl slowly and build tension and suspense. Unfortunately, in this case, it also creates a layer of stress. Maybe I just caught this book at a bad time--I was busy with work and could only pick it up in bits and pieces for a while--but the first 2/3 or so just stressed me out. I found myself almost dreading picking it back up and finding out what Clara was up to. While we should have sympathy for Clara, as her husband is dead and she's left alone with two small children, I often found her annoying and, honestly, a borderline terrible parent.
As such, her parenting decisions and overall bad judgment left me unable to enjoy or even fathom huge portions of the novel. Maybe she's clouded by grief and fatigue, but I'm not sure I'd immediately go from my child having one nightmare to thinking my husband had been killed. Nor would I leave my children in the (hot) car alone everywhere I went, chasing down leads on this supposed murder. Good grief. Her unhinged behavior was hard to stomach after awhile.
Nick's portions were almost easier to read, even if he too is an unsympathetic character: a man who just needed to not lie constantly to his wife. (Why, why must characters just lie incessantly in some of these novels?)
The one redeeming facet for this novel was the last third--and again, I have to say that maybe I just found the book at a bad time, because when I finally found a little time to read it uninterrupted (e.g., stay up too late the night before my children started school--a decision I'm still regretting), it did pick up. I read the last third in one setting, because the dramatic tension was finally affecting me, and I needed to know what happened.
Still, even in the end, I felt let down by it all. Why did I read this? What was the point? I have read two other of Kubica's novels and enjoyed them, particularly Pretty Baby, but this one just didn't do it for me.
Overall: stressful, lacked the appropriate tension for most of the novel, belabored by annoying/irritating characters, and a letdown of an ending. Before writing this review, I was thinking 3 stars, but as I'm writing, I realized this was a 2.5 star read for me. Hopefully you will enjoy it more than me. I will definitely read whatever Kubica writes (and I still have The Good Girl waiting on my Kindle app), but I'm disappointed by this one.
More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
Kubica's latest is told in alternating perspectives: Clara, as she deals with the aftermath of her husband's untimely death, and Nick, in the months leading up to the car crash. It should be an effective format, causing things to unfurl slowly and build tension and suspense. Unfortunately, in this case, it also creates a layer of stress. Maybe I just caught this book at a bad time--I was busy with work and could only pick it up in bits and pieces for a while--but the first 2/3 or so just stressed me out. I found myself almost dreading picking it back up and finding out what Clara was up to. While we should have sympathy for Clara, as her husband is dead and she's left alone with two small children, I often found her annoying and, honestly, a borderline terrible parent.
As such, her parenting decisions and overall bad judgment left me unable to enjoy or even fathom huge portions of the novel. Maybe she's clouded by grief and fatigue, but I'm not sure I'd immediately go from my child having one nightmare to thinking my husband had been killed. Nor would I leave my children in the (hot) car alone everywhere I went, chasing down leads on this supposed murder. Good grief. Her unhinged behavior was hard to stomach after awhile.
Nick's portions were almost easier to read, even if he too is an unsympathetic character: a man who just needed to not lie constantly to his wife. (Why, why must characters just lie incessantly in some of these novels?)
The one redeeming facet for this novel was the last third--and again, I have to say that maybe I just found the book at a bad time, because when I finally found a little time to read it uninterrupted (e.g., stay up too late the night before my children started school--a decision I'm still regretting), it did pick up. I read the last third in one setting, because the dramatic tension was finally affecting me, and I needed to know what happened.
Still, even in the end, I felt let down by it all. Why did I read this? What was the point? I have read two other of Kubica's novels and enjoyed them, particularly Pretty Baby, but this one just didn't do it for me.
Overall: stressful, lacked the appropriate tension for most of the novel, belabored by annoying/irritating characters, and a letdown of an ending. Before writing this review, I was thinking 3 stars, but as I'm writing, I realized this was a 2.5 star read for me. Hopefully you will enjoy it more than me. I will definitely read whatever Kubica writes (and I still have The Good Girl waiting on my Kindle app), but I'm disappointed by this one.
More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Turn of The Key in Books
Aug 16, 2019
Rowan Caine feels like her life is at a bit of a dead end when she finds the advertisement: it's for a live-in nanny, and the pay is amazing. Rowan has a background in nannying and working with children, so she submits her CV and crosses her fingers. Still, she can't believe her luck when she interviews at the gorgeous Heatherbrae House in Scotland. It's isolated, but beautiful. And then she gets the job caring for four seemingly lovely children: Rhiannon, 14; Maddie, 8; Ellie, 5; and Petra, eighteen months. But the position isn't all it cracked up to be. The children are nothing like the sweet kids they appeared when she interviewed. The entire house is a smart home, controlled by a home management app, and it seems to go haywire constantly. The parents leave nearly the moment she arrives. And it really seems like the rumors of ghosts and a haunted house that drove away the past four nannies are true. We know Rowan is writing about all of this from prison--jailed for the death of one of the children. She claims she's innocent. What really happened at Heatherbrae House?
This was a very intriguing, eerie thriller, made all the more creepy by reading it alone in a cabin in the woods with no one beside me but my dog. Perhaps choosing this read for my short getaway was a mistake? Ha, I actually liked getting a little spooked by this Gothic mystery. It was an enjoyable slow-burning read that kept me hooked.
As mentioned, the entire book is told in letter form--albeit mostly one long letter--as Rowan sits in Scottish prison, trying to convince a Mr. Wrexham to take up her case. She's innocent, she says, and here is her story. And quite a story it is. From the moment Rowan arrives at the Elincourt's beautiful home, Heatherbrae House, it seems like things go wrong--she hasn't memorized the 300-page "manual" required to watch the girls, the "smart" house is out of control, and the children are absolute terrors.
"I guess it comes down to this in the end. I am the nanny in the Elincourt case, Mr. Wrexham. And I didn't kill that child."
But the more we hear from Rowan, we learn she may not be completely guilt-free in all of this, as perhaps there is more to her story than meets the eye. It all unfurls easily in Ware's deft hands. It may take a while to get to some of the major twists and turns, but there's plenty of little bits of creepiness along the way. Rowan is sure she's being haunted, and it's quite fun to try to figure out what exactly is happening. Ghosts? The smart house gone awry? While Rowan isn't always the easiest character to root for, I still sympathized with her (I wouldn't want to be left with four combative children) and yet I found myself getting attached to the kids anyway (clearly they didn't choose to be left behind by their rich and distracted parents).
"I need you to understand why I did what I did."
Overall, this one is a fun, eerie read. I enjoyed the combination of creepy Gothic plus smart home craziness. I also couldn't always foresee what was coming up next, which I appreciated. It's engaging and surprising, despite our limited cast of characters. 4 stars.
This was a very intriguing, eerie thriller, made all the more creepy by reading it alone in a cabin in the woods with no one beside me but my dog. Perhaps choosing this read for my short getaway was a mistake? Ha, I actually liked getting a little spooked by this Gothic mystery. It was an enjoyable slow-burning read that kept me hooked.
As mentioned, the entire book is told in letter form--albeit mostly one long letter--as Rowan sits in Scottish prison, trying to convince a Mr. Wrexham to take up her case. She's innocent, she says, and here is her story. And quite a story it is. From the moment Rowan arrives at the Elincourt's beautiful home, Heatherbrae House, it seems like things go wrong--she hasn't memorized the 300-page "manual" required to watch the girls, the "smart" house is out of control, and the children are absolute terrors.
"I guess it comes down to this in the end. I am the nanny in the Elincourt case, Mr. Wrexham. And I didn't kill that child."
But the more we hear from Rowan, we learn she may not be completely guilt-free in all of this, as perhaps there is more to her story than meets the eye. It all unfurls easily in Ware's deft hands. It may take a while to get to some of the major twists and turns, but there's plenty of little bits of creepiness along the way. Rowan is sure she's being haunted, and it's quite fun to try to figure out what exactly is happening. Ghosts? The smart house gone awry? While Rowan isn't always the easiest character to root for, I still sympathized with her (I wouldn't want to be left with four combative children) and yet I found myself getting attached to the kids anyway (clearly they didn't choose to be left behind by their rich and distracted parents).
"I need you to understand why I did what I did."
Overall, this one is a fun, eerie read. I enjoyed the combination of creepy Gothic plus smart home craziness. I also couldn't always foresee what was coming up next, which I appreciated. It's engaging and surprising, despite our limited cast of characters. 4 stars.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Everything, Everything in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I'm part of a reading challenge on this app called Habitica where I have to read a book turning into a movie this year, so <em>Everything, Everything</em> kind of got picked because of that. (I know it's problematic. The reading challenges are the only reasons why I chose to read the book.)
Anelise and I were also throwing out random books from our library for hours and this was the first that we both had a copy of or could borrow from the library, so here we are.
<b>
</b> <b>I was hoping to learn more from <i>Everything, Everything</i> than I actually did.</b> Madeline Whittier, aka Maddy, is someone who has SCID - an immune disorder where those affected basically have to be isolated from everything. <b>I learned virtually nothing but the bare bones definition of SCID</b> for the duration of the book:
<ul>
<li>You have to be isolated from the world</li>
<li>Anything, ANYTHING can trigger a reaction</li>
<li>It is basically a very miserable life</li>
</ul>
<div>Let's be honest: it's the dictionary definition.</div>
And <b>everything is so WHIT</b>E. White walls, white rooms, white bookshelves - I like the occasional white but ALL white is associated with hospitals. <b>I suppose hospital is the atmosphere Yoon is going for? </b>Still, though. Hospitals do have a splash of color somewhere? At least I'm pretty sure they do, but I'm that one kid who rarely went to the hospital.
So if you want the really quick version:<b> the romance is the plot</b>. I'm usually not a fan of contemporary romance, but I've been on a contemporary streak lately after reading some amazing books lately in the genre. <b>The romance between Mandy and Olly is adorable</b> - seeing their limited interactions, IMs, emails, etc. and even when they saw each other outside of those. <b>If you don't mind a cute romance or have a curiosity to know more about SCID, then <i>Everything, Everything</i> might be up your alley.</b> But I like learning things. This is why I'm still Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor, so Pottermore is wrong, I tell you. WRONG.
I thought<b> the layout was interesting and different, making the book seem quicker</b>. I also loved the illustrations - they complemented the story really well and felt like a nice addition.
Despite the cute romance, interesting layout, and amazing illustrations, <b>I am still disappointed with the ending.</b> It's one of those endings that might depend on the reader’s preferences, but I thought <b>it was a screwed up ending where some of the characters have HUGE issues</b>. I know I have my own issues of life, but this one is a really messy issue and I'm surprised no one got even a tiny bit suspicious for what? 16, 17 years?
I know there are some out there who will turn around and say that <i>Everything, Everything</i> is a fantastic novel. It is! But <b>the ending ruined everything, and I cannot add this to my collection of shove worthy books.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Anelise and I were also throwing out random books from our library for hours and this was the first that we both had a copy of or could borrow from the library, so here we are.
<b>
</b> <b>I was hoping to learn more from <i>Everything, Everything</i> than I actually did.</b> Madeline Whittier, aka Maddy, is someone who has SCID - an immune disorder where those affected basically have to be isolated from everything. <b>I learned virtually nothing but the bare bones definition of SCID</b> for the duration of the book:
<ul>
<li>You have to be isolated from the world</li>
<li>Anything, ANYTHING can trigger a reaction</li>
<li>It is basically a very miserable life</li>
</ul>
<div>Let's be honest: it's the dictionary definition.</div>
And <b>everything is so WHIT</b>E. White walls, white rooms, white bookshelves - I like the occasional white but ALL white is associated with hospitals. <b>I suppose hospital is the atmosphere Yoon is going for? </b>Still, though. Hospitals do have a splash of color somewhere? At least I'm pretty sure they do, but I'm that one kid who rarely went to the hospital.
So if you want the really quick version:<b> the romance is the plot</b>. I'm usually not a fan of contemporary romance, but I've been on a contemporary streak lately after reading some amazing books lately in the genre. <b>The romance between Mandy and Olly is adorable</b> - seeing their limited interactions, IMs, emails, etc. and even when they saw each other outside of those. <b>If you don't mind a cute romance or have a curiosity to know more about SCID, then <i>Everything, Everything</i> might be up your alley.</b> But I like learning things. This is why I'm still Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor, so Pottermore is wrong, I tell you. WRONG.
I thought<b> the layout was interesting and different, making the book seem quicker</b>. I also loved the illustrations - they complemented the story really well and felt like a nice addition.
Despite the cute romance, interesting layout, and amazing illustrations, <b>I am still disappointed with the ending.</b> It's one of those endings that might depend on the reader’s preferences, but I thought <b>it was a screwed up ending where some of the characters have HUGE issues</b>. I know I have my own issues of life, but this one is a really messy issue and I'm surprised no one got even a tiny bit suspicious for what? 16, 17 years?
I know there are some out there who will turn around and say that <i>Everything, Everything</i> is a fantastic novel. It is! But <b>the ending ruined everything, and I cannot add this to my collection of shove worthy books.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Ninja Girl in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
So I have Cookie OGormans debut novel, <i>Adorkable </i>sitting in my Kindle app, and I cant wait to read it because it sounds freakishly adorable, and I am all about adorable books (I like to mention <i><a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-imperfect-chemistry-by-mary-frame"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Imperfect Chemistry</a></i> for the New Adult readers).
<i>Ninja Girl</i> is OGormans second novel, and it does seem like a second book in a stand-alone series since from what I know, the love interest of this book, Ash, makes an appearance in <i>Adorkable </i>and the couple in that book make an appearance here. (Did I make sense or was that too weird?)
What drew me to <i>Ninja Girl</i> in the first place is the Korean MC, Snow, who looks up to Bruce Lee as her role model and makes her decisions based on what she thinks Bruce Lee would approve. Shes phenomenal at martial arts, which makes her stick out from her group of friends because shes considered a tomboy. To prove that she is indeed a girl, Snow decides to kiss an entirely random guy, someone she would never typically go for, who turns out to be the son of a running candidate for the Senate that recently got pulled out of his life in a public school to a private school.
<i>Ninja Girl</i> reverses the whole damsel in distress and boy saves girl trope - instead, Snow is the one who saves Ash. Snow is recruited as Ashs bodyguard when his father starts getting more threats as they get closer to elections. Its just so refreshing to see a familiar trope being reversed and breaking out of the norm (and of course, OGorman isnt the only one who does this, but Im extremely glad theres another female character to root for).
It is a very nitpicky thing, but I am a little bothered by the title since ninja originates from Japan. However, I feel the title fits remarkably well with Snow as a character - she is extraordinarily fast in her movements when we see her in action as a bodyguard.
I loved the writing style in <i>Ninja Girl</i> - OGorman is hilarious with her writing style, and there are a lot of moments where I just really enjoyed having Snow as the main character and getting to know Ash as a character. As mentioned, I currently have OGormans debut novel on my kindle and getting the chance to see her writing style in her sophomore novel makes me extremely excited to read her debut when I get the chance. There are some fantastic lines in <i>Ninja Girl</i> that I love, and I honestly want to make a different post featuring all of my favorite quotes from the book.
Overall, though, if you want a cute story with a kickass main character who is a POC and hilarious lines, <i>Ninja Girl</i> might be the book for you.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/ninja-girl-by-cookie-ogorman-blog-tour/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
So I have Cookie OGormans debut novel, <i>Adorkable </i>sitting in my Kindle app, and I cant wait to read it because it sounds freakishly adorable, and I am all about adorable books (I like to mention <i><a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-imperfect-chemistry-by-mary-frame"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Imperfect Chemistry</a></i> for the New Adult readers).
<i>Ninja Girl</i> is OGormans second novel, and it does seem like a second book in a stand-alone series since from what I know, the love interest of this book, Ash, makes an appearance in <i>Adorkable </i>and the couple in that book make an appearance here. (Did I make sense or was that too weird?)
What drew me to <i>Ninja Girl</i> in the first place is the Korean MC, Snow, who looks up to Bruce Lee as her role model and makes her decisions based on what she thinks Bruce Lee would approve. Shes phenomenal at martial arts, which makes her stick out from her group of friends because shes considered a tomboy. To prove that she is indeed a girl, Snow decides to kiss an entirely random guy, someone she would never typically go for, who turns out to be the son of a running candidate for the Senate that recently got pulled out of his life in a public school to a private school.
<i>Ninja Girl</i> reverses the whole damsel in distress and boy saves girl trope - instead, Snow is the one who saves Ash. Snow is recruited as Ashs bodyguard when his father starts getting more threats as they get closer to elections. Its just so refreshing to see a familiar trope being reversed and breaking out of the norm (and of course, OGorman isnt the only one who does this, but Im extremely glad theres another female character to root for).
It is a very nitpicky thing, but I am a little bothered by the title since ninja originates from Japan. However, I feel the title fits remarkably well with Snow as a character - she is extraordinarily fast in her movements when we see her in action as a bodyguard.
I loved the writing style in <i>Ninja Girl</i> - OGorman is hilarious with her writing style, and there are a lot of moments where I just really enjoyed having Snow as the main character and getting to know Ash as a character. As mentioned, I currently have OGormans debut novel on my kindle and getting the chance to see her writing style in her sophomore novel makes me extremely excited to read her debut when I get the chance. There are some fantastic lines in <i>Ninja Girl</i> that I love, and I honestly want to make a different post featuring all of my favorite quotes from the book.
Overall, though, if you want a cute story with a kickass main character who is a POC and hilarious lines, <i>Ninja Girl</i> might be the book for you.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/ninja-girl-by-cookie-ogorman-blog-tour/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Long Bright River in Books
Apr 23, 2020
This was the first book I ever checked out from Libby. I miss my library right now, but I'm glad for that app, even if I can only put six books on hold at one time. (What is that?! Six holds; that's for amateurs.)
Kensington, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, is plagued by drug use, especially heroin. It's where sisters Kacey and Mickey grew up. The girls lost their mother at a young age and were raised by their grandmother, Gee, who provided shelter and not much else. Now, Mickey is determined to raise her son Thomas differently. With love and kindness and a feeling of safety. Mickey is a police officer, so she's more than familiar with the streets of Kensington. At the same time, Kensington is struck with a series of murders, Kacey disappears. Mickey and Kacey haven't had much contact in years, since her sister became stuck in the tangle of addiction, but she's still worried. Even more so since those being murdered are young women, no doubt drug and sex workers. Found strangled on the streets. As Mickey starts looking into the murders, she gets caught up in a twisted web of lies and deceit--some of it related to her missing sister--and soon it may be too late to save either Mickey or Kacey.
The first time I found my sister dead, she was sixteen. It was the summer of 2002. Forty-eight hours earlier, on a Friday afternoon, she’d left school with her friends, telling me she’d be back by evening. She wasn’t.
This isn't a fun book to read, so if you're looking for a feel-good read right now, this isn't it. But it's a well-written, extremely powerful look at addiction. While it focuses on the story of the murdered girls, it's also an in-depth character study, taking us into Mickey's history with her sister and how their past has formed their present. Told in a then and now format, we learn about the sisters, and we get a harrowing and detailed look at the effect of addiction, not just on Kacey, but on an entire town. It's depressing, it's real, and it's wonderfully done.
Kacey told me that time spent in addiction feels looped. Each morning brings with it the possibility of change, each evening the shame of failure.
This is not really a fast-moving book, but it does have twists and turns, many of them surprising. There's plenty to keep you guessing, as we try to figure out what is happening to the women on the streets in Kensington. In turn, we have to figure out Kacey and Mickey's past and how it's brought us to where we are today. Characters are sparse, but incredibly well-created, with my favorite, beyond the sisters, being Mickey's landlord, Mrs. Mahon, a formidable woman in her own right. And Mickey's sweet, wise young son Thomas.
While Kacey is clearly the damaged one on paper, as an addict, often living on the streets, we see Mickey isn't always much better. She's had a tough time, and it's hard for her to trust anyone. Both she and Kacey are astounding characters, who stand out in this powerful novel about addiction, police abuse, and the love of a mother. This isn't always an easy read, but I'm glad I picked it up. It will stick with me for some time.
Kensington, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, is plagued by drug use, especially heroin. It's where sisters Kacey and Mickey grew up. The girls lost their mother at a young age and were raised by their grandmother, Gee, who provided shelter and not much else. Now, Mickey is determined to raise her son Thomas differently. With love and kindness and a feeling of safety. Mickey is a police officer, so she's more than familiar with the streets of Kensington. At the same time, Kensington is struck with a series of murders, Kacey disappears. Mickey and Kacey haven't had much contact in years, since her sister became stuck in the tangle of addiction, but she's still worried. Even more so since those being murdered are young women, no doubt drug and sex workers. Found strangled on the streets. As Mickey starts looking into the murders, she gets caught up in a twisted web of lies and deceit--some of it related to her missing sister--and soon it may be too late to save either Mickey or Kacey.
The first time I found my sister dead, she was sixteen. It was the summer of 2002. Forty-eight hours earlier, on a Friday afternoon, she’d left school with her friends, telling me she’d be back by evening. She wasn’t.
This isn't a fun book to read, so if you're looking for a feel-good read right now, this isn't it. But it's a well-written, extremely powerful look at addiction. While it focuses on the story of the murdered girls, it's also an in-depth character study, taking us into Mickey's history with her sister and how their past has formed their present. Told in a then and now format, we learn about the sisters, and we get a harrowing and detailed look at the effect of addiction, not just on Kacey, but on an entire town. It's depressing, it's real, and it's wonderfully done.
Kacey told me that time spent in addiction feels looped. Each morning brings with it the possibility of change, each evening the shame of failure.
This is not really a fast-moving book, but it does have twists and turns, many of them surprising. There's plenty to keep you guessing, as we try to figure out what is happening to the women on the streets in Kensington. In turn, we have to figure out Kacey and Mickey's past and how it's brought us to where we are today. Characters are sparse, but incredibly well-created, with my favorite, beyond the sisters, being Mickey's landlord, Mrs. Mahon, a formidable woman in her own right. And Mickey's sweet, wise young son Thomas.
While Kacey is clearly the damaged one on paper, as an addict, often living on the streets, we see Mickey isn't always much better. She's had a tough time, and it's hard for her to trust anyone. Both she and Kacey are astounding characters, who stand out in this powerful novel about addiction, police abuse, and the love of a mother. This isn't always an easy read, but I'm glad I picked it up. It will stick with me for some time.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Spree (2020) in Movies
Jan 24, 2021
Different
In a world filled with YouTubers and social media influencers, it was inevitable that eventually we’d get a film shot in the style of a social media stream. We’ve seen similar with films like Unfriended and Searching, taking on the likes of social media whilst shot entirely from a webcam. However Spree is the first that I’ve seen that takes on social media almost entirely from live streaming or go pro recordings, and overall it’s a pretty decent attempt.
Spree is a 2020 comedy horror film starring Joe Keery as Kurt Kunkle, a failing social media influencer who works as a driver for a rideshare app called Spree. Fed up of his lack of viewers, Kurt decides to fit out his car with cameras and livestream “The Lesson”, where he instructs viewers on how to become famous on social media while picking up passengers and murdering them. One of the passengers he lets go is comedian Jessie Adams (Sasheer Zamata), a star and social media success who Kurt becomes obsessed with over the course of his murderous evening.
Spree is definitely a fun film. The comedic horror style works very well, especially in the first half although later on it does make way for a more serious side. There’s a decent amount of blood and gore too and it has a wonderfully cheesy B-movie vibe about it. What makes Spree so fun though is Joe Keery. His performance as an influencer is entirely believable and it’s his charisma and baby-faced innocence that makes this film watchable. He spends the entirety of the film like he’s high and hyped up on energy drinks and while this does make his performance a little over the top, this is exactly what Spree needs. David Arquette as Kurt’s dad also brings a lot of fun although his screen time is sadly lacking.
Despite Spree’s dark comedic feel, there’s a more serious story and commentary underlying this film. It might look as though it’s making light of social media influencers, but actually it’s making a rather serious point of the pressures and negatives of the constant need influencers have to be liked and obtain more followers. Kurt’s story is rather sad, and even the other characters like Jessie are shown to have their own stories but still stuck in the same social media behaviour. The live streams used to shoot most of this film, with the likes and comments from viewers, emphasise the pitfalls and real life issues with social media.
Admittedly this live stream method does get a little thin by the end of the 90 minute run time, and after the initial few murders, it’s only Keery’s performance that holds the film up to the end. It isn’t helped that aside from Kurt, none of his victims are particularly likeable and it makes them very difficult to relate to or care about. And this also goes for Jessie who despite her heroine status, becomes unlikeable due to how she too bows to the pressure of social media.
I’m not a fan of the YouTube and influencer revolution, so for me Spree was an interesting take on this and social media in general. It has a good point to make and a serious message, although this may be overshadowed by the dark comedy and horror. With a great turn from Joe Keery, it’s a fun film but not entirely memorable.
Spree is a 2020 comedy horror film starring Joe Keery as Kurt Kunkle, a failing social media influencer who works as a driver for a rideshare app called Spree. Fed up of his lack of viewers, Kurt decides to fit out his car with cameras and livestream “The Lesson”, where he instructs viewers on how to become famous on social media while picking up passengers and murdering them. One of the passengers he lets go is comedian Jessie Adams (Sasheer Zamata), a star and social media success who Kurt becomes obsessed with over the course of his murderous evening.
Spree is definitely a fun film. The comedic horror style works very well, especially in the first half although later on it does make way for a more serious side. There’s a decent amount of blood and gore too and it has a wonderfully cheesy B-movie vibe about it. What makes Spree so fun though is Joe Keery. His performance as an influencer is entirely believable and it’s his charisma and baby-faced innocence that makes this film watchable. He spends the entirety of the film like he’s high and hyped up on energy drinks and while this does make his performance a little over the top, this is exactly what Spree needs. David Arquette as Kurt’s dad also brings a lot of fun although his screen time is sadly lacking.
Despite Spree’s dark comedic feel, there’s a more serious story and commentary underlying this film. It might look as though it’s making light of social media influencers, but actually it’s making a rather serious point of the pressures and negatives of the constant need influencers have to be liked and obtain more followers. Kurt’s story is rather sad, and even the other characters like Jessie are shown to have their own stories but still stuck in the same social media behaviour. The live streams used to shoot most of this film, with the likes and comments from viewers, emphasise the pitfalls and real life issues with social media.
Admittedly this live stream method does get a little thin by the end of the 90 minute run time, and after the initial few murders, it’s only Keery’s performance that holds the film up to the end. It isn’t helped that aside from Kurt, none of his victims are particularly likeable and it makes them very difficult to relate to or care about. And this also goes for Jessie who despite her heroine status, becomes unlikeable due to how she too bows to the pressure of social media.
I’m not a fan of the YouTube and influencer revolution, so for me Spree was an interesting take on this and social media in general. It has a good point to make and a serious message, although this may be overshadowed by the dark comedy and horror. With a great turn from Joe Keery, it’s a fun film but not entirely memorable.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Green Book (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
It's always nice getting advanced screenings, but two months in advance has to be some sort of record. By the fact that the entire audience went "what?!" when the title card came up it was a very well kept secret screening.
I'm so pleased that this played to a packed screen. We lost maybe a dozen people within the first five minutes, which I think just goes to show how much of an unknown it was because normally people will leave immediately. I had seen it on the app, but not read the synopsis or seen a trailer so it was brilliant to be able to go into the film without any prejudgment.
Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen make a wonderful duo. They bounce of each other really well throughout the whole film.
One of the things I was dying to know was who was playing the piano. I'm reliably informed by IMDb's trivia that Kris Bowers who is the film's composer is Ali's piano double. I have no idea how they do that considering that a fair amount of the shots show Ali playing. It was certainly well done.
The film shows yet another important story in a well thought out and sensitive way. Hidden Figures, Marshall and now Green Book. We're seeing sides of history that we hardly knew of before. The Green Book was a complete shock of a discovery to me and this certainly made me want to research more on the topic.
Ultimately this story is about friendship and acceptance in the face of adversity. It's good to see the circle of change in Tony, and the ending paints the hopeful picture of what would unfold in the future.
I feel a little bit harsh only giving this four and a half stars. While Mortensen and Cardellini were spot on, Ali left me a little disappointed. I have loved him ever since The 4400 and it's been great seeing him in so many shows and films since then. This role obviously has some very powerful moments, and while he delivered them with grace I couldn't help noticing that something was missing. There was one point where he delivers a poignant speech to Tony and I realised that is was lacking the emotional kicker. It felt detached. Whether it was script, acting or just the natural way of the character I'm not sure, it had the potential to bring me to tears and yet... dry eyes.
That is honestly the only glitch in this wonderful film. I got home and I couldn't sleep because I was still buzzing from the screening. (I'm paying for that now.) I read the comments on Twitter and I was really struck by how many people loved it. This deserves to win awards on a lot of counts, I just hope that it gets the recognition it deserves.
When I got my Unlimited card I wasn't convinced that I'd go and see a lot of films (yes I know, what a joke!), and certainly without the card I would never have seen this. At home I never used to pick films that I'd have to "think about". Unlimited has changed the way I watch movies and given me the opportunity to see incredible productions like this. That to me is well worth the money.
What you should do
You should absolutely see this. Not quite a child friendly as Hidden Figures was but it offers another great insight into the past.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Just a fraction of that musical talent would be incredible.
I'm so pleased that this played to a packed screen. We lost maybe a dozen people within the first five minutes, which I think just goes to show how much of an unknown it was because normally people will leave immediately. I had seen it on the app, but not read the synopsis or seen a trailer so it was brilliant to be able to go into the film without any prejudgment.
Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen make a wonderful duo. They bounce of each other really well throughout the whole film.
One of the things I was dying to know was who was playing the piano. I'm reliably informed by IMDb's trivia that Kris Bowers who is the film's composer is Ali's piano double. I have no idea how they do that considering that a fair amount of the shots show Ali playing. It was certainly well done.
The film shows yet another important story in a well thought out and sensitive way. Hidden Figures, Marshall and now Green Book. We're seeing sides of history that we hardly knew of before. The Green Book was a complete shock of a discovery to me and this certainly made me want to research more on the topic.
Ultimately this story is about friendship and acceptance in the face of adversity. It's good to see the circle of change in Tony, and the ending paints the hopeful picture of what would unfold in the future.
I feel a little bit harsh only giving this four and a half stars. While Mortensen and Cardellini were spot on, Ali left me a little disappointed. I have loved him ever since The 4400 and it's been great seeing him in so many shows and films since then. This role obviously has some very powerful moments, and while he delivered them with grace I couldn't help noticing that something was missing. There was one point where he delivers a poignant speech to Tony and I realised that is was lacking the emotional kicker. It felt detached. Whether it was script, acting or just the natural way of the character I'm not sure, it had the potential to bring me to tears and yet... dry eyes.
That is honestly the only glitch in this wonderful film. I got home and I couldn't sleep because I was still buzzing from the screening. (I'm paying for that now.) I read the comments on Twitter and I was really struck by how many people loved it. This deserves to win awards on a lot of counts, I just hope that it gets the recognition it deserves.
When I got my Unlimited card I wasn't convinced that I'd go and see a lot of films (yes I know, what a joke!), and certainly without the card I would never have seen this. At home I never used to pick films that I'd have to "think about". Unlimited has changed the way I watch movies and given me the opportunity to see incredible productions like this. That to me is well worth the money.
What you should do
You should absolutely see this. Not quite a child friendly as Hidden Figures was but it offers another great insight into the past.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Just a fraction of that musical talent would be incredible.