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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Amityville Horror in Books
May 20, 2019
Jay Anson’s The Amityville Horror sparked a lot of attention when it was first published in 1977 and soon after became the basis for the famed horror movie of the same title–but the question often remains: is it a true story? Originally published as such, The Amityville Horror now resides among fiction titles, largely due to the fact that besides the Lutzes, very little activity has been reported in the DeFeo house. (There were also several lawsuits.) For the purpose of this review, I will be treating The Amityville Horror as a fiction novel.
Normally, this paragraph is used to describe the characters and how I felt about them. Because The Amityville Horror was meant to be regarded as non-fiction, the characters, based on real people, are rather flat. There are too many questions about how they behave and react to different events in their lives. Part of this may be attributed to the style of Anson’s writing, which comes across to me as rather basic. In some places, there’s no flow and things appear forced.
Plotwise, I found the story to be engaging enough that I did, admittedly, devour it. Anson lays out events one after another, with little to no space in between. He also writes from several perspectives, and switches frequently–which can be rather distracting.
Overall, The Amityville Horror garners a lot of fame. The DeFeo murders were monstrous, but the addition of the Lutzes’ stories adds fuel to a fire that, for many skeptics, has long since stopped burning. If you’re a franchise fan, the book will likely interest you, but other than that, is neither spectacular or horrible.
http://theghastlygrimoire.com/2019/05/02/book-review-the-amityville-horror-by-jay-anson/
Normally, this paragraph is used to describe the characters and how I felt about them. Because The Amityville Horror was meant to be regarded as non-fiction, the characters, based on real people, are rather flat. There are too many questions about how they behave and react to different events in their lives. Part of this may be attributed to the style of Anson’s writing, which comes across to me as rather basic. In some places, there’s no flow and things appear forced.
Plotwise, I found the story to be engaging enough that I did, admittedly, devour it. Anson lays out events one after another, with little to no space in between. He also writes from several perspectives, and switches frequently–which can be rather distracting.
Overall, The Amityville Horror garners a lot of fame. The DeFeo murders were monstrous, but the addition of the Lutzes’ stories adds fuel to a fire that, for many skeptics, has long since stopped burning. If you’re a franchise fan, the book will likely interest you, but other than that, is neither spectacular or horrible.
http://theghastlygrimoire.com/2019/05/02/book-review-the-amityville-horror-by-jay-anson/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Turn It Up! in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<i>Turn It Up!</i> was a totally random pick I chose from my library's OverDrive catalog because they didn't have the book I so desperately wanted in my hands right at the very moment. <span style="font-size: small;">Come on, American Panda. Come to meeee.</span>
Or maybe they did but I didn't feel like reading any fantasy. I've been wanting more and more cute contemporary romances lately. <b>Give me all the cute contemporaries, bookwyrms.</b> I need to feed my latest addiction until I'm tired of it and go back to my usual fantasy groove.
Anyways...
<b>Jen Calonita's latest novel is about acapella groups.</b> I love and admire acapella (Pentatonix is one of my favorite groups) so this novel caught my eye <i>really</i> quick. <b><i>Turn It Up!</i></b><b> is essentially Pitch Perfect set in a high school setting instead of college.</b> I was hoping that I would enjoy the book a lot since it <i>is</i> about music and acapella.
Unfortunately, <strong>the book focuses too much on Lidia's and Sydney's problem with little to no progress</strong> and an ending that was basically handed over to the characters on a plate adorned with musical notes and shoes. <i>Boom.</i> Happily ever after for everyone.
This is basically the summary of the book:
<ul>
<li>Girl has a crush on a guy</li>
<li>Other girl ends up falling in love with the guy</li>
<li>Girl catches other girl and guy kissing, creates tension among friendship</li>
<li>Girl develops other interests and chases after it because it conveniently keeps her away from other girl and guy as well</li>
<li>Other girl tries to push guy but really, she's in love but she values friendship</li>
<li>Girl falls in love slowly with another guy</li>
<li>Guy somehow gets between girl and other guy by accident - oopsies</li>
<li>Girl and other girl realizes they don't have to be this way</li>
<li>Somehow they become best friends again and everyone lives happily ever after</li>
</ul>
I was expecting more... I don't know, music to be involved? There's certainly conflict among the acapella group, but it felt like the musical angle wasn't even needed to create drama among the characters since there seemed to be issues well before the acapella group became a thing. 🤷
A lot of the issues seemed to have roots since middle school/early high school - they just seemed to have escalated. And <strong>while the Pitch Perfect movie had their drama, it was at least entertaining and catchy.</strong> I can't say the same for the book.
<strong>The writing felt off</strong> - there were times where it felt awkward due to punctuation usage, mainly exclamation points. Sentences that didn't need an exclamation had one, or maybe it's just the phrasing of the sentences themselves. It didn't really help me enjoy the book more.
And then there were the characters. I don't know if it's just me, but I have a hard time thinking of how old most of the characters are. I know <i>Turn It Up! </i>is set in high school, but there were times where I felt they were a little younger. 🤔
<b>But hey, there were <em>maybe</em> a few parts that were good!</b>
<ul>
<li>Eventually, everyone got past their differences - hooray</li>
<li>There <em>is</em> a cute romance, and I definitely ship it</li>
<li>Sometimes I wanted to smush the two characters together</li>
<li>Lidia's family is cute and adorable</li>
</ul>
Anyways, those smol little bits that were good didn't make up for the bad. I wanted more from <em>Turn It Up!</em> and <strong>I got a Pitch Perfect version in book form that was less entertaining than the movie.</strong>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/turn-it-up-by-jen-calonita-ya-pitch-perfect/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Or maybe they did but I didn't feel like reading any fantasy. I've been wanting more and more cute contemporary romances lately. <b>Give me all the cute contemporaries, bookwyrms.</b> I need to feed my latest addiction until I'm tired of it and go back to my usual fantasy groove.
Anyways...
<b>Jen Calonita's latest novel is about acapella groups.</b> I love and admire acapella (Pentatonix is one of my favorite groups) so this novel caught my eye <i>really</i> quick. <b><i>Turn It Up!</i></b><b> is essentially Pitch Perfect set in a high school setting instead of college.</b> I was hoping that I would enjoy the book a lot since it <i>is</i> about music and acapella.
Unfortunately, <strong>the book focuses too much on Lidia's and Sydney's problem with little to no progress</strong> and an ending that was basically handed over to the characters on a plate adorned with musical notes and shoes. <i>Boom.</i> Happily ever after for everyone.
This is basically the summary of the book:
<ul>
<li>Girl has a crush on a guy</li>
<li>Other girl ends up falling in love with the guy</li>
<li>Girl catches other girl and guy kissing, creates tension among friendship</li>
<li>Girl develops other interests and chases after it because it conveniently keeps her away from other girl and guy as well</li>
<li>Other girl tries to push guy but really, she's in love but she values friendship</li>
<li>Girl falls in love slowly with another guy</li>
<li>Guy somehow gets between girl and other guy by accident - oopsies</li>
<li>Girl and other girl realizes they don't have to be this way</li>
<li>Somehow they become best friends again and everyone lives happily ever after</li>
</ul>
I was expecting more... I don't know, music to be involved? There's certainly conflict among the acapella group, but it felt like the musical angle wasn't even needed to create drama among the characters since there seemed to be issues well before the acapella group became a thing. 🤷
A lot of the issues seemed to have roots since middle school/early high school - they just seemed to have escalated. And <strong>while the Pitch Perfect movie had their drama, it was at least entertaining and catchy.</strong> I can't say the same for the book.
<strong>The writing felt off</strong> - there were times where it felt awkward due to punctuation usage, mainly exclamation points. Sentences that didn't need an exclamation had one, or maybe it's just the phrasing of the sentences themselves. It didn't really help me enjoy the book more.
And then there were the characters. I don't know if it's just me, but I have a hard time thinking of how old most of the characters are. I know <i>Turn It Up! </i>is set in high school, but there were times where I felt they were a little younger. 🤔
<b>But hey, there were <em>maybe</em> a few parts that were good!</b>
<ul>
<li>Eventually, everyone got past their differences - hooray</li>
<li>There <em>is</em> a cute romance, and I definitely ship it</li>
<li>Sometimes I wanted to smush the two characters together</li>
<li>Lidia's family is cute and adorable</li>
</ul>
Anyways, those smol little bits that were good didn't make up for the bad. I wanted more from <em>Turn It Up!</em> and <strong>I got a Pitch Perfect version in book form that was less entertaining than the movie.</strong>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/turn-it-up-by-jen-calonita-ya-pitch-perfect/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Brightburn (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Horror Twist On A Classic Comic Book Icon
Brightburn is a 2019 superhero/horror movie produced by James Gunn and Kenneth Huang. It was directed by David Yarovesky with screenplay written by Mark and Brian Gunn. The film was produced by Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, Troll Court Entertainment, and the H Collective. The movie stars Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones and Meredith Hagnar.
Living in Brightburn, Kansas, Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman), a young farm couple, struggle with conceiving a child due to fertility issues. One night, a spaceship falls from the sky near their farm. A baby boy is found inside and the couple decide to adopt him and name him Brandon. Years later, it seems Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) is a typical young boy as he has been raised without the knowledge of his true origin. However this begins to change in very dramatic ways as the spaceship that he arrived in, hidden in a trapdoor in the barn, begins to glow and affect him disturbingly.
This movie was very much horror and with the R-rating it did not disappoint in that category. However for a superhero movie, I definitely felt it could have been better, especially when it came to the storytelling. I felt like the plot wasn't structured enough and it didn't always feel like it was going somewhere except for what it had shown through the trailers. You know, like it showed in the trailers the outcome and the journey to that outcome wasn't as fun or surprising as I thought it was going to be. The kill scenes though were very brutal, which for some reason I wasn't expecting as much, I guess because the one doing them is this super-powered 12 year old. But this was an awesome concept on a very familiar story that everyone has grown up with or heard, which is basically Superman. There are comics from DC and of Superman like Red Son Superman; where it's a "what if" Superman had landed in Russia instead of United States, and there is a Justice League animated film where instead of Superman, Kal-El, the baby that escapes Krypton is Generel Zod's child and instead of landing in Kansas he lands in New Mexico and is raised by Mexican migrant farmers. But I don't think there has been a story to explore this type of different way Superman could have grown up and it was shockingly entertaining to say the least. The mid-credits scene was really cool to see as well and know that the cinematic universe for Brightburn could expand if it does well financially. I'm thinking that it won't with stiff competition such as Aladdin and John Wick 3 but who knows. I give this film a 6/10.
Living in Brightburn, Kansas, Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman), a young farm couple, struggle with conceiving a child due to fertility issues. One night, a spaceship falls from the sky near their farm. A baby boy is found inside and the couple decide to adopt him and name him Brandon. Years later, it seems Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) is a typical young boy as he has been raised without the knowledge of his true origin. However this begins to change in very dramatic ways as the spaceship that he arrived in, hidden in a trapdoor in the barn, begins to glow and affect him disturbingly.
This movie was very much horror and with the R-rating it did not disappoint in that category. However for a superhero movie, I definitely felt it could have been better, especially when it came to the storytelling. I felt like the plot wasn't structured enough and it didn't always feel like it was going somewhere except for what it had shown through the trailers. You know, like it showed in the trailers the outcome and the journey to that outcome wasn't as fun or surprising as I thought it was going to be. The kill scenes though were very brutal, which for some reason I wasn't expecting as much, I guess because the one doing them is this super-powered 12 year old. But this was an awesome concept on a very familiar story that everyone has grown up with or heard, which is basically Superman. There are comics from DC and of Superman like Red Son Superman; where it's a "what if" Superman had landed in Russia instead of United States, and there is a Justice League animated film where instead of Superman, Kal-El, the baby that escapes Krypton is Generel Zod's child and instead of landing in Kansas he lands in New Mexico and is raised by Mexican migrant farmers. But I don't think there has been a story to explore this type of different way Superman could have grown up and it was shockingly entertaining to say the least. The mid-credits scene was really cool to see as well and know that the cinematic universe for Brightburn could expand if it does well financially. I'm thinking that it won't with stiff competition such as Aladdin and John Wick 3 but who knows. I give this film a 6/10.
HerCrazyReviews (247 KP) rated Rent: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical in Books
Aug 24, 2019
AIDs Representation (1 more)
LGBTQIA+ Representation
Great Representation, Horrible Characters
I have never seen the musical Rent nor have I ever seen the movie (though I heard it is not as good and different from the musical). Therefore, my rating is based solely on this book and because of that, I may not be able to understand or enjoy it as much as I would have if I had watched the movie or musical first.
First off, I loved that the book (or rather, musical) was set during the AIDS crisis and showed LGBTQIA+ representation. I think that is fantastic because (a.) we are lacking in our current day representation of LGBTQIA+ characters (though, we are slowly beginning to have this become the norm.) and (b.) the AIDS crisis was not a good time in history. The American government was not doing much to help with this crisis and seemed to sort of sweep it aside. Now, I was not alive during the beginning of this crisis and therefore have learned from sources and not with my own experiences, but not much was being done and this was mostly because this was originally considered a “gay disease” and, sadly, people in the past have not treated the LGBTQIA+ community with the respect they deserve. Instead, because this was considered a “gay disease” it was considered unimportant and therefore the AIDS epidemic was ignored. Luckily, today we have better people who are trying their best to find a cure.
Second, while I extremely enjoyed the representation and awareness this book (or musical) brought I did not enjoy most of the characters. While I do believe that characters should have flaws (after all no one is perfect and that is part of what make us human) I did not appreciate the way the characters in the book seemed to make excuses. Especially the fact that they used others difficulties to try and better themselves. Not to mention, most of the characters seemed to accentuate their poorness and use it as a way to better themselves. One scene that really got to me was when Mark was starting to film a homeless person. He did save them from the police but even they said “My life’s not for you to make a name for yourself on” and “Hey artist you gotta dollar? I thought not,” (Pg.38). It literally stated that these people who claim themselves to be “artists” use this as an excuse to exploit others.
Another huge part of what I did not appreciate about this book would be the harmful relationship that most of the characters seem to be in. Most of these relationships seemed too toxic and seemed to revolve around awful and sometimes disgusting circumstances.
Maureen (Cheater) + Joanne = 💔
Maureen and Joanne were repeatedly arguing, breaking it off, then getting back together. Now, that alone already seems like it’s not a healthy foundation for any relationship but then we find out that Maureen is a HUGE cheater. Mark himself told Joanne that she used to cheat on him when they were together and even had a bit of evidence that she was doing it again.
Roger (Past Drug Addict) + Mimi (Drug User) = 💔
Now, Roger is one of the many characters in this musical to have AIDS and because he is a past drug user we can infer that he got AIDS from drugs, or from his ex-girlfriend. Anyway, his goal before he dies from AIDS is to write one last song so that his life could mean something. To make sure that his life was worth it (to have glory), and I actually admire him for that. Lots of people would give up and I think it’s amazing that he wants to continue to try to make his life worth living. However, Mimi comes in and started to spark a flame (or light a candle) with Roger. There’s just one problem. Mimi is a drug user. Plus, it seems like she is trying to get Roger to get back on drugs. Definitely not something a healthy and loving relationship would have.
Benny (At least 30yrs.) + Mimi (Younger than 19) = 💔
Now, this has to be the most disgusting relationship in the book. While I don’t mind couples having age differences I am one-hundred percent NOT behind underage people dating men who are at least thirty, if not forty, years old. This was revealed when we got told that Mimi use to date Benny before she met Roger. Mimi was nineteen when she met Roger and if she had a prior relationship with Benny she was most likely eighteen or under.
Finally, I wasn’t very happy with the ending of the book. Mimi’s sort-of “death” scene just wasn’t my thing. It seemed to be that the situation as a whole seemed too excessive. She was dead, then she was back, then she was dead again, and she managed to come back because Angel told her too. While Mimi is a main character and main character deaths are extremely sad this story was supposed to make people more aware of AIDS and it just seemed to be too fanciful for me. This is an extremely deadly disease and just because someone told you that it was not your time to die yet does not mean that you are not going to yet pass. However, this is fiction and this does happen.
Would I Recommend? No. I really enjoyed the representation this showed within the LGBTQIA+ community and the awareness it would bring to people about the AIDS crisis, but I thought the story itself was bad. The characters, in my opinion, were not written well and I especially did not enjoy their actions or choices.
First off, I loved that the book (or rather, musical) was set during the AIDS crisis and showed LGBTQIA+ representation. I think that is fantastic because (a.) we are lacking in our current day representation of LGBTQIA+ characters (though, we are slowly beginning to have this become the norm.) and (b.) the AIDS crisis was not a good time in history. The American government was not doing much to help with this crisis and seemed to sort of sweep it aside. Now, I was not alive during the beginning of this crisis and therefore have learned from sources and not with my own experiences, but not much was being done and this was mostly because this was originally considered a “gay disease” and, sadly, people in the past have not treated the LGBTQIA+ community with the respect they deserve. Instead, because this was considered a “gay disease” it was considered unimportant and therefore the AIDS epidemic was ignored. Luckily, today we have better people who are trying their best to find a cure.
Second, while I extremely enjoyed the representation and awareness this book (or musical) brought I did not enjoy most of the characters. While I do believe that characters should have flaws (after all no one is perfect and that is part of what make us human) I did not appreciate the way the characters in the book seemed to make excuses. Especially the fact that they used others difficulties to try and better themselves. Not to mention, most of the characters seemed to accentuate their poorness and use it as a way to better themselves. One scene that really got to me was when Mark was starting to film a homeless person. He did save them from the police but even they said “My life’s not for you to make a name for yourself on” and “Hey artist you gotta dollar? I thought not,” (Pg.38). It literally stated that these people who claim themselves to be “artists” use this as an excuse to exploit others.
Another huge part of what I did not appreciate about this book would be the harmful relationship that most of the characters seem to be in. Most of these relationships seemed too toxic and seemed to revolve around awful and sometimes disgusting circumstances.
Maureen (Cheater) + Joanne = 💔
Maureen and Joanne were repeatedly arguing, breaking it off, then getting back together. Now, that alone already seems like it’s not a healthy foundation for any relationship but then we find out that Maureen is a HUGE cheater. Mark himself told Joanne that she used to cheat on him when they were together and even had a bit of evidence that she was doing it again.
Roger (Past Drug Addict) + Mimi (Drug User) = 💔
Now, Roger is one of the many characters in this musical to have AIDS and because he is a past drug user we can infer that he got AIDS from drugs, or from his ex-girlfriend. Anyway, his goal before he dies from AIDS is to write one last song so that his life could mean something. To make sure that his life was worth it (to have glory), and I actually admire him for that. Lots of people would give up and I think it’s amazing that he wants to continue to try to make his life worth living. However, Mimi comes in and started to spark a flame (or light a candle) with Roger. There’s just one problem. Mimi is a drug user. Plus, it seems like she is trying to get Roger to get back on drugs. Definitely not something a healthy and loving relationship would have.
Benny (At least 30yrs.) + Mimi (Younger than 19) = 💔
Now, this has to be the most disgusting relationship in the book. While I don’t mind couples having age differences I am one-hundred percent NOT behind underage people dating men who are at least thirty, if not forty, years old. This was revealed when we got told that Mimi use to date Benny before she met Roger. Mimi was nineteen when she met Roger and if she had a prior relationship with Benny she was most likely eighteen or under.
Finally, I wasn’t very happy with the ending of the book. Mimi’s sort-of “death” scene just wasn’t my thing. It seemed to be that the situation as a whole seemed too excessive. She was dead, then she was back, then she was dead again, and she managed to come back because Angel told her too. While Mimi is a main character and main character deaths are extremely sad this story was supposed to make people more aware of AIDS and it just seemed to be too fanciful for me. This is an extremely deadly disease and just because someone told you that it was not your time to die yet does not mean that you are not going to yet pass. However, this is fiction and this does happen.
Would I Recommend? No. I really enjoyed the representation this showed within the LGBTQIA+ community and the awareness it would bring to people about the AIDS crisis, but I thought the story itself was bad. The characters, in my opinion, were not written well and I especially did not enjoy their actions or choices.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Night of Camp David in Books
Mar 27, 2019
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel was originally published in 1965. Some of the words were outdated but the story itself stood the test of time.
In Night of Camp David a junior senator, James F. MacVeigh, had a private meeting with President Mark Hollenbach at Camp David. Hollenbach begins to bring MacVeigh into his confidence. At first, MacVeigh is honored but he notices odd behavior of the president and wonders if Hollenbach is unstable.
I have never done this but I am going to copy Howard's Goodreads review which he posted 3/15/15. He wrote "I didn't write a review of this book, because in this instance the publisher's blurb is a perfect review that does not spoil the plot. That is rare." https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1228015367
Because of the current political climate I do not discuss politics. That being said, this is intriguing story and am glad I read it. Just remember it was published in 1965 so some of the attitudes toward women will annoy some people.
I added Fletcher Knebel's 1962 novel, "Seven Days In May" and the corresponding movie starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas to my want to read/see lists.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/27/19.
Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel was originally published in 1965. Some of the words were outdated but the story itself stood the test of time.
In Night of Camp David a junior senator, James F. MacVeigh, had a private meeting with President Mark Hollenbach at Camp David. Hollenbach begins to bring MacVeigh into his confidence. At first, MacVeigh is honored but he notices odd behavior of the president and wonders if Hollenbach is unstable.
I have never done this but I am going to copy Howard's Goodreads review which he posted 3/15/15. He wrote "I didn't write a review of this book, because in this instance the publisher's blurb is a perfect review that does not spoil the plot. That is rare." https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1228015367
Because of the current political climate I do not discuss politics. That being said, this is intriguing story and am glad I read it. Just remember it was published in 1965 so some of the attitudes toward women will annoy some people.
I added Fletcher Knebel's 1962 novel, "Seven Days In May" and the corresponding movie starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas to my want to read/see lists.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/27/19.
Mario Lanza
Book
Mario Lanza: A Life in Pictures is a stunning collection of photographs and illustrations that...
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018) in Movies
Mar 7, 2020
Terry Gilliam emerges victorious from his epic battle to the death with Miguel Cervantes' famous novel. Not quite the movie he famously never finished making with Johnny Depp, nearly twenty years ago, but a subtly different tale of a film director finding himself entangled in different versions of the Quixote story and, perhaps, looking for redemption.
After a slow and rambling start the film eventually becomes a charming, funny, and occasionally thrilling and moving adaptation (sort of) of the book - if it's picaresque and episodic, that's the nature of Quixote. The knowing wit and intelligence of the novel survive too. Strong performances, visually very impressive - the fact the film exists at all is remarkable, let alone that it's this good. Very reminiscent of Gilliam's movies from the 1980s: hugely imaginative, narratively chaotic, very individual, and equally easy to like.
After a slow and rambling start the film eventually becomes a charming, funny, and occasionally thrilling and moving adaptation (sort of) of the book - if it's picaresque and episodic, that's the nature of Quixote. The knowing wit and intelligence of the novel survive too. Strong performances, visually very impressive - the fact the film exists at all is remarkable, let alone that it's this good. Very reminiscent of Gilliam's movies from the 1980s: hugely imaginative, narratively chaotic, very individual, and equally easy to like.
Avedon's France: Old World, New Look
Robert M. Rubin and Marianne Le Galliard
Book
Exploring Richard Avedon’s fascination with France, Avedon’s France brings together a collection...
Photography
Ross (3284 KP) rated Death Note (2017) in Movies
Sep 26, 2017
The delivery (2 more)
The visual effects
Willem Dafoe
This premise had so much potential: the ability to write someone's name in a book and how they would die and then just watch it happen. Awesome.
However, this was wrongly painted as some sort of poisoned chalice and would lead the beholder to madness. If this was to be because of Ryuk's presence then this wasn't really carried out all that well. If it was meant to be "power corrupts" etc then it just didn't ring true for me.
I can't see someone spend all their spare time researching people's crimes and having them killed, maybe one or two but then they'd put the book away and think about it another time.
I watched the first half hour quite avidly but then just got bored.
It also felt like they had tried to retain too much of the anime spirit in the American movie - Ryuk's voice, provided by Willem Dafoe is like a bad English dub for a Japanese original, the father is not at all representative of a Western father, and L just came across as a strange Japanese Anime character rather than a teenage genius detective (I almost expected him close his eyes and do a big shoulder-lifting laugh every so often). I wouldn't have been surprised if Meowth had appeared at one point and made an oddly worded quip.
However, this was wrongly painted as some sort of poisoned chalice and would lead the beholder to madness. If this was to be because of Ryuk's presence then this wasn't really carried out all that well. If it was meant to be "power corrupts" etc then it just didn't ring true for me.
I can't see someone spend all their spare time researching people's crimes and having them killed, maybe one or two but then they'd put the book away and think about it another time.
I watched the first half hour quite avidly but then just got bored.
It also felt like they had tried to retain too much of the anime spirit in the American movie - Ryuk's voice, provided by Willem Dafoe is like a bad English dub for a Japanese original, the father is not at all representative of a Western father, and L just came across as a strange Japanese Anime character rather than a teenage genius detective (I almost expected him close his eyes and do a big shoulder-lifting laugh every so often). I wouldn't have been surprised if Meowth had appeared at one point and made an oddly worded quip.
Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated The Accidental World in Books
Jul 24, 2021
The Accidental World is one of the more unique stories I have read of late
The Accidental World is one of the more unique stories I have read of late. Ethan Scott is thrust into a world of intrigue in an alternate world where the only lifelines he has are the vague instructions left to him by his grandfather before his disappearance and the board game that he has played since he was a child. There are those who help him along the way, but there are always more questions than answers and he has a role to play.
On the surface this seems like a tropey Y A novel with an unlikely hero who is thrust into the role of savior (yada yada), but it is really such a well written imaginative world that comparisons like that fall by the wayside in favor of well paced and exciting adventure. The book is packed full of interesting characters who engage the reader full throttle. In my mind it played out just like a movie, especially the gaming sequences and the action near the end.
The cliffhanger ending has me wanting to return to this world and these characters to see what happens next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy through IRead Book Tours for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
On the surface this seems like a tropey Y A novel with an unlikely hero who is thrust into the role of savior (yada yada), but it is really such a well written imaginative world that comparisons like that fall by the wayside in favor of well paced and exciting adventure. The book is packed full of interesting characters who engage the reader full throttle. In my mind it played out just like a movie, especially the gaming sequences and the action near the end.
The cliffhanger ending has me wanting to return to this world and these characters to see what happens next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy through IRead Book Tours for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.