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Becs (244 KP) rated Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key in Books
May 30, 2019
Story Development (2 more)
Character Development
Plot was amazing
Cute and simple read!
My rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Review:
I received Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key by Alex Hiam from Smith Publicity to read and review for my honest opinion. Since this novel has such a long title, I will be shortening it to just Silent Lee.
Silent Lee is about a young girl about the age of fourteen named Silent Lee, (she prefers Sie). Sie has been living in the Side Door world majority of her life.
A note on the Side Door world and the Front Door world:
Side Door world - the magical world that you can only enter through the side door of a house. You must have the special key in order to activate this world. Not all side doors are a part of the Side Door world. If there is a side door that doesn't have an exit, then you're in luck!
Front Door world - the modern world that you enter via the front door, back door, or windows. This is the world that Raahi lives in along with Sie's mother.
One day, Sie's mother takes Sie away from her Auntie Gen's. Then, before Sie realizes, Auntie Gen dies (or so we think). The story continues to follow Sie as she gets dropped off at her cousins house, who eventually leave her for summer vacation, and Raahi entering Sie's life. Sie gets a note from her Auntie Gen and she begins questioning what it could mean and whether her Aunt is actually dead. So, being the curious soul that she is, she follows the note as best as she can. Raahi is by her side throughout the entirety of the story and even to the very ending when they find and rescue Auntie Gen from being held captive by Sie's mother who is a CIA agent.
This was a fast-paced, middle grade novel that will keep your attention until the very end. I can't wait to read more of Sie's story!
Characters:
Silent Lee (Sie) - the protagonist, fourteen years old and a witch who travels from the Side Door world and the Front Door world. Mixed ethnicity - African American and European.
Raahi - a minor protagonist who befriends Sie because he has a crush on her. Same age as Sie and follows her throughout the story. Indian ethnicity.
Auntie Gen - Sie's aunt who is originally presumed dead, but was actually held captive by the CIA and Sie's mother. Also a witch and the holder of the Side Door key until she gives it to Sie.
Agent Lee - Sie's adoptive mother, may not actually be a part of the Side Door world at all. She tries to steal the power within the Side Door world to bring back into the Front Door world.
Mr. Vose - art gallery owner who helps Sie and Raahi.
The Custodian - balance keeper of the Front Door world, helps Sie and Raahi in a time of need.
Reasons why I rated it 5 stars:
1. The plot:
The plot was very driven and I did not find any plot holes. The story was written in a very high level for a middle grade novel and I truly enjoyed it.
2. My enjoyment:
I loved Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key so much!
3. Character and story development:
Man oh man! There was a ton of background and development for both the characters and the story!! I was really blown away as there was more then the average young adult novel.
4. Grammar and spelling:
I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors and Silent Lee was very well-written.
5. The overall story:
This was such an adorable story! I really loved the modern and historical balance that the author created while also adding a bit of magic into the story.
"Bookworms ate books - they didn't read them. And what was wrong with reading, anyway?"
Review:
I received Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key by Alex Hiam from Smith Publicity to read and review for my honest opinion. Since this novel has such a long title, I will be shortening it to just Silent Lee.
Silent Lee is about a young girl about the age of fourteen named Silent Lee, (she prefers Sie). Sie has been living in the Side Door world majority of her life.
A note on the Side Door world and the Front Door world:
Side Door world - the magical world that you can only enter through the side door of a house. You must have the special key in order to activate this world. Not all side doors are a part of the Side Door world. If there is a side door that doesn't have an exit, then you're in luck!
Front Door world - the modern world that you enter via the front door, back door, or windows. This is the world that Raahi lives in along with Sie's mother.
One day, Sie's mother takes Sie away from her Auntie Gen's. Then, before Sie realizes, Auntie Gen dies (or so we think). The story continues to follow Sie as she gets dropped off at her cousins house, who eventually leave her for summer vacation, and Raahi entering Sie's life. Sie gets a note from her Auntie Gen and she begins questioning what it could mean and whether her Aunt is actually dead. So, being the curious soul that she is, she follows the note as best as she can. Raahi is by her side throughout the entirety of the story and even to the very ending when they find and rescue Auntie Gen from being held captive by Sie's mother who is a CIA agent.
This was a fast-paced, middle grade novel that will keep your attention until the very end. I can't wait to read more of Sie's story!
Characters:
Silent Lee (Sie) - the protagonist, fourteen years old and a witch who travels from the Side Door world and the Front Door world. Mixed ethnicity - African American and European.
Raahi - a minor protagonist who befriends Sie because he has a crush on her. Same age as Sie and follows her throughout the story. Indian ethnicity.
Auntie Gen - Sie's aunt who is originally presumed dead, but was actually held captive by the CIA and Sie's mother. Also a witch and the holder of the Side Door key until she gives it to Sie.
Agent Lee - Sie's adoptive mother, may not actually be a part of the Side Door world at all. She tries to steal the power within the Side Door world to bring back into the Front Door world.
Mr. Vose - art gallery owner who helps Sie and Raahi.
The Custodian - balance keeper of the Front Door world, helps Sie and Raahi in a time of need.
Reasons why I rated it 5 stars:
1. The plot:
The plot was very driven and I did not find any plot holes. The story was written in a very high level for a middle grade novel and I truly enjoyed it.
2. My enjoyment:
I loved Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key so much!
3. Character and story development:
Man oh man! There was a ton of background and development for both the characters and the story!! I was really blown away as there was more then the average young adult novel.
4. Grammar and spelling:
I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors and Silent Lee was very well-written.
5. The overall story:
This was such an adorable story! I really loved the modern and historical balance that the author created while also adding a bit of magic into the story.
"Bookworms ate books - they didn't read them. And what was wrong with reading, anyway?"
Secret Agents Spy Mission 3D -Covert Escape Action
Games and Entertainment
App
A fierce police vs secret agent and mafia vs crime swat spy mission game where kill or to be killed...
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) in Movies
Oct 5, 2017
The Action (2 more)
The Cast
The Robot Dogs
Crazy, Outrageous and Bloody Good Fun
Walking into the this movie I was expecting great things. I loved the first one and was actively waiting for number 2. Like all sequels unfortunately it did not live up to the first one. I am not saying it was a bad movie, because it was still fantastic, but it just did not have the same pop as the first.
Some of my favorite things about this movie was the action. Spy movies always have a way of make the crazy look very good. The gadgets they use I wish existed in real life because I would like one of each. Or maybe they are real and CIA and MI6 just keep them hidden from the real world. But as for the action the I was done so well. The fight scenes were done so seamlessly. My personal favorite was the fight scenes with the lassos, I know it was all mostly special effects but I was amazing to see it pulled off.
Comedy in the is movie is fantastic, they got the right group of actors together. Julianne Moore played one hell of a bad ass bad guy. I mean eating someone it just insane. But who knows, maybe I would eat people if it were legal. Her robot dogs were the best, I wish I had a set. Unfortunately they had to be charged to be effective. I think this is the first movie I have seen where robots needed to be charged and were not just ready to be used. Fun twist.
All and all, if you loved the first one, see this one. Just don't go in thinking this one will be better, go in thinking this is going to be a fun action movie.
Some of my favorite things about this movie was the action. Spy movies always have a way of make the crazy look very good. The gadgets they use I wish existed in real life because I would like one of each. Or maybe they are real and CIA and MI6 just keep them hidden from the real world. But as for the action the I was done so well. The fight scenes were done so seamlessly. My personal favorite was the fight scenes with the lassos, I know it was all mostly special effects but I was amazing to see it pulled off.
Comedy in the is movie is fantastic, they got the right group of actors together. Julianne Moore played one hell of a bad ass bad guy. I mean eating someone it just insane. But who knows, maybe I would eat people if it were legal. Her robot dogs were the best, I wish I had a set. Unfortunately they had to be charged to be effective. I think this is the first movie I have seen where robots needed to be charged and were not just ready to be used. Fun twist.
All and all, if you loved the first one, see this one. Just don't go in thinking this one will be better, go in thinking this is going to be a fun action movie.
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated American Assassin (2017) in Movies
Sep 14, 2017
Micheal Keaton + Humor (2 more)
Good action
Interesting Story
A Fun and Exciting Movie
When you think of American action movies you think over the top, hardcore action, lots off explosions and lots of blood. When you think of an Assassin movie you think stealthy, silent killing and people working alone.
But in American Assassin you get a crazy mix of both and it almost works. This is a movie about a guy that loses his girl to terrorists and spends his time being a solo assassin trying to single handedly take down terrorist cells. Which makes sense because who doesn't like a good revenge story. But then he gets picked up by the CIA to train him how to be a better killer. I thought maybe they would be teaching him how to be a spy and an assassin and go on missions alone like any other movie. Like Bourne or The Recruit. But this movie takes it a different way. They train as a team and go on missions as a team. Which is fine, I don't have a problem with that, but it really doesn't make it seem like they are training him to be an assassin which the title of the movie suggests.
The action in this movie does keep you on the edge of your set, which is always a good thing. And the time spent when they aren't running or driving around killing people is also good. There is a lot of story to this movie which keeps things interesting all while keeping the twists to a minimum.
I say for an action movie it was good, not great. I walked into the movie looking for people to be assassinated or trained to assassinate people, but walked out a little disappointed. If you like action see it, I don't know if it is theater worthy, but rent it when it comes out.
But in American Assassin you get a crazy mix of both and it almost works. This is a movie about a guy that loses his girl to terrorists and spends his time being a solo assassin trying to single handedly take down terrorist cells. Which makes sense because who doesn't like a good revenge story. But then he gets picked up by the CIA to train him how to be a better killer. I thought maybe they would be teaching him how to be a spy and an assassin and go on missions alone like any other movie. Like Bourne or The Recruit. But this movie takes it a different way. They train as a team and go on missions as a team. Which is fine, I don't have a problem with that, but it really doesn't make it seem like they are training him to be an assassin which the title of the movie suggests.
The action in this movie does keep you on the edge of your set, which is always a good thing. And the time spent when they aren't running or driving around killing people is also good. There is a lot of story to this movie which keeps things interesting all while keeping the twists to a minimum.
I say for an action movie it was good, not great. I walked into the movie looking for people to be assassinated or trained to assassinate people, but walked out a little disappointed. If you like action see it, I don't know if it is theater worthy, but rent it when it comes out.
JT (287 KP) rated Safe House (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Denzel Washington always gets the cool names, Tobin Frost is added to a long list, not that the actor cares too much? He just goes about his business. Here though, both he and Reynolds are suited adversaries in a film that never really has time to catch its breath.
Reynolds plays Matt Weston, an enthusiastic CIA agent who spends his time staring at four walls and surveillance equipment, as the resident of one of the many safe houses that are dotted the world over. When infamous rogue agent Tobin Frost is brought in, Weston gets caught up in a cat and mouse game of government espionage, where its better to trust in enemies than in friends.
Washington just oozes uber cool, and his screen presence in all his characters is exemplary, here Frost is a cold and calculated killer. Nothing seems to phase him and he wastes no time in getting under the skin and inside the head of the young agent.
Cape Town is the films backdrop, and its an unusual choice from anything that could be portrayed on America’s homeland with the action taking place in and amongst city streets and shanty town districts.
But I liked that, it made for some amazing action set pieces, including a car chase that will surely rival Ronin and a brilliant panic driven standoff at Green Point stadium. Giving too much a way would spoil the anticipation, of what is to come.
The supporting cast are not knock out’s but provide a brief interlude from the ensuing mess and turmoil that Weston and Frost are going through.
Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard all do a job that fits in with the plot, there is a nice little cameo from Robert Patrick whose team are responsible for brining in Frost, [PLOT SPOILER] but fans of the former Terminator star will be saddened to know that he doesn’t last too long.
It’s a roller coaster ride there is no doubt about that, and its loud, very loud!
Reynolds plays Matt Weston, an enthusiastic CIA agent who spends his time staring at four walls and surveillance equipment, as the resident of one of the many safe houses that are dotted the world over. When infamous rogue agent Tobin Frost is brought in, Weston gets caught up in a cat and mouse game of government espionage, where its better to trust in enemies than in friends.
Washington just oozes uber cool, and his screen presence in all his characters is exemplary, here Frost is a cold and calculated killer. Nothing seems to phase him and he wastes no time in getting under the skin and inside the head of the young agent.
Cape Town is the films backdrop, and its an unusual choice from anything that could be portrayed on America’s homeland with the action taking place in and amongst city streets and shanty town districts.
But I liked that, it made for some amazing action set pieces, including a car chase that will surely rival Ronin and a brilliant panic driven standoff at Green Point stadium. Giving too much a way would spoil the anticipation, of what is to come.
The supporting cast are not knock out’s but provide a brief interlude from the ensuing mess and turmoil that Weston and Frost are going through.
Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard all do a job that fits in with the plot, there is a nice little cameo from Robert Patrick whose team are responsible for brining in Frost, [PLOT SPOILER] but fans of the former Terminator star will be saddened to know that he doesn’t last too long.
It’s a roller coaster ride there is no doubt about that, and its loud, very loud!
JT (287 KP) rated Anna (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before? A young woman is pulled from a life of drugs and abuse and given a fresh start as a deadly assassin. Once on the inside, she uses her skill set and good looks to complete various assignments while falling for her handler. She then decides that her new life is not for her after all and wants out.
Writer/director Luc Besson has pretty much rehashed the script for Nikita (aka La Femme Nikita). That film had a remake too, Point of No Return, which starred Bridget Fonda and Gabriel Byrne. This latest offering doesn’t do anything new whatsoever. There are several well choreographed and extremely violent fight scenes as well as a car chase which seems to be a staple part of any Luc Besson film.
It’s not the most intelligently written action thriller. And there are plot holes all over the place.
The sexual exploitation is not as fierce as Red Sparrow. Anna uses an array of colourful wigs and lingerie to entrap her victims before ultimately putting a bullet in them. This only seeks to justify her sex appeal. The supporting cast is OK but nothing special. Helen Mirren is probably the stand out of the bunch, although her character has a striking resemblance to Edna from The Incredibles – or maybe that’s just me?
When Cillian Murphy‘s CIA agent gets involved it becomes hard to know who is double crossing who, and the extra plot strand threatens to confuse things. What results is a kind of Cold War love triangle which gravitates towards an interesting finale only ruined by predictability.
It’s not the most intelligently written action thriller. But it is fun and film fans should appreciate Besson’s high energy and European flair. I prefer him as a writer than director. Anna doesn’t shy away from bringing graphic violence in a Wick-esque style which is often lost with Hollywood blockbusters, so that gets a big tick. But it’s hard not to look past a regurgitated storyline.
Writer/director Luc Besson has pretty much rehashed the script for Nikita (aka La Femme Nikita). That film had a remake too, Point of No Return, which starred Bridget Fonda and Gabriel Byrne. This latest offering doesn’t do anything new whatsoever. There are several well choreographed and extremely violent fight scenes as well as a car chase which seems to be a staple part of any Luc Besson film.
It’s not the most intelligently written action thriller. And there are plot holes all over the place.
The sexual exploitation is not as fierce as Red Sparrow. Anna uses an array of colourful wigs and lingerie to entrap her victims before ultimately putting a bullet in them. This only seeks to justify her sex appeal. The supporting cast is OK but nothing special. Helen Mirren is probably the stand out of the bunch, although her character has a striking resemblance to Edna from The Incredibles – or maybe that’s just me?
When Cillian Murphy‘s CIA agent gets involved it becomes hard to know who is double crossing who, and the extra plot strand threatens to confuse things. What results is a kind of Cold War love triangle which gravitates towards an interesting finale only ruined by predictability.
It’s not the most intelligently written action thriller. But it is fun and film fans should appreciate Besson’s high energy and European flair. I prefer him as a writer than director. Anna doesn’t shy away from bringing graphic violence in a Wick-esque style which is often lost with Hollywood blockbusters, so that gets a big tick. But it’s hard not to look past a regurgitated storyline.