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Amanda (96 KP) rated Little Fires Everywhere in Books
Mar 21, 2019
I was so close to putting this book on my DNF list. The beginning of it was SO slow that I found myself spacing out and then remembering that I was listening to a book.
Obviously, I'm writing a review on it, so of course, I DID NOT put it on my DNF list. It took quite a few chapters (roughly five I think) to really get into the story and by then, I was completely hooked.
There are several stories going on.
The Richardsons rent out a house to a single mother, Mia Warren with her daughter Pearl. The Richardsons are friends with another family who are in the process of adopting a Chinese-American baby, but the process is paused when the mother comes forward wanting her daughter back. The husband, Mr. Richardson, is a lawyer representing the family who want to keep the baby and Mrs. Richardson basically tries to do some investigating of her own, including finding out things about her tenants past and what she has done to cause this drama for her best friends.
The theme of it all centers around a baby. Not just one baby, but that's the whole premise of the story.
One family wants to adopt the Chinese baby they renamed Mirabelle (I'm sorry, but I really don't like that name, or the reason WHY they changed it) and then the mother coming forward wanting her baby back. Now, the mother left her baby at a fire house cause she was not the right state to take care of her. If someone hadn't tipped her off as to where her baby was, then maybe this whole thing could have been avoided.
I struggled with not yelling at when the woman says the family is stealing her baby. No, they are not. They adopted her when she was left at a fire house. That is a thing that women in her state CAN do. If they cannot afford resources available (cost wise) they can leave their baby with a hospital or a fire house no questions asked. That also means that you give up parental rights. Granted, there should be some sort of grace period, but you cannot say this family stole your baby, because they didn't!
One teenager in the story finds out she's pregnant from her boyfriend and I just cannot fathom her snobby naivete attitude. She swoons over Mirabelle because she's so cute. I'll give you that, babies are cute. But then she starts to fantasize that her and her also teenage boyfriend could work it out and their parents would take care of the baby while at college. Yeah, okay! Reality does hit her hard though, but I won't say how, but it does and I almost feel bad for her, but not quite.
Then there's someone who agreed to be a surrogate and winds up stealing the baby before it was born. Now, technically, that woman did steal a baby. Granted, it's biologically yours, but she agreed, verbally and legally, to be this couple's surrogate. I'm not entirely sure I could do it, cause I really don't want to go through the whole pregnancy, but I can't speak for other women who go into the surrogacy and then start to regret it later. I don't know.
I'm now just babbling. Despite the slow beginning, I can definitely see why this book had as much hype as it did when it was published. It really gets you thinking about different perspectives of motherhood, biological or not. The story is told as if someone was indeed telling a story to a group of people. Almost like when someone is narrating a play and you're watching it as it unfolds before your eyes.
I do look forward to seeing about Celeste Ng's previous novels. This story may be sensitive to some people who have gone through any of these scenarios because I think some things that happen later, could very well get emotional. The story is great, but also keep that in mind if you are at all familiar with these kinds of stories.
Obviously, I'm writing a review on it, so of course, I DID NOT put it on my DNF list. It took quite a few chapters (roughly five I think) to really get into the story and by then, I was completely hooked.
There are several stories going on.
The Richardsons rent out a house to a single mother, Mia Warren with her daughter Pearl. The Richardsons are friends with another family who are in the process of adopting a Chinese-American baby, but the process is paused when the mother comes forward wanting her daughter back. The husband, Mr. Richardson, is a lawyer representing the family who want to keep the baby and Mrs. Richardson basically tries to do some investigating of her own, including finding out things about her tenants past and what she has done to cause this drama for her best friends.
The theme of it all centers around a baby. Not just one baby, but that's the whole premise of the story.
One family wants to adopt the Chinese baby they renamed Mirabelle (I'm sorry, but I really don't like that name, or the reason WHY they changed it) and then the mother coming forward wanting her baby back. Now, the mother left her baby at a fire house cause she was not the right state to take care of her. If someone hadn't tipped her off as to where her baby was, then maybe this whole thing could have been avoided.
I struggled with not yelling at when the woman says the family is stealing her baby. No, they are not. They adopted her when she was left at a fire house. That is a thing that women in her state CAN do. If they cannot afford resources available (cost wise) they can leave their baby with a hospital or a fire house no questions asked. That also means that you give up parental rights. Granted, there should be some sort of grace period, but you cannot say this family stole your baby, because they didn't!
One teenager in the story finds out she's pregnant from her boyfriend and I just cannot fathom her snobby naivete attitude. She swoons over Mirabelle because she's so cute. I'll give you that, babies are cute. But then she starts to fantasize that her and her also teenage boyfriend could work it out and their parents would take care of the baby while at college. Yeah, okay! Reality does hit her hard though, but I won't say how, but it does and I almost feel bad for her, but not quite.
Then there's someone who agreed to be a surrogate and winds up stealing the baby before it was born. Now, technically, that woman did steal a baby. Granted, it's biologically yours, but she agreed, verbally and legally, to be this couple's surrogate. I'm not entirely sure I could do it, cause I really don't want to go through the whole pregnancy, but I can't speak for other women who go into the surrogacy and then start to regret it later. I don't know.
I'm now just babbling. Despite the slow beginning, I can definitely see why this book had as much hype as it did when it was published. It really gets you thinking about different perspectives of motherhood, biological or not. The story is told as if someone was indeed telling a story to a group of people. Almost like when someone is narrating a play and you're watching it as it unfolds before your eyes.
I do look forward to seeing about Celeste Ng's previous novels. This story may be sensitive to some people who have gone through any of these scenarios because I think some things that happen later, could very well get emotional. The story is great, but also keep that in mind if you are at all familiar with these kinds of stories.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Vampyr in Video Games
Oct 23, 2018 (Updated Oct 23, 2018)
Atrocious Combat (3 more)
Piss-poor Voice Acting
Shabby Graphics
Soooooooo Boring
One Of The Worst Games Of The Generation
When I picked up Vampyr, I really wanted to like it. This was one of those underdog games that come out a couple of times per generation. When it was first announced and shown, it was met with groans and cringes, then when it released back in June it was received surprisingly fairly well, getting 6's and 7's across various websites.
I eventually got around to picking it up a couple of weekends ago. For the life of me, I do not understand what the reviewers that scored this game a 6 or a 7 were thinking. This game is utter garbage.
In previous things that I've written, I've spoken about the bar consistently being raised in modern gaming and how there is no longer any place for sub par mediocrity in the landscape any more. Well, this is a prime example of a game that does not belong in 2018, It would even have been dated if it had dropped in 2008. Frankly, it doesn't belong in this generation. I have played PS2 and even PS1 games with better gameplay than this trash.
When I first booted up the game, it was pretty slow to start. It seemed pretty dialogue heavy, yet the voice acting was pretty poor. I powered through it, telling myself that there are other games that start off slow and awkward and end up being great once you get stuck in. Then I was introduced to the combat. My God. I genuinely couldn't believe how stiff and awkward and dated it felt. It is so easy and monotonous as well, to the point that any fun drains almost instantly. I can confidently say that it is by far the worst combat I have experienced out of any game I have played in 2018.
The gimmick that the game's marketing seemed to be pushing leading up to it's release, was that every character in the game is important and has an extensive backstory, from main characters to randomers on the street. My question is; why should I give a shit? The vast majority of these characters have nothing important or relevant to say and the vocal performances are so dire, you find yourself button mashing the square button to skip through all of the required dialogue that you are forced to sit through.
The plan was to fly through Vampyr this week and be finished for when Red Dead Redemption 2 is released on Friday. Two and a bit hours into Vampyr, I decided that it wasn't even worth doing that and life is too short.
Overall, the most impressive thing about this game is how much Dontnod Entertainment managed to fuck up a fairly interesting premise. Do yourself a favour and avoid this game like the plague. The only reason that it isn't getting a 1 is because The Amazing Spiderman 2 also came out this generation.
I eventually got around to picking it up a couple of weekends ago. For the life of me, I do not understand what the reviewers that scored this game a 6 or a 7 were thinking. This game is utter garbage.
In previous things that I've written, I've spoken about the bar consistently being raised in modern gaming and how there is no longer any place for sub par mediocrity in the landscape any more. Well, this is a prime example of a game that does not belong in 2018, It would even have been dated if it had dropped in 2008. Frankly, it doesn't belong in this generation. I have played PS2 and even PS1 games with better gameplay than this trash.
When I first booted up the game, it was pretty slow to start. It seemed pretty dialogue heavy, yet the voice acting was pretty poor. I powered through it, telling myself that there are other games that start off slow and awkward and end up being great once you get stuck in. Then I was introduced to the combat. My God. I genuinely couldn't believe how stiff and awkward and dated it felt. It is so easy and monotonous as well, to the point that any fun drains almost instantly. I can confidently say that it is by far the worst combat I have experienced out of any game I have played in 2018.
The gimmick that the game's marketing seemed to be pushing leading up to it's release, was that every character in the game is important and has an extensive backstory, from main characters to randomers on the street. My question is; why should I give a shit? The vast majority of these characters have nothing important or relevant to say and the vocal performances are so dire, you find yourself button mashing the square button to skip through all of the required dialogue that you are forced to sit through.
The plan was to fly through Vampyr this week and be finished for when Red Dead Redemption 2 is released on Friday. Two and a bit hours into Vampyr, I decided that it wasn't even worth doing that and life is too short.
Overall, the most impressive thing about this game is how much Dontnod Entertainment managed to fuck up a fairly interesting premise. Do yourself a favour and avoid this game like the plague. The only reason that it isn't getting a 1 is because The Amazing Spiderman 2 also came out this generation.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
What can I say about this one? I left the cinema pondering. I'm still pondering this morning trying to work out what to score it. I wasn't bored, yet I wasn't enthralled. It felt long, but not too long. I could follow the story lines, but some of them didn't quite make sense... It's definitely a contender for Goldilocks of the Year.
I was keen on watching this after seeing the trailer. A star studded cast and an intriguing idea really is all you need to hook people in. I can't decide (I know, it's happening a lot this review) if the trailer gave too much away. Could they have kept more elements back as a surprise? Possibly that wouldn't have left such a sense of anticipation about the film.
Being set in 1969 we're obviously given a lot of classic tunes through the jukebox and singing of Darlene Sweet. The latter is goosebump inducing at times and magical to listen to.
The way this movie is told is very reminiscent of a lot of things to me. I was getting flashes of Kill Bill and Lost, and as Drew Goddard was involved with Lost that's probably not a coincidence. The scenario also made me think of the 2003 film Identity and an episode of Criminal Minds called Paradise.
I enjoyed seeing each person's journey that led them up to the El Royale. You feel much more involved in the story because you switch allegiances between the characters every time you see a new perspective. It also gives you just enough of teaser to something that's going to happen to draw you further in.
The use of intertitle cards felt a little out of place, it's not really a sixties thing and the style of them didn't seem to fit with the film itself. They do their job which is to say "now for a bit of back story on this person" but looking a little less silent movie and a little more El Royale wouldn't have gone amiss.
A whole section of story line seemed to have no conclusion, for reasons that will be partly obvious to you when you see the film. What I can't work out is if I missed something about it that would have left me less confused. This movie could definitely do with a second watch.
What you should do
I'd probably recommend watching this one at home on DVD or streaming with a bunch of movie friends. It feels like it needs discussing more than watching.
You should also probably watch this gif a lot. I'm only sorry that I can't find a longer version without other distractions in it... like the rest of the film.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I'd quite like the El Royale to live in. Although I think I'd convert the spying corridor into a regular corridor and make the whole place a home rather than a playground for snooping and murder.
I was keen on watching this after seeing the trailer. A star studded cast and an intriguing idea really is all you need to hook people in. I can't decide (I know, it's happening a lot this review) if the trailer gave too much away. Could they have kept more elements back as a surprise? Possibly that wouldn't have left such a sense of anticipation about the film.
Being set in 1969 we're obviously given a lot of classic tunes through the jukebox and singing of Darlene Sweet. The latter is goosebump inducing at times and magical to listen to.
The way this movie is told is very reminiscent of a lot of things to me. I was getting flashes of Kill Bill and Lost, and as Drew Goddard was involved with Lost that's probably not a coincidence. The scenario also made me think of the 2003 film Identity and an episode of Criminal Minds called Paradise.
I enjoyed seeing each person's journey that led them up to the El Royale. You feel much more involved in the story because you switch allegiances between the characters every time you see a new perspective. It also gives you just enough of teaser to something that's going to happen to draw you further in.
The use of intertitle cards felt a little out of place, it's not really a sixties thing and the style of them didn't seem to fit with the film itself. They do their job which is to say "now for a bit of back story on this person" but looking a little less silent movie and a little more El Royale wouldn't have gone amiss.
A whole section of story line seemed to have no conclusion, for reasons that will be partly obvious to you when you see the film. What I can't work out is if I missed something about it that would have left me less confused. This movie could definitely do with a second watch.
What you should do
I'd probably recommend watching this one at home on DVD or streaming with a bunch of movie friends. It feels like it needs discussing more than watching.
You should also probably watch this gif a lot. I'm only sorry that I can't find a longer version without other distractions in it... like the rest of the film.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I'd quite like the El Royale to live in. Although I think I'd convert the spying corridor into a regular corridor and make the whole place a home rather than a playground for snooping and murder.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated There Will Be Lies in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Award winning Nick Lake has returned to the limelight with a young adult thriller so full of emotion that you will be gripped from beginning to end. <i>There Will Be Lies </i>starts with a happy relationship between mother and daughter, then rips it apart revealing that everything you once believed true is a lie.
From the very beginning seventeen year old Shelby Jane Cooper warns the reader that bad things are going to happen. She speaks of death and of a car collision that is about to occur within the first few chapters of the story. But this is not the climax of the story. It is merely the small stone dropped on the top of a mountain, causing an avalanche of questions, danger and the slowly unraveling truth.
All her life Shelby has been homeschooled, isolated from society and shadowed by her over protective mother. After being hit by a car, resulting in a fractured foot, Shelby is ushered into a car by her mother and driven in the opposite direction from home. Supposedly an abusive father, a man Shelby cannot recall, is on their tail whom they must hide from to avoid a disastrous confrontation. Despite initially believing this story, peculiar things start happening to Shelby that suggest all is not as it seems.
The first quarter of <i>There Will Be Lies</i> follows a typical contemporary storyline, but as it becomes more thrilling, the author incorporates fantasy/American mythology into the mix. Finding herself slipping in and out of a dying, impossible world known as the <i>Dreaming</i>, Shelby begins to hesitate to believe the things her mother is telling her, especially after being warned that there will be two lies followed by a truth. Yet she cannot work out what they are; and what if the truth is something she cannot, does not want, to consider?
I loved this book from the very beginning. I loved Shelby’s character: the way she spoke, her sarcasm, her wit, her intelligence. I liked that despite being so sheltered from the world, she was not weird or awkward. What made it even better was discovering she was deaf. Readers will not even be able to guess at that for almost half the novel, when Shelby reveals the fact herself. She is not portrayed as stupid or any less human for having a disability. Nick Lake has done a superb job of avoiding any forms of stigma or prejudice.
With the story picking up the pace, my love was almost turned to hate. Almost. The fantastical elements, the American mythology, which gave it the appearance of a half fairytale, very nearly ruined the entire book for me. I admit I liked the concept and enjoyed reading the scenes set in the <i>Dreaming</i>, but it seemed so out of place with the rest of the novel. It felt as though Lake had written two different stories and decided to combine them together instead of publishing them separately. However, as I said, this only ALMOST ruined it.
As the story progressed, the relevance of the fairy-tale-like elements became clearer. You cannot say for sure whether the <i>Dreaming</i> was real or whether Shelby was merely doing that: dreaming. But what you can say is that the mythological storyline is a metaphorical way of showing what Shelby was dealing with in the real world. In a place where she was confused about what was true, she needed the <i>Dreaming</i> to explain things to her, to make her understand her predicament.
<i>There Will Be Lies </i>is full of little metaphors, some that you do not notice at first, but can easily be applied to life in general. It is an extremely quotable narrative with beautiful phrasing. With two thrilling storylines that eventually merge together, it is guaranteed that you will be gripped, wanting to know what happens; yet also not wanting it to end.
Award winning Nick Lake has returned to the limelight with a young adult thriller so full of emotion that you will be gripped from beginning to end. <i>There Will Be Lies </i>starts with a happy relationship between mother and daughter, then rips it apart revealing that everything you once believed true is a lie.
From the very beginning seventeen year old Shelby Jane Cooper warns the reader that bad things are going to happen. She speaks of death and of a car collision that is about to occur within the first few chapters of the story. But this is not the climax of the story. It is merely the small stone dropped on the top of a mountain, causing an avalanche of questions, danger and the slowly unraveling truth.
All her life Shelby has been homeschooled, isolated from society and shadowed by her over protective mother. After being hit by a car, resulting in a fractured foot, Shelby is ushered into a car by her mother and driven in the opposite direction from home. Supposedly an abusive father, a man Shelby cannot recall, is on their tail whom they must hide from to avoid a disastrous confrontation. Despite initially believing this story, peculiar things start happening to Shelby that suggest all is not as it seems.
The first quarter of <i>There Will Be Lies</i> follows a typical contemporary storyline, but as it becomes more thrilling, the author incorporates fantasy/American mythology into the mix. Finding herself slipping in and out of a dying, impossible world known as the <i>Dreaming</i>, Shelby begins to hesitate to believe the things her mother is telling her, especially after being warned that there will be two lies followed by a truth. Yet she cannot work out what they are; and what if the truth is something she cannot, does not want, to consider?
I loved this book from the very beginning. I loved Shelby’s character: the way she spoke, her sarcasm, her wit, her intelligence. I liked that despite being so sheltered from the world, she was not weird or awkward. What made it even better was discovering she was deaf. Readers will not even be able to guess at that for almost half the novel, when Shelby reveals the fact herself. She is not portrayed as stupid or any less human for having a disability. Nick Lake has done a superb job of avoiding any forms of stigma or prejudice.
With the story picking up the pace, my love was almost turned to hate. Almost. The fantastical elements, the American mythology, which gave it the appearance of a half fairytale, very nearly ruined the entire book for me. I admit I liked the concept and enjoyed reading the scenes set in the <i>Dreaming</i>, but it seemed so out of place with the rest of the novel. It felt as though Lake had written two different stories and decided to combine them together instead of publishing them separately. However, as I said, this only ALMOST ruined it.
As the story progressed, the relevance of the fairy-tale-like elements became clearer. You cannot say for sure whether the <i>Dreaming</i> was real or whether Shelby was merely doing that: dreaming. But what you can say is that the mythological storyline is a metaphorical way of showing what Shelby was dealing with in the real world. In a place where she was confused about what was true, she needed the <i>Dreaming</i> to explain things to her, to make her understand her predicament.
<i>There Will Be Lies </i>is full of little metaphors, some that you do not notice at first, but can easily be applied to life in general. It is an extremely quotable narrative with beautiful phrasing. With two thrilling storylines that eventually merge together, it is guaranteed that you will be gripped, wanting to know what happens; yet also not wanting it to end.
Merissa (13000 KP) rated Duty, Honor, Sacrifice (Toronto's Elite #2) in Books
Aug 28, 2017
Duty, Honor, Sacrifice (Toronto's Elite #2) by Angela S. Stone
Duty, Honor, Sacrifice is the second book in the Toronto's Elite series, and whilst we focus on a different pair, the characters from book one also play a big part in it. It is for this reason that I would recommend that you read this as a series, rather than standalones.
Chris and Logan have had an on-again/off-again relationship for approximately three years, and both of them want more, but neither of them are prepared to say anything. Mixed up with this is the job that they do, with Logan currently searching for someone involved with child porn/kidnapping. They get pulled onto another case though, with Jaden appearing to be targeted by a media leak within the department. This means that they work more closely with Jaden and Cam than they have previously, learning more about those two and themselves at the same time.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a brilliant carry on from book one, there were parts where I was a bit confused. This was simply because the story is told from both the main males' perspectives, and sometimes it wasn't clear just who was talking. It was "he said, he moved, he thought," whereas a name might have been a bit more helpful at times. I must point out that I received an ARC of this, so I'm sure that this will be picked up and sorted before the book is released.
On the whole, this is an exciting, action-packed book that I can highly recommend. Looking forward to book three now.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Chris and Logan have had an on-again/off-again relationship for approximately three years, and both of them want more, but neither of them are prepared to say anything. Mixed up with this is the job that they do, with Logan currently searching for someone involved with child porn/kidnapping. They get pulled onto another case though, with Jaden appearing to be targeted by a media leak within the department. This means that they work more closely with Jaden and Cam than they have previously, learning more about those two and themselves at the same time.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a brilliant carry on from book one, there were parts where I was a bit confused. This was simply because the story is told from both the main males' perspectives, and sometimes it wasn't clear just who was talking. It was "he said, he moved, he thought," whereas a name might have been a bit more helpful at times. I must point out that I received an ARC of this, so I'm sure that this will be picked up and sorted before the book is released.
On the whole, this is an exciting, action-packed book that I can highly recommend. Looking forward to book three now.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated Artemis in Books
Oct 6, 2018
Lunar escapades
The opportunity for an early read of ARTEMIS was an easy decision considering my love for The Martian. The similarities in context are there in terms of genre and setting. ARTEMIS is set on the moon and the moon of the future is a large city, corrupt and problematic, but home for many.
Jasmine (Jazz) Bashara is the protagonist for ARTEMIS and I can now say that Andy Weir writes a female lead with ease and natural ability. I liked her, her little criminal heart and all her dealings. She was the epitome of a strong female. I championed her ambitions and loved finding out about her culture and upbringing. Moon culture was something of a diverse melting pot of people, with guilds that separated the cultures and trades. It was just fascinating reading, that painted colour and interest in my imagination.
The moon was an interesting read but at about 30%, the story just went BAM! The plot was gripping but complex, you need to concentrate and like The Martian, ARTEMIS requires some patience with the technical speak but I didn’t get lost on the whole. Whilst Jazz was front and centre of this story, I enjoyed other characters, her father, Rudy, also Trond and Svoboda (he’s still waiting for her to test that condom).
I’m really thrilled that Andy Weir was able to follow up The Martian with something solid, different but still with the same thrills, tension and characterisation. I now know that I’m going to jump on any release he has. I recommend to Sci-fi fans and open minded readers alike because I don’t think you need to be a staunch sci-fi fan to appreciate ARTEMIS.
Jasmine (Jazz) Bashara is the protagonist for ARTEMIS and I can now say that Andy Weir writes a female lead with ease and natural ability. I liked her, her little criminal heart and all her dealings. She was the epitome of a strong female. I championed her ambitions and loved finding out about her culture and upbringing. Moon culture was something of a diverse melting pot of people, with guilds that separated the cultures and trades. It was just fascinating reading, that painted colour and interest in my imagination.
The moon was an interesting read but at about 30%, the story just went BAM! The plot was gripping but complex, you need to concentrate and like The Martian, ARTEMIS requires some patience with the technical speak but I didn’t get lost on the whole. Whilst Jazz was front and centre of this story, I enjoyed other characters, her father, Rudy, also Trond and Svoboda (he’s still waiting for her to test that condom).
I’m really thrilled that Andy Weir was able to follow up The Martian with something solid, different but still with the same thrills, tension and characterisation. I now know that I’m going to jump on any release he has. I recommend to Sci-fi fans and open minded readers alike because I don’t think you need to be a staunch sci-fi fan to appreciate ARTEMIS.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Grinch (2018) in Movies
Nov 22, 2018
Horrible cover of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" song (1 more)
Slow moving plot
Don't Waste Your Time
My husband and I took our boys (aged 3 and 14) to see the new Grinch movie.
The graphics were really great. They were super colorful, and this movie does have a couple of cute characters like the chubby reindeer and Max, the dog. My 3 (nearly 4) year old was into this movie for about the first couple of minutes. Then he was ready to leave. He kept saying it was a mean movie. I guess he was talking about the Grinch. He just couldn't get into the movie no matter how hard I tried.
I was bored to death with The Grinch. I didn't find anything interesting about it. It dragged on and on. Don't get me wrong, there are a few funny moments, but the plot itself was lacking severely. My husband was also bored with this movie. My 14 year old loved it though. He thought it was really funny.
As I said previously, there were a couple of cute characters. However, the majority of characters were not that great. I found myself not caring about them, and I just couldn't connect with them. Cindy Lou Who and her friends were especially annoying.
My husband, myself, and my 3 year old ended up walking out of the movie about half an hour or so before it ended. We were just too bored to stay. My 14 year old carried on watching the movie until the end though.
All in all, I'd say avoid this movie. If you want to see it, wait until you can rent it on DVD/Blu Ray, or, even better, wait until it comes on tv.
The graphics were really great. They were super colorful, and this movie does have a couple of cute characters like the chubby reindeer and Max, the dog. My 3 (nearly 4) year old was into this movie for about the first couple of minutes. Then he was ready to leave. He kept saying it was a mean movie. I guess he was talking about the Grinch. He just couldn't get into the movie no matter how hard I tried.
I was bored to death with The Grinch. I didn't find anything interesting about it. It dragged on and on. Don't get me wrong, there are a few funny moments, but the plot itself was lacking severely. My husband was also bored with this movie. My 14 year old loved it though. He thought it was really funny.
As I said previously, there were a couple of cute characters. However, the majority of characters were not that great. I found myself not caring about them, and I just couldn't connect with them. Cindy Lou Who and her friends were especially annoying.
My husband, myself, and my 3 year old ended up walking out of the movie about half an hour or so before it ended. We were just too bored to stay. My 14 year old carried on watching the movie until the end though.
All in all, I'd say avoid this movie. If you want to see it, wait until you can rent it on DVD/Blu Ray, or, even better, wait until it comes on tv.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Lark! The Herald Angels Sing in Books
Jan 1, 2019
It All Started with a Baby in a Manger
During rehearsal for the children's Christmas pageant at Trinity Episcopal, Meg is surprised to find a baby in the manger. Since it is just rehearsal, they weren't using an actual baby yet. Things get even more intriguing when Meg finds the note attached to the baby strongly implying that the Meg's brother Rob is the father. This couldn't have come at a worse time since Rob is about to propose to his girlfriend of two years. Who is the mother? Why did she leave the baby in the church? And can Meg figure out who the father really is?
I'm not going to say more than this since the plot spins out in several fun and surprising directions from here. I was intrigued the entire way through. And yes, there is a crime and even murder, but the plot isn't a strict murder and five suspects. Then again, that's often the case with this series, and I love that creativity in the plotting. The usual characters are all here, although some get more page time than others, which is again a staple of the series. I did find some editing glitches in a couple of random chapters, and I thought a couple of plot points early on came out of nowhere even though Meg didn't seem that surprised by them. Then again, I could have missed something with those plot points. Honestly, I didn't care, however, because I was laughing so hard at the antics in the book. Yes, I always find this series amusing, but this is the most I've laughed out loud at a book in the series in quite a while.
I'm not going to say more than this since the plot spins out in several fun and surprising directions from here. I was intrigued the entire way through. And yes, there is a crime and even murder, but the plot isn't a strict murder and five suspects. Then again, that's often the case with this series, and I love that creativity in the plotting. The usual characters are all here, although some get more page time than others, which is again a staple of the series. I did find some editing glitches in a couple of random chapters, and I thought a couple of plot points early on came out of nowhere even though Meg didn't seem that surprised by them. Then again, I could have missed something with those plot points. Honestly, I didn't care, however, because I was laughing so hard at the antics in the book. Yes, I always find this series amusing, but this is the most I've laughed out loud at a book in the series in quite a while.
