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Doesn't matter who did it. Not anymore. I did the time. It's over."When Drix was convicted of a...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Housemaid (The Housemaid #1) in Books
Nov 9, 2022
I had been in a book funk for awhile especially when it came to psychological thrillers. I love psychological thrillers, but I am very picky about which ones I'll read. When I came across The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, the synopsis really caught my attention. I decided to give it a read and ended up loving it!
The Housemaid tells the story of Millie, a young woman down on her luck. With a prison background, getting a decent paying job has been hard to find. Millie's been living in her car for awhile after being let go from her most recent job. When a high paying job arises working for the Winchesters, Millie can hardly believe her luck when she's offered the job. All she has to do is keep the house clean, take care of the Winchesters' daughter Cecelia, and cook for them. It's not too bad considering how much she's being paid. Plus, she'll be able to finally sleep in a bed! However, things drastically take a turn for the worst on Millie's first day. Nina Winchester, the wife, is constantly berating Millie and leaving big messes for her. She's gaslighting Millie at every turn. Is there a method to Nina's madness or is Nina really out to get Millie?
I loved the plot of The Housemaid. I was definitely scratching my head trying to figure out what was going on at first. While I have read similar stories to this one, Freida McFadden adds varying elements to keep her story line original. There were plenty of twists and turns throughout. In fact, one twist happens within the first few chapters. Nothing is as it seems when it comes to the story line of this novel. I was sucked into the world McFadden had created. I felt like I was a character hiding in the shadows watching all the drama unfold. While there is a small cliffhanger, I feel like The Housemaid is a book that can be read as a standalone despite it being part of a series. I say this because all my questions and wonderings I had throughout reading The Housemaid were tied up nicely by the end of the book. (Although I would have liked to know a bit more about how Andrew Winchester, the husband, had amassed such a large fortune.)
Every single character main and secondary character in The Housemaid was well written. It was actually quite easy to picture each character in my mind. Each character's personality shown through with each page. I never knew what to expect with Nina. I kept trying to figure out why she was one way while interviewing Millie yet a whole different person from the very first day Millie started her job. I couldn't figure out why she kept gaslighting Millie and why she would hire her only to ridicule and belittle her at every given opportunity. I did like reading about Nina though and to finally get her perspective on why she was the way she was to Millie. Andrew seemed like a nice guy. He was always wanting to protect Millie from Nina's craziness, and I did keep finding myself wanting Andrew and Millie to become a couple as there was so much chemistry between them. I also thought Nina didn't deserve Andrew with how mean she was. Millie seemed like a sweet young woman that had been handed some bad cards throughout her life. I was wishing nothing but the best for Millie throughout the book. It was obvious that she was trying to get her life on track after all the bad she had endured. Enzo, the gardener, was the wild card. I never knew if I should trust him or not. While he seemed oblivious to everything around him, I was always left wondering if he knew more than he let on. One character I would have liked to know more about was Cecelia. She came across as a bit of a brat, and it becomes obvious why she would act that way, but I would have liked to know more about her life growing up in the Winchester residence such as what she would go through while she was away and what not. Saying all that about the characters, I will say that no one in this book is quite as they seem. What you see is not what you get with the people in The Housemaid.
Trigger warnings for The Housemaid include gaslighting, blackmail, profanity, torture, violence, murder, and captivity.
Overall, The Housemaid is a solid story that will leave you guessing which each page read. You won't know which character to trust or what is real. It will be all too easy to stay up late into the night to finish this book because it's just that good! I would definitely recommend The Housemaid by Freida McFadden to those aged 18+ who love being fully immersed in whatever they are reading. This book will suck you right into its pages from the get go. It'll also leave you with a distrust of attic rooms at the top of stairs!
The Housemaid tells the story of Millie, a young woman down on her luck. With a prison background, getting a decent paying job has been hard to find. Millie's been living in her car for awhile after being let go from her most recent job. When a high paying job arises working for the Winchesters, Millie can hardly believe her luck when she's offered the job. All she has to do is keep the house clean, take care of the Winchesters' daughter Cecelia, and cook for them. It's not too bad considering how much she's being paid. Plus, she'll be able to finally sleep in a bed! However, things drastically take a turn for the worst on Millie's first day. Nina Winchester, the wife, is constantly berating Millie and leaving big messes for her. She's gaslighting Millie at every turn. Is there a method to Nina's madness or is Nina really out to get Millie?
I loved the plot of The Housemaid. I was definitely scratching my head trying to figure out what was going on at first. While I have read similar stories to this one, Freida McFadden adds varying elements to keep her story line original. There were plenty of twists and turns throughout. In fact, one twist happens within the first few chapters. Nothing is as it seems when it comes to the story line of this novel. I was sucked into the world McFadden had created. I felt like I was a character hiding in the shadows watching all the drama unfold. While there is a small cliffhanger, I feel like The Housemaid is a book that can be read as a standalone despite it being part of a series. I say this because all my questions and wonderings I had throughout reading The Housemaid were tied up nicely by the end of the book. (Although I would have liked to know a bit more about how Andrew Winchester, the husband, had amassed such a large fortune.)
Every single character main and secondary character in The Housemaid was well written. It was actually quite easy to picture each character in my mind. Each character's personality shown through with each page. I never knew what to expect with Nina. I kept trying to figure out why she was one way while interviewing Millie yet a whole different person from the very first day Millie started her job. I couldn't figure out why she kept gaslighting Millie and why she would hire her only to ridicule and belittle her at every given opportunity. I did like reading about Nina though and to finally get her perspective on why she was the way she was to Millie. Andrew seemed like a nice guy. He was always wanting to protect Millie from Nina's craziness, and I did keep finding myself wanting Andrew and Millie to become a couple as there was so much chemistry between them. I also thought Nina didn't deserve Andrew with how mean she was. Millie seemed like a sweet young woman that had been handed some bad cards throughout her life. I was wishing nothing but the best for Millie throughout the book. It was obvious that she was trying to get her life on track after all the bad she had endured. Enzo, the gardener, was the wild card. I never knew if I should trust him or not. While he seemed oblivious to everything around him, I was always left wondering if he knew more than he let on. One character I would have liked to know more about was Cecelia. She came across as a bit of a brat, and it becomes obvious why she would act that way, but I would have liked to know more about her life growing up in the Winchester residence such as what she would go through while she was away and what not. Saying all that about the characters, I will say that no one in this book is quite as they seem. What you see is not what you get with the people in The Housemaid.
Trigger warnings for The Housemaid include gaslighting, blackmail, profanity, torture, violence, murder, and captivity.
Overall, The Housemaid is a solid story that will leave you guessing which each page read. You won't know which character to trust or what is real. It will be all too easy to stay up late into the night to finish this book because it's just that good! I would definitely recommend The Housemaid by Freida McFadden to those aged 18+ who love being fully immersed in whatever they are reading. This book will suck you right into its pages from the get go. It'll also leave you with a distrust of attic rooms at the top of stairs!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) in Books
Oct 9, 2018
Have you ever read a book that is so good you don't know what to say about it? It's taken me almost two weeks to even attempt this review because I just don't know what to write. The Poppy War is your typical story of downtrodden, disadvantaged girl testing into the highest school in the land and gaining the opportunities and privileges that come with that, but then the book takes a sharp twist into war. Rin doesn't exactly get the most typical of educations, even before war breaks out. And when war breaks out, the school is disbanded, the students getting flung all over the land to where the government thinks they will help the most. For Rin, that's joining The Cike. The Bizarre Children. The division of people who can do....things. Things the rest of the military isn't comfortable with. The Cike can call on the powers of gods, and doing so makes them not-quite-untouchables. Rin, who was never short on resentment before this, grows ever more resentful.
Rin is an interesting character; she's been hard done by, yes, but she makes decisions that only make things harder on herself. So I feel for her a little, but at the same time, girl. Check yourself. What's been done to you doesn't justify what you plan to do to others. I am hoping she comes to see that in the next book, because her rage and need for vengeance definitely gets the best of her in this one.
The Poppy War is an excellently written blend of military fantasy, epic fantasy, and coming-of-age novel. Unlike some books, where the military aspect far overshadows the characters, leaving them flat, Poppy War doesn't ignore the characters to focus on the bigger picture. It's a very good mix of both close-up focus on characters, fights, battles, and zoomed-out strategy and war. It's probably the best military fantasy I've read, and the Asian aspect of it makes it even better. So much military fantasy is western European, or Steampunk, or both. I've been finding more and more Asian and African fantasy, and I am SO HERE FOR IT. I need to try to find more South American fantasy. I know it's out there.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this series, because it's awesome.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Rin is an interesting character; she's been hard done by, yes, but she makes decisions that only make things harder on herself. So I feel for her a little, but at the same time, girl. Check yourself. What's been done to you doesn't justify what you plan to do to others. I am hoping she comes to see that in the next book, because her rage and need for vengeance definitely gets the best of her in this one.
The Poppy War is an excellently written blend of military fantasy, epic fantasy, and coming-of-age novel. Unlike some books, where the military aspect far overshadows the characters, leaving them flat, Poppy War doesn't ignore the characters to focus on the bigger picture. It's a very good mix of both close-up focus on characters, fights, battles, and zoomed-out strategy and war. It's probably the best military fantasy I've read, and the Asian aspect of it makes it even better. So much military fantasy is western European, or Steampunk, or both. I've been finding more and more Asian and African fantasy, and I am SO HERE FOR IT. I need to try to find more South American fantasy. I know it's out there.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this series, because it's awesome.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Hannah May (3 KP) rated Rolling Dice in Books
Mar 8, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
It maybe because I was struggling with my work load and social life, that I found it difficult to really get into this story. The Kissing Booth and Out of Tune hooked me from the first word. I'm saddened to admit that Rolling Dice did not. There are a number of things about this novel that really let it down. The first, I think, is the lack of character development. Throughout the novel, I was waiting for Madison to grow some back-bone, maybe some common sense, especially when it came to Tiffany and Bryce. I have been in Madison's shoes. I have made friends with people who, in their own sly way, put me down and made me feel small. And I put up with it, because I was too timid to say anything, because I was afraid of losing the only people who wanted me around, or who wanted to be my friend. I guess some part of me wanted her to learn from my mistakes and do things differently. I was satisfied, however, when Madison kept refusing Bryce for sex and told him he was being a jerk. I was not surprised, when he cheated. He annoyed the hell out of me! Madison was too much a damsel in distress for me; always worrying, always looking back, reminding herself of the pain and humiliation she endured in Maine. She may have reinvented her appearance, but NOT her emotional and mental state. Those are the things that need to change first. Everything else can wait. I would have also liked to see more back story on Madison's life in Maine and the death of Dwight's father. That would have been MOST interesting!The second was the plot. I liked the idea of "new girl comes to town and struggles to find her place at school," but I would have liked to see more conflict. I would have liked to see Madison really struggling with her feelings and loyalties, both for Tiffany and Co. and Dwight. The lastly was the ending. I was disappointed. Madison retreated to New York to escape the drama. What seemed like a good move at the time, only put her back RIGHT where she started. That was the time to show everyone what kind of person she was and not be intimidated. Instead, she ran away. Not happy with the ending at all, but it was redeemed by the rekindle of Madison and Dwight's friendship/ relationship, whichever it turned in to. Overall, not her best book, but I did enjoy Reekles' writing style, language and in depth understanding of high school life and everyday teenage struggles.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Where the Crawdads Sing in Books
Feb 3, 2019
The beautiful prose (2 more)
The interesting plot
The well written characters
A Beautifully Written Novel
I have to admit that when I first heard about Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, it didn't sound like a book I'd want to read. However, as I kept seeing rave reviews for it, I decided to take a chance on it, and I am so glad I did because this book was amazing!
The plot for Where the Crawdads Sing was an interesting one. I found myself immersed in it throughout, even the parts about nature and poetry which I'm not into. Delia Owens wrote this book beautifully where ever piece fit together perfectly. Where the Crawdads Sing felt so realistic and like I was there every step on the way. The prose was amazing, and I can honestly say that I have not read a more beautifully written book. There are a few plot twists, and I didn't see them coming! I didn't even get the death of Chase right! There are no cliff hangers in this book, and all of my questions where answered.
I thought each and every character in Where the Crawdads Sing were written superbly. I loved the main character of Kya. It was so interesting watching her grow up without a family and turn into a beautiful, intelligent, and kind young lady. Her innocence was reassuring even if did get her in trouble. The character of Kya was such a breath of fresh air. It was amazing how she was able to look after herself when she had no one else even at a young age. Jumpin' was another one of my favorite characters. He was such a larger than life character, and he always seemed so optimistic was was fantastic! I loved how caring Tate was and how patient he was with Kya. I was always hoping those two would end up together. I didn't trust Chase from the get go, but even he was written really well. I loved how the author, Delia Owens, even included what happened to most of the characters years in the future. The only minor thing that bothered me was that when the characters spoke, they spoke in their own dialect which could be annoying at times, but it did not ruin this book for me at all.
The pacing in Where the Crawdads Sing was done so well. I was hooked from the very first page. Never once did the pacing slow down where I found myself bored. I was constantly enthralled by every page in this book. I could not get enough! The words flowed beautifully.
Trigger warnings for Where the Crawdads Sing include profanity, child neglect and abandonment, child abuse, attempted rape, violence, possible murder, sexual situations, alcoholism, racial slurs, and overly judgmental people.
All in all, Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written book through and through. The writing was brilliant, and the characters were written beautifully. The plot is just as fantastic and very interesting. I would definitely recommend Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens to everyone aged 16+. This is one of those books that needs to be read!
The plot for Where the Crawdads Sing was an interesting one. I found myself immersed in it throughout, even the parts about nature and poetry which I'm not into. Delia Owens wrote this book beautifully where ever piece fit together perfectly. Where the Crawdads Sing felt so realistic and like I was there every step on the way. The prose was amazing, and I can honestly say that I have not read a more beautifully written book. There are a few plot twists, and I didn't see them coming! I didn't even get the death of Chase right! There are no cliff hangers in this book, and all of my questions where answered.
I thought each and every character in Where the Crawdads Sing were written superbly. I loved the main character of Kya. It was so interesting watching her grow up without a family and turn into a beautiful, intelligent, and kind young lady. Her innocence was reassuring even if did get her in trouble. The character of Kya was such a breath of fresh air. It was amazing how she was able to look after herself when she had no one else even at a young age. Jumpin' was another one of my favorite characters. He was such a larger than life character, and he always seemed so optimistic was was fantastic! I loved how caring Tate was and how patient he was with Kya. I was always hoping those two would end up together. I didn't trust Chase from the get go, but even he was written really well. I loved how the author, Delia Owens, even included what happened to most of the characters years in the future. The only minor thing that bothered me was that when the characters spoke, they spoke in their own dialect which could be annoying at times, but it did not ruin this book for me at all.
The pacing in Where the Crawdads Sing was done so well. I was hooked from the very first page. Never once did the pacing slow down where I found myself bored. I was constantly enthralled by every page in this book. I could not get enough! The words flowed beautifully.
Trigger warnings for Where the Crawdads Sing include profanity, child neglect and abandonment, child abuse, attempted rape, violence, possible murder, sexual situations, alcoholism, racial slurs, and overly judgmental people.
All in all, Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written book through and through. The writing was brilliant, and the characters were written beautifully. The plot is just as fantastic and very interesting. I would definitely recommend Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens to everyone aged 16+. This is one of those books that needs to be read!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog: <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
A friend of mine had recommended this book back when it first came out. While I was definitely intrigued, I kept putting off buying it. However, with Walking Disaster coming out, I thought I'd give it a read. I'm super happy I did. I loved it!
Abby Abernathy is a reformed good girl. She moved to another state to get away from her horrible past. However, when she meets Travis, a self-professed womanizer, she struggles to continue being that good girl she so desperately wants to be. Travis is violent and sleeps with almost any woman. The more Abby tries to stay away, the more she finds herself drawn to Travis. Will Abby be able to keep up her good girl image or will she succumb to Travis' charms?
I love this title!! It definitely suits this book because it describes, perfectly, the relationship between Travis and Abby. It's even mentioned in the book!
I like the cover. In fact, I think it's really pretty. I'm sure it's symbolic of Travis and Abby with Abby being the butterfly, but I just can't figure it out. I don't see how Abby is a trapped butterfly.
For the most part, the world building was alright. There were times, while reading, were I felt like I was more in a high school setting then a college setting. Also, there was hardly any mention of time going by. For example, Abby and Travis would say about 4 or 5 sentences to each other, and three hours had passed by. That happened quite a few times in the book which I found annoying. Other than that, everything about the world was great.
The pacing was perfect in Beautiful Disaster! I couldn't get enough of the action. The chapters flowed beautifully into each other, and I found that I couldn't read the pages fast enough. Every sentence left me wanting more!
The characters were fantastic and well written! I loved how Abby was trying to turn her life around. I didn't think she had as bad of a life as she let on although I would've loved to learn more about her past. Abby had a sweet vulnerability to her which I liked. I thought Travis was quite romantic, and I loved how crazy he was about Abby. At some points, I felt that he was a little too crazy about Abby, but I still found myself wishing I had someone like Travis to look after me (except not as violent). Like Abby, I would've loved to find out more about Travis' background. I really hope I will learn more about him in Walking Disaster. I loved America although I kept picturing her differently to the blonde girl that she is. Shep is great when it comes to America and his cousin Travis. He's also great to Abby. Shep has a good heart, and I loved how willing he was to help those he loved.
The dialogue was a bit intense but in a good way. I loved reading how Abby and Travis interacted with each other. These two were super funny and at times would drive me crazy with how they acted towards each other when they would argue. As for the language, there is A LOT of swearing so if you don't like cuss words, this isn't your type of book.
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire was definitely an enjoyable and intense read. I was also appreciative that the sex scenes were done quite tastefully instead of being graphic. I didn't really like the way it ended as I felt it was a rush decision on the characters' part. (Don't worry, I won't go into detail). Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 17+ who is seeking a bit of a bad boy or a bit of a thrill. Please be aware that there is a lot of violence and swearing within this book.
Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire gets a 4.25 out of 5 from me.
A friend of mine had recommended this book back when it first came out. While I was definitely intrigued, I kept putting off buying it. However, with Walking Disaster coming out, I thought I'd give it a read. I'm super happy I did. I loved it!
Abby Abernathy is a reformed good girl. She moved to another state to get away from her horrible past. However, when she meets Travis, a self-professed womanizer, she struggles to continue being that good girl she so desperately wants to be. Travis is violent and sleeps with almost any woman. The more Abby tries to stay away, the more she finds herself drawn to Travis. Will Abby be able to keep up her good girl image or will she succumb to Travis' charms?
I love this title!! It definitely suits this book because it describes, perfectly, the relationship between Travis and Abby. It's even mentioned in the book!
I like the cover. In fact, I think it's really pretty. I'm sure it's symbolic of Travis and Abby with Abby being the butterfly, but I just can't figure it out. I don't see how Abby is a trapped butterfly.
For the most part, the world building was alright. There were times, while reading, were I felt like I was more in a high school setting then a college setting. Also, there was hardly any mention of time going by. For example, Abby and Travis would say about 4 or 5 sentences to each other, and three hours had passed by. That happened quite a few times in the book which I found annoying. Other than that, everything about the world was great.
The pacing was perfect in Beautiful Disaster! I couldn't get enough of the action. The chapters flowed beautifully into each other, and I found that I couldn't read the pages fast enough. Every sentence left me wanting more!
The characters were fantastic and well written! I loved how Abby was trying to turn her life around. I didn't think she had as bad of a life as she let on although I would've loved to learn more about her past. Abby had a sweet vulnerability to her which I liked. I thought Travis was quite romantic, and I loved how crazy he was about Abby. At some points, I felt that he was a little too crazy about Abby, but I still found myself wishing I had someone like Travis to look after me (except not as violent). Like Abby, I would've loved to find out more about Travis' background. I really hope I will learn more about him in Walking Disaster. I loved America although I kept picturing her differently to the blonde girl that she is. Shep is great when it comes to America and his cousin Travis. He's also great to Abby. Shep has a good heart, and I loved how willing he was to help those he loved.
The dialogue was a bit intense but in a good way. I loved reading how Abby and Travis interacted with each other. These two were super funny and at times would drive me crazy with how they acted towards each other when they would argue. As for the language, there is A LOT of swearing so if you don't like cuss words, this isn't your type of book.
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire was definitely an enjoyable and intense read. I was also appreciative that the sex scenes were done quite tastefully instead of being graphic. I didn't really like the way it ended as I felt it was a rush decision on the characters' part. (Don't worry, I won't go into detail). Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 17+ who is seeking a bit of a bad boy or a bit of a thrill. Please be aware that there is a lot of violence and swearing within this book.
Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire gets a 4.25 out of 5 from me.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Dragged Across Concrete (2019) in Movies
May 5, 2019
What a thrill ride!
So to say director S. Craig Zahler is one of my favorites working today is an understatement. I was a HUGE fan of his first two films, Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99 (read my reviews on both on Smashbomb) so I was really looking forward to this one. Of course the film did not play at a cinema local to me, so I had to wait until Blu Ray to give it a watch and I was enthralled.
Two cops on suspension for using excessive force against a drug dealing hoodlum leave very different lives off the job. One is prone to violence living in a bad neighborhood desperate for better for his wife and child and the other just wants to marry the girl of his dreams and is now worried she will no longer have him.
Out of desperation, the men decide to participate in a criminal enterprise to better their own personal situations and end up inside something much bigger. The decisions they make within the context of the second act of the film will have profound repercussions throughout the remainder of their lives.The two cops do what they have to do to try and make their lives better and help their families through hard times.
I don't want to sound like a movie snob here, but after viewing the film I checked out the MANY 1 star reviews this film received on IMDb and was not surprised. I am not making fun of the modern movie going public at all. I enjoy explosions and superheroes as much as anyone; however, for some time I have strived to find the different, unusual, deeper film where its heroes don't wear spandex and everything is not just black and white. Those films have their place.
This film was kind of "Tarantino-esque" in the way the story was told, the way the characters conversed with each other and even the fact that the characters were multilayered and very interesting. There were also several stories going on simultaneously at the beginning and didn't combine until well into the film. One could argue the 2 hour and 40 minute film "dragged" (no pun intended) at times or had unnecessary scenes, but no one complained when Marge Gunderson had lunch with Mike Yanagita, so that didn't bother me here.
Both of Zahler's previous films were violent and had that one squeamish scene you could hardly believe happened as did this film.
I can safely say this movie isn't for everyone and its slow pace will turn off some modern moviegoers who expect non stop action. Having said that, I still highly recommend this movie and would love to know your opinion once watching it.
Two cops on suspension for using excessive force against a drug dealing hoodlum leave very different lives off the job. One is prone to violence living in a bad neighborhood desperate for better for his wife and child and the other just wants to marry the girl of his dreams and is now worried she will no longer have him.
Out of desperation, the men decide to participate in a criminal enterprise to better their own personal situations and end up inside something much bigger. The decisions they make within the context of the second act of the film will have profound repercussions throughout the remainder of their lives.The two cops do what they have to do to try and make their lives better and help their families through hard times.
I don't want to sound like a movie snob here, but after viewing the film I checked out the MANY 1 star reviews this film received on IMDb and was not surprised. I am not making fun of the modern movie going public at all. I enjoy explosions and superheroes as much as anyone; however, for some time I have strived to find the different, unusual, deeper film where its heroes don't wear spandex and everything is not just black and white. Those films have their place.
This film was kind of "Tarantino-esque" in the way the story was told, the way the characters conversed with each other and even the fact that the characters were multilayered and very interesting. There were also several stories going on simultaneously at the beginning and didn't combine until well into the film. One could argue the 2 hour and 40 minute film "dragged" (no pun intended) at times or had unnecessary scenes, but no one complained when Marge Gunderson had lunch with Mike Yanagita, so that didn't bother me here.
Both of Zahler's previous films were violent and had that one squeamish scene you could hardly believe happened as did this film.
I can safely say this movie isn't for everyone and its slow pace will turn off some modern moviegoers who expect non stop action. Having said that, I still highly recommend this movie and would love to know your opinion once watching it.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Girl Before in Books
Feb 21, 2021
The Girl Before has left me uncertain. I'm going to try and explain that, but having pondered it for some time I'm still not exactly sure how I feel about it.
The books is split into short chapters from one of two points of view, Emma, the previous tenant and Jane, the new tenant. This works well although took me slightly longer to get used to, not because of the characters or the story line, but because of the writing itself.
Something I noticed fairly quickly was that there are whole sections of this book where speech is basically ignored. It'll appear as you would expect it to in the writing but there are no speech marks to highlight it. At the time of reading it was horrendously annoying, having just flicked through a few pages while writing this I have noticed that all the speech marks are used in Jane's chapters and not in Emma's. I can only assume that it's meant to reflect the two different characters and their personalities, but frustrating is the only way to describe it. I constantly noticed it as I read but made no link to any reason for it until this very minute. If it is a device, I can't say it was very successful, honestly it felt more like a massive error had been made in editing.
That aside, the author has created some very engaging characters. You pick up enough about them as you progress through the book to pick up things of the upcoming story and that always entices you to read on. The book also has a lot of unsettling male characters in it. The women in comparison seem relatively normal. This could be another way to get you on board with the two leads of the book and make you protective of them. But again, that's not something I noticed until after I'd finished the book.
What is there to say about that ending? Unexpected? Overkill?
I enjoy a twist and turn as much as the next person but this book throws them at you. Kudos to the author again for crafting the story well, I did not guess all the twists that it ended up taking. Some were necessary but others seemed to just be there to have a conclusion to every piece of the story. An effort which didn't entirely feel pleasing.
It was an entertaining read, and at just over 400 pages it's easy to whizz through in a day. There's a preview at the end for Believe Me. Reading it just now I'm drawing parallels between how chapters are designed to match their character, I don't think it's for me as a style but the story itself is mildly intriguing. Hopefully it showcases some more well developed characters.
The books is split into short chapters from one of two points of view, Emma, the previous tenant and Jane, the new tenant. This works well although took me slightly longer to get used to, not because of the characters or the story line, but because of the writing itself.
Something I noticed fairly quickly was that there are whole sections of this book where speech is basically ignored. It'll appear as you would expect it to in the writing but there are no speech marks to highlight it. At the time of reading it was horrendously annoying, having just flicked through a few pages while writing this I have noticed that all the speech marks are used in Jane's chapters and not in Emma's. I can only assume that it's meant to reflect the two different characters and their personalities, but frustrating is the only way to describe it. I constantly noticed it as I read but made no link to any reason for it until this very minute. If it is a device, I can't say it was very successful, honestly it felt more like a massive error had been made in editing.
That aside, the author has created some very engaging characters. You pick up enough about them as you progress through the book to pick up things of the upcoming story and that always entices you to read on. The book also has a lot of unsettling male characters in it. The women in comparison seem relatively normal. This could be another way to get you on board with the two leads of the book and make you protective of them. But again, that's not something I noticed until after I'd finished the book.
What is there to say about that ending? Unexpected? Overkill?
I enjoy a twist and turn as much as the next person but this book throws them at you. Kudos to the author again for crafting the story well, I did not guess all the twists that it ended up taking. Some were necessary but others seemed to just be there to have a conclusion to every piece of the story. An effort which didn't entirely feel pleasing.
It was an entertaining read, and at just over 400 pages it's easy to whizz through in a day. There's a preview at the end for Believe Me. Reading it just now I'm drawing parallels between how chapters are designed to match their character, I don't think it's for me as a style but the story itself is mildly intriguing. Hopefully it showcases some more well developed characters.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Upgrade (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I'd go classifying Upgrade as sci-fi action... for some reason it also has a genre of horror on IMDb. Sure it's a bit gory, but with everything that happens in it I wouldn't have lumped it in there as well. It briefly gave me pause to ponder where the lines of classification are... but that way madness lies!
This one isn't for the faint hearted. There's quite a lot of violence in it. There was only one bit that I thought "that was a bit much", but even then it was more that I reacted to it with an intake of breath and a slight wince before laughing... because it was a tad ridiculous. The guy in the row behind me did the same, but his girlfriend wasn't overly impressed.
I actually found Grey's reactions to his body doing violent things to be very well done, and a nice touch because you do forget that it's not actually him. Acting so that your face is doing something completely different to how your body is performing must be very challenging, but Marshall-Green did it really well. He had humour, and really brought out the conflict between his head and his body... wow, well there are just some things that you don't expect to say when reviewing films.
The main reason it's missing that last half star is purely personal preference. I like sci-fi, and I like mindless violence. What I don't like are the motion and camera quirks. But like I say, it's personal preference. Those tracking shots that put Grey centre of the frame and follow him round like it's a third person shooter game (third person?) did nothing for me, and made everything seem kind of jumpy. This was so you could get the contrast between him being in control and STEM being in control, and I understand that but it's a shame they couldn't find another way to do it. My only other bug was that when Grey is laying on the floor and STEM gets him up to standing he goes from horizontal to vertical like he's on a hinge. How is that even possible? STEM is still constrained by what the human body can do, right? And last time I checked I can't pivot from laying down to standing just on my heels.
What should you do?
Great lead, interesting story line... if you don't mind mindless violence then you should definitely go and see this.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I'd quite like to take home STEM and have my body be that coordinated all the time... but that does have the whole killer robot issue. So perhaps I'll just go with the self driving car this time.
This one isn't for the faint hearted. There's quite a lot of violence in it. There was only one bit that I thought "that was a bit much", but even then it was more that I reacted to it with an intake of breath and a slight wince before laughing... because it was a tad ridiculous. The guy in the row behind me did the same, but his girlfriend wasn't overly impressed.
I actually found Grey's reactions to his body doing violent things to be very well done, and a nice touch because you do forget that it's not actually him. Acting so that your face is doing something completely different to how your body is performing must be very challenging, but Marshall-Green did it really well. He had humour, and really brought out the conflict between his head and his body... wow, well there are just some things that you don't expect to say when reviewing films.
The main reason it's missing that last half star is purely personal preference. I like sci-fi, and I like mindless violence. What I don't like are the motion and camera quirks. But like I say, it's personal preference. Those tracking shots that put Grey centre of the frame and follow him round like it's a third person shooter game (third person?) did nothing for me, and made everything seem kind of jumpy. This was so you could get the contrast between him being in control and STEM being in control, and I understand that but it's a shame they couldn't find another way to do it. My only other bug was that when Grey is laying on the floor and STEM gets him up to standing he goes from horizontal to vertical like he's on a hinge. How is that even possible? STEM is still constrained by what the human body can do, right? And last time I checked I can't pivot from laying down to standing just on my heels.
What should you do?
Great lead, interesting story line... if you don't mind mindless violence then you should definitely go and see this.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I'd quite like to take home STEM and have my body be that coordinated all the time... but that does have the whole killer robot issue. So perhaps I'll just go with the self driving car this time.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Heavenly in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I found the opening chapter of this book to be very strange, but intriguing, and I understood that it was meant be an extended teaser of something that happens later in the book. I liked that the author used this to hook the reader in, but the drawback is that I was looking for where the opening chapter fits in for the rest of the book.
Very quickly into the book, I felt an emotional connection with the main character, Zoe. The responsibilities of having an autistic sister have really drained her in many ways, and left her with this hole that she was either looking to fill or ignore. At the same time, when she was at home, she assumed the role of the "second mother" with an unselfish pride that showed a maturity beyond her age of seventeen.
On the flip side, her brother Luke is the opposite of Zoe in many ways in that he does not seem to share the responsibilities of caring for their sister, Abria, but instead is often seen running out the door. But like Abria, he also seeks to fill the void that the demands of his life have pulled out of him in different, but just as self-destructive, ways as Zoe.
Abria, the austistic younger sibling, is quite a fascinating character to read about, as I felt like I could extract the meaning behind her varied antics better than her family could. For instance, she has a habit of climbing anything she can get on, but it's the guardian angel Matthias who must point out to Zoe that Abria climbs because she like high places. The permanence of her innocence puts her in a state of joy that Zoe can only envy.
It was not until the end of the book that I fully understood the slogan attached to the Heavenly series: "Real Angels Don't Fall." The character of Matthias is just as unique and interesting as Abria, and the details put into both of them had me flying through this book in a matter of days. Matthias holds to the principles of his role as a guardian angel with both humor and intensity, and the number of times he side-stepped Zoe's questions even while answering others became quite frustrating. I would love for the story to switch viewpoints just so I could understand more of what Matthias was thinking and what motivated him.
I had expected this book to be mostly focused on romance, but I would say that the romantic aspects are only part of the story. Both Abria and Luke are vital to the plotline, and the ending was different than what I was predicting by a mile. I shed a few tears at the end, but there was still a sweetness that put a smile on my face. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one in the series, Penitence (Volume 2).
Very quickly into the book, I felt an emotional connection with the main character, Zoe. The responsibilities of having an autistic sister have really drained her in many ways, and left her with this hole that she was either looking to fill or ignore. At the same time, when she was at home, she assumed the role of the "second mother" with an unselfish pride that showed a maturity beyond her age of seventeen.
On the flip side, her brother Luke is the opposite of Zoe in many ways in that he does not seem to share the responsibilities of caring for their sister, Abria, but instead is often seen running out the door. But like Abria, he also seeks to fill the void that the demands of his life have pulled out of him in different, but just as self-destructive, ways as Zoe.
Abria, the austistic younger sibling, is quite a fascinating character to read about, as I felt like I could extract the meaning behind her varied antics better than her family could. For instance, she has a habit of climbing anything she can get on, but it's the guardian angel Matthias who must point out to Zoe that Abria climbs because she like high places. The permanence of her innocence puts her in a state of joy that Zoe can only envy.
It was not until the end of the book that I fully understood the slogan attached to the Heavenly series: "Real Angels Don't Fall." The character of Matthias is just as unique and interesting as Abria, and the details put into both of them had me flying through this book in a matter of days. Matthias holds to the principles of his role as a guardian angel with both humor and intensity, and the number of times he side-stepped Zoe's questions even while answering others became quite frustrating. I would love for the story to switch viewpoints just so I could understand more of what Matthias was thinking and what motivated him.
I had expected this book to be mostly focused on romance, but I would say that the romantic aspects are only part of the story. Both Abria and Luke are vital to the plotline, and the ending was different than what I was predicting by a mile. I shed a few tears at the end, but there was still a sweetness that put a smile on my face. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one in the series, Penitence (Volume 2).