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ClareR (6230 KP) rated The Beekeeper of Aleppo in Books

Oct 16, 2019 (Updated Oct 16, 2019)

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

Christy Lefteri | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I loved this book so much, that I bought it for my mum!

I’m going to sound very clichéd when I say what I want to say about this book. I know it, but I’m going to say it anyway. This is a book that will stay with you. It will break your heart. It will open your eyes (if they aren’t already) to the horrors in the world. It will make you realise that even amongst all of this despair and death, there is always hope. Hope of survival, hope of new beginnings.

The things that Nuri and his wife Afra see and experience in Aleppo, causes Afra, an artist, to go blind. The experiences that they live through on their journey to Greece and on to the UK are harrowing. No part of this journey is easy. The story is compelling, and it’s a story that frankly we should all be aware of. People have really lived through the things that Nuri and Afra see, do and have done to them. This is still happening, both in Syria and in other places in the world.

I think I pretty much cried through the last couple of chapters, but I couldn’t stop reading it. I’d still recommend it to anyone that wants to read about the experiences of refugees, and quite possibly I’d recommend it to those who don’t know what these people go through. There’s a lot to be learnt from this book.

Many thanks to ReadersFirst for my copy of this book.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) in Movies

Aug 8, 2019

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

2010 | Action, Romance, Sci-Fi

6.3

(21 Ratings)

Movie Rating

When so much often goes wrong with movie adaptations of video games, it is always pleasant when the occasional one takes you by surprise and becomes a well written, well acted, adventure of a movie. Prince of Persia, directed by Mike Newell, previously of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, captures much of the fun of the video game while telling a compelling story obviously written for the screen, and not pulled straight from the game itself.

Prince Dastan, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, does a fitting job of balancing the devious and dignified sides of his character. Gemma Arterton plays the role of Tamina with good chemistry with Gyllenhaal, and their dialogue always seems to have a spark of something extra. Ben Kingsley and the rest of the supporting cast do a fantastic job of rounding out the story and providing a degree of comic relief, tension, and reasons to use the special effects budget. The special effects are as expected, coming from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, excellent. Still, they don’t distract or otherwise draw too much attention away from the story itself.

The movie, obviously enough, revolves around Prince Dastan and a mystical dagger that can turn back time for short periods. Despite the plot twists and turns (and there are several), this movie kept me guessing and absorbed in the story, but never confused. If you’re looking for a fun time at the movies to start the summer season, look no further than this lively and fun film.

Kudos

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Bone Season in Books

Apr 5, 2020

The Bone Season

Samantha Shannon | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

7.3

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

This is a reread for me and I lived it more the second time round. I admire Samantha Shannon at such a young age to develop such an intricate fascinating world. It was so good to go back to the beginning of Paige's and wardens journey. These characters are so brilliant it's good to see the little things I missed the first time round. Now to wait patiently for Bone season 4 and my hardcover copy of The Mime order.