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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Happy Death Day 2U (2019) in Movies

Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)  
Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
2019 | Horror, Mystery
Hands up if you laughed your way through this one? *throws hands up in the air*

This is where I love the horror genre, although I wouldn't really say this is horror. It's light-hearted and knows it doesn't need to take itself too seriously. It's sort of a horror comedy... A homedy? A corror? Definitely a homedy.

The trailer was a little misleading, I went in thinking that we were going to see them all stuck in the time loop which isn't the case. I'm probably happy that it ended up being different because I couldn't work out how they were going to do it otherwise.

When the original came out I was so happy to have discovered it. Horror is probably my least favourite genre but throw some homedy (it's happening people, go with it!) at me and I'm there for it. It's why I love the Screams and Final Destinations. HDD2U took it to another level, or should I say dimension?

While I loved this we could now have a potential problem, the third one could step over into Sharknado territory and become the parody but we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it... and if I'm honest, this one was pretty close to that line anyway.

There's no way to deny the fact that 2 is riding on the coattails of its predecessor. It concentrates more on solving the cause of the loop rather than the mystery of who the killer is now and it isn't quite as compelling to watch. Neither is the fact that in this new loop we're given altered versions of the existing characters. We see a lot more of Danielle which if I'm honest isn't a good thing. She's still totes annoying but this time she brings a thespian side that leads to a truly terrible slapstick scene.

For sheer enjoyment as a follow on film it's brilliant but taken on its own merit it wouldn't get such high praise, but I had fun and that's what counts. I did see this for a second time and it unfortunately gave me more time to consider all the slightly dubious bits of it. It really hits hard on the sci-fi side of things, particularly in the mid-credit scene, and it doesn't feel quite right... now I'm wondering if it has already become its own parody...

What you should do

If you enjoyed the first one then you should totally see it, it's entertaining and much less serious about itself than the first but it's also much more ridiculous. Do remember to stay for the credit scene, you'll be able to see why I'm a little worried about any future endeavours.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

I'd probably still want Tree's fearlessness and resilience, but without having to die repeatedly to attain it.
  
Dumplin' (2018)
Dumplin' (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Drama
Good On So Many Levels
High school student Willowdean (Danielle MacDonald) decides to enter a beauty pageant to spite her mom Rosie (Jennifer Aniston), a former pageant queen.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
The characters in this story are not just unique and enjoyable. They also represent the melting pot of what this world should be. Willowdean feels out of place because she is heavyset so she tries to attack herself before others do. Her Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley) tried to teach her to do the opposite before she passed away, but Willowdean didn’t grasp her aunt’s confidence unfortunately. Through her journey of pageant life, she makes two good friends: Hannah (Bex Taylor-Klaus) who is anti-establishment (or anti-everything, rather) and Millie (Maddie Baillio) a ball of happiness with an overprotective mom. They are at the core of a slew of good characters that brighten the story. And did I mention the drag queens? Phe-no-men-al.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 10
The conflict here is less about outward confrontation and more about inner discovery. Willowdean’s greatest enemy is herself, something most of us can probably relate to. It is refreshing to watching her battle old demons while coming to terms with who she is and who she can be. Destroying yourself is toxic and Dumplin’ shows how a negative view of one’s self can damage and destroy the relationships around us.

Genre: 10

Memorability: 8
The story as a whole has a magical feeling to it that’s centered in realism, almost like a trailer park Cinderella. I thought of all the 201 movies I watched in 2018. Few touched me quite like this one. A really memorable movie can make you laugh, maybe cry a little, and reflect. Dumplin’ gets the job done. It teaches you never to underestimate yourself and to go all out even when you don’t think you have a shot.

Pace: 10
I love when storytelling is consistent and blends seamlessly from one scene to the next. You get that here. There’s not a whole lot of pointless dialogue that takes you nowhere or random scenes that forces relationship-building. It moves consistently like a batch of waves. Before you know it, it’s over and you’ve had a great ride.

Plot: 10
The story isn’t just original but heartfelt. Something we can all get behind. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like it. You can see the ending coming a mile away, but you’re having so much of a good time you don’t care!

Resolution: 10
Just as with the plot, you definitely see the ending coming a mile away. Doesn’t make it any less awesome or touching. Mum’s the word, but it ties on a nice little bow on the movie as a whole.

Overall: 98
I’m always wary of Netflix originals. Not because they can’t be good, I’ve seen plenty of amazing things on Netflix. Rather I understand that there’s a pressure for them to keep putting out original content at a fast pace because the market is catching up. This could mean more swings-and-misses. Dumplin’ is not a casualty of that in the least. Quality movie.
  
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Louise (64 KP) rated Stealing Snow in Books

Jul 2, 2018  
Stealing Snow
Stealing Snow
Danielle Paige | 2016 | Children
4
6.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review*

*This may contain spoilers*

This is another author where I have not read any of their work until now. Danielle Page is the author of ‘Dorothy must Die’ trilogy. I was anticipating this for all the wrong reasons, I thought this was a Snow White retelling which it is sadly not.

The main protagonist of this book is called Snow….obviously this is giving me the Snow White retelling vibes and that she names her medication after the seven dwarves. I forgot to mention Snow is currently detained in an asylum for young adults with mental health issues. The reason for her being there is pretty vague,sure she has anger issues and she bites but does that really mean she has to be incarcerated from the age of six! I was getting another vibe at this point – Alice in wonderland/through the looking-glass as she supposedly tried to walk through a mirror. At this point I was confused as to what the retelling actually was, was it Snow White? Alice in Wonderland?

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/LpX8q87YmnD20/giphy.gif"; width="400" height="200" alt="description"/>

Snow is not a very relatable character, she is young, she is naive and she falls in love with every boy that makes conversation with her…no word of a lie! She is in love with Bale who is also in the mental institution (His reason for being there is more believable) When she finds herself in the alternative world known as Algid she meets two other boys that are there to help her but obviously her hormones run away with her and starts swooning over the both of them whilst still loving Bane (That being the reason she is in Algid)

Obviously, when Snow gets to the alternative world she find out she is the chosen one and part of a prophecy. Snow being Snow who is really sarcastic and narrow-minded doesn’t care about the prophecy and only wants to find Bale. Her powers are to control Snow and she has to learn how to use these said powers….which just happen.

I am not a massive reader of fantasy novels but the world building in this was non-existent and when there was it was like it was an afterthought.I had no real idea of what Algid looked like other than it was covered in snow.

 <img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/U6P3UehEHUoPm/giphy.gif"; width="400" height="200" alt="description"/>

 

I wasn’t particularly fond of the writing style and the amount of times that ‘I need to find Bale’ or some 20 other ways this could be written really got on my nerves,it was like we forgot why she was there every few pages.

So to wrap this up in a nutshell,this is a mash-up of retellings but mostly snow queen/frozen, the way that mental health was interpreted was very poor and would have loved it to have been more realistic. The characters were very unrelatable and the world building was lacking.

I will be not continuing on with this series, however don’t let this review stop you from reading it, this after all is just my opinion.

I rated this 1.5 out of 5 stars
  
S(
Salt (Salt, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I never thought I'd actually find the time to read Salt. Actually, I was hesitant (mainly due to the fact I have 10+ books on le review queue)... even though I really wanted to read it because it seemed like a really good book.

      I kind of gave in. I didn't regret it either, which would be second worse case scenario next to a DNF. And that would actually suck.

      I'm probably Salt deprived though, and I don't mean SODIUM CHLORIDE, as much as like salty snacks. Yum.

     In other words, I LOVED this book. I believe I may have "met" my next favorite author.

      Do allow me to name the whys. Actually, my thoughts. Warning: there may be gushing. I hope no one minds. *fangirls* There might be a lot too. And it's in a list. Certainly not 13. That's saved for Friday the 13th. Which is in June if anyone cares.

~ It's official. I like characters with a lot of voice. Or maybe it's just a lot of sass. That tends to be a pattern.
~ WITCHES! Even better. Need I say more? I like witchy books as much as I like retellings and mythology. No wonder I loved Harry Potter. And yes, I like witches better than vampires. Sorry Vampire Academy.
~ Tis very action packed my friends. Despite the fact I took awhile to finish it. I was preoccupied with other books. Salt couldn't be crammed into le reading schedule.
~ Daemon Black, you have extreme competition. I apparently like Carter WAY better than you. He's less annoying, even though he's practically an alter ego. Maybe it's the fact that Carter is a witch. *hardly contains jumping up and down while typing* Mom, you saw no big smile on my face. Oh yeah, and let's just add that he's hot (Carter. Not Daemon. Though he is. Sort of? I am not a Daemon fan).
~ This is like Divergent and Hunger Games put together. Witch style. No killing required. Although maybe a few humans and demons were killed in the process. And I like both of those series... although I didn't really like Allegiant.
~ Like I said, I'm Salt deprived. Can someone fast forward time so I can read the second book?
~ I'm also Penelope and Carter deprived. Please, people, don't go come up with couple names like Carlope or Peneter. Couple names are so old. And definitely not cute anymore. O_o Yes, it will make them less cuter if anyone dares to add couple names. *cringe*
~ I'm going to go recommend this to a certain friend of mine. Just so I won't be alone with the gushing. Although I don't mind being the only one. I'll just say I'm talking about Funyuns. :D How do you spell that again?

      Nope, definitely no regret in deciding to review Salt when offered. No regrets at all. I think it's really obvious. *walks away with a completely cheesy grin* Anyone want cheesecake? :D?
-------------------
ARC copy provided by EntangledTeen for review
Formatting and pictures have been removed due to copy and paste.
This review and more posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/arc-review-salt-by-danielle-ellison.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; />
  
MU
My Unfair Lady
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy
Genre: Historical fiction, Historical Romance
Rating: 4/5

Summary (from the back of the book):
HE CREATED THE PERFECT WOMAN… the impoverished Duke of Monchester despises the rich Americans who flock to London, seeking to buy their way into the ranks of the British peerage. So when railroad heiress Summer Wine Lee offers him a king’s ransom if he’ll teach her to become a proper lady, he’s prepared to rebuff her. But when he meets the petite beauty with the knife in her boot, it’s not her fortune he finds impossible to resist…
…FOR THE ARMS OF ANOTHER MAN. Frontier-bred Summer Wine Lee has no interest in winning over London society—it’s the New York bluebloods and her future mother-in-law she’s determined to impress. She knows the cost of smoothing her rough-and-tumble frontier edges will be high. But she never imagined it might cost her her heart…

Review: This book is so cute! The dialogue is lively, the characters are likeable (or in the case of the “bad ones”, hate-able), and the images and descriptions are clear and visible. I loved it by the end of the first chapter.

Summer was my kind of girl. She grinned when things were funny instead of trying to remain indifferent, she wasn’t afraid to show how she felt—but she could also throw a knife, shoot an arrow better than the woman champion of their day, and mount and ride a horse bareback (which I think is so cool!). She has a love for animals—and odd ones at that. She owns a three-legged dog, a dog with four legs but the size of a small horse, a monkey, a pocket-sized puppy, a fox, and a cat with no back legs (it sits in a cart and rolls around the room). She was raised by an Indian (one of those childhood dreams that I never quite left behind…) and he was the one who had taught her all that great stuff. Watching her try to settle into society was hilarious.

MY UNFAIR LADY has a lot of tension in it—both inner turmoil from poor Summer, and also sexual tension between the characters. However, it wasn’t overpowering because was so funny. I found that I laughed just as often as tension was built, so there was a constant, even balance. The end was very exciting, and I found it impossible to put down. Overall, reading this book was a hilarious and wonderful experience, and an unforgettable escape from reality.

Plot: My Fair Lady (the movie) shows a girl who is transformed to a lady, then the man falls in love with her. I love the change that has taken place in MY UNFAIR LADY—The man doesn’t want to change her, because he loves her the way she is. I like this plot better than the first!

Writing: The writing was decent, acceptable, and more readable than a lot of newly published romances. Though it wasn’t Dante, it wasn’t hard to read either.

Content: Refreshingly, there was no language in this book. Summer has her own set of expletives, but they weren’t offensive (“Tarnation!”). As far as sex, let’s just say there were several scenes (pages) in this book that I skipped completely, and just started reading again where the dialogue picked up. I didn’t miss anything important.

Recommendation: Ages 18+ to lovers of Historical fiction, Romance in general, or anyone who loves a girl who can shoot a gun, wield a knife, or use a bow and arrow better than a man!

**Thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks for supplying my review copy!**