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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Lovely Bones in Books
Apr 27, 2018
**Spoiler Alert!**
First of all, let me say this. I really wanted to love The Lovely Bones. But I didn’t. I didn’t like it very much.
This comes as a surprise to me, because while I was reading it, I found it almost impossible to put down. It was cryptic and mysterious. The problem is that at the end, it still felt cryptic and mysterious—like I’d missed something. I felt throughout the book that I’d find a plot line, or a key, or something, and it would all fit together perfectly. But it didn’t. The writing was hard to read, and I had to really focus to understand the words. The plot was very original and creative, but there just seemed to be something missing through the whole book. When I got to the end, I was very disappointed.
I didn’t feel engaged in The Lovely Bones. I felt like an outsider looking in. I related to the characters on a certain level—but then again I felt totally disconnected and withdrawn while reading.
I didn’t at all like what happened to Mr. Harvey. He needed to be caught and put in jail, or killed by the father, or something a little more than getting an icicle in his back and falling into a ravine. His death was very unsatisfactory.
I didn’t like the end at all. As I said earlier, it felt like something was missing. I got to the end and said “Hu? Did I miss something? Maybe I skipped some pages, or missed a paragraph…” and literally flipped back through the past few pages. Nothing. It was like the end of a chapter, not the end of a book. There are unanswered questions sitting right in front of you, and there are blank endings for some of the characters. By blank I mean empty, like it’s not an ending at all. Like there is another few chapters to read and then maybe it will all make sense.
As I said above, find it very difficult to stop until I got about halfway through. When I got to the halfway point, it started to feel like it wasn’t going anywhere and I put it off for about a month. The book felt like it was boring, and dead like Susie. The mystery wasn’t going to be solved. It got old. Blech.
But some of it was very fast paced and exciting, and the characters are very well developed. The dialogue flows freely and comfortably.
Also, however painful Mrs. Salmon’s leaving was, and watching the family get torn apart, it was beautiful in the end when she came back. And I loved the interaction between the characters, and I loved the characters themselves. Lindsey and Samuel were wonderful, and her baby was wonderful, and the grandma was wonderful. Poor, sweet little Buckley who grows up too fast and too hard…
So I rest closer to the negative side than the positive side. This was a good (depending on your definition) book—I just wasn’t connected to it. There were some things that I liked about The Lovely Bones. However, most of it I didn’t like. If I’m not connected to a book, how can I read it? Will I read this one again? probably not. Will I read the sequel? Not unless I get it in the mail for review and I’m really really bored.
I wish I could say more good things about this book. I wanted to love it. My friends all loved it and my mom loved it. But it felt odd and foreign and uncomfortable to me, and the ending was awful. If you consider it an ending.
Audio Review: The audio-book was read by the author, who read incredibly slow and seemingly forced. Wouldn't an author take some joy in reading their book out loud, even if it was as depressing as this one? wouldn’t the author, of all people, read with a little more energy? Alice sounded tired. Tired of her book, tired of Susie and Lindsey and Mr. Salmon and everyone else. If you’re going to read The Lovely Bones, read The Lovely Bones.
First of all, let me say this. I really wanted to love The Lovely Bones. But I didn’t. I didn’t like it very much.
This comes as a surprise to me, because while I was reading it, I found it almost impossible to put down. It was cryptic and mysterious. The problem is that at the end, it still felt cryptic and mysterious—like I’d missed something. I felt throughout the book that I’d find a plot line, or a key, or something, and it would all fit together perfectly. But it didn’t. The writing was hard to read, and I had to really focus to understand the words. The plot was very original and creative, but there just seemed to be something missing through the whole book. When I got to the end, I was very disappointed.
I didn’t feel engaged in The Lovely Bones. I felt like an outsider looking in. I related to the characters on a certain level—but then again I felt totally disconnected and withdrawn while reading.
I didn’t at all like what happened to Mr. Harvey. He needed to be caught and put in jail, or killed by the father, or something a little more than getting an icicle in his back and falling into a ravine. His death was very unsatisfactory.
I didn’t like the end at all. As I said earlier, it felt like something was missing. I got to the end and said “Hu? Did I miss something? Maybe I skipped some pages, or missed a paragraph…” and literally flipped back through the past few pages. Nothing. It was like the end of a chapter, not the end of a book. There are unanswered questions sitting right in front of you, and there are blank endings for some of the characters. By blank I mean empty, like it’s not an ending at all. Like there is another few chapters to read and then maybe it will all make sense.
As I said above, find it very difficult to stop until I got about halfway through. When I got to the halfway point, it started to feel like it wasn’t going anywhere and I put it off for about a month. The book felt like it was boring, and dead like Susie. The mystery wasn’t going to be solved. It got old. Blech.
But some of it was very fast paced and exciting, and the characters are very well developed. The dialogue flows freely and comfortably.
Also, however painful Mrs. Salmon’s leaving was, and watching the family get torn apart, it was beautiful in the end when she came back. And I loved the interaction between the characters, and I loved the characters themselves. Lindsey and Samuel were wonderful, and her baby was wonderful, and the grandma was wonderful. Poor, sweet little Buckley who grows up too fast and too hard…
So I rest closer to the negative side than the positive side. This was a good (depending on your definition) book—I just wasn’t connected to it. There were some things that I liked about The Lovely Bones. However, most of it I didn’t like. If I’m not connected to a book, how can I read it? Will I read this one again? probably not. Will I read the sequel? Not unless I get it in the mail for review and I’m really really bored.
I wish I could say more good things about this book. I wanted to love it. My friends all loved it and my mom loved it. But it felt odd and foreign and uncomfortable to me, and the ending was awful. If you consider it an ending.
Audio Review: The audio-book was read by the author, who read incredibly slow and seemingly forced. Wouldn't an author take some joy in reading their book out loud, even if it was as depressing as this one? wouldn’t the author, of all people, read with a little more energy? Alice sounded tired. Tired of her book, tired of Susie and Lindsey and Mr. Salmon and everyone else. If you’re going to read The Lovely Bones, read The Lovely Bones.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Vault of Dreamers in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I've always wanted to read a book about dreams. Nothing too specific – but the synopsis for O'Brien's latest novel piqued my interest because it was just that. Dreams. A book on dreams may have been on my reading bucket list of unique books, and now I can happily cross it off. An impossible bucket list item is to complete my TBR pile. If not, at least 50% – that'll only happen if I add no more books, which isn't happening anytime soon.
The Vault of Dreamers had a completely different concept that I had been dreaming of, but despite the fact I was thinking of something else entirely, the idea behind The Vault of Dreamers was perfect. Dreams = Hope. What better way than placing that in a prestigious school of art, competition, and to top it off – a reality show? Definitely a dream come true for some – as much as I want to try my hand in acting one day, a camera stalking my every move 24/7 is NOT my dream come true.
Rosie Sinclair is one of the students attending the school – called the Forge School, and the show is called the Forge Show. Not exactly a creative name in my opinion (Forge???). Though, as you read the book and as Rosie finds out what's really happening at night at the Forge School, the name makes a lot of sense. Especially when you take a peek at forge's etymology.
Rosie's sort of different from other characters I read – she's rebellious from the start. She doesn't find anything amiss among the school at first, so her breaking rules straight from the beginning is simple – she misses night. Most I come across are say... going with the flow. Everything's happy until something sinister happens or said character finds something sinister about something. Rosie, well, she's all "I'm a rebellious person, and I'll be breaking rules after laying low for awhile."
The voices Rosie has is really weird as well. O'Brien writes those as though Rosie is two people – she even replies with her thoughts to that voice! If that's not odd, I don't know what is. Actually, I can think of a lot of other things that can be more odd, but that's beside the point.
What I still don't get, however, is why Rosie went to the Forge School when a) she hates cameras and prefers being behind them instead and b) she knew full well when she applied that she would be watched 24/7. The Forge Show isn't one of those shows that go blah – it's widely popular. And with the Internet still existing in Rosie's world, why isn't there a YouTube of sorts? Is everyone that addicted to The Forge Show that there's nothing else to watch? Or is it just the thrill of watching 12 hours – even AGT isn't that long! – of students in grades 10-12 competing for fame? No wonder reality shows are flying up the charts – guys, what happened to the wondrous days of Code Lyoko? :p
As much as I enjoyed following Rosie around as she tries to find out what's going on at night at The Forge School, I was sort of disappointed in the ending. Well, the last chapter, which technically counts as the end. The run down? <spoiler>Rosie gets caught breaking the rules twice, finds out the actual truth of what's going on, dean and co tries to stop her, which results in her being whisked away from the world forever. Essentially, Rosie is dead, yet not dead. Until she's 18, but how much time passes between getting caught and the last chapter, I have no clue. The ending's all very open-ended – which CAN have it's perks – but I don't know what's going to happen with Rosie. However... it's rare the villain wins.</spoiler>
The Vault of Dreamers will most likely appeal to those interested in reading about a reality show where everything is not what it may seem behind cameras. I may look into O'Brien's other works.
------------------
Advanced review copy provided by Macmillan for review
Original Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/09/arc-review-the-vault-of-dreamers-by-caragh-m-obrien.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
The Vault of Dreamers had a completely different concept that I had been dreaming of, but despite the fact I was thinking of something else entirely, the idea behind The Vault of Dreamers was perfect. Dreams = Hope. What better way than placing that in a prestigious school of art, competition, and to top it off – a reality show? Definitely a dream come true for some – as much as I want to try my hand in acting one day, a camera stalking my every move 24/7 is NOT my dream come true.
Rosie Sinclair is one of the students attending the school – called the Forge School, and the show is called the Forge Show. Not exactly a creative name in my opinion (Forge???). Though, as you read the book and as Rosie finds out what's really happening at night at the Forge School, the name makes a lot of sense. Especially when you take a peek at forge's etymology.
Rosie's sort of different from other characters I read – she's rebellious from the start. She doesn't find anything amiss among the school at first, so her breaking rules straight from the beginning is simple – she misses night. Most I come across are say... going with the flow. Everything's happy until something sinister happens or said character finds something sinister about something. Rosie, well, she's all "I'm a rebellious person, and I'll be breaking rules after laying low for awhile."
The voices Rosie has is really weird as well. O'Brien writes those as though Rosie is two people – she even replies with her thoughts to that voice! If that's not odd, I don't know what is. Actually, I can think of a lot of other things that can be more odd, but that's beside the point.
What I still don't get, however, is why Rosie went to the Forge School when a) she hates cameras and prefers being behind them instead and b) she knew full well when she applied that she would be watched 24/7. The Forge Show isn't one of those shows that go blah – it's widely popular. And with the Internet still existing in Rosie's world, why isn't there a YouTube of sorts? Is everyone that addicted to The Forge Show that there's nothing else to watch? Or is it just the thrill of watching 12 hours – even AGT isn't that long! – of students in grades 10-12 competing for fame? No wonder reality shows are flying up the charts – guys, what happened to the wondrous days of Code Lyoko? :p
As much as I enjoyed following Rosie around as she tries to find out what's going on at night at The Forge School, I was sort of disappointed in the ending. Well, the last chapter, which technically counts as the end. The run down? <spoiler>Rosie gets caught breaking the rules twice, finds out the actual truth of what's going on, dean and co tries to stop her, which results in her being whisked away from the world forever. Essentially, Rosie is dead, yet not dead. Until she's 18, but how much time passes between getting caught and the last chapter, I have no clue. The ending's all very open-ended – which CAN have it's perks – but I don't know what's going to happen with Rosie. However... it's rare the villain wins.</spoiler>
The Vault of Dreamers will most likely appeal to those interested in reading about a reality show where everything is not what it may seem behind cameras. I may look into O'Brien's other works.
------------------
Advanced review copy provided by Macmillan for review
Original Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/09/arc-review-the-vault-of-dreamers-by-caragh-m-obrien.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
June 6, 1944 is the day known around the world as D-Day. This historic day marks the massive invasion of France by the allied forces in an effort to regain the country from the hands of Germany and push back the mighty German war machine all the way to Berlin. There have been many movies, books, and even videogames about the invasion over the years, so even the biggest war buffs might be wondering…really, they made yet another movie about D-Day? Well, the movie Overlord is quite a bit different from anything we have even seen previously. This movie is still about Operation Overlord but does not focus on the amphibious assault and instead shows us the missions leading up to it. Still not unique enough for you? Well, in Overlord we have all the battles, weaponry and Nazis of an excellent war film but in true J.J. Abrams fashion we now also have ZOMBIES!
Overlord focuses on a small unit tasked to take out a radio tower atop a church in a small village in France. The unit led by Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russell) and comprised of fresh out of paratrooper training Privates Boyce (Jovan Adepo), Rosenfeld (Dominic Applewhite) and Tibbet (John Magaro) are the only survivors of the doomed mission, but understand that if they do not complete it, then the allied invasion will be without crucial air support. During their trek to the church they meet a young French woman from the village named Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier) who offers to accompany them and assist in taking out the radio tower.
When the ragtag team reach the village, it immediately becomes apparent that everything is not as it should be. They go to Chloe’s house to formulate their plan and are greeted by howling and grunting coming from a closed door down the hallway. Chloe states that her aunt also lives in the house and is very “sick” after being taken to the church by a German soldier. At the same time, through a series of unfortunate events, Private Boyce discovers a brutal laboratory where other villagers are also being made “sick”.
For those who have seen the preview of Overlord and expect it to be war-based horror movie may be a little disappointed. While there certainly are horrific events, and plenty of scenes fighting the undead, Overlord is much more about the atrocities that the Nazi regime inflicted on innocents in an effort to purse the 1000-year-old Reich. J.J. Abrams spins a tale about how a small group of dedicated soldiers can pull out the impossible, even when there are hordes of Nazi soldiers and undead monsters standing in their way and does this in a spectacular and very believable way. The movie seems far more realistic than it should considering we are talking about zombie soldiers, but the events unfold as if they could actually happen. The movie is less The Walking Dead and more Saving Private Ryan, focusing not so much on the undead creatures themselves, but more the experimentation and mad-scientist efforts to create the ultimate super soldier. The story was outstanding and how they depicted everything from the soldiers to the zombies was top notch.
The movie is beautifully shot, standing tall next to other war epics such as Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk. Even though the main plot of the film isn’t the invasion itself, it goes to astonishing detail to show how massive the invasion truly was. The opening scene is both epic and terrifying and the horrors of war are explored throughout. The acting was also superb, leading you to immediately care about the team and root for their success in the mission.
If it is not already clear, I absolutely loved this movie! They did a masterful job of blending the war/horror genre in such a way, that it never overly feels like one versus the other. It’s an action packed, edge of your seat thriller, with just enough jump scares included to remind you that it is billed as a horror movie. Overlord is a very unique take on an unfortunate time in history and it is one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2018.
Overlord focuses on a small unit tasked to take out a radio tower atop a church in a small village in France. The unit led by Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russell) and comprised of fresh out of paratrooper training Privates Boyce (Jovan Adepo), Rosenfeld (Dominic Applewhite) and Tibbet (John Magaro) are the only survivors of the doomed mission, but understand that if they do not complete it, then the allied invasion will be without crucial air support. During their trek to the church they meet a young French woman from the village named Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier) who offers to accompany them and assist in taking out the radio tower.
When the ragtag team reach the village, it immediately becomes apparent that everything is not as it should be. They go to Chloe’s house to formulate their plan and are greeted by howling and grunting coming from a closed door down the hallway. Chloe states that her aunt also lives in the house and is very “sick” after being taken to the church by a German soldier. At the same time, through a series of unfortunate events, Private Boyce discovers a brutal laboratory where other villagers are also being made “sick”.
For those who have seen the preview of Overlord and expect it to be war-based horror movie may be a little disappointed. While there certainly are horrific events, and plenty of scenes fighting the undead, Overlord is much more about the atrocities that the Nazi regime inflicted on innocents in an effort to purse the 1000-year-old Reich. J.J. Abrams spins a tale about how a small group of dedicated soldiers can pull out the impossible, even when there are hordes of Nazi soldiers and undead monsters standing in their way and does this in a spectacular and very believable way. The movie seems far more realistic than it should considering we are talking about zombie soldiers, but the events unfold as if they could actually happen. The movie is less The Walking Dead and more Saving Private Ryan, focusing not so much on the undead creatures themselves, but more the experimentation and mad-scientist efforts to create the ultimate super soldier. The story was outstanding and how they depicted everything from the soldiers to the zombies was top notch.
The movie is beautifully shot, standing tall next to other war epics such as Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk. Even though the main plot of the film isn’t the invasion itself, it goes to astonishing detail to show how massive the invasion truly was. The opening scene is both epic and terrifying and the horrors of war are explored throughout. The acting was also superb, leading you to immediately care about the team and root for their success in the mission.
If it is not already clear, I absolutely loved this movie! They did a masterful job of blending the war/horror genre in such a way, that it never overly feels like one versus the other. It’s an action packed, edge of your seat thriller, with just enough jump scares included to remind you that it is billed as a horror movie. Overlord is a very unique take on an unfortunate time in history and it is one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2018.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Abandon (Abandon, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I read Meg Cabot's Vanished series (previously published as 1-800-WHERE-R-U) and have drawn the same conclusion about Abandon as I did about that series: She's a fabulous story teller and can weave a wonderful intriguing mysterious story that is highly addicting (I read Abandon in five hours without stopping) but she's not a very good writer.
Let me explain: The ARC was 304 pages. If she had cut out all the unneeded phrases, descriptions, and dead wood that slowed the story down and made it harder to read, it would be closer to 200. If it were shorter, she'd have more space for more of that great plot line that she's so good at developing. But instead, I'm stuck tripping over ungrammatical sentences and awkward phrases—and let's not forget whole unnecessary paragraphs with details that don't matter, set off by dashes right in the middle of the sentence, because that's just such a good thing to put in a novel—that force you to go back and read the sentence several times so your brain doesn't get to twisted.
As for the story itself: I can't praise it enough. It was a mystery I had to solve, and some of the small clues I figured out, and others I didn't. I loved that I could figure out stuff about the same time Pierce did, but I also loved that I didn't figure out the major mystery of the story until I was supposed to. Some novelists make it too obvious, but Cabot had just enough to make it work.
I liked Pierce, but there were a few times I wanted to shake her and tell her to grow up and be honest. That is one of the reasons I couldn't stop reading, though. I wanted to see what happened because of the choices she made. And then there was the time I wanted to slap her: of course John was in love with her, why did she think he was acting like that? silly girl. Yet I couldn't have mean thoughts towards her because I liked her (and, okay, I have a soft spot for crazy main characters). John? He was quite amazing. Wild thing. Dark troubled boy. Dangerous. John needs to climb out of that novel and through my bedroom window and be my boyfriend.
The pacing and tension was perfect: I started reading and didn't stop until about five hours later when I closed the book at the end. I couldn't stop reading. That's the kind of book I like.
Now if only Cabot could write. Yes I have read worse writers, but she would be so excellent if the interior monologue of the character was less frustrating.
Content/Recommendation: No language, no sex. Ages 15+
Let me explain: The ARC was 304 pages. If she had cut out all the unneeded phrases, descriptions, and dead wood that slowed the story down and made it harder to read, it would be closer to 200. If it were shorter, she'd have more space for more of that great plot line that she's so good at developing. But instead, I'm stuck tripping over ungrammatical sentences and awkward phrases—and let's not forget whole unnecessary paragraphs with details that don't matter, set off by dashes right in the middle of the sentence, because that's just such a good thing to put in a novel—that force you to go back and read the sentence several times so your brain doesn't get to twisted.
As for the story itself: I can't praise it enough. It was a mystery I had to solve, and some of the small clues I figured out, and others I didn't. I loved that I could figure out stuff about the same time Pierce did, but I also loved that I didn't figure out the major mystery of the story until I was supposed to. Some novelists make it too obvious, but Cabot had just enough to make it work.
I liked Pierce, but there were a few times I wanted to shake her and tell her to grow up and be honest. That is one of the reasons I couldn't stop reading, though. I wanted to see what happened because of the choices she made. And then there was the time I wanted to slap her: of course John was in love with her, why did she think he was acting like that? silly girl. Yet I couldn't have mean thoughts towards her because I liked her (and, okay, I have a soft spot for crazy main characters). John? He was quite amazing. Wild thing. Dark troubled boy. Dangerous. John needs to climb out of that novel and through my bedroom window and be my boyfriend.
The pacing and tension was perfect: I started reading and didn't stop until about five hours later when I closed the book at the end. I couldn't stop reading. That's the kind of book I like.
Now if only Cabot could write. Yes I have read worse writers, but she would be so excellent if the interior monologue of the character was less frustrating.
Content/Recommendation: No language, no sex. Ages 15+
Debbiereadsbook (1197 KP) rated Deadly Games (Dallas after Dark #2) in Books
Aug 3, 2018
kinda creeps up on ya!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Dallas After Dark series, but I have not read book one, Dangerous Games. I would like to, though. You don't NEED it, I don't think, I didn't feel I was missing anything by not having read it, but I would like to read Reese's story, she's the owner of the strip club here.
FBI Agent Katherine is out on a girls night out after her divorce in the male strip club, Dallas Heat. Nash is their star performer. Nash pulls Katherine (loved that it was not shortened, not once!) onto the stage, something he has NEVER done before. A night of passion follows but Katherine runs, knowing that it can only be that: one night. But Nash turns up at her office with information that might help find a serial killer. Together, they must catch this killer before one of Katherine's friends turns up dead, all the while with Katherine fighting their attraction. Nash, however, is already all in!
I really really enjoyed this book! Don't you just love being surprised by a book, but you've no particular idea why?? I *think* that it was probably Nash himself.
I must admit, I had preconceptions about a male stripper, and what he got up to with his customers. But Nash blew them all out the water. As did the fact that I, very wrongly, pegged Nash as all body and no brains! I've no idea WHY I thought that, but I did. And for that I'm truly sorry!
I liked the pace the story moved at, not too fast, at a fair and even pace so you can keep up. I DID get who the killer was, just as soon as they popped up in the story, but I did NOT get what they had done before! Loved watching the main play out, so many wrong turns!
It's not over explicit, but it is still incredibly sexy. It does get a little gruesome in the beginning, when it is describing a victim's suffering at the hands of the killer.
I do like the way Rock tells her tales, one to watch, me finks!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Dallas After Dark series, but I have not read book one, Dangerous Games. I would like to, though. You don't NEED it, I don't think, I didn't feel I was missing anything by not having read it, but I would like to read Reese's story, she's the owner of the strip club here.
FBI Agent Katherine is out on a girls night out after her divorce in the male strip club, Dallas Heat. Nash is their star performer. Nash pulls Katherine (loved that it was not shortened, not once!) onto the stage, something he has NEVER done before. A night of passion follows but Katherine runs, knowing that it can only be that: one night. But Nash turns up at her office with information that might help find a serial killer. Together, they must catch this killer before one of Katherine's friends turns up dead, all the while with Katherine fighting their attraction. Nash, however, is already all in!
I really really enjoyed this book! Don't you just love being surprised by a book, but you've no particular idea why?? I *think* that it was probably Nash himself.
I must admit, I had preconceptions about a male stripper, and what he got up to with his customers. But Nash blew them all out the water. As did the fact that I, very wrongly, pegged Nash as all body and no brains! I've no idea WHY I thought that, but I did. And for that I'm truly sorry!
I liked the pace the story moved at, not too fast, at a fair and even pace so you can keep up. I DID get who the killer was, just as soon as they popped up in the story, but I did NOT get what they had done before! Loved watching the main play out, so many wrong turns!
It's not over explicit, but it is still incredibly sexy. It does get a little gruesome in the beginning, when it is describing a victim's suffering at the hands of the killer.
I do like the way Rock tells her tales, one to watch, me finks!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Otway93 (567 KP) rated Night of the Living Dead (1968) in Movies
Oct 1, 2022
Acting (4 more)
Soundtrack
Characters
Ending
Genuinely Frightening
Almost the perfect horror movie!
This film is basically a horror masterpiece, with it's only downside being some of the worst movie punches I've ever seen near the ending. These are barely worth mentioning but this is the only downside I could find apart from all the clichés, which this movie invented anyway, so you can hardly count that against it!
The story is of course typical, but with a little bit of a science-fiction element I wasn't aware of, so that was a nice surprise! But it is worth mentioning the small, enclosed setting which makes the film all that much scarier and makes it a genuinely frightening movie.
All of the actors played their parts to perfection, and the perfect blend of different character traits among the 6 main characters provides the film with another layer of horror.
The soundtrack is beautiful. An unusual score consisting of strings, horns and synthesisers, all at different times. It is reminiscent of 1950s and early 1960s Kaiju films.
Finally, the ending. The ending is a masterpiece, and certainly not the typical zombie ending. I'll leave it there to leave the "surprise" intact.
Overall, apart from the aforementioned punches, a total masterpiece, and I can't wait to watch Dawn of the Dead when it arrives!
P.S. The original quality of the film is quite poor, but the 4K remaster is stunning, so I definitely recommend the Criterion Collection 4K remaster as the film quality is dramatically improved.
The story is of course typical, but with a little bit of a science-fiction element I wasn't aware of, so that was a nice surprise! But it is worth mentioning the small, enclosed setting which makes the film all that much scarier and makes it a genuinely frightening movie.
All of the actors played their parts to perfection, and the perfect blend of different character traits among the 6 main characters provides the film with another layer of horror.
The soundtrack is beautiful. An unusual score consisting of strings, horns and synthesisers, all at different times. It is reminiscent of 1950s and early 1960s Kaiju films.
Finally, the ending. The ending is a masterpiece, and certainly not the typical zombie ending. I'll leave it there to leave the "surprise" intact.
Overall, apart from the aforementioned punches, a total masterpiece, and I can't wait to watch Dawn of the Dead when it arrives!
P.S. The original quality of the film is quite poor, but the 4K remaster is stunning, so I definitely recommend the Criterion Collection 4K remaster as the film quality is dramatically improved.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated All These Beautiful Strangers in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Review can also be found on www.diaryofdifference.com
A beautiful story about families, love, betrayal, the difference between the rich and poor, and a girl that tries to discover what happened to her missing mother, while discovering herself.
Charlie Calloway has a life most people would kill for – a tight-knit family, a loyal set of friends, and top grades a privileged boarding school. But Charlie’s never been interested in what most people want. Like all Calloways, she’s been taught that she’s different, special – better. So when her school’s super-exclusive secret society extends a mysterious invitation, Charlie’s determination to get in is matched only by her conviction that she belongs there.
But their secrets go deeper than she knows.
Charlie finds herself thrust into the centre of a decades-old mystery – one that implicates her family in not one terrible crime, but two. Uncovering their past may destroy everything she knows – or give her the answer she’s always craved: Who or what was behind her mother’s disappearance ten years ago?
I haven’t heard about this book until I received it as a birthday gift from my sister. The cover is just – gorgeous! You can feel the raindrops on the cover, and the sides are painted black, and you can read out ”I KNOW”. They have been thinking of all the little details.
The story is a bit slow at the beginning. It took me a while to get into it, as they delay the plot for a while, but once you get past that little hill of boredom, it gets better and better. I could imagine myself climbing a mountain with my bike, struggling while climbing, just so I can enjoy the great fast downhill and wind in my face.
The story is told by many people’s perspective, and it changes after each chapter. The amazing thing was, the stories go back in the past as well, but the story keeps flowing in one direction, event by event, which I really enjoyed. If this was poorly made, the book would’ve been so confusing, but fortunately, it wasn’t.
Even though I didn’t expect, this turned out to be a great mystery-solving novel, with wonderful and unexpected plot-twists, and a cliffhanger until the end. Is the mother dead or alive?
Many of the topics covered are very relatable. The difference between children raised in rich families versus the children raised in not-s-rich families. Their thoughts and mindsets, their beliefs, and the people they hang out with. And when a girl like Charlie, who has a father from a rich family and a mother from a poor family, is on the cross-road, it is amazing to see this character develop and make choices for herself, that reflect on both her backgrounds.
A lovely read, fast-paced novel, with a beautiful cover and even more beautiful reading material, this is one of the stories that I would recommend for you to read on a rainy day, covered in a blanket, with a hot chocolate – despite the summer theme on the cover, this was a winter book for me.
A beautiful story about families, love, betrayal, the difference between the rich and poor, and a girl that tries to discover what happened to her missing mother, while discovering herself.
Charlie Calloway has a life most people would kill for – a tight-knit family, a loyal set of friends, and top grades a privileged boarding school. But Charlie’s never been interested in what most people want. Like all Calloways, she’s been taught that she’s different, special – better. So when her school’s super-exclusive secret society extends a mysterious invitation, Charlie’s determination to get in is matched only by her conviction that she belongs there.
But their secrets go deeper than she knows.
Charlie finds herself thrust into the centre of a decades-old mystery – one that implicates her family in not one terrible crime, but two. Uncovering their past may destroy everything she knows – or give her the answer she’s always craved: Who or what was behind her mother’s disappearance ten years ago?
I haven’t heard about this book until I received it as a birthday gift from my sister. The cover is just – gorgeous! You can feel the raindrops on the cover, and the sides are painted black, and you can read out ”I KNOW”. They have been thinking of all the little details.
The story is a bit slow at the beginning. It took me a while to get into it, as they delay the plot for a while, but once you get past that little hill of boredom, it gets better and better. I could imagine myself climbing a mountain with my bike, struggling while climbing, just so I can enjoy the great fast downhill and wind in my face.
The story is told by many people’s perspective, and it changes after each chapter. The amazing thing was, the stories go back in the past as well, but the story keeps flowing in one direction, event by event, which I really enjoyed. If this was poorly made, the book would’ve been so confusing, but fortunately, it wasn’t.
Even though I didn’t expect, this turned out to be a great mystery-solving novel, with wonderful and unexpected plot-twists, and a cliffhanger until the end. Is the mother dead or alive?
Many of the topics covered are very relatable. The difference between children raised in rich families versus the children raised in not-s-rich families. Their thoughts and mindsets, their beliefs, and the people they hang out with. And when a girl like Charlie, who has a father from a rich family and a mother from a poor family, is on the cross-road, it is amazing to see this character develop and make choices for herself, that reflect on both her backgrounds.
A lovely read, fast-paced novel, with a beautiful cover and even more beautiful reading material, this is one of the stories that I would recommend for you to read on a rainy day, covered in a blanket, with a hot chocolate – despite the summer theme on the cover, this was a winter book for me.
Sweet Paradise (Boise Montague #2)
Book
In this harrowing Caribbean noir murder mystery, we meet Private Investigator Boise Montague, a man...
Mystery Caribbean Noir
ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Dictator’s Wife in Books
Mar 8, 2022
The Dictator’s Wife drew me in from the first page. I was utterly gripped by this claustrophobic-feeling story about the wife of a deposed (and dead) dictator.
Laura Lāzārescu’s parents had escaped Yanussia and its oppressive regime when she was a small child. Yanussian wasn’t spoken in the house, Yanussia wasn’t spoken about at all. So when Laura is asked to go to Yanussia with her law firm to represent Marija Popa, the wife of the country’s former dictator, her parents aren’t at all happy.
Marija is firm in her innocence. But is she really innocent? She’s accused of money laundering and human rights abuses, but she repeatedly paints a picture of herself as that of the nations mother. This is a woman with charisma, and you know when she has entered a room. She uses her femininity like a weapon - people do what she want them to with little effort on her part (or so it appears).
And Laura is affected by her. What makes it more interesting, is that Marija knows Laura’s mother - something that Laura has no knowledge of.
There’s a feeling of dread running throughout this book: Laura and her colleagues can’t leave the grounds without an escort, the building itself has secrets, and it’s as though those secrets are oozing from the walls. It feels like Laura is being constantly watched.
Everyone in this novel has secrets: Laura’s parents, her colleagues, the Yanussian lawyer, Marija’s sister, and most importantly, Marija herself. Family is an important theme: Marija is adopted, but even her adopted sister is clearly covering up for her. Laura’s family has pretty much destroyed itself as her parents keep their secrets from her.
Other themes are secrets, gender roles, stereotypes within those roles and the role of the media and social media in particular. Social media is a big driver behind the attitudes of the people towards Marija, and the media itself fuels this.
Laura just wants to find out the secrets that her parents won’t tell her, but will she be able to before she has to leave?
I’d most certainly recommend this book, and I’m really looking forward to reading more from Freya Berry in the future. Many thanks to Hayley @Shelflyfe and @Headline books for my prize-winning copy.
Laura Lāzārescu’s parents had escaped Yanussia and its oppressive regime when she was a small child. Yanussian wasn’t spoken in the house, Yanussia wasn’t spoken about at all. So when Laura is asked to go to Yanussia with her law firm to represent Marija Popa, the wife of the country’s former dictator, her parents aren’t at all happy.
Marija is firm in her innocence. But is she really innocent? She’s accused of money laundering and human rights abuses, but she repeatedly paints a picture of herself as that of the nations mother. This is a woman with charisma, and you know when she has entered a room. She uses her femininity like a weapon - people do what she want them to with little effort on her part (or so it appears).
And Laura is affected by her. What makes it more interesting, is that Marija knows Laura’s mother - something that Laura has no knowledge of.
There’s a feeling of dread running throughout this book: Laura and her colleagues can’t leave the grounds without an escort, the building itself has secrets, and it’s as though those secrets are oozing from the walls. It feels like Laura is being constantly watched.
Everyone in this novel has secrets: Laura’s parents, her colleagues, the Yanussian lawyer, Marija’s sister, and most importantly, Marija herself. Family is an important theme: Marija is adopted, but even her adopted sister is clearly covering up for her. Laura’s family has pretty much destroyed itself as her parents keep their secrets from her.
Other themes are secrets, gender roles, stereotypes within those roles and the role of the media and social media in particular. Social media is a big driver behind the attitudes of the people towards Marija, and the media itself fuels this.
Laura just wants to find out the secrets that her parents won’t tell her, but will she be able to before she has to leave?
I’d most certainly recommend this book, and I’m really looking forward to reading more from Freya Berry in the future. Many thanks to Hayley @Shelflyfe and @Headline books for my prize-winning copy.