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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Familiar Dark in Books
Apr 9, 2020
This book was powerful and utterly absorbing. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it after reading Amy Engel's previous novel, The Roanoke Girls, which is one of my favorite of books. It's one that I recommend to everyone. The Familiar Dark has much of the grittiness of The Roanoke Girls and, man, Engel is an amazing writer who excels at creating these worlds that just suck you in and, in some ways, spit you right back out.
"It had happened now, finally. The disaster I'd been anticipating from the second Junie was born. And I had never even seen it coming."
The title of the book simply doesn't cover it. This is a dark story. Engel captures the small town of Barren Springs perfectly. Our story is told completely from Eve's perspective, which I loved, and things unwind and unfurl as she figures things out. As mentioned, this is a dark tale, as Junie and Izzy's deaths are terrible. Eve's grief just pours off the pages. She is quickly pulled back to the horrors of her childhood and all that she endured. We see immediately that she's going to seek vengenance for what happened to Junie--no matter what. In any fashion, in any way.
I felt as if I almost became one with Eve as I read this book. She is riveting. As a mom, this book broke my heart, and the novel was a testament to a mother's love. It's oddly tender despite its horrifying and sad moments, and I defy you not to love Eve, despite her flaws. The book shows how her childhood formed her, and her brother Cal, whom is really the only person Eve has left after Junie's death.
I could rave on and on, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything. This book isn't for the faint of heart and it's not exactly an uplifting read, but as mentioned, it still resonates as a read about the power of family and love, despite its tense, uncomfortable moments. I am wowed by Engel's writing and can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
"It had happened now, finally. The disaster I'd been anticipating from the second Junie was born. And I had never even seen it coming."
The title of the book simply doesn't cover it. This is a dark story. Engel captures the small town of Barren Springs perfectly. Our story is told completely from Eve's perspective, which I loved, and things unwind and unfurl as she figures things out. As mentioned, this is a dark tale, as Junie and Izzy's deaths are terrible. Eve's grief just pours off the pages. She is quickly pulled back to the horrors of her childhood and all that she endured. We see immediately that she's going to seek vengenance for what happened to Junie--no matter what. In any fashion, in any way.
I felt as if I almost became one with Eve as I read this book. She is riveting. As a mom, this book broke my heart, and the novel was a testament to a mother's love. It's oddly tender despite its horrifying and sad moments, and I defy you not to love Eve, despite her flaws. The book shows how her childhood formed her, and her brother Cal, whom is really the only person Eve has left after Junie's death.
I could rave on and on, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything. This book isn't for the faint of heart and it's not exactly an uplifting read, but as mentioned, it still resonates as a read about the power of family and love, despite its tense, uncomfortable moments. I am wowed by Engel's writing and can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Run All Night (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Run All Night” is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The film stars Liam
Neeson, Joel Kinnaman and Ed Harris.
Liam Neeson plays Jimmy Conlon, an aging hit man who seems to be trying
to come to terms (and failing) with the bad things that he has done in
his life for Irish Mob boss Shawn Maguire(Ed Harris). Jimmy and his son
Mike (Joel Kinnamen) have no relationship, and Jimmy is alone in the
world except for Shawn.
In a convoluted story line, Shawns son Danny (Boyd Holbrook) tries to
“prove himself” to his father by arranging a deal with some drug running
Albanians, but since Shawn has taken his business away from dealing with
anything to do with drugs because of the people he has lost over that
sort of business, Shawn refuses the deal.
Things quickly head south, and in an even more convoluted story line,
Danny ends up dead, by Jimmys’ hand.
Shawn vows to get even, and the remainder of the movie is spent in car
chases, shoot outs, burning buildings, near escapes, and deaths.
I was pulled into the movie, and found myself caring what happened to
the main characters.
It was rather predictable, in the way that all “Mob” movies are
predictable, with the shooting and car chases etc.
What wasn’t so predictable was the amount of “caring” that Neeson was
able to project and portray and how invested he was able to make me as
an audience member. He played the part of an aging, emotionally and
physically beat down guy, with regrets about his relationship with his
son, trying against all odds to “make it right” this one last time, to
protect his family, at any cost to himself. I was pulling for him to be
able to get it done.
The one part of the movie that i didn’t like was the “swooping” with the
camera angles, when jumping (literally) from one scene or location to
the next in the movie. I found it to be dizzying and I had to close my
eyes until those parts were done.
Neeson, Joel Kinnaman and Ed Harris.
Liam Neeson plays Jimmy Conlon, an aging hit man who seems to be trying
to come to terms (and failing) with the bad things that he has done in
his life for Irish Mob boss Shawn Maguire(Ed Harris). Jimmy and his son
Mike (Joel Kinnamen) have no relationship, and Jimmy is alone in the
world except for Shawn.
In a convoluted story line, Shawns son Danny (Boyd Holbrook) tries to
“prove himself” to his father by arranging a deal with some drug running
Albanians, but since Shawn has taken his business away from dealing with
anything to do with drugs because of the people he has lost over that
sort of business, Shawn refuses the deal.
Things quickly head south, and in an even more convoluted story line,
Danny ends up dead, by Jimmys’ hand.
Shawn vows to get even, and the remainder of the movie is spent in car
chases, shoot outs, burning buildings, near escapes, and deaths.
I was pulled into the movie, and found myself caring what happened to
the main characters.
It was rather predictable, in the way that all “Mob” movies are
predictable, with the shooting and car chases etc.
What wasn’t so predictable was the amount of “caring” that Neeson was
able to project and portray and how invested he was able to make me as
an audience member. He played the part of an aging, emotionally and
physically beat down guy, with regrets about his relationship with his
son, trying against all odds to “make it right” this one last time, to
protect his family, at any cost to himself. I was pulling for him to be
able to get it done.
The one part of the movie that i didn’t like was the “swooping” with the
camera angles, when jumping (literally) from one scene or location to
the next in the movie. I found it to be dizzying and I had to close my
eyes until those parts were done.
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Debbiereadsbook (1620 KP) rated Trust Me in Books
Feb 20, 2022
a bit too much, for ME!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I received my copy of this book via Netgalley.
I'm not 100% how I feel about this book, so I'll try to explain (which is not always possible!)
I liked the premise of this book. Delaney's boyfriend was sent to prison for the manslaughter of her brother. He maintained his innocence throughout. The day of his release, she finds her best friend killed the same way, and Hunter is now prime suspect. What follows is a race to not only prove Hunter's claim, but to prevent any more deaths.
I liked that we hear from more than just Delaney and Hunter. I do like to hear from everyone.
I liked the suspense aspect. I wasn't fully certain whodunnit, til it was revealed in the book.
It is a bit violent, with the death discoveries being described in detail. I did think that was appropriate though, for the most part, for this book.
It is clean. I didn't mind that. I do prefer my books on the more explicit side, but I'm big enough to say when a book does not need it.
It does drag a bit, between about 40 to 70% and I very nearly dumped it, but I wanted to know how it would all turn out.
And we come to my biggest issue. I'm quite happy to read Christian books, religious characters, deeply faithful or mindly thoughtful about higher powers. But this book takes the references to God and faith and belief a little bit too far, FOR ME. It felt like, at least every page had a reference to God or faith. A bit like it was shoving it down my throat. It really was, for ME, too much. I stress this point, this is MY OPINION, and how I felt about it.
This is the first I've read of this author. Will I read more? Probably not. A quick search shows a back list of religious themed books, and if they are anything like this one, I won't like it.
So, because of the major dragging bit, and because of the constant God/faith thing . . .
3 stars
I'm not 100% how I feel about this book, so I'll try to explain (which is not always possible!)
I liked the premise of this book. Delaney's boyfriend was sent to prison for the manslaughter of her brother. He maintained his innocence throughout. The day of his release, she finds her best friend killed the same way, and Hunter is now prime suspect. What follows is a race to not only prove Hunter's claim, but to prevent any more deaths.
I liked that we hear from more than just Delaney and Hunter. I do like to hear from everyone.
I liked the suspense aspect. I wasn't fully certain whodunnit, til it was revealed in the book.
It is a bit violent, with the death discoveries being described in detail. I did think that was appropriate though, for the most part, for this book.
It is clean. I didn't mind that. I do prefer my books on the more explicit side, but I'm big enough to say when a book does not need it.
It does drag a bit, between about 40 to 70% and I very nearly dumped it, but I wanted to know how it would all turn out.
And we come to my biggest issue. I'm quite happy to read Christian books, religious characters, deeply faithful or mindly thoughtful about higher powers. But this book takes the references to God and faith and belief a little bit too far, FOR ME. It felt like, at least every page had a reference to God or faith. A bit like it was shoving it down my throat. It really was, for ME, too much. I stress this point, this is MY OPINION, and how I felt about it.
This is the first I've read of this author. Will I read more? Probably not. A quick search shows a back list of religious themed books, and if they are anything like this one, I won't like it.
So, because of the major dragging bit, and because of the constant God/faith thing . . .
3 stars
Amy Christmas (171 KP) rated Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) in Books
Nov 27, 2017
The writing style is fluent and easy to follow (2 more)
Introduction to the world is smooth and not overwhelming
Never slow
Blew me away
Contains spoilers, click to show
I picked this book as well as the two sequels up from a charity shop for £2 on a bit of a whim, despite knowing I'd be lucky to get around to reading them in the next 3 years. A year on and boy am I glad I got to reading the first one sooner than anticipated.
Yarvi is our protagonist, a cripple that his father cast aside in favour of his 10 fingered brother, although Yarvi hated that he was ignored it allowed him to follow his own path and train to become a minister, an advisor to powerful people though he never gets a chance to pass the test. His plans dashed by his father and brothers deaths as he's forced to take the throne his father ruled from. During their funeral Yarvi swears to avenge them.
And he tries, even with his crippled hand but in such kingdoms we soon learn that betrayal is rife along with greed. Betrayed by one close to him Yarvi's reign ends abruptly on the battlefield.
After being made a slave he embarks on a journey that finds him rowing around the shattered sea and marching through snow. He manipulates small scale politics and finds himself on the sharp end of a few too many swords but with friends who seem fickle at first there to help him. However it seems that one of the group like Yarvi kept his true identity a secret and their is more to his uncles betrayal than meets the eye, because their are always more puppet masters.
And with a bittersweet ending the case is closed and the mystery solved, atleast one piece of it.
This book has a lot of death and makes you mourn those you thought you detested and hate those you thought you'd love. It's a fast paced action packed fantasy with a world of rich an wonderful colours and twists that are yelled at you from chapter one yet you still don't expect.
A very satisfying read because when you thought the betrayal was solved Abercrombie still held on to one final piece of the puzzle making for a bittersweet ending that really shows how far Yarvi has come, for better or for worse.
Yarvi is our protagonist, a cripple that his father cast aside in favour of his 10 fingered brother, although Yarvi hated that he was ignored it allowed him to follow his own path and train to become a minister, an advisor to powerful people though he never gets a chance to pass the test. His plans dashed by his father and brothers deaths as he's forced to take the throne his father ruled from. During their funeral Yarvi swears to avenge them.
And he tries, even with his crippled hand but in such kingdoms we soon learn that betrayal is rife along with greed. Betrayed by one close to him Yarvi's reign ends abruptly on the battlefield.
After being made a slave he embarks on a journey that finds him rowing around the shattered sea and marching through snow. He manipulates small scale politics and finds himself on the sharp end of a few too many swords but with friends who seem fickle at first there to help him. However it seems that one of the group like Yarvi kept his true identity a secret and their is more to his uncles betrayal than meets the eye, because their are always more puppet masters.
And with a bittersweet ending the case is closed and the mystery solved, atleast one piece of it.
This book has a lot of death and makes you mourn those you thought you detested and hate those you thought you'd love. It's a fast paced action packed fantasy with a world of rich an wonderful colours and twists that are yelled at you from chapter one yet you still don't expect.
A very satisfying read because when you thought the betrayal was solved Abercrombie still held on to one final piece of the puzzle making for a bittersweet ending that really shows how far Yarvi has come, for better or for worse.