Christine A. (965 KP) rated What She Saw in Books
Jun 15, 2019
In What She Saw by Wendy Clarke, you meet Leona, a loving and extremely protective mother of teenaged Beth. They do everything together, absolutely everything. They seem to be perfect and have the perfect life. Of course, things are not always what they seem. Leona and Beth both have secrets which they keep from each other and from everyone else. The question asked is, "how far will a mother go to keep her child safe?"
What She Saw is a slow burn which I had difficulty getting into. However, since I did, I could not put it down. I was a Psychology major and am a sucker for when a character meeting with a psychologist partly reveals the story.
The story uses flashbacks and the present. It starts slow but is suspenseful and well-written.
According to Goodreads, Clarke has published over three hundred short stories published in national women's magazines, and this is her debut novel. As of 6/13/19, it has a rating of 4.25 out of 5. Most of the ratings are 5 stars, and none are 1 star. For a debut novel, that is quite impressive.
I am looking forward to reading more by Wendy Clarke.
This review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/15/19.
KP - the Biography of Kevin Pietersen
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Born in South Africa in 1980 to an Afrikaner father and English mother, he made his first-class...
Barbara the Slut and Other People
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'Astonishing - one of those rare books that manages to be both poignant and hilarious. The last time...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2652 KP) rated Essentials of Murder in Books
Sep 11, 2021
I always love it when a debut cozy has characters who already feel like old friends, and that’s the case here. As we slowly meet Carissa’s family and friends, they form a great group I can’t wait to hang out with again. The suspects? They are great at keeping us confused. The mystery is good. I had some guesses on part of it, but I wasn’t sure until the end. The climax could have been stronger, but it did answer all our questions. As a Southern California resident, I loved recognizing some of the locations mentioned even if Oak Creek Valley is fictional. This is a fun debut you won’t want to miss.
Andy K (10827 KP) rated Badlands (1973) in Movies
Jul 29, 2019
Impressive directorial debut and the start of great things to come. Some of his visual style are already present including impressive landscape shots or cut scenes featuring animals and nature.
The story is based on the American serial killer Charles Starkweather who befriends a naive young girl, invades her life and brings her along on a mass killing road trip across the southern United States. The victims include almost everyone they meet. The authorities are mobilized and pursue the duo as tensions escalate.
Sheen and Spacek are perfectly cast as the young couple which modern audiences would equate to Natural Born Killers; however, this film is not over the top like NBK. I really enjoyed their reluctant relationship and the mounting peril with the inevitable confrontation with the law.
Highly recommended.
Lab Values
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All healthcare professionals & students get at some point to measure and evaluate biological...
Useful Verses
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Richard Osmond's debut collection Useful Verses follows in the tradition of the best nature writing,...
poetry
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9.0
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Every year they gather, while the girls shoot their arrows and the boys hunt them out. The air is...
Fantasy Fiction Short Stories
The Way Out
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A fabulous debut short story collection by an outstanding new female voice, marking the lives of...
CHILLFILTR (46 KP) rated Rêveries by Rob Simonsen in Music
Sep 2, 2019
Simonsen’s deep habit of daydreaming is at last gratifyingly indulged on his long-awaited solo debut RÊVERIES, announced today for a September 6th release date on Sony Music Masterworks. On latest single Coeur, the acoustic piano takes the spotlight, but Simonson also develops an echoed 16-note pulse, as well as hints of a chamber-pop orchestra, away the distance. The result is a delicious tension between unctuous and stoic: opposing forces that, together, lead us gently towards catharsis. Coeur is the introspective and delicately-balanced debut single from Rob Simonsen, featuring a gorgeous combination of electronic minimalism and classical music composition.