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Sam (74 KP) rated The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
The Baudelaires, after every other disaster that has happened in their lives, arrive at Prufrock Preparatory School with Mr Poe.
The Austere Academy doesn’t even start off happy. The school the Baudelaire’s arrive at looks depressing at best. The individual buildings look like tombstones, and the vice principal is a self-obsessed, violin playing dictator.
The Baudelaire’s go straight off to a rough start, being told that since they didn’t have a guardian’s permission to live with the rest of the students, they must live in the Orphan Shack – a mouldy shack infested with crabs.
It’s probably one of the most depressing books in the series so far because even though Count Olaf reappears (shocker), they’ve begun to give up telling adults who he is because they are never believed. The Baudelaires seem on the verge of completely giving up and letting Count Olaf and his associates win.
There is a small beam of hope where they meet the Quagmires, and I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoiling the entire book.
The series is just starting to pick up with this book as it begins to reveal some of the mysteries and secrets which have been looming since the first book. It really seems that this book marks a turning point in the series and really starts off the uncovering of all of the mysteries surrounding the Baudelaire’s circumstances.
The Austere Academy doesn’t even start off happy. The school the Baudelaire’s arrive at looks depressing at best. The individual buildings look like tombstones, and the vice principal is a self-obsessed, violin playing dictator.
The Baudelaire’s go straight off to a rough start, being told that since they didn’t have a guardian’s permission to live with the rest of the students, they must live in the Orphan Shack – a mouldy shack infested with crabs.
It’s probably one of the most depressing books in the series so far because even though Count Olaf reappears (shocker), they’ve begun to give up telling adults who he is because they are never believed. The Baudelaires seem on the verge of completely giving up and letting Count Olaf and his associates win.
There is a small beam of hope where they meet the Quagmires, and I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoiling the entire book.
The series is just starting to pick up with this book as it begins to reveal some of the mysteries and secrets which have been looming since the first book. It really seems that this book marks a turning point in the series and really starts off the uncovering of all of the mysteries surrounding the Baudelaire’s circumstances.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Time Ahead (Memoirs on Being, #1) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
When I read [Robert King's] [Time Ahead] my first thought was Rip van Winkle. The idea of falling to sleep and waking up in another time. As I read on I realized that I missed the existentialism that was so present in my younger years. Reading this was like a breath of fresh air for me. This may sound odd since it is a dark and depressing view to most people. The style [King] wrote it was truly engaging and there were points when the irony made me laugh out loud. This type of writing is very rare to come across and even more having it done well.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Little Deaths in Books
Aug 11, 2017
A depressing tale about victim blaming
This is a deceptively feminist book showing how society portrays women and how they are expected to behave. At first it resembled Albert Camus' The Stranger in which the protagonist is victimised for not behaving the appropriate way after a death. But it looked further into how a mother is essentially blamed for killing her children because she partook in inappropriate behaviour following their murder. The book is intelligent because it leads the reader away from thinking about the real killer and focuses on the mother. Right until the end you almost forget what the story is really about. Surprisingly enjoyable.
sarah smedley (301 KP) rated Instant Family (2019) in Movies
Mar 3, 2019
fantastic
Instant Family is an instant hit. This movie is so funny and has such a good story. Great cast. This is an hilarious movie with elements of depressing, sad, and funny parts, i could be laughing one minute and crying the next, loved how they took 3 kids in and even through the troubles and hard time stuck together. The youngest child is so funny and reminds how most kids her age can act if dont get their own way, will be watching this movie again at some point. highly recommend for people to watch, its got to be the best comedy so far that i have watched.
Lea Eden Patrick (0 KP) rated The Princess Diarist in Books
Feb 9, 2018
I cried!
Carrie was a lovely person, a wonderful writer, and the honesty and courage with which she tells this story are commendable! It’s hilarious and self-deprecating humor are both refreshing and depressing. I couldn’t help but feel for her. She will be missed on screen and off. Her willingness to speak so loudly and often about her mental health struggles did SO much for others with similar issues and she rarely is credited for those advancements her frankness gave to the field of mental health study. A haunting read so close to her death.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Life in the Sloth Lane: Slow Down and Smell the Hibiscus in Books
Jul 12, 2018
I received this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was just what I was needing. I have been reading many dark and depressing novels so when I had a chance to read this book, I knew it was fate. Life in the Sloth Lane is a book that has adorable sloths and some good inspirational quotes. It was almost like I wasmeditating when I was reading. It calmed me down, made me smile and I even learned new facts about sloths.
If you enjoy sloths, need some time just to breathe, and like learning something new, this is the book for you. Seriously, it is adorable.
This book was just what I was needing. I have been reading many dark and depressing novels so when I had a chance to read this book, I knew it was fate. Life in the Sloth Lane is a book that has adorable sloths and some good inspirational quotes. It was almost like I wasmeditating when I was reading. It calmed me down, made me smile and I even learned new facts about sloths.
If you enjoy sloths, need some time just to breathe, and like learning something new, this is the book for you. Seriously, it is adorable.
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated How to Stop Time in Books
Sep 30, 2018
This is my first read by Matt Haig. HOW TO STOP TIME is unique, deep, sometimes long-winded, sad, desperate and interesting. It has a past-present approach to story telling that worked very well.
The protagonist, Tom doesn’t age, at least not normally. He’s met Shakespeare, he’s loved but he’s lost so deeply and he remembers so much. This is a tale of such longing and of the inertia of existing for so long. It’s tragic, not particularly uplifting or depressing but it left me somewhat sad.
I particularly enjoyed the original storyline but I struggled occasionally with the pacing.
The audio narration, male single POV was very good.
The protagonist, Tom doesn’t age, at least not normally. He’s met Shakespeare, he’s loved but he’s lost so deeply and he remembers so much. This is a tale of such longing and of the inertia of existing for so long. It’s tragic, not particularly uplifting or depressing but it left me somewhat sad.
I particularly enjoyed the original storyline but I struggled occasionally with the pacing.
The audio narration, male single POV was very good.
Roxanne (13 KP) rated The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read: and Other Stories in Books
Nov 14, 2018
Well...I finished it but I didn't enjoy it. I found the collection of short stories to be very depressing and once I had finished each one I felt like I had missed the point completely. I just didn't understand them and I found the writing to be quite muddled. I can't decide if it's a case of 'it's not you, it's me', or 'no, it's definitely you...yeesh'.
I picked this up as I enjoyed 'The Woman in Black' but they just can't be compared.
For quite a short book this took me ages to read...it's great if you need help falling asleep though.
I picked this up as I enjoyed 'The Woman in Black' but they just can't be compared.
For quite a short book this took me ages to read...it's great if you need help falling asleep though.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles, #1) in Books
Dec 22, 2018
Entertaining but flawed
Unusually, this is a book that I’d rate about on par with the film adaptation. As with the film, this is an entertaining read and fairly well written. The basic plot is the same although there have been a few tweaks made for the film - some better, some worse. I much prefer the ending in the book to the film, it’s a little more depressing and a lot less Hollywood (unsurprisingly). I don’t really have much to say about this book, it’s a quick read and quite good, and plods along at a fairly decent rate, it’s just nothing massively special.
gayga (2127 KP) rated Necessary Lies in Books
Dec 13, 2019
Wow!
Basically, without going into too much detail about the plot it’s about newly married Jane Forrester becomes a social worker in 1960’s Grace County she encounters families that are poor beyond her comprehension, events occur that will change her and the families lives forever.
It’s slightly depressing but the story is SO good and the ends justifies the means, literally! I don’t know why I seem to review books that end up making me cry, I guess I’m just a big softy. It’s not a romantic story, it’s political for the time. It’s worth reading if just for the ending!
It’s slightly depressing but the story is SO good and the ends justifies the means, literally! I don’t know why I seem to review books that end up making me cry, I guess I’m just a big softy. It’s not a romantic story, it’s political for the time. It’s worth reading if just for the ending!