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Joelene Marie (28 KP) rated Akata Witch (Akata Witch, #1) in Books
Oct 1, 2018
Loved it! Not sure why I didn't pick it up sooner, it's absolutely wonderful! I really enjoyed the cultural details and mythology of Nigeria as well as how the author used physical abnormalities and learning disorders such as albinoism, scoliosis, and dyslexia as an indicator of strong magical abilities. I also thought the characters were well developed and relatable. My only issue was with the climax. There was such a strong buildup for an ultimately underwhelming ending. Overall, I found it to be a wonderful story that fans of Harry Potter will likely enjoy. I can't wait to read Akata Warrior to see what happens next!
*Thanks to First to Read for the arc!*
*Thanks to First to Read for the arc!*
Characters (1 more)
Descriptions
I normally don't read this type of book, however, I was gifted it while traveling in Iceland. And I loved it.
It starts a bit rough in the beginning as the change in perspective takes some getting used to, once I did it was a great read. The characters and thier issues were so immersive that you started to hope that they'd figure things out. I loved getting to know the family.
It is an emotional rollercoaster I did cry (it wasn't a bad one) and there are triggers for ppl who have eating disorders and depression.
The descriptions are amazing in felt like I was in Ireland and Italy. A great read and worth it.
It starts a bit rough in the beginning as the change in perspective takes some getting used to, once I did it was a great read. The characters and thier issues were so immersive that you started to hope that they'd figure things out. I loved getting to know the family.
It is an emotional rollercoaster I did cry (it wasn't a bad one) and there are triggers for ppl who have eating disorders and depression.
The descriptions are amazing in felt like I was in Ireland and Italy. A great read and worth it.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Paperweight in Books
Jun 24, 2019
https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/book-review-paperweight/
This. Book. Is. Amazing.
There aren't enough books about such serious and common topics like this. I'm not going to lie, I found this rather hard to read due to how it brought back so many personal memories for me. I should warn any potential readers that this book includes a log of negative language about body image, mentions of self-harm and suicide, and a lot about eating disorders and behaviours.
Stevie, a 17-year-old girl who's mother left and brother died, has her self-destruction plans halted when her father sends her to an eating disorder treatment centre. This book follows her through a twenty-seven day period of pain and conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Throughout Stevie's time at the treatment centre, the reader is told about her life through little snippets here and there. We learn about her behaviours and thoughts as her eating disorder developed, about the day her mother left, and the time around her brother's death.
Stevie is carrying so much guilt and pain, and all she wants is to disappear on the anniversary of the accident. But her shrink, Anna, is desperate to help her live her life.
This book is so accurately written. The things Stevie thinks and does often reflect myself and people I've known while really struggling with eating disorders. The daunting prospect of recovery looms over her, making her unsure of what her goal really is. She was so sure she wanted to die... But now she's met Ashley, and Anna, and rethought her plan. What once seemed so simple and obvious, Stevie is no longer sure she wants.
Paperweight is so emotional, accurately telling the story of Stevie's personal experiences with an eating disorder as well as her struggles after her mother moved away and her brother was killed. It combats so many topics that I've rarely seen in other books, and is just so greatly written... I love it. 5 stars!
This. Book. Is. Amazing.
There aren't enough books about such serious and common topics like this. I'm not going to lie, I found this rather hard to read due to how it brought back so many personal memories for me. I should warn any potential readers that this book includes a log of negative language about body image, mentions of self-harm and suicide, and a lot about eating disorders and behaviours.
Stevie, a 17-year-old girl who's mother left and brother died, has her self-destruction plans halted when her father sends her to an eating disorder treatment centre. This book follows her through a twenty-seven day period of pain and conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Throughout Stevie's time at the treatment centre, the reader is told about her life through little snippets here and there. We learn about her behaviours and thoughts as her eating disorder developed, about the day her mother left, and the time around her brother's death.
Stevie is carrying so much guilt and pain, and all she wants is to disappear on the anniversary of the accident. But her shrink, Anna, is desperate to help her live her life.
This book is so accurately written. The things Stevie thinks and does often reflect myself and people I've known while really struggling with eating disorders. The daunting prospect of recovery looms over her, making her unsure of what her goal really is. She was so sure she wanted to die... But now she's met Ashley, and Anna, and rethought her plan. What once seemed so simple and obvious, Stevie is no longer sure she wants.
Paperweight is so emotional, accurately telling the story of Stevie's personal experiences with an eating disorder as well as her struggles after her mother moved away and her brother was killed. It combats so many topics that I've rarely seen in other books, and is just so greatly written... I love it. 5 stars!
JSG87 (8 KP) rated Bird Box (2018) in Movies
Feb 22, 2019
Great acting. (2 more)
Sandra Bullock
Imaginative
A very good film that isn't quite understood by the masses.
I went into this move blind (no pun intended). Didn't have a clue what it was about.
The best part about it is how you never see the monster.
Now I've seen all over the Internet how this is apparently try about mental disorders and depression but I'm not quite sure if i agree with those assumptions (which is all we have tbh).
The film makers did say that they originally had the monster visible in the movie but that it didn't fit and didn't quite convey what they wanted so they cut it in the end.
I think I prefer it that way though because it leaves the movie open to interpretation. I'd recommend this move to anyone who likes suspense and mystery. It can be quite slow at times but there's always enough through provoking stuff happening that you might not notice.
The best part about it is how you never see the monster.
Now I've seen all over the Internet how this is apparently try about mental disorders and depression but I'm not quite sure if i agree with those assumptions (which is all we have tbh).
The film makers did say that they originally had the monster visible in the movie but that it didn't fit and didn't quite convey what they wanted so they cut it in the end.
I think I prefer it that way though because it leaves the movie open to interpretation. I'd recommend this move to anyone who likes suspense and mystery. It can be quite slow at times but there's always enough through provoking stuff happening that you might not notice.
I do like a book with an unreliable narrator, and Anna O has them in spades! You won’t know who to trust - even the people you’re supposed to be able to rely on will prove thoroughly untrustworthy. And everyone in this novel has a secret or two that they don’t want anyone to know about.
The Anna O in question, is a woman who committed murder and then immediately fell asleep. Four years later, the Home Office want Dr. Benedict Prince, a specialist in sleep disorders, to wake her up. He’s reluctant to be involved with the case because of his own secrets, and as the story continues his fears are proven correct.
This is an exciting read believe it or not, even though one of the main characters is asleep!
The short chapters means the story races along, and I was repeatedly left on a cliffhanger.
What a ride this story was!!
The Anna O in question, is a woman who committed murder and then immediately fell asleep. Four years later, the Home Office want Dr. Benedict Prince, a specialist in sleep disorders, to wake her up. He’s reluctant to be involved with the case because of his own secrets, and as the story continues his fears are proven correct.
This is an exciting read believe it or not, even though one of the main characters is asleep!
The short chapters means the story races along, and I was repeatedly left on a cliffhanger.
What a ride this story was!!
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated To the Bone (2017) in Movies
Sep 10, 2020
Can be triggering for some
The movie starts with a hospital support group, the girls are super skinny and talking about food, why? They are anorexic! This story focuses on 20 year old anorexia sufferer Ellie, she lives with her step mum who watches her when she eats and weighs her on a regular basis. She takes Ellie to see a specialist doctor to try and help her, and he admits her to a clinic with other people with eating disorders, it has no doors and no electronic devices are allowed. Fairly normal for rehab.
There's not much to say about the movie really, it's nice to see a movie dedicated to getting better rather than leading upto the illness. Be warned though, if you suffer from or have suffered from an eating disorder and are easily triggered then I would stay clear of the movie as the eating disorder language and attitudes towards food is pretty full on, such as tips on losing weight, where to hide your vomit, weight numbers and calorie counting.
There's not much to say about the movie really, it's nice to see a movie dedicated to getting better rather than leading upto the illness. Be warned though, if you suffer from or have suffered from an eating disorder and are easily triggered then I would stay clear of the movie as the eating disorder language and attitudes towards food is pretty full on, such as tips on losing weight, where to hide your vomit, weight numbers and calorie counting.
ClareR (5596 KP) rated A Haunting in the Arctic in Books
Jan 23, 2024
I loved this dark tale. It’s a tough read at times, and comes with a host of trigger warnings (rape, eating disorders, violence). Its really creepy though, a great companion for a dark evening!
Nicky is on a ship in 1901 with a crew of men who all expect her “services”, even though she isn’t prepared to give them what they want of her own free will.
In the modern day, Dominique, an explorer and instagrammer, decides to travel to Iceland and document the destruction of the beached ship, the Ormen.
The atmosphere was perfect for a ghost story, full of menace and threat, and just when I thought I knew what was going on, something would happen that would make me have to reassess completely! The present day storyline was perfect for this.
This is a story where your heart will be in your mouth from start to finish, and it fed my fascination for the frozen places of the world perfectly (and I have to admit that my fascination is based on what I consider to be a healthy fear!).
Nicky is on a ship in 1901 with a crew of men who all expect her “services”, even though she isn’t prepared to give them what they want of her own free will.
In the modern day, Dominique, an explorer and instagrammer, decides to travel to Iceland and document the destruction of the beached ship, the Ormen.
The atmosphere was perfect for a ghost story, full of menace and threat, and just when I thought I knew what was going on, something would happen that would make me have to reassess completely! The present day storyline was perfect for this.
This is a story where your heart will be in your mouth from start to finish, and it fed my fascination for the frozen places of the world perfectly (and I have to admit that my fascination is based on what I consider to be a healthy fear!).
Christine A. (965 KP) rated After Zero in Books
Nov 14, 2018
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. We all have said things that keep us up at night, regretting, worrying, replaying, and wishing we could have said something else. Elise, in "After Zero" by Christina Collins, has figured the perfect way to never have to stress over her regrettable words. She starts to keep track of how many words she speak in school. A good day would be if she was able to get through the entire day without speaking only two words. Her perfect day would involve speaking zero words.
SPOILER ALERT
I had worked with children for much of my life and have dealt with children who also have selective mutism and other anxiety disorders. Connecting with a child who had selective mutism was one of the most rewarding and challenging moments of my career. Looking at him you could see he wanted to connect but was terrified to. Elise is the same. She desperately wanted to connects with those around her. Collins accurately describes Elise's internal struggle and gives Elise a voice for us to hear. I would encourage middle school aged children and older to read this to help with understanding others that are different. I look forward to reading Collins' next work.
SPOILER ALERT
I had worked with children for much of my life and have dealt with children who also have selective mutism and other anxiety disorders. Connecting with a child who had selective mutism was one of the most rewarding and challenging moments of my career. Looking at him you could see he wanted to connect but was terrified to. Elise is the same. She desperately wanted to connects with those around her. Collins accurately describes Elise's internal struggle and gives Elise a voice for us to hear. I would encourage middle school aged children and older to read this to help with understanding others that are different. I look forward to reading Collins' next work.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit in Books
Jun 11, 2019
This is a sweet, southern f/f romance. Set in Georgia, it deals with a lot of things young lesbians might have to deal with in the south - religion, bigotry, the stress of coming out or not coming out (or being forced back in the closet by a move to a small town)! It doesn't deal with any outright violence against our lesbian protagonists, and it just barely touches on drug use, eating disorders, and abusive relationships. Joanna has a mostly supportive family, even if they do ask her to hide her sexuality for her senior year in the new town. Jo reluctantly agrees to do so, but doesn't count on falling in love with a girl at her new school.
The book deals a LOT with religion and sexuality; Jo's father is a radio preacher, and she attends a baptist church in town with her stepmother and new grandparents. At one point - one of my favorite scenes in the book - she snaps, and calls out her classmates for thinking homosexuality is a sin, while they eat shellfish and have premarital sex.
I liked the book, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it. I grew up Christian; I'm familiar with all the concepts in the book, but rather than progress to a kinder, more loving version of Christianity, I left it behind altogether. I'm glad that some people can reconcile religion with progressive values, but I can't. So it might be a good book for some, but not for me.You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
The book deals a LOT with religion and sexuality; Jo's father is a radio preacher, and she attends a baptist church in town with her stepmother and new grandparents. At one point - one of my favorite scenes in the book - she snaps, and calls out her classmates for thinking homosexuality is a sin, while they eat shellfish and have premarital sex.
I liked the book, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it. I grew up Christian; I'm familiar with all the concepts in the book, but rather than progress to a kinder, more loving version of Christianity, I left it behind altogether. I'm glad that some people can reconcile religion with progressive values, but I can't. So it might be a good book for some, but not for me.You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Sonofdel (6265 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Layers of Fear in Video Games
May 31, 2019
Messes with you
Contains spoilers, click to show
Well i saw that this was one of the games down for the monthly game pass challenge and so i thought i would give it a go. I loved it. Its a strange mind blowing game that is more point and click than anything else. It took a few screens to get going and after opening drawers and cupboards i was beginning to get a little bored. This all changed once i had started the game properly and both me and my wife (who was watching me play it) were mesmerized by how complicated and ingenious the game is. At the end of playing it i discovered that i had finished the game, but definitely not completed it. In the game you have to find lots of items, evidence and photographs that ultimately tell the story of the descent into madness of an artist and the horrors that befell both him and his family. Each chapter you complete sees him descend deeper into his mind and makes the game that much more interesting and warped. I would give it an 8 as its one of the best of this genre i have played. I would not recommend it to people who suffer with light sensitive disorders or epilepsy as its very disorientating in places and seriously messes with your mind. Nothing is as it seems and rooms change just as easy as you turning round in them. Doors appear, images appear and its basically a cross between American Magees Alice and Silent Hill in atmosphere and game play. Definitely worth playing.