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tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Extraordinary X-Men, Vol 1: X-Haven in Books
Aug 2, 2017
Originally reviewed on http://www.frommybookshelf.com
I won't lie, I miss the X-Men of my younger years (late 80s/early 90s). I've been trying to reconcile their fall from popularity and the direction their stories have been taking in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (don't get me started on the X-Men movie franchise **shudders**), but I've been sticking with it. This book, my first post-Secret Wars X-Men experience, has left me torn: even tho every aspect of this book has already been done before (mutants being hated for being different; mutants needing to go into hiding; mutants being on the edge of extinction for about the third time in a decade now; Sinister conducting his weird experiments and playing around with famous mutant's DNA), it did leave me wondering what was going to happen next, so that's at least somewhat good storytelling, right? Right?! Sigh.
There are things I don't understand in this post-Terrigen bomb/Secret Wars world: what exactly is the difference between being an Inhuman or mutant and why is one seen as seemly being acceptable by the populace at large? Other than needing to push the Inhuman as the new version of being a mutant in the MCU, I see no distinction. What does it matter if the Terrigen mists are making mutants sterile? Don't normal humans give birth to mutants, as well? Maybe it's changing the structure of the entire world's DNA? What if a human with dormant Inhuman genes gives birth to a mutant? What would the Terrigen mists do to the mutant? How long does the Terrigen mist linger in the atmosphere? I'm hoping some of this is addressed at some point.
I won't lie, I miss the X-Men of my younger years (late 80s/early 90s). I've been trying to reconcile their fall from popularity and the direction their stories have been taking in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (don't get me started on the X-Men movie franchise **shudders**), but I've been sticking with it. This book, my first post-Secret Wars X-Men experience, has left me torn: even tho every aspect of this book has already been done before (mutants being hated for being different; mutants needing to go into hiding; mutants being on the edge of extinction for about the third time in a decade now; Sinister conducting his weird experiments and playing around with famous mutant's DNA), it did leave me wondering what was going to happen next, so that's at least somewhat good storytelling, right? Right?! Sigh.
There are things I don't understand in this post-Terrigen bomb/Secret Wars world: what exactly is the difference between being an Inhuman or mutant and why is one seen as seemly being acceptable by the populace at large? Other than needing to push the Inhuman as the new version of being a mutant in the MCU, I see no distinction. What does it matter if the Terrigen mists are making mutants sterile? Don't normal humans give birth to mutants, as well? Maybe it's changing the structure of the entire world's DNA? What if a human with dormant Inhuman genes gives birth to a mutant? What would the Terrigen mists do to the mutant? How long does the Terrigen mist linger in the atmosphere? I'm hoping some of this is addressed at some point.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Fortunately, the Milk ... in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I used this book as a read aloud to my inclusion class of fourth graders. It was selected as one of the Sunshine State Young Readers books this year & I thought it would be a great way to hopefully inspire them to check out some of the other books on the list. They absolutely adored this book. I don't think there was a single page that went by where they weren't laughing or guessing what would happen next or bursting at the seams to tell me how they pictured this scene or that character. To me, any book that can bring together a group of kids that fall all across the reading level spectrum is worth at least a 5 star review!!!
I won't lie...I really enjoyed this book too. There are so many awesome "younger aged" books out there that way too many adults pass up thinking they are too sophisticated to read them. News flash people, if you enjoy a book who cares if it's a 4th grade reading level or aimed at a doctoral student!? Reading is supposed to be fun. Thank you Neil Gaiman for showing my reluctant readers just that!!!!
I won't lie...I really enjoyed this book too. There are so many awesome "younger aged" books out there that way too many adults pass up thinking they are too sophisticated to read them. News flash people, if you enjoy a book who cares if it's a 4th grade reading level or aimed at a doctoral student!? Reading is supposed to be fun. Thank you Neil Gaiman for showing my reluctant readers just that!!!!
Bad writing (1 more)
Mostly romance
Drowning is one of the top fears in the world, and it's also one of the top ways to cover up a murder. In Lie to Me, Ward's fourth YA novel, she uses drowning as the basis of the story. Yet, this book fell very short in the thriller/mystery genre: Ward gives away too many hints at the beginning of the book, that most readers will have the murderer figured out by chapter 7; she also focuses too much on romance, something that should have caused this story to be filed under a different category other than mystery/thriller. But luckily she didn't bring in a wide circle of characters to cause confusion, using only one view point from the main character of Lie to Me: Amelia- - - a teen girl who believes she was pushed down a ravine to be left for dead in the raging water below.
Besides her 'accident,' Amelia leads a normal life with her mother, father and brother, Hunter - - - she also has a small group of friends. After her 'fall,' a body of a teen girl from the same town is found in a nearby river, but the town gossips, and makes it seem that this girl committed suicide, leaving Amelia worried that her family would think the same thing about her. Depression is something that Amelia's family has had to deal with before, but the talk of depression is candid and not very enlightening; her brother, Hunter, who is in therapy for such doesn't even talk about it, instead he's usually seen playing soccer or Fortnite, this seems to be a broad attempt to bring mental health into the story,but without going into that subject, it failed as a story line. Yet, one of the main causes of depression today is social media, which we find Amelia stalking one of her best friends/love interest on- - -if Ward was trying to reach the YA community about depression, she went the wrong way about it.
Another mistake that Ward made was when Amelia receives an anonymous text message from someone telling her to 'Just let it go,Amelia,' this occurs after she has started investigating whether her 'accident' was an accident. Amelia tells us that she is always suspicious of everyone, but when this text message comes around, it's as if she could care less. She even tries to take the anonymous message as advice: " 'Or it's advice.' I feel backed into a corner. It's one thing to believe someone hurt me and another thing to have proof of it. I don't want this to be proof. 'I mean, Sky's always telling me I should let my life get back to normal, and she doesn't even know I'm thinking any of this. Maybe someone else feels that way,too.' " In reality, if you believed that someone attempted to murder you, and suddenly you are receiving a cryptic message about letting it go, wouldn't the logic thing to do is go to the police?? Amelia doesn't!
Ward has written three other YA novels, 'Lie to Me' being her fourth. The writing in this story is bad in some places, for example, a scene with Amelia and her best friend, Sky, meeting up at the 'screen' (technically a giant drive-in movie theater screen); Amelia thinks about how this town is a haven for her, that everyone feels safe, but the very next paragraph, she's stating she doesn't feel safe anymore. This makes sense if you haven't read it, but the way it's written could have been in a much better and concise way. This and most scenes makes the story read like a sloppy diary entry. That, and the killer being predictable so early on in the story made me very disappointed with this book. 'Lie to Me' had great potential from the synopsis, but it lacked story, mystery, suspense and diverse characters.
I can't recommend this book to people who love horror stories, like I do. I think the only ones who would enjoy this story are the die-hard YA fans. It has everything that YA is known for: romance and teen drama, but it's lacking in everything else. Other than that, I don't think I'll read another book by Ward, but as far as Point horror books go, I will still give them a shot.
Besides her 'accident,' Amelia leads a normal life with her mother, father and brother, Hunter - - - she also has a small group of friends. After her 'fall,' a body of a teen girl from the same town is found in a nearby river, but the town gossips, and makes it seem that this girl committed suicide, leaving Amelia worried that her family would think the same thing about her. Depression is something that Amelia's family has had to deal with before, but the talk of depression is candid and not very enlightening; her brother, Hunter, who is in therapy for such doesn't even talk about it, instead he's usually seen playing soccer or Fortnite, this seems to be a broad attempt to bring mental health into the story,but without going into that subject, it failed as a story line. Yet, one of the main causes of depression today is social media, which we find Amelia stalking one of her best friends/love interest on- - -if Ward was trying to reach the YA community about depression, she went the wrong way about it.
Another mistake that Ward made was when Amelia receives an anonymous text message from someone telling her to 'Just let it go,Amelia,' this occurs after she has started investigating whether her 'accident' was an accident. Amelia tells us that she is always suspicious of everyone, but when this text message comes around, it's as if she could care less. She even tries to take the anonymous message as advice: " 'Or it's advice.' I feel backed into a corner. It's one thing to believe someone hurt me and another thing to have proof of it. I don't want this to be proof. 'I mean, Sky's always telling me I should let my life get back to normal, and she doesn't even know I'm thinking any of this. Maybe someone else feels that way,too.' " In reality, if you believed that someone attempted to murder you, and suddenly you are receiving a cryptic message about letting it go, wouldn't the logic thing to do is go to the police?? Amelia doesn't!
Ward has written three other YA novels, 'Lie to Me' being her fourth. The writing in this story is bad in some places, for example, a scene with Amelia and her best friend, Sky, meeting up at the 'screen' (technically a giant drive-in movie theater screen); Amelia thinks about how this town is a haven for her, that everyone feels safe, but the very next paragraph, she's stating she doesn't feel safe anymore. This makes sense if you haven't read it, but the way it's written could have been in a much better and concise way. This and most scenes makes the story read like a sloppy diary entry. That, and the killer being predictable so early on in the story made me very disappointed with this book. 'Lie to Me' had great potential from the synopsis, but it lacked story, mystery, suspense and diverse characters.
I can't recommend this book to people who love horror stories, like I do. I think the only ones who would enjoy this story are the die-hard YA fans. It has everything that YA is known for: romance and teen drama, but it's lacking in everything else. Other than that, I don't think I'll read another book by Ward, but as far as Point horror books go, I will still give them a shot.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Die Hard 2 (1990) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I'm not going to lie, about 10% of the reason I like this one is because of William Sadler doing naked tai chi.
Could you imagine Die Hard 2 filmed these days? There'd be no tasing Dick, what a disappointment.
Of the few things that bother me about this one the film's yippee ki-yay for me could have been better timed. He's got the perfect moment coming up, if he'd have just left it until after he lit the fuel... "Yippee ki-yay, motherf*****!" *two beats* BOOM.
Sadly Die Hard 2 is my least favourite out of the four... like I said, we don't count the fifth one. Not that that's a bad thing, it's still damn good, it's just up against some stiff competition.
In the first one McClane has Powell, in Vengeance he has Zeus and in 4.0 he has Farrell. For some reason in 2 they didn't give him someone to properly develop a relationship with, there are lots of people there for him to interact with, but nothing really lasts very long before he's off to the next one.
Could you imagine Die Hard 2 filmed these days? There'd be no tasing Dick, what a disappointment.
Of the few things that bother me about this one the film's yippee ki-yay for me could have been better timed. He's got the perfect moment coming up, if he'd have just left it until after he lit the fuel... "Yippee ki-yay, motherf*****!" *two beats* BOOM.
Sadly Die Hard 2 is my least favourite out of the four... like I said, we don't count the fifth one. Not that that's a bad thing, it's still damn good, it's just up against some stiff competition.
In the first one McClane has Powell, in Vengeance he has Zeus and in 4.0 he has Farrell. For some reason in 2 they didn't give him someone to properly develop a relationship with, there are lots of people there for him to interact with, but nothing really lasts very long before he's off to the next one.
Liberty Boston (93 KP) rated A Werewolf in Riverdale (Archie Horror #1) in Books
Mar 15, 2021
Wow.
Just, wow!
A Werewolf In Riverdale did not disappoint.
The book is split into three parts:
In Sheep's Clothing.
The Beast Must Die!
New Moon.
For me, this book was outside my normal fare of sweet YA and fairy Tale retellings but genre-hopping is okay now and then. Truthfully the only reason I wanted to read this one so badly is the fact that I'm a rabid Riverdale fan and with the book's darker, broody atmosphere I said “Why Not?”
Like I said before, I wasn't disappointed! Despite its monstrous villain, this book wasn't all blood and gore.
Though, it did have its moments I won't lie.
It was more like, “I know I should do this but it could be someone I know and I don't want to do it”. That was Betty and Archie's constant struggle while Jughead had to fight his instincts.
In all I totally would recommend it!
Just, wow!
A Werewolf In Riverdale did not disappoint.
The book is split into three parts:
In Sheep's Clothing.
The Beast Must Die!
New Moon.
For me, this book was outside my normal fare of sweet YA and fairy Tale retellings but genre-hopping is okay now and then. Truthfully the only reason I wanted to read this one so badly is the fact that I'm a rabid Riverdale fan and with the book's darker, broody atmosphere I said “Why Not?”
Like I said before, I wasn't disappointed! Despite its monstrous villain, this book wasn't all blood and gore.
Though, it did have its moments I won't lie.
It was more like, “I know I should do this but it could be someone I know and I don't want to do it”. That was Betty and Archie's constant struggle while Jughead had to fight his instincts.
In all I totally would recommend it!
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
Jun 3, 2019
Not as bad as expected
I can't lie, when I heard Will Smith was playing the genie in this I pretty much wrote this film off for good. Whilst it isnt quite the car crash I'd expected, it pales in comparison to the original animated version.
Naomi Scott is great as Jasmine and has a fantastic voice, and she outperforms everyone else in this film. Mena Massoud is enjoyable to watch but lacking in a bit of Aladdin's charm. Strangely I didn't hate Will Smith as the genie. Don't get me wrong I didn't love him either but I didn't want to cry everytime he was on screen (although I did cringe a few times). In fact the worst person in this film was Jafar. I really don't know what they were thinking, he isn't sinister or slimy, he's just laughable. Not a villain youd be afraid of.
The film itself follows the original plot fairly well, with a lot of nods and quotes to the original too. I do think the ending and final stand off against Jafar was a little poor. Whilst I wasn't expecting them to completely follow the original, there are some bits that I'm disappointed weren't included. And of course there's the songs. The songs really make this watchable although sadly they don't have quite the magic of the animated version. It also made me laugh that Guy Ritchie couldn't resist throwing in some of his trademark slow motion and camera angles. Not many, admittedly he has toned it down a lot but there's still a few Ritchie moments.
This isnt a bad live action film, but sadly it isnt a great one either. But all things considered it could have been much worse!
Naomi Scott is great as Jasmine and has a fantastic voice, and she outperforms everyone else in this film. Mena Massoud is enjoyable to watch but lacking in a bit of Aladdin's charm. Strangely I didn't hate Will Smith as the genie. Don't get me wrong I didn't love him either but I didn't want to cry everytime he was on screen (although I did cringe a few times). In fact the worst person in this film was Jafar. I really don't know what they were thinking, he isn't sinister or slimy, he's just laughable. Not a villain youd be afraid of.
The film itself follows the original plot fairly well, with a lot of nods and quotes to the original too. I do think the ending and final stand off against Jafar was a little poor. Whilst I wasn't expecting them to completely follow the original, there are some bits that I'm disappointed weren't included. And of course there's the songs. The songs really make this watchable although sadly they don't have quite the magic of the animated version. It also made me laugh that Guy Ritchie couldn't resist throwing in some of his trademark slow motion and camera angles. Not many, admittedly he has toned it down a lot but there's still a few Ritchie moments.
This isnt a bad live action film, but sadly it isnt a great one either. But all things considered it could have been much worse!
So disappointed with this series. It could have been and should have been so much better., the premise was a great one.The two lead actors are well respected but were let down by bad ideas. John Sim's character can apparently "read" people better than "Lie to me's" Tim Roth. He then turns into some kind of psychopath in order to find the truth. I can understand a parent's need to want the truth but to go that far, I don't think so. He manages to firstly access the operating theatre, then get a job at the hospital and then enter a closed meeting all with ease. Then he hoodwinks the daughter and wife of the doctor to gain access to their house. The daughter apparently just stays upstairs whilst the mother is at knife-point downstairs, the mother does not back off even though he is brandishing a knife and then at the end the daughter is more angry with her father, cause of his lies, rather than the knife-wielding maniac that's just threatened them all? Just made me frustrated and annoyed. Grrr
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Hellhounds Never Lie (Willow Lake Supernaturals #1) in Books
Aug 14, 2023
HELLHOUNDS NEVER LIE is the first book in the Willow Lake Supernaturals series and I honestly can't wait to return!
Dillon is a hellhound looking for a home, and Ash is a fire mage with wonky magic. How's that going to work? Brilliantly, that's how! Ash has been through hell and back but still has a heart big enough to want to help others when he can. Dillon has been searching for his utopia but found the opposite instead with Rob's pack. They chase him when he leaves and it is Ash who saves him. In reality, they save each other.
They are fated mates - although they don't realise it. So I expected the instant attraction. What I didn't expect was how tender Dillon was with Ash, and how fierce Ash was if he thought someone was having a go at Dillon. *chef's kiss* Loved every scene they were in, whether it was in the pub or the bedroom.
Filled with fantastic characters, there are at least half a dozen others I now want stories for! Plus, I need to know the secrets that are still hiding - yes, Dot, I'm looking at you! Jeremy is next and I'm sure that one will have me laughing if his texts are anything to go by. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 14, 2023
Dillon is a hellhound looking for a home, and Ash is a fire mage with wonky magic. How's that going to work? Brilliantly, that's how! Ash has been through hell and back but still has a heart big enough to want to help others when he can. Dillon has been searching for his utopia but found the opposite instead with Rob's pack. They chase him when he leaves and it is Ash who saves him. In reality, they save each other.
They are fated mates - although they don't realise it. So I expected the instant attraction. What I didn't expect was how tender Dillon was with Ash, and how fierce Ash was if he thought someone was having a go at Dillon. *chef's kiss* Loved every scene they were in, whether it was in the pub or the bedroom.
Filled with fantastic characters, there are at least half a dozen others I now want stories for! Plus, I need to know the secrets that are still hiding - yes, Dot, I'm looking at you! Jeremy is next and I'm sure that one will have me laughing if his texts are anything to go by. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 14, 2023
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) in Movies
May 23, 2021
Usually I would feel the urge to watch the series of films before seeing a new one. In this instance, knowing I've only seen one film (possibly two), kept me happy enough to go with this one. I wasn't convinced I had it in me to watch the whole series.
Detective Banks works alone in his departments after standing up against a corrupt cop. Now he has to partner with a rookie cop as he's thrown into a case as a spate of horrendous murders, with more than a passing resemblance to those that lie deep in the cities past, plague the PD.
The focus on the PD and Banks really worked for me, and the partnership between Banks and Schenk was strong. It transitioned the story well from being a Saw film without being a Saw film. For me that was a bonus.
Chris Rock was an interesting choice in the lead role. There are moments where he stood out and was convincing in the part, but others that gave me flashbacks to Dogma and Lethal Weapon 4. While it was an enjoyable piece of acting, it did occasionally take me out of the story.
Dynamics between the characters were pretty solid throughout, and I'd be hard-pressed to say someone didn't fit in the cast. What did put me out a little was the tension within the police department. There are some flashbacks that give you some context, but the current day points felt... too petty? But that might just be something I don't have enough knowledge of.
Not being tied to the Saw franchise probably helps. I liked the idea of this horror breaking out into a police thriller sort of thing, and I got Bone Collector and Criminal Monds vibes as I watched. Anyone who knows me will know that's a winner.
I was very entertained as I watched, but it wasn't until I got outside and was chatting about it that I kept stumbling across flaws that had thankfully escaped me while in the cinema. I did know the ending before I got there, and that didn't bother me as much as it had in other films. I think mainly because I was engaged in finding out the why of it all. Despite both of those things, it was a good film for me, but I sense a Saw purist might not agree.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/05/spiral-movie-review.html
Detective Banks works alone in his departments after standing up against a corrupt cop. Now he has to partner with a rookie cop as he's thrown into a case as a spate of horrendous murders, with more than a passing resemblance to those that lie deep in the cities past, plague the PD.
The focus on the PD and Banks really worked for me, and the partnership between Banks and Schenk was strong. It transitioned the story well from being a Saw film without being a Saw film. For me that was a bonus.
Chris Rock was an interesting choice in the lead role. There are moments where he stood out and was convincing in the part, but others that gave me flashbacks to Dogma and Lethal Weapon 4. While it was an enjoyable piece of acting, it did occasionally take me out of the story.
Dynamics between the characters were pretty solid throughout, and I'd be hard-pressed to say someone didn't fit in the cast. What did put me out a little was the tension within the police department. There are some flashbacks that give you some context, but the current day points felt... too petty? But that might just be something I don't have enough knowledge of.
Not being tied to the Saw franchise probably helps. I liked the idea of this horror breaking out into a police thriller sort of thing, and I got Bone Collector and Criminal Monds vibes as I watched. Anyone who knows me will know that's a winner.
I was very entertained as I watched, but it wasn't until I got outside and was chatting about it that I kept stumbling across flaws that had thankfully escaped me while in the cinema. I did know the ending before I got there, and that didn't bother me as much as it had in other films. I think mainly because I was engaged in finding out the why of it all. Despite both of those things, it was a good film for me, but I sense a Saw purist might not agree.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/05/spiral-movie-review.html
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Lower World (Infernal Regions for the Unprepared #2) in Books
Apr 15, 2021 (Updated Jul 27, 2023)
LOWER WORLD is the second book in the Infernal Regions for the Unprepared series and remember how I said the first one wasn't too fast-paced? Yeah, well, we're back to the crazy and frantic pace Maya Daniels is known for!
Don't get me wrong, it is still smoking-hot, and I love how Ms Daniels drags you along into her story, but for me, it just lost a bit of 'something' in the pace. Brooklyn and Dominic are heating up and the trust is building, but with all the action going on, I felt like I missed part of that. Alice is a cracker, as always, and I am loving her role in this.
Now, I was warned about the ending of this book, so I was expecting something. Usually, I end up throwing my Kindle away in disgust at the typical cliffhanger endings, but this time, this time I was okay with it. Maybe it's because I was warned, or maybe it's because although I know Brooklyn is in danger, she is too tough to go down easy, PLUS she has her crew coming for her. And then there is the whole question mark about her mum. So, yeah, cliffhanger but one I'm happy with.
I am still loving this series, and can't wait to see where it goes next. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and lie down, get my heart rate down, and be ready to start the world at a normal pace, not superspeed!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 15, 2021
Don't get me wrong, it is still smoking-hot, and I love how Ms Daniels drags you along into her story, but for me, it just lost a bit of 'something' in the pace. Brooklyn and Dominic are heating up and the trust is building, but with all the action going on, I felt like I missed part of that. Alice is a cracker, as always, and I am loving her role in this.
Now, I was warned about the ending of this book, so I was expecting something. Usually, I end up throwing my Kindle away in disgust at the typical cliffhanger endings, but this time, this time I was okay with it. Maybe it's because I was warned, or maybe it's because although I know Brooklyn is in danger, she is too tough to go down easy, PLUS she has her crew coming for her. And then there is the whole question mark about her mum. So, yeah, cliffhanger but one I'm happy with.
I am still loving this series, and can't wait to see where it goes next. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and lie down, get my heart rate down, and be ready to start the world at a normal pace, not superspeed!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 15, 2021