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Specimen Science: Ethics and Policy Implications
Holly Fernandez Lynch, I. Glenn Cohen, Barbara E. Bierer and Suzanne M. Rivera
Book
Advances in medicine often depend on the effective collection, storage, research use, and sharing of...
A Dictionary for the Modern Trumpet Player
Book
Titles in Dictionaries for the Modern Musician series offer both the novice and the advanced artist...
La ley de atracción: El secreto develado
Book and Lifestyle
App
"La ley de atracción: El secreto develado" es un fantástico audiolibro de los hermanos Esther y...
ABC Magnetic Land: Learn Alphabet,Shapes & Letters
Education and Games
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***** A title from our extremely successful series: the last three titles (ANIMAL PRESCHOOL SHAPE...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Escape from Eden in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I've always been drawn to books that deal with cults, so when Escape from Eden by Elisa Nader came up for review, I was overjoyed! Luckily, I wasn't disappointed.
I love the synopsis of the book, and I think it's spot on, so I won't bore you with the blurb in my own words.
The title definitely suits the book as Gabriel and Mia are actually trying to escape. It's definitely an intriguing title and one that caught my attention.
I wasn't sold on the cover to begin with, but after awhile, it grew on me. I like the photo of Mia peeking out behind some kind of bush. It definitely sets the tone of the story.
The world building, overall, was really fantastically written, and I found myself instantly drawn into the book. However, I did wonder how Mia, a girl whose been in a compound since the age of 10 with no links to the outside world, knew about sex. Maybe she picked it up from other members, I don't know, but that question kept gnawing at me.
The pacing of this book did start out a bit slow for my liking, and I was wondering if this book would end up on my DNF (did not finish) pile. Luckily, after the first few chapters, the pacing picks up immensely, and it becomes hard to put this book down.
I loved the plot! Although plots about people trying to escape a cult aren't new, Nader did an excellent job at keeping the plot original. There aren't any major plot twists, but it doesn't matter. This book doesn't need them because it is just that good! The author also does a fantastic job of incorporating a bit of romance without it overshadowing the major plot point. Since I'm a Christian, I must admit that I was a little worried this book would belittle religion and/or God, but after reviewing the book, I didn't find anything offensive in it which was a relief.
I felt as if the characters were written really well. I loved Mia, and although I didn't connect with her right at first, I began to slowly love and care for her. I admired her courage even when she was vulnerable. I also loved Gabriel and the dry humor he brought to the story. I couldn't help but love him! Even mean girl Bridgette was written fantastically!
The dialogue was fantastic and flowed smoothly with the exception of the little bit of some info dump at the beginning of the book. The character interactions never felt forced or weak. There are a few swear words in this book though, so be forewarned if you''re not a fan of swearing.
Overall, Escape from Eden is a fantastic read once you get past the first few chapters. I loved how fantastic the characters were and how great the story line was written!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who want to read about strong characters and a fascinating plot that will leave you breathless.
(I received a free hardback copy of this title from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
I've always been drawn to books that deal with cults, so when Escape from Eden by Elisa Nader came up for review, I was overjoyed! Luckily, I wasn't disappointed.
I love the synopsis of the book, and I think it's spot on, so I won't bore you with the blurb in my own words.
The title definitely suits the book as Gabriel and Mia are actually trying to escape. It's definitely an intriguing title and one that caught my attention.
I wasn't sold on the cover to begin with, but after awhile, it grew on me. I like the photo of Mia peeking out behind some kind of bush. It definitely sets the tone of the story.
The world building, overall, was really fantastically written, and I found myself instantly drawn into the book. However, I did wonder how Mia, a girl whose been in a compound since the age of 10 with no links to the outside world, knew about sex. Maybe she picked it up from other members, I don't know, but that question kept gnawing at me.
The pacing of this book did start out a bit slow for my liking, and I was wondering if this book would end up on my DNF (did not finish) pile. Luckily, after the first few chapters, the pacing picks up immensely, and it becomes hard to put this book down.
I loved the plot! Although plots about people trying to escape a cult aren't new, Nader did an excellent job at keeping the plot original. There aren't any major plot twists, but it doesn't matter. This book doesn't need them because it is just that good! The author also does a fantastic job of incorporating a bit of romance without it overshadowing the major plot point. Since I'm a Christian, I must admit that I was a little worried this book would belittle religion and/or God, but after reviewing the book, I didn't find anything offensive in it which was a relief.
I felt as if the characters were written really well. I loved Mia, and although I didn't connect with her right at first, I began to slowly love and care for her. I admired her courage even when she was vulnerable. I also loved Gabriel and the dry humor he brought to the story. I couldn't help but love him! Even mean girl Bridgette was written fantastically!
The dialogue was fantastic and flowed smoothly with the exception of the little bit of some info dump at the beginning of the book. The character interactions never felt forced or weak. There are a few swear words in this book though, so be forewarned if you''re not a fan of swearing.
Overall, Escape from Eden is a fantastic read once you get past the first few chapters. I loved how fantastic the characters were and how great the story line was written!
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who want to read about strong characters and a fascinating plot that will leave you breathless.
(I received a free hardback copy of this title from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
HSL Mobiililippu
Travel and Utilities
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You now have a ticket machine in your pocket! One time ticket or day ticket in your mobile! ...
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated House of Wax (2005) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
As sure as the winter season brings snow and rain, summer is sure to bring sequels and remakes to theaters across the land. With many classic horror films such as “The Amityville Horror:”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” already released and with “The Fog”, pending, Hollywood is trying to find gold from the past.
The latest remake to make the screen is The House of Wax which shares precious little with the 1953 Vincent Price classic aside from the title house and an abundance of wax figures. The story follows Carly Jones, (Elisa Cuthbert), a young college graduate who is planning to move from her small town to take an internship in New York. Her boyfriend Wade (Jared Padalecki) is unsure if he will follow her to the big city which is a source of tension between the otherwise happy couple.
Carly and Wade decide to take a road trip to a big sporting event, and have their friends Paige (Paris Hilton), Blake (Robert Ri’chard), Dalton (John Abrahams), and Carly’s brother Nick (Chad Michael Murray), along for the ride. In a true horror film cliche, the road trip becomes and overnight campout in a remote backwoods area where drinking, sex, and other youthful merriment abounds.
Of course the merriment is interrupted when a strange encounter with a mysterious truck and an unexpectedly broken car fan belt in the morning forces Carly and wade to stay behind to locate the needed part in a nearby town while their friends continue on to the game.
The local town is mostly empty, and looks like something out of the 60’s aside from numerous signs that tout the local wax museum. While exploring the empty town, Carly and Wade stumble upon a church where a service is in session, and meet Bo, (Brian Van Holt), who is the local mechanic who tells them he can get the needed part as soon as the service has ended. With time on their hands, Carly and Wade visit the local wax museum which is equally deserted, but filled with life like figures.
When Carly suddenly sees a bizarre figure lurking in the shadows the events soon unfold leaving Carly and Wade trapped in a nightmare that is out of control. As if that was not bad enough, their friends have become stuck in traffic and decide to forgo the big game and return to pick up Carly and Wade not knowing bizarre nightmare they are about to encounter.
Despite some flaws, House generally works and as horror films go, is entertaining. Sure the characters and plot are paper thin and characters seem to have a severe lack of common sense, yet despite the flaws, there are some good moments. The film goes almost 50 minutes before the mayhem starts, but when it does, the killings are some of the most brutal in horror film history. On more than one occasion during my press screener did I see a member of the audience hiding their face in the shoulder of a significant other during some of the films more intense moments.
The film also has a good villain that while not well defined, is nevertheless chilling and projects menace very well. The cast works well with one another given the limitations of the genre, and the pacing of the film by first time director Jaume Serra is effective in adding a bit of tension yet keeping the adrenalin moving during key parts.
My biggest issue with the film would be the ending that I thought took the Hollywood way out, with a big effects spectacle instead of staying focused on the characters and their plight, That being said, as mindless Summer thrills The House of Wax is a decent if albeit at times lacking film.
The latest remake to make the screen is The House of Wax which shares precious little with the 1953 Vincent Price classic aside from the title house and an abundance of wax figures. The story follows Carly Jones, (Elisa Cuthbert), a young college graduate who is planning to move from her small town to take an internship in New York. Her boyfriend Wade (Jared Padalecki) is unsure if he will follow her to the big city which is a source of tension between the otherwise happy couple.
Carly and Wade decide to take a road trip to a big sporting event, and have their friends Paige (Paris Hilton), Blake (Robert Ri’chard), Dalton (John Abrahams), and Carly’s brother Nick (Chad Michael Murray), along for the ride. In a true horror film cliche, the road trip becomes and overnight campout in a remote backwoods area where drinking, sex, and other youthful merriment abounds.
Of course the merriment is interrupted when a strange encounter with a mysterious truck and an unexpectedly broken car fan belt in the morning forces Carly and wade to stay behind to locate the needed part in a nearby town while their friends continue on to the game.
The local town is mostly empty, and looks like something out of the 60’s aside from numerous signs that tout the local wax museum. While exploring the empty town, Carly and Wade stumble upon a church where a service is in session, and meet Bo, (Brian Van Holt), who is the local mechanic who tells them he can get the needed part as soon as the service has ended. With time on their hands, Carly and Wade visit the local wax museum which is equally deserted, but filled with life like figures.
When Carly suddenly sees a bizarre figure lurking in the shadows the events soon unfold leaving Carly and Wade trapped in a nightmare that is out of control. As if that was not bad enough, their friends have become stuck in traffic and decide to forgo the big game and return to pick up Carly and Wade not knowing bizarre nightmare they are about to encounter.
Despite some flaws, House generally works and as horror films go, is entertaining. Sure the characters and plot are paper thin and characters seem to have a severe lack of common sense, yet despite the flaws, there are some good moments. The film goes almost 50 minutes before the mayhem starts, but when it does, the killings are some of the most brutal in horror film history. On more than one occasion during my press screener did I see a member of the audience hiding their face in the shoulder of a significant other during some of the films more intense moments.
The film also has a good villain that while not well defined, is nevertheless chilling and projects menace very well. The cast works well with one another given the limitations of the genre, and the pacing of the film by first time director Jaume Serra is effective in adding a bit of tension yet keeping the adrenalin moving during key parts.
My biggest issue with the film would be the ending that I thought took the Hollywood way out, with a big effects spectacle instead of staying focused on the characters and their plight, That being said, as mindless Summer thrills The House of Wax is a decent if albeit at times lacking film.
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iTriage is a free app that puts you at the center of your healthcare—anywhere, anytime. Search for...