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Six of Crows
Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.2 (45 Ratings)
Book Rating
Amazing duology
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are a duology set in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. Grisha being the magic users in her world. I haven't read the rest of the Grishaverse (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising) - but I will definitely be doing so, because Crows and Crooked Kingdom are AMAZING.

I was pretty surprised - normally books rotating between several viewpoints are confusing, but Bardugo handles the transitions seamlessly and unmistakably. I was never unsure of what character I was reading - each one really had their own unique voice. I also loved that she worked in an LGBT romance without it being in any way odd. No one in the novel found non-heterosexuality weird at all. It was treated just as matter of factly as opposite-sex romances, and I loved that.

Six of Crows opens on a gang being blackmailed into a job they don't want to do. I can totally see the gang has a D&D group - and the books definitely feel a bit like a D&D campaign, albeit one with a mostly experienced group and a very experienced DM.

You've got Kaz, the ringleader, who's an all-around great thief but a superb tactician.

Inej, the acrobat assassin.

Jesper, the marksman hiding his magic ability.

Wylan, the rich merchant's son on the outs with his father and fallen in with a bad crowd, and talented with demolitions.

Nina, the sexpot who wields magic, and has a love/hate relationship with Mathias, the barbarian who's spent his life hunting magic users but is irresistibly attracted to Nina. (I can see the DM telling these two to hash out a background that will let them co-exist, which they obviously did.)

Each character has a complex back story that influences most of their actions, and different relationships with other members of the gang that also affects how they react. Their back stories don't just explain their actions in the books, people and events from their backgrounds also show up to complicate matters in the present. The wheels-within-wheels of the plotline is EXACTLY what I love about good political fantasies. The world-building is superb, and Bardugo has given just as much thought to the seedy underbelly of her world as she has the magic and politics.

I really, really loved this duology, and I see now why people rave about this universe. It is VERY well deserved.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
Crooked Kingdom
Crooked Kingdom
Leigh Bardugo | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.1 (22 Ratings)
Book Rating
Amazing duology
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are a duology set in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. Grisha being the magic users in her world. I haven't read the rest of the Grishaverse (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising) - but I will definitely be doing so, because Crows and Crooked Kingdom are AMAZING.

I was pretty surprised - normally books rotating between several viewpoints are confusing, but Bardugo handles the transitions seamlessly and unmistakably. I was never unsure of what character I was reading - each one really had their own unique voice. I also loved that she worked in an LGBT romance without it being in any way odd. No one in the novel found non-heterosexuality weird at all. It was treated just as matter of factly as opposite-sex romances, and I loved that.

Six of Crows opens on a gang being blackmailed into a job they don't want to do. I can totally see the gang has a D&D group - and the books definitely feel a bit like a D&D campaign, albeit one with a mostly experienced group and a very experienced DM.

You've got Kaz, the ringleader, who's an all-around great thief but a superb tactician.

Inej, the acrobat assassin.

Jesper, the marksman hiding his magic ability.

Wylan, the rich merchant's son on the outs with his father and fallen in with a bad crowd, and talented with demolitions.

Nina, the sexpot who wields magic, and has a love/hate relationship with Mathias, the barbarian who's spent his life hunting magic users but is irresistibly attracted to Nina. (I can see the DM telling these two to hash out a background that will let them co-exist, which they obviously did.)

Each character has a complex back story that influences most of their actions, and different relationships with other members of the gang that also affects how they react. Their back stories don't just explain their actions in the books, people and events from their backgrounds also show up to complicate matters in the present. The wheels-within-wheels of the plotline is EXACTLY what I love about good political fantasies. The world-building is superb, and Bardugo has given just as much thought to the seedy underbelly of her world as she has the magic and politics.

I really, really loved this duology, and I see now why people rave about this universe. It is VERY well deserved.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
The Night Olivia Fell
The Night Olivia Fell
Christina McDonald | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
9
9.3 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Each chapter of this story is told from two views, Olivia and Abi (Olivia’s mother). The story starts off intense and grabbing when Abi gets news that her daughter has fallen from a bridge and is now considered brain dead – but she is being kept alive because she is also pregnant. That plot thickens…

Olivia is a typical teenager. She gets good grades and is active in school sports and volunteers – most of the time she does so, so that her mother ‘stays happy and stays off her back’. It’s disheartening to hear, but as you read the story, you understand Abi’s need to ‘keep Olivia’ safe and know a need to know where she is, who she is with, and what she is doing. Although, there is such thing as a little too protective, but I won’t go into that, that’s not the point.

Olivia has a boyfriend, whom I swear has male PMS and wants sex (and Olivia is giving it to him, though she’s feeling the pressure) and a best friend who at one point was mad at her and got the whole class to stop speaking to her. So, these two characters are not exactly on a list of people to like or even tolerate.

Abi tries to find the truth behind how Olivia fell and how she became pregnant. A lot of secrets are revealed.

The more I read the story, the more I felt like this was turning into a morbid ‘Parent Trap’ story. I say this, because, during a college trip, Olivia meets a girl named Kendall, who could very well BE her twin.

So, I’m like, great, a twin separation story – Nope, I was wrong, which is not a bad thing.

I think I would have enjoyed this story a bit better if not for realizing who was responsible for Olivia ‘falling’. To me, it felt predictable. I also had some issues with some dialogue coming from teenagers.

“You made me look like a fool!” – Do ANY teenagers today say ‘fool’? That’s me being a bit nit picky, but I had to add it, just cause.

All in all, it was a decent story and I stayed interested, even through some of the ‘predictable’ scenes and the outcome of the story. I will say, I did make a few guesses, and I was only right once or twice. I’m not sure if that’s a upper, but I thought it was a good story, nonetheless.
  
U(
Unborn (Unborn, #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was incredibly and pleasantly (surprised) autopsied by this novel. Don't get me wrong, there are a number of things that leave the reader wanting more (and not in a good way), but overall it was well thought out.

There is a prevalent element of mythology in this novel. Aspects of Greek mythology like the Underworld, Hades, Ares, and other (demi-)godly players are rampant throughout the story. But, it's combined with the (fallen) angels and heaven of religious mythology and stories. It's a strange combination that doesn't lend itself to logical commingling, although it worked relatively well here. Perhaps I'm just biased because I adore the mythology in all cultures.

My highest praise for this novel is the writing quality, not the characters, world, or plot - just the simple allure of a book that's written in proper, intelligent English. A surprising rarity in Y.A. books. The author has a wonderful command of the English language and uses vocabulary that make a reader wonder, "What does that mean?" I love books that will chose to use words strode or sauntered, rather than another banal alternative when expressing how someone made their way down the street. You want them to reference a thesaurus to make their lexicon as diverse as possible. No one wants to hear, he said, she said, they said over and over. Perhaps they shouted, or she bit back her words? Anything to give the story real depth and reality.

The shortcomings? Character development and world building. Don't get me wrong, it was certainly there but not as well thought out as it should have been. Relationships were crafted much more quickly than reasonably could be expected and it created a sense of falseness. If more attention had been given to those two aspects, it would have been a strong 4-star rating (rather than my 3/4 rating.)

Another trait of a good story, be it in a book, movie, tv show, or something else is lack of predictability. If you can guess what it going to happen in the story from just the first 50 pages, than it seems less appealing to continue. On this account, the author both confirmed my suspicions and utterly surprised me. Not long into my reading, I was jotting down notes and thoughts as I felt a situation professing. I wanted to have quotes, events, and feelings to reference later - especially if my expectations were fufilled. The end of the book on the other hand - completely unexpected.
  
It takes Two is the first book I’ve read by Erin Nicholas. It was also the first I read in the Counting on Love series, and I hate when I read a series out of order. The good news is that these books can stand on their own with minimal carrying over and lots of explanation to previous happenings.

Isabelle Dixon thought she could have a wild and crazy night before she has to settle herself into a new lifestyle because of a medical issue. She thinks Shane Kelley is the perfect candidate for the job. 6 months later she can’t believe she is still seeking him out and can’t seem to let go.

Shane Kelley has fallen fast and hard for Isabelle Dixon. He has asked her to move in with him multiple times and won’t take no for an answer. He thought their biggest obstacle was her brother Connor but it seems like they can’t get past something bigger. He won’t give up even when she seems to be keeping something really big from him.

Isabelle and Shane take a humorous road trip to find out if they can truly make it work between them. Each stop, on their way to a vacation house, has humor, angst, trials and truths. There may also be a little fun game included in their adventure, not known to all the parties involved.
 
I love the dynamic between the Dixon sisters, each with their own strengths and issues. Isabelle seems like a good mix of a party girl with a stay at home girl. She has to make some big choices with an unexpected health issue that hits her. She wants to hide herself away from the world but also loves being with Shane. Can she have it both ways and have them both happy?

Shane is the over the top, romantic boyfriend we all crave in life. Well maybe. He does go a little over the top sometimes but hey props for creativity. He loves Isabelle and wants to be with her all day every day. He knows she is hiding something from him but can he overcome the issues to make her happy for forever?

If you haven’t read anything by Erin Nicholas, what are you thinking? The Counting on Love series, which apparently is a semi continuation of the Bradfords series with brief appearances by some Bradford characters, is the perfect place to start. I haven’t read the Bradford series yet but I’m anxious to now since completing the Counting on Love series.
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Oh Dear Silvia in Books

Dec 14, 2018  
Oh Dear Silvia
Oh Dear Silvia
Dawn French | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
6
5.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>Oh Dear Silvia</i> is a contemporary, somewhat humorous, novel by British comedian, Dawn French. Set in England it focuses on a sixty-year-old woman, Silvia Shute, who has fallen from a balcony, sustaining a serious head injury that has left her in a coma.

Knowing this you cannot help wondering how you do write a book where the main character is unconscious and how would this affect the narrative? This is how. Although Silvia is indeed the main character, the tale is actually told through observing family members and friends when they visit her in hospital. The entire book plays out in Silvia’s hospital room, Suite 5, but each character brings something else to story through their thoughts, feelings and actions.

Ed, Silvia’s ex husband, provides details of what has happened since their divorce. Jo, her older sister, reminisces about their childhood whist trying and failing to use a number of New Age ideas to wake Silvia up. There is Cat, her best friend, through who we discover what actually happened to Silvia, whilst, Tia, her cleaner is bringing in her favourite foods and updating her on the various goings on in the celebrity world. Cassie, her daughter however, portrays Silvia in a different light that makes us question what kind of person Silvia really was. And finally there is Winnie, a nurse at the hospital. Winnie’s accounts provide the reader with an extra storyline that is nothing to do with Silvia and her accident.

The story being told in this way gives the reader a chance to learn about who Silvia was which causes us to think different things about her which we would not have had the opportunity to feel had Silvia been able to tell the story herself. Firstly we feel worry for her, but then we begin to hate her particularly with the help of Cassie as well as Ed, who admits that had Silvia been conscious he would not have been visiting. Finally we get to a stage of understanding. Understanding who Silvia was, understanding why she did what she did, understanding what has happened to her.

The book takes on many themes: drama, mystery… and humour. Well, it is meant to be humour. I can understand the funny parts but personally it was not my type of humour. Too much swearing in my opinion. But then if you enjoy that type of thing, <i>Oh Dear Silvia</i> has the potential to be a really funny book.
  
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Please stop now
Contains spoilers, click to show
Where to begin...

Fallen Kingdom is full to the brim with stupid.
It sort of imitates The Lost World - first half set on an island, second half set within human population - but it just falls on its face, especially in that second half.

We have a typical evil guy, with a ludicrous plan to use dinosaurs in modern war scenarios (again - for some absurd reason), we have a new "crazy" hybrid lab created dinosaur on the rampage (again!), And to top it all off, the writers decided to throw in a side plot about a little girl who actually a clone? What? Why?
There's also a bit with a velociraptor diving through a window, away from an explosion, like a dinosaur John McClane - we are so far away from the first movie now, is there any point in carrying on?

The first half of the film fairs slightly better, (the opening scene is a highlight for me) and the CGI is pretty solid throughout, but as soon as they leave the island, it's nosedives in spectacular fashion.

Bruce Dallas-Howard and Chris Pratt - again, both fine actors, bit here they are just there, not really adding or taking away from the whole experience.

And just like Jurassic World, it's full of silly plot points that I try not to think too hard about, bit in the end can't help myself such as:

Why is Claire not incarcerated for the events of the first film - she's definitely responsible for a lot of civilians being mailed by rampant dinosaurs.
How does the old guy have absolutely no idea that there is a massive lab/dinosaur prison below his house.
How did they get the T-Rex onto the boat into containment in the few minutes between the main characters jumping into the ocean to getting to the boat themselves?
Why does the Indoraptor happily eat everyone in sight, but then sneak up on the little girl... It's a kind of cool shit but still.

When the film reaches it's conclusion with dinosaurs roaming our everyday lives, you realise that most of the trailer is in the last minute of the film, and this was maybe all filler to reach the inevitable sequel, but to be honest, my interest is low at this point.

On a final note, I love Jeff Goldblum but what was the point of his appearance here? He literally says the name of the film out loud, and that's it. Jesus.