Search
It Could Have Been Fantastic
I feel very conflicted about this YA novel so please bear with me as I try to explain why!
The positives first. The plot is very interesting and well thought out. Although not entirely original it isn't your run of the mill haunted house story either.
The main characters are well rounded and sympathetic. They each have a strong voice and are relatable. The author is very good at creating tension and does not shy away from scary/unsettling images.
The narration and pace of the story feels perfect for a young adult book - no slow enough to be condescending but with simple sentence structures and short chapters that will help to encourage reluctant or not so confident readers to stick with it. I would certainly use this book in my teaching role for my higher level students - adults that struggle with literacy and/or have slight learning difficulties.
The messages that this story carries are important ones. The main message is especially vital for both male and female readers.
Now for the negative's. There is rather a lot of repetition in the story. Not just parts of the back story but actual sentences in a couple of instances. This did grow to be tiresome and, had I read this aged fourteen I would have felt the same way. Unfortunately this did tend to slow the story down at times. Reading the exact same joke from four chapters ago isn't great.
The book centres on one character and what happened to her. I felt that the sudden shift in her personality was rushed. More time should have been taken to really understand her and what happened to her.
The fact that she is automatically disbelieved is not great. It's a VERY sensitive subject and to have the rest of the characters do that could easily lodge the idea, in some young people's heads, that they would also be treated with scepticism.
A few times throughout the story there were errors. Mostly continuation errors but a couple of glaring mistakes. For example, two of the characters are playing a video game. Fallout 4. In the story one of the characters 'gets the guy' of the other. Fallout 4 is not a multiplayer game, a friend cannot 'get' you in any way.
Yes, a small thing but hugely annoying when you know that it is wrong. As Fallout 4 is such a popular game this will not go unnoticed by many young adults!
The ending did feel rather rushed. An extra chapter or two to explain what happened and to explore the feelings of the characters properly would have been nice.
So yes, this is an extremely mixed review. Most of the negative's are small and I would have given another star if not for the slightly mixed message surrounding the title character - I was disappointed with that.
The author is obviously very talented and writes perfectly for the YA market. Just a little more time and care would have made it awesome.
The positives first. The plot is very interesting and well thought out. Although not entirely original it isn't your run of the mill haunted house story either.
The main characters are well rounded and sympathetic. They each have a strong voice and are relatable. The author is very good at creating tension and does not shy away from scary/unsettling images.
The narration and pace of the story feels perfect for a young adult book - no slow enough to be condescending but with simple sentence structures and short chapters that will help to encourage reluctant or not so confident readers to stick with it. I would certainly use this book in my teaching role for my higher level students - adults that struggle with literacy and/or have slight learning difficulties.
The messages that this story carries are important ones. The main message is especially vital for both male and female readers.
Now for the negative's. There is rather a lot of repetition in the story. Not just parts of the back story but actual sentences in a couple of instances. This did grow to be tiresome and, had I read this aged fourteen I would have felt the same way. Unfortunately this did tend to slow the story down at times. Reading the exact same joke from four chapters ago isn't great.
The book centres on one character and what happened to her. I felt that the sudden shift in her personality was rushed. More time should have been taken to really understand her and what happened to her.
The fact that she is automatically disbelieved is not great. It's a VERY sensitive subject and to have the rest of the characters do that could easily lodge the idea, in some young people's heads, that they would also be treated with scepticism.
A few times throughout the story there were errors. Mostly continuation errors but a couple of glaring mistakes. For example, two of the characters are playing a video game. Fallout 4. In the story one of the characters 'gets the guy' of the other. Fallout 4 is not a multiplayer game, a friend cannot 'get' you in any way.
Yes, a small thing but hugely annoying when you know that it is wrong. As Fallout 4 is such a popular game this will not go unnoticed by many young adults!
The ending did feel rather rushed. An extra chapter or two to explain what happened and to explore the feelings of the characters properly would have been nice.
So yes, this is an extremely mixed review. Most of the negative's are small and I would have given another star if not for the slightly mixed message surrounding the title character - I was disappointed with that.
The author is obviously very talented and writes perfectly for the YA market. Just a little more time and care would have made it awesome.
Twisted Blade in the Arena: Boys of Imperial Rome 4
Book
"The Roman Empire, AD 108: Rich and poor alike revel in the bloody thrills of gladiatorial combat...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Rocket League in Video Games
Mar 6, 2018
A High Scorer
This game shouldn't work, but it does. If I told you to go play a game where you play as a car as part of a team to try and win a game of football, I'd ask if you were insane. However, 3 years after it's initial release, Rocket League is still tons of fun to this very day.
Let me stress that I am not an online gamer at all and 99% of my gaming time is spent offline in single player story based games. Yet, I fell in love with Rocket League after downloading it on a whim from the PSN store. No two games are the same and the game puts you through every emotion imaginable, all with some dumb race cars and an oversized football.
2015 was a year of disappointments, with both MGS V and Fallout 4 failing to meet expectations. Rocket League, a sequel to an unremarkable downloadable PS3 game, came out of nowhere and blew everything else out of the water to become what was probably my favourite game of that year.
Let me stress that I am not an online gamer at all and 99% of my gaming time is spent offline in single player story based games. Yet, I fell in love with Rocket League after downloading it on a whim from the PSN store. No two games are the same and the game puts you through every emotion imaginable, all with some dumb race cars and an oversized football.
2015 was a year of disappointments, with both MGS V and Fallout 4 failing to meet expectations. Rocket League, a sequel to an unremarkable downloadable PS3 game, came out of nowhere and blew everything else out of the water to become what was probably my favourite game of that year.
Merissa (11622 KP) rated Shoot The Gap (Big Play, #4) in Books
Jan 17, 2019
Shoot The Gap (Big Play #4) by Jordan Ford
In the final book of the series, we have Tyler and Sam's story. They have been best friends forever, but Tyler thinks that he needs something 'special' to make him stand out from his team mates. That something comes in the shape of Roxy Carmichael. Will Tyler open his eyes and see what is right in front of him, or will he stumble around in the dark and lose what he's already got?
This story wraps up all the previous story lines into one amazing climax. We see more of Tyler and Sam's home life, and the differences are there to see. Whereas one family is full of life and love, the other is clinical and detached. Professions of love are made, but to be honest, even after reading it all, I have my doubts!
With the full crew here helping to complete the story, the pages near enough turn themselves. Everything comes out to the harsh light of day and only time will tell how they all survive the fallout.
Absolutely recommended, both this book and the series.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This story wraps up all the previous story lines into one amazing climax. We see more of Tyler and Sam's home life, and the differences are there to see. Whereas one family is full of life and love, the other is clinical and detached. Professions of love are made, but to be honest, even after reading it all, I have my doubts!
With the full crew here helping to complete the story, the pages near enough turn themselves. Everything comes out to the harsh light of day and only time will tell how they all survive the fallout.
Absolutely recommended, both this book and the series.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Guinness World Records Gamer's: 2017
Guinness World Records and A. Ali
Book
It's time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition! With...
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Fallout 4 in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
When Fallout 4 was first announced last June at E3, I like many gamers was thrilled for the latest chapter in this ongoing and enduring series. The fact that Bethesda was able to deliver successfully on the November release date was even more amazing as was the incredible stability, complexity, and fun of the game.
While we featured the game extensively on our holiday gift guides and radio segments, I opted to wait to do the full review until I had spent more time with the game. The story the game is very compelling and that you’re a father looking to recover his son in a post-apocalyptic world. The interactions that NPC characters are extremely enjoyable, as is the open world and highly customizable nature of the game. There are countless options for weapon and clothing customization, side quests, weapons, your armor, and even your companion. All of this helps make the game ending incredibly complex, diverse, and deeply rewarding experience.
I have to admit that I do have some frustration with the menu system as for me; I’m not a big fan of micromanagement and I have to admit that I found crafting a bit frustrating at times. I remember an early mission where I had to construct a transmitter to be very frustrating as I could not seem to get all of the completed parts together.
The beauty of the game though was that I was able to go off on other quests, combat enemies, trade, craft, customize, explore, and more so that I was able to be more than entertained when I got caught up in a segment. I really enjoyed being able to do things like raid an enemy base and take down numerous bad guys as well is combat mutated creatures. The longer I spend with the game, the more I began to appreciate the complexity of it in that there are multiple ways to play it, when it, and enjoy it. I’ve heard of players who achieve great things without even leaving the vault area at the start of the game. There are players spend a considerable amount of time crafting their community, appearance, and weaponry to find the best overall gaming experience.
I and the other hand like it sleek and simple, and prefer to get right down to the action. Now this course cause me to learn some patience as I would often overload my character was salvage and had to learn quickly what is useful to keep, sell, and discard. Combat was extremely satisfying although I did get a little hung up at times having to change weapons in my Pip Boy. I would’ve liked a little more streamlined approach where I could have several weapons stage as well as grenades without having to access a menu during heated moments. Naturally I understand this is a frustration from a PC gamer’s perspective and those playing the game on a console don’t have the luxury of multiple hotkeys to assign.
From the solid voice acting, enjoyable story, numerous customizations, an abundance of fun and action filled moments; Fallout 4 is the rare game that delivers on what fans expect as well as brings an abundance of options and enjoyment to the game will be on the first play through. Not only is the game one of the better releases of 2015, but one can argue that it is one of the better game releases ever not just of the series which is high praise indeed. I cannot wait to see what comes next for the series as this is been a trip well worth taking.
http://sknr.net/2016/01/23/fallout-4/
While we featured the game extensively on our holiday gift guides and radio segments, I opted to wait to do the full review until I had spent more time with the game. The story the game is very compelling and that you’re a father looking to recover his son in a post-apocalyptic world. The interactions that NPC characters are extremely enjoyable, as is the open world and highly customizable nature of the game. There are countless options for weapon and clothing customization, side quests, weapons, your armor, and even your companion. All of this helps make the game ending incredibly complex, diverse, and deeply rewarding experience.
I have to admit that I do have some frustration with the menu system as for me; I’m not a big fan of micromanagement and I have to admit that I found crafting a bit frustrating at times. I remember an early mission where I had to construct a transmitter to be very frustrating as I could not seem to get all of the completed parts together.
The beauty of the game though was that I was able to go off on other quests, combat enemies, trade, craft, customize, explore, and more so that I was able to be more than entertained when I got caught up in a segment. I really enjoyed being able to do things like raid an enemy base and take down numerous bad guys as well is combat mutated creatures. The longer I spend with the game, the more I began to appreciate the complexity of it in that there are multiple ways to play it, when it, and enjoy it. I’ve heard of players who achieve great things without even leaving the vault area at the start of the game. There are players spend a considerable amount of time crafting their community, appearance, and weaponry to find the best overall gaming experience.
I and the other hand like it sleek and simple, and prefer to get right down to the action. Now this course cause me to learn some patience as I would often overload my character was salvage and had to learn quickly what is useful to keep, sell, and discard. Combat was extremely satisfying although I did get a little hung up at times having to change weapons in my Pip Boy. I would’ve liked a little more streamlined approach where I could have several weapons stage as well as grenades without having to access a menu during heated moments. Naturally I understand this is a frustration from a PC gamer’s perspective and those playing the game on a console don’t have the luxury of multiple hotkeys to assign.
From the solid voice acting, enjoyable story, numerous customizations, an abundance of fun and action filled moments; Fallout 4 is the rare game that delivers on what fans expect as well as brings an abundance of options and enjoyment to the game will be on the first play through. Not only is the game one of the better releases of 2015, but one can argue that it is one of the better game releases ever not just of the series which is high praise indeed. I cannot wait to see what comes next for the series as this is been a trip well worth taking.
http://sknr.net/2016/01/23/fallout-4/
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) created a post
May 18, 2018 (Updated Jun 12, 2018)
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Grey Areas - The Saga (Books 1-4) in Books
Nov 14, 2019
The Grey Areas saga encompasses 4 books - each pretty long in themselves - which can be read separately or all in one go, as each follows directly from the last.
It tells the story of a mysterious stranger called Henry Field who arrives in the small town of Gable, Iowa clearly wanting to forget whatever has happened in his recent past. Attempting to lie low proves difficult as he first becomes feted as a hero on the local news, falls in love and manages to become a witness to a drugs deal gone sour.
There is so much in each of the books it is hard to express just how good they are. There is drama, romance, humour, crime, action and police procedural. It is as if Carl wanted to cover as much ground as possible and he doesn't put a foot wrong at any point. Each page leads inevitably to the next as the fallout from Fields' brief stay in Gable causes ripples that put many people in difficult positions, grey areas, where there is no clear black or white, right or wrong.
For such a long story there are of course a large number of characters but every one has been drawn with care and are all distinct, all have depth and all seem very real and very human. Throughout the whole saga there is a thread of realism; this might be fiction but there is no suspension of belief required, no particular heroes, no particular villains. Just people trying to do what they think is best, and sometimes regretting their decisions.
Want a summer read that will genuinely last all summer and leave you thinking about it for months afterwards? This series will definitely fit the bill
It tells the story of a mysterious stranger called Henry Field who arrives in the small town of Gable, Iowa clearly wanting to forget whatever has happened in his recent past. Attempting to lie low proves difficult as he first becomes feted as a hero on the local news, falls in love and manages to become a witness to a drugs deal gone sour.
There is so much in each of the books it is hard to express just how good they are. There is drama, romance, humour, crime, action and police procedural. It is as if Carl wanted to cover as much ground as possible and he doesn't put a foot wrong at any point. Each page leads inevitably to the next as the fallout from Fields' brief stay in Gable causes ripples that put many people in difficult positions, grey areas, where there is no clear black or white, right or wrong.
For such a long story there are of course a large number of characters but every one has been drawn with care and are all distinct, all have depth and all seem very real and very human. Throughout the whole saga there is a thread of realism; this might be fiction but there is no suspension of belief required, no particular heroes, no particular villains. Just people trying to do what they think is best, and sometimes regretting their decisions.
Want a summer read that will genuinely last all summer and leave you thinking about it for months afterwards? This series will definitely fit the bill
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Wolfhunter River (Stillhouse Lake, #3) in Books
May 22, 2019
She cant ignore a cry for help. But in this remote hunting town, its open season.
Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she cant seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isnt an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.
But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already deadher own daughter blamed for the murder. Except thats not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isnt leaving until she finds out who that was.
But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And its poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, its so easy for them to hide
Wolfhunter River, the third book in Caine's Stillhouse Lake series .It is INTENSE and that's putting it mildly.
This is definitely bloody and action-packed with Gwen, Sam and the kids helping to save the day in Wolfhunter. The threat of Melvin is gone, but there is still evil out there. Now it seems that the series may continue with Gwen going in a new direction though it's probable that there will still be more of the fallout from her being the wife of a mass murderer and her still trying to escape her past.
This story was PACKED with twists and turns and shocking, jaw-dropping moments.
I definitely recommend not only this book, but the whole series. If you haven't read all the books yet, start with Stillhouse Lake. You will need to read the first two books to understand their lives; but not completely necessary to read this one.
I'm already looking forward to #4 it is called Bitter Falls (Stillhouse Lake Book 4) (21 Jan 2020) according to Amazon.
Highly Recommend reading!!!!!!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer and Rachel Caine for the opportunity to experience this book in advance of its release.
Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she cant seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isnt an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.
But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already deadher own daughter blamed for the murder. Except thats not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isnt leaving until she finds out who that was.
But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And its poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, its so easy for them to hide
Wolfhunter River, the third book in Caine's Stillhouse Lake series .It is INTENSE and that's putting it mildly.
This is definitely bloody and action-packed with Gwen, Sam and the kids helping to save the day in Wolfhunter. The threat of Melvin is gone, but there is still evil out there. Now it seems that the series may continue with Gwen going in a new direction though it's probable that there will still be more of the fallout from her being the wife of a mass murderer and her still trying to escape her past.
This story was PACKED with twists and turns and shocking, jaw-dropping moments.
I definitely recommend not only this book, but the whole series. If you haven't read all the books yet, start with Stillhouse Lake. You will need to read the first two books to understand their lives; but not completely necessary to read this one.
I'm already looking forward to #4 it is called Bitter Falls (Stillhouse Lake Book 4) (21 Jan 2020) according to Amazon.
Highly Recommend reading!!!!!!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer and Rachel Caine for the opportunity to experience this book in advance of its release.