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Hazel (1853 KP) rated All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through a Books With Bite giveaway.</i>
Ally Carter has become well known for her <i>Gallagher Girls</i> series, which was followed by <i>Heist Society</i>. Now she is back with a brand new young adult series: <i>Embassy Row</i>. After witnessing the death of her mother three years earlier, sixteen year old Grace is shipped off to Adria to live with her ambassador grandfather at the United States embassy. Well known for her dare devil, rebellious history, she is now expected to settle down, become more ladylike and attend international balls. Grace, however, has other plans.
Grace is convinced her mother was murdered and that she knows whom the murderer was. The only problem is no one believes her; not her grandfather, not the many psychiatrists; and even her friends have their doubts. So, Grace does what any “self-respecting mentally unbalanced teenager” would do and takes matters into her own hands.
It is exciting to read about Grace putting pieces of the puzzle together by investigating underground tunnels, tailing a scarred man around the city and, all in all, behaving rather like James Bond. As the plot begins to climax it is difficult not to rush through the novel to discover how it ends, where the reader is left with another mystery.
As well as the mystery storyline, Ally Carter also explores the theme of mental health. Naturally Grace has had issues since the death of her mother and finds herself, time and again, trying to convince people she is not crazy. Readers who have experienced mental health problems may relate to not being taken seriously and understand Grace’s frustration.
Overall, <i>All Fall Down</i> is a fantastic and exciting story to read. The air of mystery and feeling of suspense keeps the reader on their toes as they race through the book. It is also refreshing to read a young adult novel that does not focus on a teenage love story. The only problem is the wait for the second book to be published!
Ally Carter has become well known for her <i>Gallagher Girls</i> series, which was followed by <i>Heist Society</i>. Now she is back with a brand new young adult series: <i>Embassy Row</i>. After witnessing the death of her mother three years earlier, sixteen year old Grace is shipped off to Adria to live with her ambassador grandfather at the United States embassy. Well known for her dare devil, rebellious history, she is now expected to settle down, become more ladylike and attend international balls. Grace, however, has other plans.
Grace is convinced her mother was murdered and that she knows whom the murderer was. The only problem is no one believes her; not her grandfather, not the many psychiatrists; and even her friends have their doubts. So, Grace does what any “self-respecting mentally unbalanced teenager” would do and takes matters into her own hands.
It is exciting to read about Grace putting pieces of the puzzle together by investigating underground tunnels, tailing a scarred man around the city and, all in all, behaving rather like James Bond. As the plot begins to climax it is difficult not to rush through the novel to discover how it ends, where the reader is left with another mystery.
As well as the mystery storyline, Ally Carter also explores the theme of mental health. Naturally Grace has had issues since the death of her mother and finds herself, time and again, trying to convince people she is not crazy. Readers who have experienced mental health problems may relate to not being taken seriously and understand Grace’s frustration.
Overall, <i>All Fall Down</i> is a fantastic and exciting story to read. The air of mystery and feeling of suspense keeps the reader on their toes as they race through the book. It is also refreshing to read a young adult novel that does not focus on a teenage love story. The only problem is the wait for the second book to be published!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Dogfight (Special Operations, #1) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Quite often novels concerning the Second World War are assumed to be about Great Britain, Germany or life in concentration camps. However, first in series <i>Special Operations: Dogfight</i> by Craig Simpson is set in Norway in 1940 where Nazi’s have invaded.
The story is about fifteen-year-old Finn Gunnersen and his best friend Loki whose families are deeply involved with the resistance. Although they are still young boys, Finn and Loki end up playing an enormous role. Finn survives imprisonment and goes on to help a British Agent who has parachuted into Norway. As well as being a brilliant piece of historical fiction, this novel turns out to be an exciting thriller for teenagers.
Although suitable for both male and female readers, boys of ages ten and up would particularly like this book especially if they have a fascination for aircraft. There is a lot of detail about different types of planes and the author has even included a few diagrams and details at the beginning of the book.
Finn is a great hero with admirable strength and bravery. Simpson does not undermine women however and includes a couple of amazing female characters with just as much courage as the men.
<i>Special Operations: Dogfight</i> is a work of fiction but it was inspired by real events. It’s Norwegian setting makes it educational in that it teaches the reader about the effect of the war on innocent people in countries less spoken about in history textbooks. Despite some of the areas being made up to suit the story, Simpson has done a magnificent job at keeping it historically accurate and must have spent a great deal of time on research.
<i>Special Operations: Dogfight</i> is a brilliant book for young readers. For some the historical setting may be off putting but the characters feel as modern as teenagers today. The story is exciting and has a fantastic ending, including a few plot twists you do not see coming!
Quite often novels concerning the Second World War are assumed to be about Great Britain, Germany or life in concentration camps. However, first in series <i>Special Operations: Dogfight</i> by Craig Simpson is set in Norway in 1940 where Nazi’s have invaded.
The story is about fifteen-year-old Finn Gunnersen and his best friend Loki whose families are deeply involved with the resistance. Although they are still young boys, Finn and Loki end up playing an enormous role. Finn survives imprisonment and goes on to help a British Agent who has parachuted into Norway. As well as being a brilliant piece of historical fiction, this novel turns out to be an exciting thriller for teenagers.
Although suitable for both male and female readers, boys of ages ten and up would particularly like this book especially if they have a fascination for aircraft. There is a lot of detail about different types of planes and the author has even included a few diagrams and details at the beginning of the book.
Finn is a great hero with admirable strength and bravery. Simpson does not undermine women however and includes a couple of amazing female characters with just as much courage as the men.
<i>Special Operations: Dogfight</i> is a work of fiction but it was inspired by real events. It’s Norwegian setting makes it educational in that it teaches the reader about the effect of the war on innocent people in countries less spoken about in history textbooks. Despite some of the areas being made up to suit the story, Simpson has done a magnificent job at keeping it historically accurate and must have spent a great deal of time on research.
<i>Special Operations: Dogfight</i> is a brilliant book for young readers. For some the historical setting may be off putting but the characters feel as modern as teenagers today. The story is exciting and has a fantastic ending, including a few plot twists you do not see coming!
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
The end of Lauren Kate’s fantasy novel <i>Teardrop</i> saw the beginning of the destruction of the earth after teenage Eureka Boudreaux shed a tear sparking off a devastating flood. <i>Waterfall</i> continues on from this point as Eureka goes on a journey to try and save the world. Readers are reunited with the lovable characters of the previous novel such as the twins and Cat as well as the mysterious Ander.
Three quarters of the novel is full of excitement with Eureka and family swimming to Turkey to locate a lost relative of Ander’s who they hope will be able to advise them on what to do next. Solon is a great character – comes across as mean but really has everyone’s best interests at heart. Solon instructs Eureka in the tasks ahead of her all the while the threat of Atlantis rising rests heavily upon her. Meanwhile Atlas, the evil one, who is determined to make Eureka produce one final tear, has possessed Eureka’s best friend Brooks.
Up until this point the novel was even better than the first. The lack of everyday life that <i>Teardrop</i> was composed of meant that the fantasy story line could quickly develop. However the remaining quarter of <i>Waterfall</i> was largely disappointing.
The setting for the finale of the book was a complete contrast to what the characters had been exposed to previously. Whilst there was nothing wrong with this, the story became confusing and difficult to grasp. It was hard to picture the scene and it felt like the personalities of some of the characters, Eureka in particular, had suddenly changed.
Initially <i>Waterfall</i> was working towards a four star review however after the frustrating changes in writing style the novel no longer feels like the fantastic story it promised to be.
As mentioned, this is a sequel to <i>Teardrop</i> and readers would greatly benefit from reading that first, but the beginning chapters of <i>Waterfall</i> contain enough information for new readers to catch up to speed.
The end of Lauren Kate’s fantasy novel <i>Teardrop</i> saw the beginning of the destruction of the earth after teenage Eureka Boudreaux shed a tear sparking off a devastating flood. <i>Waterfall</i> continues on from this point as Eureka goes on a journey to try and save the world. Readers are reunited with the lovable characters of the previous novel such as the twins and Cat as well as the mysterious Ander.
Three quarters of the novel is full of excitement with Eureka and family swimming to Turkey to locate a lost relative of Ander’s who they hope will be able to advise them on what to do next. Solon is a great character – comes across as mean but really has everyone’s best interests at heart. Solon instructs Eureka in the tasks ahead of her all the while the threat of Atlantis rising rests heavily upon her. Meanwhile Atlas, the evil one, who is determined to make Eureka produce one final tear, has possessed Eureka’s best friend Brooks.
Up until this point the novel was even better than the first. The lack of everyday life that <i>Teardrop</i> was composed of meant that the fantasy story line could quickly develop. However the remaining quarter of <i>Waterfall</i> was largely disappointing.
The setting for the finale of the book was a complete contrast to what the characters had been exposed to previously. Whilst there was nothing wrong with this, the story became confusing and difficult to grasp. It was hard to picture the scene and it felt like the personalities of some of the characters, Eureka in particular, had suddenly changed.
Initially <i>Waterfall</i> was working towards a four star review however after the frustrating changes in writing style the novel no longer feels like the fantastic story it promised to be.
As mentioned, this is a sequel to <i>Teardrop</i> and readers would greatly benefit from reading that first, but the beginning chapters of <i>Waterfall</i> contain enough information for new readers to catch up to speed.
Merissa (12502 KP) rated Touched by Death in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Touched by Death is a simply amazing book that you have to read. There you go, review finished. I've said all that needs to be said. What? You want more details? *sigh* okay, here we go:
The story starts with Lou leaving all she knows behind - her home, her ex-boyfriend, everything. Why? Her grams has just died and she feels lost. She doesn't know what to do, so makes a decision to head to a place from her grams past where she may find a future. However a storm has a different idea, and Lou ends up going over a bridge into a lake. She doesn't die, is saved, but strange things begin to happen from that moment on.
And that is as much of the story as I am prepared to give away. You have the synopsis already anyway. What I can tell you is that Lou's 'journey' (and yes, I'm loathe to use that word) is astounding. The things she learns, the dreams she has, her general attitude, it all sticks with you. You are drawn into Lou's world, hoping against hope that she will get her HEA. The description of the broken heart about did me in, and that's the truth. Read it, find the quote, and tell me that you disagree. I dare you! I double dog-dare you!
It all ties in so perfectly, I can't honestly think of any way in which this story could be improved. The brothers, grams, Lou, Mr Blackwood, it's all here - and it's brilliant. There were no errors of any description, editing or grammatical, that disrupted my reading flow. However, in the case of being 100% accurate, I couldn't honestly say I would have noticed even if there were any. I was so completely engrossed in the story. Absolutely magnificent. Fantastic job by the author. Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The story starts with Lou leaving all she knows behind - her home, her ex-boyfriend, everything. Why? Her grams has just died and she feels lost. She doesn't know what to do, so makes a decision to head to a place from her grams past where she may find a future. However a storm has a different idea, and Lou ends up going over a bridge into a lake. She doesn't die, is saved, but strange things begin to happen from that moment on.
And that is as much of the story as I am prepared to give away. You have the synopsis already anyway. What I can tell you is that Lou's 'journey' (and yes, I'm loathe to use that word) is astounding. The things she learns, the dreams she has, her general attitude, it all sticks with you. You are drawn into Lou's world, hoping against hope that she will get her HEA. The description of the broken heart about did me in, and that's the truth. Read it, find the quote, and tell me that you disagree. I dare you! I double dog-dare you!
It all ties in so perfectly, I can't honestly think of any way in which this story could be improved. The brothers, grams, Lou, Mr Blackwood, it's all here - and it's brilliant. There were no errors of any description, editing or grammatical, that disrupted my reading flow. However, in the case of being 100% accurate, I couldn't honestly say I would have noticed even if there were any. I was so completely engrossed in the story. Absolutely magnificent. Fantastic job by the author. Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles, #1) in Books
Dec 25, 2018
Through this entire book, I kept thinking "this feels like Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets." It's a completely different setting, and a different plot, but it had the same atmosphere. Rollicking action, fantastical premise, crazy setting, huge machines with entire worlds within them. I loved Valerian - it may not have been a critically great movie, and I don't think the leads had much chemistry, but the movie was just FUN. And that's how Mortal Engines is, too.
It's a crazy world, where cities have become mobile - think Howl's Moving Castle - and they chase each other across a barren world, devouring each other for resources in a social order they call Municipal Darwinism. Some cities, like London, are huge, with six main levels, not really counting the Gut, or the center of the machinery. Other towns are small, one or two levels crawling along trying to avoid the notice of the larger, faster cities. The peoples of the Traction Cities think people who live in statics (stationary cities, or, horror of horrors, right on the ground!) or people who are part of the Anti-Traction League, are crazy barbarians. And then there are the airship captains and crews, based out of the one floating city.
It is a crazy steampunk world, and Tom Natsworthy stumbles into a conspiracy plot by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as he travels with Hester across the wasteland, trying to survive their pursuers and avert catastrophe, he learns more about her, and more about how the world actually works.
I absolutely adore the last two sentences of the book, and I'm going to post those here because they aren't terribly spoilery. And they're fantastic.
"You aren't a hero, and I'm not beautiful, and we probably won't live happily ever after," she said. "But we're alive, and together, and we're going to be all right."
This book is the first of a quartet, and Reeve also wrote a prequel trilogy, so there's actually three books before AND after this book. I'll probably check my library for them, because I REALLY enjoyed this book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
It's a crazy world, where cities have become mobile - think Howl's Moving Castle - and they chase each other across a barren world, devouring each other for resources in a social order they call Municipal Darwinism. Some cities, like London, are huge, with six main levels, not really counting the Gut, or the center of the machinery. Other towns are small, one or two levels crawling along trying to avoid the notice of the larger, faster cities. The peoples of the Traction Cities think people who live in statics (stationary cities, or, horror of horrors, right on the ground!) or people who are part of the Anti-Traction League, are crazy barbarians. And then there are the airship captains and crews, based out of the one floating city.
It is a crazy steampunk world, and Tom Natsworthy stumbles into a conspiracy plot by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as he travels with Hester across the wasteland, trying to survive their pursuers and avert catastrophe, he learns more about her, and more about how the world actually works.
I absolutely adore the last two sentences of the book, and I'm going to post those here because they aren't terribly spoilery. And they're fantastic.
"You aren't a hero, and I'm not beautiful, and we probably won't live happily ever after," she said. "But we're alive, and together, and we're going to be all right."
This book is the first of a quartet, and Reeve also wrote a prequel trilogy, so there's actually three books before AND after this book. I'll probably check my library for them, because I REALLY enjoyed this book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Sarah (7799 KP) rated Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) in Movies
Dec 28, 2018 (Updated Dec 28, 2018)
A brilliant concept
Black Mirror is one of those series that is very divisive, people either seem to love it or hate it. I absolutely adore it. I love the bleak, technology driven alternate reality based stories, it’s fascinating and a worrying insight into what our future could become. I only found out yesterday that they were releasing this feature length standalone on Netflix, and when I found out it was a ‘choose your own ending’ type story, I couldn’t have been more excited. And it really does not disappoint.
The choose your own adventure style is flawless. I was worried it’d be clunky, slow or disrupt the flow of the scene, but it really is immaculate. The scene carries on while you choose, and choosing is simple, although you do have to be quite quick. It starts off with a few innocuous choices but then soon descends into ones that are a lot darker, and in some cases a lot funnier too. When you get to whatever ending you’ve reached, it allows you to go back and change some of your choices to see how the outcome would’ve differed, exactly like you’d do if you were reading a choose your ending Goosebumps book - flicking back and choosing a different option. On watching some of the alternate options, I soon realised some of the ones I’d picked were the best choices!
The plot itself is interesting and relevant, and also very meta as the story goes along, which for me really helped involve me as a watcher. There are some very bleak, gruesome and funny moments in this, which is really exactly what you’d expect from Charlie Brooker and even gets you questioning your own reality. Fionn Whitehead is great as Stefan, after this and Dunkirk he’s sure to do well. My only negative is that the story seemed to unfold very slowly in parts, but this could have all been down to the choices I made.
This is a fantastic concept for Black Mirror, and I’d love to see it used in other parts of the series. Albeit very sparingly, as it is something that could get old quite quickly if overused. But for Bandersnatch, it was a delight to watch, and take part.
The choose your own adventure style is flawless. I was worried it’d be clunky, slow or disrupt the flow of the scene, but it really is immaculate. The scene carries on while you choose, and choosing is simple, although you do have to be quite quick. It starts off with a few innocuous choices but then soon descends into ones that are a lot darker, and in some cases a lot funnier too. When you get to whatever ending you’ve reached, it allows you to go back and change some of your choices to see how the outcome would’ve differed, exactly like you’d do if you were reading a choose your ending Goosebumps book - flicking back and choosing a different option. On watching some of the alternate options, I soon realised some of the ones I’d picked were the best choices!
The plot itself is interesting and relevant, and also very meta as the story goes along, which for me really helped involve me as a watcher. There are some very bleak, gruesome and funny moments in this, which is really exactly what you’d expect from Charlie Brooker and even gets you questioning your own reality. Fionn Whitehead is great as Stefan, after this and Dunkirk he’s sure to do well. My only negative is that the story seemed to unfold very slowly in parts, but this could have all been down to the choices I made.
This is a fantastic concept for Black Mirror, and I’d love to see it used in other parts of the series. Albeit very sparingly, as it is something that could get old quite quickly if overused. But for Bandersnatch, it was a delight to watch, and take part.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) in Movies
Aug 15, 2019
As real as a donut
once upon a timeinhollywood is slow paced, tight methodical, uplifting & intricately woven look into the life of a hollywood star in the late 60s. I have to say im not overly a big Tarantino fan (with Inglorious bastards & the hateful eight being my favourites of his) so I wasnt really that excited about seeing this but once I stopped being on edge waiting for something bad to happen & finally sat back letting the film pull me in I knew this wasnt the usual Tarantino movie & I found that strangely compelling. While slow 90% of the run time the film never drags or ever stops being interesting & fascinating. Characters just drip cool are all likeable well fleshed out & distinguishable with every performance absolutely killing it even people that arnt in it much. It just all feels very human, relatable, down to earth & real. Sets are crafted with such perfection & filled with so much painstaking detail that you would swear the film was actually shot in the 60s creating an atmosphere & believability like no other. Accompany that with a smooth soundtrack you have a movie that just pops with style constantly. While everyone does a fantastic job its brad pitt that owns the film, his character is so deep, inspirational & the true hero of the film. Overall I saw this film as a more chill ed out & about how every day life for us all most of the time is way more exciting, thrilling, full of drama & strange events day to day making our lives just as exciting & as watchable as going to the movies & if we all just stopped worrying/stressing for just a second about technology, love, being successful etc life would fall into place, be stress free, we would be healthier & happier. Masterfully filmed, inteligent, mature & well executed this is not only a true love letter to the art of film making but a tribute to movies & how inspiring they can be in general. So sit back enter the decade & relax it may all seem very anti violence at first but the violence does come with time & when it finally hits its shocking & nasty but it feels earned & perfectly timed.
Merissa (12502 KP) rated Blue Jay (London Stories #3) in Books
Oct 28, 2019
Blue Jay is the third book in the London Stories series. Chris featured in Liam and Ali's story, but now he has his own. Alex has just come out of the prison, with secrets he doesn't want to share.
Oh my. Seriously!!! This is an amazing book and a brilliant addition to the series. Alex is most definitely a gentle giant who has made mistakes and has no intention of repeating them. Once you have a place in his heart, that's it. You're there for life. And Chris finds himself there, he just doesn't understand how. Their relationship is smooth and gentle, which considering their pasts is absolutely the way to go. The most obvious thing is it shows just how much Chris thinks of Alex, even if he won't admit it. Alex is a rock though, and isn't willing to let Chris push him away.
There are a whole host of characters in this book that you will either love or loathe. I loved Dex, but Alex's family grated on me until towards the end. The same with Chris' mum, Annette. I won't tell you how big the smile was on my face with one of the last scenes between her and Chris. You'll just have to read it for yourself, and figure out why I was smiling!
I loved how Chris' pronouns changed dependent upon their mood, and I ADORED that Alex accepted it all - no judgements, only questions to try and help him understand. This was written as first person, present tense, which isn't my favourite way of reading. It does help with getting into the mind of the character, but sometimes I wasn't ready for it to change. Even so, it was a fantastic book that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I have no hesitation in recommending it or the series as a whole. Perfect for those who like their romance a little darker.
* 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!
Oh my. Seriously!!! This is an amazing book and a brilliant addition to the series. Alex is most definitely a gentle giant who has made mistakes and has no intention of repeating them. Once you have a place in his heart, that's it. You're there for life. And Chris finds himself there, he just doesn't understand how. Their relationship is smooth and gentle, which considering their pasts is absolutely the way to go. The most obvious thing is it shows just how much Chris thinks of Alex, even if he won't admit it. Alex is a rock though, and isn't willing to let Chris push him away.
There are a whole host of characters in this book that you will either love or loathe. I loved Dex, but Alex's family grated on me until towards the end. The same with Chris' mum, Annette. I won't tell you how big the smile was on my face with one of the last scenes between her and Chris. You'll just have to read it for yourself, and figure out why I was smiling!
I loved how Chris' pronouns changed dependent upon their mood, and I ADORED that Alex accepted it all - no judgements, only questions to try and help him understand. This was written as first person, present tense, which isn't my favourite way of reading. It does help with getting into the mind of the character, but sometimes I wasn't ready for it to change. Even so, it was a fantastic book that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I have no hesitation in recommending it or the series as a whole. Perfect for those who like their romance a little darker.
* 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!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 2 in TV
Jul 6, 2019 (Updated Jul 7, 2019)
Back into the Upside Down
The second season of Stranger Things wisely doesn't steer too far away from what made the first season so great.
We're swiftly re-introduced to all the engaging characters from before, all living a pretty normal life since the events of season one, but of course it doesn't take too long for weird shit to start kicking off.
From the moment poor Will (again) starts having visions in episode 2 - its business as usual, and I was caught up once again in the mystery and intrigue of what was plaguing Hawkins.
We are introduced to several new characters - Max fits in naturally alongside the other younger actors, and her older brother Billy - what a jackass. But one that you love to hate, and on the rare occasion, even feel sympathy towards.
And of course, Sean Astin is a welcome face as Bob (Super Bob to you and me).
The plot itself takes a little while to get going, but once it does, it's a whirlwind. At the end of episode 6, I found myself physically exhaling in exhaustion once the credits started rolling - which brings me to the one big faceplant of season 2.
After the crazy cliffhanger of episode 6, episode 7 takes a real left turn.
A whole episode takes place outside of Hawkins, with a completely different cast (to the point that if you skipped this episode entirely, it wouldn't matter to the rest of the plot)
It's easy to see what the writers we're trying to do here - introducing us to others who have powers not to dissimilar to Eleven, she's not alone in the world.
But the characters are hugely unlikable, and so so cringey, it took a lot of effort to get through the whole episode.
It's plain to see that the writers we're almost testing the waters for a potential spin off, buts it's an idea that I really hope doesn't happen, and I really really hope we don't get more of these characters in future seasons.
The last two episodes are back in Hawkins and are pretty solid!
Overall, another fantastic series, worth your time and attention (just skip episode 7!)
We're swiftly re-introduced to all the engaging characters from before, all living a pretty normal life since the events of season one, but of course it doesn't take too long for weird shit to start kicking off.
From the moment poor Will (again) starts having visions in episode 2 - its business as usual, and I was caught up once again in the mystery and intrigue of what was plaguing Hawkins.
We are introduced to several new characters - Max fits in naturally alongside the other younger actors, and her older brother Billy - what a jackass. But one that you love to hate, and on the rare occasion, even feel sympathy towards.
And of course, Sean Astin is a welcome face as Bob (Super Bob to you and me).
The plot itself takes a little while to get going, but once it does, it's a whirlwind. At the end of episode 6, I found myself physically exhaling in exhaustion once the credits started rolling - which brings me to the one big faceplant of season 2.
After the crazy cliffhanger of episode 6, episode 7 takes a real left turn.
A whole episode takes place outside of Hawkins, with a completely different cast (to the point that if you skipped this episode entirely, it wouldn't matter to the rest of the plot)
It's easy to see what the writers we're trying to do here - introducing us to others who have powers not to dissimilar to Eleven, she's not alone in the world.
But the characters are hugely unlikable, and so so cringey, it took a lot of effort to get through the whole episode.
It's plain to see that the writers we're almost testing the waters for a potential spin off, buts it's an idea that I really hope doesn't happen, and I really really hope we don't get more of these characters in future seasons.
The last two episodes are back in Hawkins and are pretty solid!
Overall, another fantastic series, worth your time and attention (just skip episode 7!)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Life of the Party (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) has spent the past 21 years being a dedicated wife and mother. Her and her husband Dan (Matt Walsh) have delivered their only daughter, Maddie (Molly Gordon) to their alma mater for her Senior year at college. As Deanna and Dan leave to what she thinks is their romantic trip to Italy, Dan breaks the information that 1. He wants a divorce and 2. He has been seeing Marcie (Julie Bowen) for a while and is in love with her. In a tailspin, Deanna retreats to her parents Mike and Sandy (Stephen Root and Jacki Weaver, respectively)feeling upended and lost.
While recovering from the emotional bomb, her best friend Christine (Maya Rudolph as that BFF who says all things unedited and is SO VERY Ride or Die) helps to pull her (and the audience) out of the dark depths with the best drunk racquetball sideline ever. The chemistry between McCarthy and Rudolph feels like two naturals riffing off with each other. Their interchanges throughout the film had me snort-laughing throughout.
Deanna decides that since she did not graduate with her degree due to motherhood and Dan, it’s an opportunity to finish and pursue her dream of being an archaeologist. Dee registers and lets her daughter know of the huge changes happening. Dee can come off as a Pollyanna to a degree, but it is her can do, positive attitude that eventually helps her ride out the rollercoaster for her senior year.
Once she is entrenched in the school year, her daughter’s friends bring her into their circle and forces her to life the college life instead of only studying all the time. She meets the very handsome Jack ( Luke Benward) a much younger man, teaching him the finer arts of canoodling of a more experienced kind.
The film is cleverly written and produced by McCarthy and Ben Falcone (her husband) at the helm directing this movie. Melissa, is brilliant at giving us wonderfully unexpected physical comedy with fantastic comic timing. The cast, have given us an enjoyable movie that is a heartily, welcomed respite.
Life of the Party is a fun Girls Night Out.
While recovering from the emotional bomb, her best friend Christine (Maya Rudolph as that BFF who says all things unedited and is SO VERY Ride or Die) helps to pull her (and the audience) out of the dark depths with the best drunk racquetball sideline ever. The chemistry between McCarthy and Rudolph feels like two naturals riffing off with each other. Their interchanges throughout the film had me snort-laughing throughout.
Deanna decides that since she did not graduate with her degree due to motherhood and Dan, it’s an opportunity to finish and pursue her dream of being an archaeologist. Dee registers and lets her daughter know of the huge changes happening. Dee can come off as a Pollyanna to a degree, but it is her can do, positive attitude that eventually helps her ride out the rollercoaster for her senior year.
Once she is entrenched in the school year, her daughter’s friends bring her into their circle and forces her to life the college life instead of only studying all the time. She meets the very handsome Jack ( Luke Benward) a much younger man, teaching him the finer arts of canoodling of a more experienced kind.
The film is cleverly written and produced by McCarthy and Ben Falcone (her husband) at the helm directing this movie. Melissa, is brilliant at giving us wonderfully unexpected physical comedy with fantastic comic timing. The cast, have given us an enjoyable movie that is a heartily, welcomed respite.
Life of the Party is a fun Girls Night Out.