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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Left to Chance in Books
Jan 10, 2018
Great characters (3 more)
Strong portrayal of a small town
Some great funny moments
Lovely and powerful moments
Sweet, touching tale
After six years, Teddi Learner returns to her small hometown of Chance, Ohio to photograph the wedding of her best friend's husband, Miles. Miles is getting remarried after the death of his first wife, Celia. Celia and Miles and had one daughter together, Shayna, who is now twelve. Teddi and Shay had a somewhat superficial relationship after Celia's death--a yearly visit in Chicago, Skype calls, etc. But Shay's now nearly a teenager and she's personally asked Teddi to come to town--a place she's never set foot in since her beloved best friend passed away. When she arrives, she finds Chance has grown, and so has Shay, who is struggling with her father's remarriage and fitting in within her teen friend circle. Further, Teddi's memories of Celia are as strong as ever, and so are her feelings for Celia's brother, Beck, whom she was seeing when she fled town after (okay, pretty much during) Celia's funeral. Teddi has a new life now, photographing weddings all over the country for Hester Hotels. She left Chance behind and never looked back. But now that she's here, she can't help but notice all (and who) she left.
I enjoy picking up novels like this sometime because they let me indulge in my Lifetime / Hallmark movie side (I'm a sucker for those, especially at Christmas time). This book was an excellent diversion and while I certainly could predict some areas, it surprised me in others.
Nathan gives us some great characters, particularly Teddi and Shay. Teddi is complicated and a little annoying, at times, but she comes across as realistically human and flawed. Her love for Celia is incredibly strong and you can feel her loss and heartache come across the pages. The novel is a real testament to female friendship. At times you want to push or prod her a bit, but she's also stronger than she thinks. As for Shay, my heart often broke for the poor girl, struggling at the age of being between a girl and a teenager, with the added difficulty of having lost her mom.
Nathan also does a good job of portraying the eclectic cast of characters in small town Chance, with some good foils popping up for Teddi. Some of my particular favorite appearances included Teddi's cousin, Maggie, and childhood friend, Josie. Because it's a small place, Miles' wedding is the talk of the town, and we see how it brings up some bitterness and long held issues among some, including the immediate family.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. The hardest part was some melodrama in the plot and theme, which got to be a little too much at times. Some things seemed to be blown a bit out of proportion and there can be a lot of different plot threads going on at times. However, there are some really lovely and powerful moments and some incredibly funny ones--much of which stem from the strength of the characters. There's a bit of a picture perfect ending, but not the one I expected. This was a sweet, touching tale in many ways and exactly the read I needed at this point in time. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
I enjoy picking up novels like this sometime because they let me indulge in my Lifetime / Hallmark movie side (I'm a sucker for those, especially at Christmas time). This book was an excellent diversion and while I certainly could predict some areas, it surprised me in others.
Nathan gives us some great characters, particularly Teddi and Shay. Teddi is complicated and a little annoying, at times, but she comes across as realistically human and flawed. Her love for Celia is incredibly strong and you can feel her loss and heartache come across the pages. The novel is a real testament to female friendship. At times you want to push or prod her a bit, but she's also stronger than she thinks. As for Shay, my heart often broke for the poor girl, struggling at the age of being between a girl and a teenager, with the added difficulty of having lost her mom.
Nathan also does a good job of portraying the eclectic cast of characters in small town Chance, with some good foils popping up for Teddi. Some of my particular favorite appearances included Teddi's cousin, Maggie, and childhood friend, Josie. Because it's a small place, Miles' wedding is the talk of the town, and we see how it brings up some bitterness and long held issues among some, including the immediate family.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. The hardest part was some melodrama in the plot and theme, which got to be a little too much at times. Some things seemed to be blown a bit out of proportion and there can be a lot of different plot threads going on at times. However, there are some really lovely and powerful moments and some incredibly funny ones--much of which stem from the strength of the characters. There's a bit of a picture perfect ending, but not the one I expected. This was a sweet, touching tale in many ways and exactly the read I needed at this point in time. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Tear Me Apart in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison is a “why done it,” instead of a “who done it.” She explores how one lie can build upon another as the resulting betrayal rips two families apart.
Originally known for her two series she has now switched to writing stand-alones. One series main character is Lt. Taylor Jackson a Nashville homicide detective who hunts down serial killers. The other series featured Dr. Samantha Owen, a medical examiner who came into prominence as the conscience of the Taylor Jackson series, and eventually morphed into her own series. Ellison noted, “Currently I will continue writing the stand-alones because the publisher loves them and they are doing better. With that said, I have already started the Samantha book and will eventually get to it. But for now, I will continue to write these psychological thrillers.”
While writing the series books, Ellison actually had an idea for this plot, back in 2011. “I had a guy at the funeral of his wife and baby. He dreamed of this little girl who became a professional ice skater. I then added layers including to have a story about committing suicide. I also had the letters originally as AOL chats, but after my mom read it, I changed the correspondence to letters. She did not know what an AOL chat was and I realized I would have a bunch of readers, both young and older, who would not know. Another change I made was to have Mindy as a professional skier, not skater. I based her on Lindsey Vonn, someone who had made multiple comebacks from injuries. I think of her as an incredible hero.”
This story begins with an Olympic downhill skier, Mindy Wright, crashing and severely breaking her leg. During the surgery, it’s discovered she has leukemia and will eventually need a stem cell transplant. In need of a bone marrow transplant both her parents are tested, where it is discovered that they are not a genetic match to Mindy. Questions arise as to what happened: was she switched at birth, or was there something more sinister, such as a baby farm? Her mother Lauren is hiding secrets, while her aunt Juliet is determined to find answers and a match to save Mindy’s life. As the story unravels so does Lauren’s life and mental state. She will go to almost any length to prevent people from knowing the truth about what happened.
Mindy is strong, determined, driven, and unemotional. “I wanted to write her as someone who takes control of every aspect of her life and mind. She is the 1% of the 1% of the 1%. She will do anything to achieve her goal, training very hard.”
Her mother Lauren is someone who created a life for herself. Once she became a mother she made a loving life for her daughter Mindy. She is the direct opposite of her sister, Juliet. While growing up, Lauren was her mother’s favorite, Juliet was the outsider. These siblings are eleven years apart, but were thick as thieves. Although both are devastated by the diagnosis, Ellison explores how a parent would react in that situation, seeing a child suffer and unable to fix it. “I wanted to write the essence of what a parent does, trying to make everything better.”
The plot examines the relationships between mothers and daughters as well as sisters. It sheds light on mental health problems and the terrible consequences that result when the emotional balance is neglected.
Originally known for her two series she has now switched to writing stand-alones. One series main character is Lt. Taylor Jackson a Nashville homicide detective who hunts down serial killers. The other series featured Dr. Samantha Owen, a medical examiner who came into prominence as the conscience of the Taylor Jackson series, and eventually morphed into her own series. Ellison noted, “Currently I will continue writing the stand-alones because the publisher loves them and they are doing better. With that said, I have already started the Samantha book and will eventually get to it. But for now, I will continue to write these psychological thrillers.”
While writing the series books, Ellison actually had an idea for this plot, back in 2011. “I had a guy at the funeral of his wife and baby. He dreamed of this little girl who became a professional ice skater. I then added layers including to have a story about committing suicide. I also had the letters originally as AOL chats, but after my mom read it, I changed the correspondence to letters. She did not know what an AOL chat was and I realized I would have a bunch of readers, both young and older, who would not know. Another change I made was to have Mindy as a professional skier, not skater. I based her on Lindsey Vonn, someone who had made multiple comebacks from injuries. I think of her as an incredible hero.”
This story begins with an Olympic downhill skier, Mindy Wright, crashing and severely breaking her leg. During the surgery, it’s discovered she has leukemia and will eventually need a stem cell transplant. In need of a bone marrow transplant both her parents are tested, where it is discovered that they are not a genetic match to Mindy. Questions arise as to what happened: was she switched at birth, or was there something more sinister, such as a baby farm? Her mother Lauren is hiding secrets, while her aunt Juliet is determined to find answers and a match to save Mindy’s life. As the story unravels so does Lauren’s life and mental state. She will go to almost any length to prevent people from knowing the truth about what happened.
Mindy is strong, determined, driven, and unemotional. “I wanted to write her as someone who takes control of every aspect of her life and mind. She is the 1% of the 1% of the 1%. She will do anything to achieve her goal, training very hard.”
Her mother Lauren is someone who created a life for herself. Once she became a mother she made a loving life for her daughter Mindy. She is the direct opposite of her sister, Juliet. While growing up, Lauren was her mother’s favorite, Juliet was the outsider. These siblings are eleven years apart, but were thick as thieves. Although both are devastated by the diagnosis, Ellison explores how a parent would react in that situation, seeing a child suffer and unable to fix it. “I wanted to write the essence of what a parent does, trying to make everything better.”
The plot examines the relationships between mothers and daughters as well as sisters. It sheds light on mental health problems and the terrible consequences that result when the emotional balance is neglected.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) in Movies
Feb 5, 2020
Ian Malcolm Should Have Left Them On the Island
Thoughts before watching The Lost World: Jurassic Park as a twelve-year-old in 1997: “Oh man, I can’t wait to check out all this dino action! Raptors for life!” Thoughts before watching The Lost World: Jurassic Park as a thirty-five-year-old in 2019: “Why the hell are they going back to the island? These people clearly have a death wish!” Yes, the sequel to one of the greatest movies ever made sees a return to the dinosaur madness as a special team led by Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm goes on a mission for Jurassic Park’s creator John Hammond (Richard Attenborough).
Acting: 10
Jeff Goldblum has a way of captivating any screen he’s on. He has charm, wit, and an erratic nature that’s absolutely hilarious. He has a strong cast backing him up with guys like Vince Vaughn and Julianne Moore helping to run the show.
Beginning: 10
Strong start as we see there are still idiots out there that don’t know how to stay away from these islands. The movie is immediately entertaining while also letting you know it’s going to be a different kind of movie than the first. Definitely piqued my interest.
Characters: 6
One of my biggest issues with the entire movie. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t score it lower. For the most part, I hated these characters outside of Ian Malcolm. I almost wish he had left the rest of them to stew on the island by themselves. Julianne Moore’s character Sarah Harding was obnoxious and pretty annoying. Then again, I can say that for a lot of the characters including Malcolm’s daughter Kelly Curtis (Vanessa Lee Chester). At times, it really made it hard for me to enjoy the movie.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
The dino special effects were taken to new heights in this one. I particularly love the extra work they put into the velociraptors showing off their incredible jumping ability and rogue-like stealth. I also appreciated the multitude of dinos you get in this one as well from the stegosaurus down to the tiny compies. I can’t remember their names, but my particular favorite dino was the one with the bone head. His hard skull could crash through just about anything. I enjoyed watching it wreak havoc on a number of doors and people.
What bothered me just a bit was the choice of a darker color tone throughout the movie. It was almost as if they were trying to purposefully differentiate from the first by doing this. It takes some getting used to, but ultimately didn’t kill the movie for me.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 4
Pace: 8
Plot: 4
What a stupid story. Who in their right mind after hearing all the craziness that went down at the original park would ever go back to face off against these dinos? Rescue mission my ass, not this guy! Had they followed the book, I feel it would have been a lot more believable.
Resolution: 9
Overall: 77
Let’s be honest, no way this movie was going to match the first in any way. Jurassic Park set an amazing standard that is just hard to follow. However, I will say that, while not perfect, The Lost World: Jurassic Park does have its moments that make it a decent enough watch.
Acting: 10
Jeff Goldblum has a way of captivating any screen he’s on. He has charm, wit, and an erratic nature that’s absolutely hilarious. He has a strong cast backing him up with guys like Vince Vaughn and Julianne Moore helping to run the show.
Beginning: 10
Strong start as we see there are still idiots out there that don’t know how to stay away from these islands. The movie is immediately entertaining while also letting you know it’s going to be a different kind of movie than the first. Definitely piqued my interest.
Characters: 6
One of my biggest issues with the entire movie. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t score it lower. For the most part, I hated these characters outside of Ian Malcolm. I almost wish he had left the rest of them to stew on the island by themselves. Julianne Moore’s character Sarah Harding was obnoxious and pretty annoying. Then again, I can say that for a lot of the characters including Malcolm’s daughter Kelly Curtis (Vanessa Lee Chester). At times, it really made it hard for me to enjoy the movie.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
The dino special effects were taken to new heights in this one. I particularly love the extra work they put into the velociraptors showing off their incredible jumping ability and rogue-like stealth. I also appreciated the multitude of dinos you get in this one as well from the stegosaurus down to the tiny compies. I can’t remember their names, but my particular favorite dino was the one with the bone head. His hard skull could crash through just about anything. I enjoyed watching it wreak havoc on a number of doors and people.
What bothered me just a bit was the choice of a darker color tone throughout the movie. It was almost as if they were trying to purposefully differentiate from the first by doing this. It takes some getting used to, but ultimately didn’t kill the movie for me.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 4
Pace: 8
Plot: 4
What a stupid story. Who in their right mind after hearing all the craziness that went down at the original park would ever go back to face off against these dinos? Rescue mission my ass, not this guy! Had they followed the book, I feel it would have been a lot more believable.
Resolution: 9
Overall: 77
Let’s be honest, no way this movie was going to match the first in any way. Jurassic Park set an amazing standard that is just hard to follow. However, I will say that, while not perfect, The Lost World: Jurassic Park does have its moments that make it a decent enough watch.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Pete's Dragon (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Pete’s Dragon is a staple of my childhood. It was one of the three movies I would always choose to watch. So, naturally, I was a little worried when I heard about the new movie earlier this year. The teaser trailer didn’t give much to go by, but it looked promising. I trying something new this year where I do not watch anything beyond the teaser trailer (believe me, it’s killing me not to watch the new Rogue One trailer), so that’s all I had going into this. And I was pleasantly surprised.
39 years after the original, David Lowery brings us the re-invention of Pete’s Dragon. His aim was not to remake the original film, but to reinvent it. And that he did. PD opens up with a family traveling through a forest on a road trip. The young boy, Pete (Levi Alexander) is reading from a book about a lost puppy name Elliot. A tragic accident occurs, which leaves Pete by himself in the forest. As he starts to wander, a pack of wolves begins to close in on him, only to be thwarted by… you guessed it. A dragon.
Flash forward 6 years, and we now see an older Pete (Oakes Fegley) running around through the forest with Elliot, the dragon who he bonded with over the years. Pete happens upon a forest ranger, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) as she is scouting the forest, unmarking trees that were marked for cut down. She’s not a rebel, just protecting the habitat of an owl. Turns out her fiancé, Jack (Wes Bentley), and his brother, Gavin (Karl Urban), run the company that is tearing down the forest. One day, they happen upon Pete and bring him home, but Pete misses Elliot, and Elliot misses Pete. In an effort to get back to him, Elliot is discovered by Gavin who wants to hunt down Pete and bring him in. Grace seeks assistance from her father, Meachum (Robert Redford), who was always thought of as a crazy old man with his wild story of a dragon he met so many years ago. Can they help save Elliot from Gavin and his men?
While a little darker than the original, I found that I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. There are some plot holes to consider, and a little unbelievable on how fast the story develops in time passed in the universe set up here, but you have to understand that this movie is geared toward children. And I think they did well in creating an entertaining film for children and nostalgic adults alike. In fact, this screening was the quietest family screening I have ever attended. There were plenty of kids in the audience, but they were captivated.
Keeping in mind that this is truly a children’s movie, my biggest gripe was the absence of my favorite scene from the original (scorched apples, anyone?). But all in all, it is definitely something to get out to theaters to see. Lowery had indicated that he chose the appearance for Elliot as he did because he wanted to portray a dragon you could hug. Success, Mr. Lowery. Success. Pete’s Dragon is good fun for the whole family, so what are you waiting for? Go see it, already.
39 years after the original, David Lowery brings us the re-invention of Pete’s Dragon. His aim was not to remake the original film, but to reinvent it. And that he did. PD opens up with a family traveling through a forest on a road trip. The young boy, Pete (Levi Alexander) is reading from a book about a lost puppy name Elliot. A tragic accident occurs, which leaves Pete by himself in the forest. As he starts to wander, a pack of wolves begins to close in on him, only to be thwarted by… you guessed it. A dragon.
Flash forward 6 years, and we now see an older Pete (Oakes Fegley) running around through the forest with Elliot, the dragon who he bonded with over the years. Pete happens upon a forest ranger, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) as she is scouting the forest, unmarking trees that were marked for cut down. She’s not a rebel, just protecting the habitat of an owl. Turns out her fiancé, Jack (Wes Bentley), and his brother, Gavin (Karl Urban), run the company that is tearing down the forest. One day, they happen upon Pete and bring him home, but Pete misses Elliot, and Elliot misses Pete. In an effort to get back to him, Elliot is discovered by Gavin who wants to hunt down Pete and bring him in. Grace seeks assistance from her father, Meachum (Robert Redford), who was always thought of as a crazy old man with his wild story of a dragon he met so many years ago. Can they help save Elliot from Gavin and his men?
While a little darker than the original, I found that I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. There are some plot holes to consider, and a little unbelievable on how fast the story develops in time passed in the universe set up here, but you have to understand that this movie is geared toward children. And I think they did well in creating an entertaining film for children and nostalgic adults alike. In fact, this screening was the quietest family screening I have ever attended. There were plenty of kids in the audience, but they were captivated.
Keeping in mind that this is truly a children’s movie, my biggest gripe was the absence of my favorite scene from the original (scorched apples, anyone?). But all in all, it is definitely something to get out to theaters to see. Lowery had indicated that he chose the appearance for Elliot as he did because he wanted to portray a dragon you could hug. Success, Mr. Lowery. Success. Pete’s Dragon is good fun for the whole family, so what are you waiting for? Go see it, already.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Fans all around the world have been waiting for the fifth and final installment of the film adaption of Stephanie Meyer’s best selling book series, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 2” and without skipping a beat, part two begins right where its predecessor left off.
Bella opens her eyes with heightened vampire senses and embraces her new life as a wife, a mother and more importantly as a vampire. With her uncontrollable thirst she and Edward go for a run in the woods so that she can learn to hunt. She suddenly becomes enamored with her sudden speed and amazing strength. There certainly is no need for Edward to show her the tools of the trade as with Bella’s new found strength she is able to do that on her own.
Another perk to being vampire newlyweds who for that matter don’t have to rest or eat certainly leaves room for only one other thing to do and they sure love doing it! This finally provides the audience with a much steamier scene then in the last installment and in my opinion exactly how the writer intended it to be.
When Renesmee is born she is half vampire and half human and therefore poses no risk to anybody. Unfortunately for the Cullen family, she is mistaken to be one of the “immortal children”. In the past the “immortal children” were done away with by the Volturi as they posed a huge risk because being children they had no self control and posed a risk of showing humans that there were in fact monsters that had been living among them. This leads to a massive showdown with the leader of the Volturi, Aro and his cohorts against the Cullens and other clans who have come to their aid along with Jacob and his wolf pack. Will Bella and Edward get the “happily ever after” they so desire?
This is probably the hardest review that I have had to write and I say that because I am as a lot of you already know one of the biggest Twilight fans out there. This installment, film wise, is my favorite one because of all of the action and suspense. Parts of the film will surprise you and parts will tug on your heart strings but all in all, it is the best film of all of them by far.
You would at least need to know the back story before getting in to it or you will be completely lost! The cinematography and colors against the Northwest backdrops are beautiful. Bill Condon did a great job! I am not a fan by any means of computer generated humans, especially babies so I could have done without that but honestly how else could they have portrayed little Renesmee as she grew at such a fast rate?
This film is worth seeing and the guys will get at least some really cool fighting scenes and pretty ladies to look at while taking there girlfriends to see this film. All joking aside it is a fantastic story and should be not be missed. There is a reason why they bring in the big bucks and its not just because of teen girls going to see Jacob taking his shirt off.
Bella opens her eyes with heightened vampire senses and embraces her new life as a wife, a mother and more importantly as a vampire. With her uncontrollable thirst she and Edward go for a run in the woods so that she can learn to hunt. She suddenly becomes enamored with her sudden speed and amazing strength. There certainly is no need for Edward to show her the tools of the trade as with Bella’s new found strength she is able to do that on her own.
Another perk to being vampire newlyweds who for that matter don’t have to rest or eat certainly leaves room for only one other thing to do and they sure love doing it! This finally provides the audience with a much steamier scene then in the last installment and in my opinion exactly how the writer intended it to be.
When Renesmee is born she is half vampire and half human and therefore poses no risk to anybody. Unfortunately for the Cullen family, she is mistaken to be one of the “immortal children”. In the past the “immortal children” were done away with by the Volturi as they posed a huge risk because being children they had no self control and posed a risk of showing humans that there were in fact monsters that had been living among them. This leads to a massive showdown with the leader of the Volturi, Aro and his cohorts against the Cullens and other clans who have come to their aid along with Jacob and his wolf pack. Will Bella and Edward get the “happily ever after” they so desire?
This is probably the hardest review that I have had to write and I say that because I am as a lot of you already know one of the biggest Twilight fans out there. This installment, film wise, is my favorite one because of all of the action and suspense. Parts of the film will surprise you and parts will tug on your heart strings but all in all, it is the best film of all of them by far.
You would at least need to know the back story before getting in to it or you will be completely lost! The cinematography and colors against the Northwest backdrops are beautiful. Bill Condon did a great job! I am not a fan by any means of computer generated humans, especially babies so I could have done without that but honestly how else could they have portrayed little Renesmee as she grew at such a fast rate?
This film is worth seeing and the guys will get at least some really cool fighting scenes and pretty ladies to look at while taking there girlfriends to see this film. All joking aside it is a fantastic story and should be not be missed. There is a reason why they bring in the big bucks and its not just because of teen girls going to see Jacob taking his shirt off.
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