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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall #3) in Books
Nov 28, 2021
I really didn't think that Mr Bryndza could better the first and second instalments in this excellent series but he has and yet again, I was totally engrossed from the first to the last word. You don't have to have read either of the first two books but I would highly recommend you do.
The characters are strong and I am really getting attached to Kate and Tristan; they are a brilliant duo and work really well together. The pace was spot on, the plot gripping and the tension spine-tinglingly good. The chapters which are written from the point of view of the killer are goosebump-inducing; he is so cold it really gave me the creeps - it was perfect! There is a great twist and the ending was so good I read way too late into the night and then was really disappointed that I had finished ... I didn't want it to end!
This series just keeps getting better and better and I can't wait for the next one. In the "Author's Letter" at the end, Mr Bryndza says that "Kate and Tristan will return shortly for another gripping murder investigation!" and I for one am waiting with bated breath!
Highly recommended for readers who love dark, exciting, suspense-filled stories that despite making you feel ill at ease at times, you read on into the night.
Many, many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
The characters are strong and I am really getting attached to Kate and Tristan; they are a brilliant duo and work really well together. The pace was spot on, the plot gripping and the tension spine-tinglingly good. The chapters which are written from the point of view of the killer are goosebump-inducing; he is so cold it really gave me the creeps - it was perfect! There is a great twist and the ending was so good I read way too late into the night and then was really disappointed that I had finished ... I didn't want it to end!
This series just keeps getting better and better and I can't wait for the next one. In the "Author's Letter" at the end, Mr Bryndza says that "Kate and Tristan will return shortly for another gripping murder investigation!" and I for one am waiting with bated breath!
Highly recommended for readers who love dark, exciting, suspense-filled stories that despite making you feel ill at ease at times, you read on into the night.
Many, many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Merissa (13465 KP) rated Cut to the Chase (City Shifters: the Pride #4) in Books
Jun 8, 2023
This is the fourth book in the City Shifters series, but I agreed to read and review after being assured that it could be read as a standalone. I agree with that statement, but I do feel that you would gain the most from reading the prior books, simply because it sounds like they are all good stories!
Ruby is the joint alpha, along with her brother Rafe, of one of the two wolf packs in town. When the alpha of the other pack approaches her with a business/personal proposition, she is taken aback. She speaks to Carter, a friend of the pack and a lion shifter himself, and he offers an alternative - one she had never thought of. Ruby is all about the pack, but nothing apart from that is mentioned. The pack doesn't play a big part in this book as all the action is between Ruby and everyone else. It alludes that Carter is in to light BDSM, but this is not mentioned in detail, rather it fades to black.
This book is told both from the first perspective (Ruby) and third (Carter), so it is obvious from the start of each chapter who is 'talking'. Well-written, with developed characters and situations, and with no editing or grammatical errors that I could see, this was a thoroughly enjoyable paranormal romance. Definitely recommended.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 22, 2016
Ruby is the joint alpha, along with her brother Rafe, of one of the two wolf packs in town. When the alpha of the other pack approaches her with a business/personal proposition, she is taken aback. She speaks to Carter, a friend of the pack and a lion shifter himself, and he offers an alternative - one she had never thought of. Ruby is all about the pack, but nothing apart from that is mentioned. The pack doesn't play a big part in this book as all the action is between Ruby and everyone else. It alludes that Carter is in to light BDSM, but this is not mentioned in detail, rather it fades to black.
This book is told both from the first perspective (Ruby) and third (Carter), so it is obvious from the start of each chapter who is 'talking'. Well-written, with developed characters and situations, and with no editing or grammatical errors that I could see, this was a thoroughly enjoyable paranormal romance. Definitely recommended.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 22, 2016
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Dark Matter in Books
May 10, 2024
91 of 220
Book
Dark Matter
By Michelle Paver
⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 1937 Clouds of war are gathering over a fogbound London. Twenty-eight year old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he's offered the chance to be the wireless operator on an Arctic expedition, he jumps at it. Spirits are high as the ship leaves Norway: five men and eight huskies, crossing the Barents Sea by the light of the midnight sun. At last they reach the remote, uninhabited bay where they will camp for the next year. Gruhuken. But the Arctic summer is brief. As night returns to claim the land, Jack feels a creeping unease. One by one, his companions are forced to leave. He faces a stark choice. Stay or go. Soon he will see the last of the sun, as the polar night engulfs the camp in months of darkness. Soon he will reach the point of no return - when the sea will freeze, making escape impossible. And Gruhuken is not uninhabited. Jack is not alone. Something walks there in the dark.
This was good I enjoyed the atmospheric feel of it and the version I have has picture of the arctic not sure if they all do. I think I was expecting something chilling and scary but this really wasn’t for me I got caught up in others reviews I think. While it was well we and I did like it I just didn’t find it as good as I was expecting.
Book
Dark Matter
By Michelle Paver
⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 1937 Clouds of war are gathering over a fogbound London. Twenty-eight year old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he's offered the chance to be the wireless operator on an Arctic expedition, he jumps at it. Spirits are high as the ship leaves Norway: five men and eight huskies, crossing the Barents Sea by the light of the midnight sun. At last they reach the remote, uninhabited bay where they will camp for the next year. Gruhuken. But the Arctic summer is brief. As night returns to claim the land, Jack feels a creeping unease. One by one, his companions are forced to leave. He faces a stark choice. Stay or go. Soon he will see the last of the sun, as the polar night engulfs the camp in months of darkness. Soon he will reach the point of no return - when the sea will freeze, making escape impossible. And Gruhuken is not uninhabited. Jack is not alone. Something walks there in the dark.
This was good I enjoyed the atmospheric feel of it and the version I have has picture of the arctic not sure if they all do. I think I was expecting something chilling and scary but this really wasn’t for me I got caught up in others reviews I think. While it was well we and I did like it I just didn’t find it as good as I was expecting.
Merissa (13465 KP) rated My Swan Prince in Books
Apr 1, 2025
MY SWAN PRINCE is a retelling of The Six Swans where one of the main characters (Max) is a descendant of the original swans and hates the story. The other MC (Lourde) is part of the witch's line, being brought up to know his destiny is to kill the last swan and rid the world of their influence.
Max is very wealthy but works hard. His only friend is his bodyguard, Fizz. He does a lot of work for charity and ends up getting roped into storytime at a library. That would be okay except he has to read The Six Swans. Lourde goes to Chicago from London, determined to find and kill the last swan shifter. These two have a history and bond that neither are aware of at first. The story unravels a complicated history and motives.
This is a fast-paced story with a lot of backstory/history to understand. I'll be honest, I didn't get it all as I kept having to go back and figure out just who was which name. Although Max and Lourde were protective over each other, I didn't feel much of a connection between them other than what I was told had happened.
It was a good retelling of an underrated Brothers Grimm story.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 1, 2025
Max is very wealthy but works hard. His only friend is his bodyguard, Fizz. He does a lot of work for charity and ends up getting roped into storytime at a library. That would be okay except he has to read The Six Swans. Lourde goes to Chicago from London, determined to find and kill the last swan shifter. These two have a history and bond that neither are aware of at first. The story unravels a complicated history and motives.
This is a fast-paced story with a lot of backstory/history to understand. I'll be honest, I didn't get it all as I kept having to go back and figure out just who was which name. Although Max and Lourde were protective over each other, I didn't feel much of a connection between them other than what I was told had happened.
It was a good retelling of an underrated Brothers Grimm story.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 1, 2025
Debbiereadsbook (1570 KP) rated Wolf of the Nordic Seas (Valiant Vikings #2) in Books
May 19, 2025
as well as the Viking folklore, we got a paranormal element too!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Valiant Vikings series. While not strictly necessary, I think it would be beneficial to read book one, Dragon of Denmark, before this one. It will give you a better view of this world, how it works and of the author's writing style.
I enjoyed book one, but for the repetitive descriptions of runes and things. That is why I found this a much more . . .difficult(?) . . .read.
The repeating of what runes are for, what the stones are for, and who did what and when takes up a huge portion of this book. I found myself skimming paragraphs just to get back to the story. I didn't feel I missed anything by doing so, either!
I did like that Elfi and Njord both have the majority voice. I loved that we hear again from the bad guy, and how they go about getting what they want. I do love it when well laid out plans don't come to pass for the bad guy!
What I really liked, though, was as well as the Viking folklore, we got a paranormal element too! Mermaids, werewolves, light and dark elves. I loved the way it was all seamlessly meddled together!
A good read, but one I did struggle with. Some of that was the repetition, and some me (I have *stuff* going on!)
3 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Valiant Vikings series. While not strictly necessary, I think it would be beneficial to read book one, Dragon of Denmark, before this one. It will give you a better view of this world, how it works and of the author's writing style.
I enjoyed book one, but for the repetitive descriptions of runes and things. That is why I found this a much more . . .difficult(?) . . .read.
The repeating of what runes are for, what the stones are for, and who did what and when takes up a huge portion of this book. I found myself skimming paragraphs just to get back to the story. I didn't feel I missed anything by doing so, either!
I did like that Elfi and Njord both have the majority voice. I loved that we hear again from the bad guy, and how they go about getting what they want. I do love it when well laid out plans don't come to pass for the bad guy!
What I really liked, though, was as well as the Viking folklore, we got a paranormal element too! Mermaids, werewolves, light and dark elves. I loved the way it was all seamlessly meddled together!
A good read, but one I did struggle with. Some of that was the repetition, and some me (I have *stuff* going on!)
3 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated The Waiting Room in Books
Jun 11, 2018
Super Twister Turny!
Somebody get my Chiropractor on the line! I think I have whiplash from all the twists and turns! What a ride!
Emily Bleeker can consistently weave a story like nobody's business and The Waiting Room is no exception!
Just when you think you have it all figured out - WHAM! Whiplash. I cannot even explain my love for her writing, and the way she crafts these incredibly suspenseful stories. Knocked this one out of the park. Totally out of the park and past the parking lot, and across the highway... It's so hard to give any synopsis of the story without spoiling too much. It's just that good. There were about 4-5 scenarios I had going on i my head as to the direction this was going, and I was wrong about them all!
Just after children's book illustrator Veronica Shelton's daughter is born, tragedy strikes. Her loving, smart, funny, doting-father husband is killed and her entire life falls apart So, so badly. It's so bad that grieving Veronica can't even TOUCH her own baby daughter. She thinks she's a terrible mother, is now having her own mother taking over most of her child's duties, and is clinging onto hope she can somehow get over this through a new therapist, and very carefully, slow, tiny baby steps. But then strange things start to happen - a break-in, weird figures in her book illustrations, and then - the unthinkable. Her daughter goes missing.
Incompetent police seem to turn the tables on her and she begins to feel like a suspect. Targeted because of her fragile mental state since losing her beloved husband. Veronica decides she's going to finally be the mother that Sophie deserves, and go out and find her daughter on her own. With some strange new friends and the shreds of motherly instinct that remain inside her - she sets off to do just that.
....and cue the whiplash. Just when you think you've got it figured out. Nope, try again. That person's a good guy? Sorry - not the case! Everything going to be OK? Um... hahaaaaa! Nice try. And that ending.. PHEW! Shocker after insanely clever shocker!
Now, I like to think I'm not totally dim, and can be fairly clever at figuring things out. But Emily Bleeker is SO good at making you feel so silly for even thinking you had ANY idea what was going on. She's definitely one of my favorite authors and I was totally thinking about sending her my chiropractor bill, but it just didn't seem fair seeing as how fun the ride was :)
Emily Bleeker can consistently weave a story like nobody's business and The Waiting Room is no exception!
Just when you think you have it all figured out - WHAM! Whiplash. I cannot even explain my love for her writing, and the way she crafts these incredibly suspenseful stories. Knocked this one out of the park. Totally out of the park and past the parking lot, and across the highway... It's so hard to give any synopsis of the story without spoiling too much. It's just that good. There were about 4-5 scenarios I had going on i my head as to the direction this was going, and I was wrong about them all!
Just after children's book illustrator Veronica Shelton's daughter is born, tragedy strikes. Her loving, smart, funny, doting-father husband is killed and her entire life falls apart So, so badly. It's so bad that grieving Veronica can't even TOUCH her own baby daughter. She thinks she's a terrible mother, is now having her own mother taking over most of her child's duties, and is clinging onto hope she can somehow get over this through a new therapist, and very carefully, slow, tiny baby steps. But then strange things start to happen - a break-in, weird figures in her book illustrations, and then - the unthinkable. Her daughter goes missing.
Incompetent police seem to turn the tables on her and she begins to feel like a suspect. Targeted because of her fragile mental state since losing her beloved husband. Veronica decides she's going to finally be the mother that Sophie deserves, and go out and find her daughter on her own. With some strange new friends and the shreds of motherly instinct that remain inside her - she sets off to do just that.
....and cue the whiplash. Just when you think you've got it figured out. Nope, try again. That person's a good guy? Sorry - not the case! Everything going to be OK? Um... hahaaaaa! Nice try. And that ending.. PHEW! Shocker after insanely clever shocker!
Now, I like to think I'm not totally dim, and can be fairly clever at figuring things out. But Emily Bleeker is SO good at making you feel so silly for even thinking you had ANY idea what was going on. She's definitely one of my favorite authors and I was totally thinking about sending her my chiropractor bill, but it just didn't seem fair seeing as how fun the ride was :)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Goldfinch (2019) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
The life of Theodore Decker (Ansel Elgort and Oakes Fegley) is for every changed when his mother is killed in an explosion at an art museum. In the same tragic moments when his mother is killed he also makes a decision that will help shape the rest of his life, he takes a rare and valuable painting in the chaos of surrounding. This painting, The Goldfinch, wasn’t something he planned on taking, but having it will be the only thing that brings him comfort in the days ahead. After the tragedy he is temporarily placed with a family he really enjoys. He has a best friend, Andy Barbour (Ryan Foust), and a mother figure in Mrs. Barbour (Nicole Kidman). Theodore also makes a connection to a girl Pippa (Aimee Laurence and later by Ashleigh Cummings) and her caretaker Hobie (Jeffrey Wright). Pippa and her uncle Welty (Robert Joy) were standing right next to Theodore when the explosion that killed his mother happened. Welty also passes away during the explosion but not before he would influence Theodore to take the painting. Thus changing the trajectory of the rest of his life.
This film is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Donna Tartt of the same name. I have not read the book so I cannot make a comparison between the two. The director, John Crowley (Brooklyn and Closed Circuit) makes a visually beautiful film. You can tell that care was taken to make the film have a certain feel and texture. The cast is very good, including those mentioned above and Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, Aneurin Barnard and more. I particularly thought the casting of Oakes Fegley as the Young Theodore and Ansel Elgort as the adult Theodore was particularly good. The story skipped in sequence and you could see the similarity in the two actors as on character. The overall story is original and fascinating. But the film jumped around and made it feel choppy. Also the run time of two hours and twenty nine minutes somehow felt longer than that. The story moved at a snail’s pace and really seemed like it had no direction. Then in the final 10 minutes it wrapped up in a flash.
I thought overall the performances were good and the story was interesting but how it was presented really lacked. It was slow and developed in a non-compelling way. I could definitely see potential but it fell a little short for me. It did make me want to read the book and see how the author meant for the story to be told. I would recommend seeing this in a theater for the cinematography because it was beautifully shot.
This film is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Donna Tartt of the same name. I have not read the book so I cannot make a comparison between the two. The director, John Crowley (Brooklyn and Closed Circuit) makes a visually beautiful film. You can tell that care was taken to make the film have a certain feel and texture. The cast is very good, including those mentioned above and Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, Aneurin Barnard and more. I particularly thought the casting of Oakes Fegley as the Young Theodore and Ansel Elgort as the adult Theodore was particularly good. The story skipped in sequence and you could see the similarity in the two actors as on character. The overall story is original and fascinating. But the film jumped around and made it feel choppy. Also the run time of two hours and twenty nine minutes somehow felt longer than that. The story moved at a snail’s pace and really seemed like it had no direction. Then in the final 10 minutes it wrapped up in a flash.
I thought overall the performances were good and the story was interesting but how it was presented really lacked. It was slow and developed in a non-compelling way. I could definitely see potential but it fell a little short for me. It did make me want to read the book and see how the author meant for the story to be told. I would recommend seeing this in a theater for the cinematography because it was beautifully shot.
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated Evidence (2013) in Movies
May 30, 2018
A good "found footage" film
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is a film made in the style of "found footage". The whole film is made from the perspective of whoever is filming at the time. The style was made famous with The Blair Witch Project and perfected in Cloverfield. I saw the trailer for this and thought it could be good. After trying to track down the film I discovered it had just been released here. So I got hold of a copy and sat back.
The film is about a group of friends Ryan (Ryan McCoy), Brett (Brett Rosenberg), Abi (Abigail Richie) & Ashley (Ashley Bracken) who are out camping and making a documentary about the experience. They discover a strange creature and the trip quickly turns deadly. Soon they are on the run from strange creatures and anonymous military personnel intent on stopping the creatures.
You may have noticed in the above paragraph that the characters all have the same names as the actor playing them. This was either due to a very lazy writer, or as the writer was also Ryan McCoy one of the actors, an attempt to make the film feel more real and the friendships believable. I feel that the latter is the case as the group comes off as good friends. They interact with each other in a very realistic and genuine way. Especially the female stars. They manage to portray a wide range of emotions from playful happiness to annoyed and then terrified. The opening scenes are very well done. With most "found footage" films, the introduction to the characters and the plot are usually badly done, they are kind of a mess trying to get all the information out to the viewer. However this film is the exception to the rule. It's very well put together and the script and the pacing of the characters introductions are very good. The story starts of as a pretty standard you meet the characters, they go camping then the twist, they are not alone out there. The twist is where these type of films usually fail. But Evidence manages to succeed big time. You see a creature in the distance then during the night all hell lets loose. From this moment on the film is pure tension. I have not seen a film where for the whole last hour I was on edge. I was expecting something to happen at any moment. And it happens in so many different ways and at random times leaving you unable to let your guard down. Unlike many films in this genre, not even the camera operator is safe as the camera gets passed around for various reasons. The other great thing that I found was there was also a good reason to have the camera still on while they were running for their lives. Usually this is overlooked and we are meant to ignore that but here the reason is good and helps to make the film believable.
However with all the shocks and surprises, the film makers fail in trying to do too much. Towards the end the characters encounter many different types of creatures and I felt this was a little over the top. If they had kept to one or two different creatures it would have made a little more sense. As it was you are left very confused at the end with little or no answers as to what was going on. It worked with Cloverfield but here it missed the mark. Not by much and the film as a whole more than makes up for it.
There are a few plot holes but most can be explained away. However this is still a great addition to the "found film" genre. There have been many attempts to recreate these types of films and many fail. However people will continue to try and sometimes out of all the attempts you find something a little different, one that stands out from the rest. That one is called Evidence.
The film is about a group of friends Ryan (Ryan McCoy), Brett (Brett Rosenberg), Abi (Abigail Richie) & Ashley (Ashley Bracken) who are out camping and making a documentary about the experience. They discover a strange creature and the trip quickly turns deadly. Soon they are on the run from strange creatures and anonymous military personnel intent on stopping the creatures.
You may have noticed in the above paragraph that the characters all have the same names as the actor playing them. This was either due to a very lazy writer, or as the writer was also Ryan McCoy one of the actors, an attempt to make the film feel more real and the friendships believable. I feel that the latter is the case as the group comes off as good friends. They interact with each other in a very realistic and genuine way. Especially the female stars. They manage to portray a wide range of emotions from playful happiness to annoyed and then terrified. The opening scenes are very well done. With most "found footage" films, the introduction to the characters and the plot are usually badly done, they are kind of a mess trying to get all the information out to the viewer. However this film is the exception to the rule. It's very well put together and the script and the pacing of the characters introductions are very good. The story starts of as a pretty standard you meet the characters, they go camping then the twist, they are not alone out there. The twist is where these type of films usually fail. But Evidence manages to succeed big time. You see a creature in the distance then during the night all hell lets loose. From this moment on the film is pure tension. I have not seen a film where for the whole last hour I was on edge. I was expecting something to happen at any moment. And it happens in so many different ways and at random times leaving you unable to let your guard down. Unlike many films in this genre, not even the camera operator is safe as the camera gets passed around for various reasons. The other great thing that I found was there was also a good reason to have the camera still on while they were running for their lives. Usually this is overlooked and we are meant to ignore that but here the reason is good and helps to make the film believable.
However with all the shocks and surprises, the film makers fail in trying to do too much. Towards the end the characters encounter many different types of creatures and I felt this was a little over the top. If they had kept to one or two different creatures it would have made a little more sense. As it was you are left very confused at the end with little or no answers as to what was going on. It worked with Cloverfield but here it missed the mark. Not by much and the film as a whole more than makes up for it.
There are a few plot holes but most can be explained away. However this is still a great addition to the "found film" genre. There have been many attempts to recreate these types of films and many fail. However people will continue to try and sometimes out of all the attempts you find something a little different, one that stands out from the rest. That one is called Evidence.
Darren (1599 KP) rated 21 Jump Street (2012) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: We start by following our two very different high school students failing at something different things. We fast forward seven years to the police academy where the two become friends to help each other overcome their problems and get through. After they get through the two get partnered up but continue to fail leading them to get transferred to ’21 Jump Street’ program. They have to go undercover as high school students. They have to uncover a drug ring at the high school and get over the problems they faced before.
When it comes to buddy films cop we all know the basic formula and to be fair this follows everything together to keep the action and comedy blend flowing. It is good to see the mix with the high school film working as well as the idea of giving the two a chance to see how the other get through high school. Having never seen the original show I can’t say whether it is honest to the source material but in the end it really turns into a good action comedy in a world where the comedy films are starting to fall flat. (8/10)
Actor Review
Jonah Hill: Schmidt the high school geek who can get through all the paperwork side of the police work but lacks the physical presence Jenko has. Going undercover gives him a chance to experience the high school experiences he missed out. Jonah gives a good performance as we know he can play the teen comedy but also shows he ability to bounce of somebody else’s strengths. (8/10)
hill
Channing Tatum: Jenko after only just getting out of high school and being told he has no intelligence for a future he ends up joining the police force and until he teams up with Schmidt to help him with get through the academy. While undercover he ends up having to experience the geek in high school. Channing gives a good performance and shows that he can pull off comedy to go with his all action persona. (8/10)
channing
Brie Larson: Molly high school student who Schmidt takes a shine to who ends up leading him to push aside his responsibilities as the cop. Brie gives a solid performance in the supporting role. (7/10)
Dave Franco: Eric the drug dealer at the school who befriends Schmidt while the two try different ways to find out who the supplier is. Dave gives a solid performance as the teenage drug dealer trying to stay cool. (7/10)
franco
Support Cast: The drug dealers, other police officers, Schmidt’s parents and high school attendants all make up the support cast and all offer something for our main characters to work with to progress the story.
Director Review: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller – Good directing to balance the action and comedy perfectly. (9/10)
Action: With car chases being the main source of action they all come off very well with hints of comedy during without just being silly action. (8/10)
Comedy: The most part the comedy is all very good, but I did feel the over use of the sex jokes got boring. (8/10)
Chemistry: Hill and Tatum have brilliant chemistry together. (10/10)
Settings: The high school setting works really well for the story as we haven’t seen the undercover there before. (9/10)
Suggestion: It isn’t very often that I suggest a box office comedy but with this one I feel people should be watching. (Watch)
Best Part: Car and Motorbike Chase.
Worst Part: Slight over used of sex jokes.
Action Scene Of The Film: Car and Motorbike chase
Funniest Scene: The party
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Has one sequel and has talks of a third.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $202 Million
Budget: $42 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
Tagline: They’re too old for this shift
Overall: Enjoyable Buddy Cop Comedy
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/12/21/21-jump-street-2012/
When it comes to buddy films cop we all know the basic formula and to be fair this follows everything together to keep the action and comedy blend flowing. It is good to see the mix with the high school film working as well as the idea of giving the two a chance to see how the other get through high school. Having never seen the original show I can’t say whether it is honest to the source material but in the end it really turns into a good action comedy in a world where the comedy films are starting to fall flat. (8/10)
Actor Review
Jonah Hill: Schmidt the high school geek who can get through all the paperwork side of the police work but lacks the physical presence Jenko has. Going undercover gives him a chance to experience the high school experiences he missed out. Jonah gives a good performance as we know he can play the teen comedy but also shows he ability to bounce of somebody else’s strengths. (8/10)
hill
Channing Tatum: Jenko after only just getting out of high school and being told he has no intelligence for a future he ends up joining the police force and until he teams up with Schmidt to help him with get through the academy. While undercover he ends up having to experience the geek in high school. Channing gives a good performance and shows that he can pull off comedy to go with his all action persona. (8/10)
channing
Brie Larson: Molly high school student who Schmidt takes a shine to who ends up leading him to push aside his responsibilities as the cop. Brie gives a solid performance in the supporting role. (7/10)
Dave Franco: Eric the drug dealer at the school who befriends Schmidt while the two try different ways to find out who the supplier is. Dave gives a solid performance as the teenage drug dealer trying to stay cool. (7/10)
franco
Support Cast: The drug dealers, other police officers, Schmidt’s parents and high school attendants all make up the support cast and all offer something for our main characters to work with to progress the story.
Director Review: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller – Good directing to balance the action and comedy perfectly. (9/10)
Action: With car chases being the main source of action they all come off very well with hints of comedy during without just being silly action. (8/10)
Comedy: The most part the comedy is all very good, but I did feel the over use of the sex jokes got boring. (8/10)
Chemistry: Hill and Tatum have brilliant chemistry together. (10/10)
Settings: The high school setting works really well for the story as we haven’t seen the undercover there before. (9/10)
Suggestion: It isn’t very often that I suggest a box office comedy but with this one I feel people should be watching. (Watch)
Best Part: Car and Motorbike Chase.
Worst Part: Slight over used of sex jokes.
Action Scene Of The Film: Car and Motorbike chase
Funniest Scene: The party
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Has one sequel and has talks of a third.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $202 Million
Budget: $42 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
Tagline: They’re too old for this shift
Overall: Enjoyable Buddy Cop Comedy
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/12/21/21-jump-street-2012/
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Pretty Amy (Pretty Amy, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.
Pretty Amy is a book that I had wanted to read for quite awhile. I was thrilled when I won a copy. However, I was disappointed when it wasn't as good as I had hoped. It's still an alright/good read though.
Amy is a seventeen year old high school senior. On the night of prom, Amy and her two best friends Cassie and Lila get stood up by their dates. They decide to forego prom and end up at the house where Lila's boyfriend lives. Since the boys aren't there, Lila decides to steal a big bag of marijuana from Brian as payback. After smoking some of it and joyriding around the time, the girls are pulled over by the police. They are charged with possession, intent to sell and sale. Amy is facing jail time but can get probation if she'll sign a paper saying it was all Cassie and Lila. Amy doesn't want to turn against her best friends, so does that mean she'll throw herself to the wolves?
The title kind of caught my eye, but after reading this book, I felt as if a better title could've been picked. Pretty Amy is what Amy's bird says throughout the book.
I think the cover is a good choice because it's a photo of what started this whole thing.
The world building is alright. I think the character of Amy makes the world building a little unbelievable, but I'll elaborate on that later. I was never a "bad kid" so I don't really have anything to compare Amy's world to. However, I knew some bad kids, and I imagine their lives would've been like Cassie's, Lila's and Amy's.
The pacing did start off a bit slow, but it definitely picked right up probably about 50 pages into the book. This is one of those books I devoured because I loved the writing style and how Burstein was able to captivate an audience.
I enjoyed the whole good girl turned bad plot. I found it interesting with what choices Amy had to make about her life. Amy used to be a good girl, but she felt invisible and just wanted to fit in with someone. She mixes with the wrong crowd, and before she knows it, she's smoking (cigarettes and weed), skipping classes, and getting in trouble at school. The plot deals with self discovery as a theme.
I had a big problem with Amy. I found her to be really, really annoying. In fact, I was going to stop reading the book because of her, but I decided to keep reading. (I'm glad I did because it was a good book). I just didn't find her to be that believable. She threw these temper tantrums that I've never known any senior in high school to throw. She acted more like a spoiled 10 year old than a 17 year old. And while I understand that she was a moody teenager whose future was uncertain, she still came across as being really young as well as annoying. However, I did relate to her with the whole feeling invisible and just plain. I felt and still feel the same way. Ultimately, I was too annoyed with her to really connect, so I found myself not caring if she want to jail. We don't really get to see much of Cassie and Lila past the first few chapters. Cassie didn't feel like a real character either because I felt like the author was trying too hard to make Cassie seem like a bad girl. I was indifferent about Lila although she felt more realistic then Cassie and Amy. Amy's mom seemed to just cry the whole time which I found annoying as well. I don't think anyone cries as much as that woman did! I did like Amy's dad though. I loved how supportive he was of Amy and how helpful he was. I also liked Joe although I wish we would've got to read a bit more about him.
Some of the dialogue did feel forced, especially when it involved swearing. There was so much swearing in that book, and it just felt a bit over the top. However, minus the swearing, I did enjoy some of the snarky comments by Amy the most even if some were a bit immature.
Overall, Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein was enjoyable to read as strange as it may sound with how annoyed I was with Amy. I don't really know what it was, but I did like this book. I think if Amy had acted more like a 17 year old then a tween, it would've been a lot better.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ (due to language) who are after an interesting contemporary novel.
I'd give Pretty Amy (Pretty Amy #1) by Lisa Burstein a 3.5 out of 5.
Pretty Amy is a book that I had wanted to read for quite awhile. I was thrilled when I won a copy. However, I was disappointed when it wasn't as good as I had hoped. It's still an alright/good read though.
Amy is a seventeen year old high school senior. On the night of prom, Amy and her two best friends Cassie and Lila get stood up by their dates. They decide to forego prom and end up at the house where Lila's boyfriend lives. Since the boys aren't there, Lila decides to steal a big bag of marijuana from Brian as payback. After smoking some of it and joyriding around the time, the girls are pulled over by the police. They are charged with possession, intent to sell and sale. Amy is facing jail time but can get probation if she'll sign a paper saying it was all Cassie and Lila. Amy doesn't want to turn against her best friends, so does that mean she'll throw herself to the wolves?
The title kind of caught my eye, but after reading this book, I felt as if a better title could've been picked. Pretty Amy is what Amy's bird says throughout the book.
I think the cover is a good choice because it's a photo of what started this whole thing.
The world building is alright. I think the character of Amy makes the world building a little unbelievable, but I'll elaborate on that later. I was never a "bad kid" so I don't really have anything to compare Amy's world to. However, I knew some bad kids, and I imagine their lives would've been like Cassie's, Lila's and Amy's.
The pacing did start off a bit slow, but it definitely picked right up probably about 50 pages into the book. This is one of those books I devoured because I loved the writing style and how Burstein was able to captivate an audience.
I enjoyed the whole good girl turned bad plot. I found it interesting with what choices Amy had to make about her life. Amy used to be a good girl, but she felt invisible and just wanted to fit in with someone. She mixes with the wrong crowd, and before she knows it, she's smoking (cigarettes and weed), skipping classes, and getting in trouble at school. The plot deals with self discovery as a theme.
I had a big problem with Amy. I found her to be really, really annoying. In fact, I was going to stop reading the book because of her, but I decided to keep reading. (I'm glad I did because it was a good book). I just didn't find her to be that believable. She threw these temper tantrums that I've never known any senior in high school to throw. She acted more like a spoiled 10 year old than a 17 year old. And while I understand that she was a moody teenager whose future was uncertain, she still came across as being really young as well as annoying. However, I did relate to her with the whole feeling invisible and just plain. I felt and still feel the same way. Ultimately, I was too annoyed with her to really connect, so I found myself not caring if she want to jail. We don't really get to see much of Cassie and Lila past the first few chapters. Cassie didn't feel like a real character either because I felt like the author was trying too hard to make Cassie seem like a bad girl. I was indifferent about Lila although she felt more realistic then Cassie and Amy. Amy's mom seemed to just cry the whole time which I found annoying as well. I don't think anyone cries as much as that woman did! I did like Amy's dad though. I loved how supportive he was of Amy and how helpful he was. I also liked Joe although I wish we would've got to read a bit more about him.
Some of the dialogue did feel forced, especially when it involved swearing. There was so much swearing in that book, and it just felt a bit over the top. However, minus the swearing, I did enjoy some of the snarky comments by Amy the most even if some were a bit immature.
Overall, Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein was enjoyable to read as strange as it may sound with how annoyed I was with Amy. I don't really know what it was, but I did like this book. I think if Amy had acted more like a 17 year old then a tween, it would've been a lot better.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ (due to language) who are after an interesting contemporary novel.
I'd give Pretty Amy (Pretty Amy #1) by Lisa Burstein a 3.5 out of 5.