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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Sharp Objects in TV
Oct 4, 2018 (Updated Oct 4, 2018)
Boring and drawn out (1 more)
Terrible ending
Overrated and Slow
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was looking forward to Sharp Objects when it premiered earlier this year. I love a whodunit thriller and am a fan of Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn's other adapted novel. I also read a bunch of glowing reviews before I dove into this series that promised an engaging, gripping story, which just made me more excited to get through the show.
Unfortunately, gripping isn't the word I would choose to describe this show. Engaging maybe, in that even though none of the characters that you are following are very likable, you do have a morbid curiosity to see what is going to happen to them. To be honest though, this series is only 8 episodes long and it was a slog to try and get through. Each episode drags something awful, to the point that 3 episodes in, I was ready to give up on this series. Then my girlfriend reminded me that it is only a limited series and will be worth sticking with to find out who the killer is in the end. Well, she was wrong about that last part, but we'll get back to that later.
I am not a huge Amy Adams fan, I feel that other than Arrival, she pretty much does the exact same thing in any role she is in. In this, she actually puts in a decent performance, it's more the way that her character is written that I take issue with. Camille is a whiney, dour character that is a drag to watch and none of the characters around her are any better. Her mother is a bitter, nasty old cow and her younger sister is an arrogant, immature little shit.
I haven't read the book, so I don't know if the pacing issues that the show has are inherent to the source material or the fault of the filmmakers. Either way, they are present and they are a detriment to this show. Every episode ends on an ambiguously exciting moment in order to keep you watching, then when the following episode picks up, it doesn't address whatever mad shit it just dropped on you at the end of the previous episode, to the point that I was left wondering a few times if I had actually missed out an episode in-between. Then it just drones on for another dull hour before dropping another inexplicable, shocking moment and it rinses and repeats this process throughout the entire series.
*SPOILERS FROM HERE ON*
This also applies to the last episode, which ends with such a nonsensical, out-of-nowhere twist that is never justified or explained. It is a classic example of having a twist, simply for the sake of ending on a twist. A good twist ending makes a reveal that causes everything that the viewer has seen so far click into place, it explains everything at once and that is why endings to stories like Fight Club, Mr Robot and The Sixth Sense are so satisfying. This makes the viewer want to go back and re-watch the film or series again with the new knowledge of what is going to happen in their mind in order to see it from a different perspective and spot the hints that point towards the big reveal. A bad twist ending drops a bomb abruptly and offers no explanation to the bombshell and leaves the viewer baffled and annoyed.
That is what happens with Sharp Objects' ending. There is absolutely no precedent to Amma being the killer. When Adora got arrested, it was underwhelming but there was at least some precedent for Adora to be the killer based on her other messed up behaviour, which provided some explanation, but Amma makes literally no sense. They could honestly have picked any other character on the show to be the killer and it would have made more sense. There is a weird post credits scene that I feel that was put in as a half-arsed explanation for the nonsensical twist, but it really doesn't help matters any. Again, I haven't read the book so I don't know if the ending plays out the same way as the source material, or if it makes any more sense in the book, but in the show it is a mess.
Overall this is a slow burn that isn't even worth the slog of getting through thanks to a hugely disappointing payoff. The ending is the main reason that this only gets a 5. One of the most overrated things I've seen this year.
Unfortunately, gripping isn't the word I would choose to describe this show. Engaging maybe, in that even though none of the characters that you are following are very likable, you do have a morbid curiosity to see what is going to happen to them. To be honest though, this series is only 8 episodes long and it was a slog to try and get through. Each episode drags something awful, to the point that 3 episodes in, I was ready to give up on this series. Then my girlfriend reminded me that it is only a limited series and will be worth sticking with to find out who the killer is in the end. Well, she was wrong about that last part, but we'll get back to that later.
I am not a huge Amy Adams fan, I feel that other than Arrival, she pretty much does the exact same thing in any role she is in. In this, she actually puts in a decent performance, it's more the way that her character is written that I take issue with. Camille is a whiney, dour character that is a drag to watch and none of the characters around her are any better. Her mother is a bitter, nasty old cow and her younger sister is an arrogant, immature little shit.
I haven't read the book, so I don't know if the pacing issues that the show has are inherent to the source material or the fault of the filmmakers. Either way, they are present and they are a detriment to this show. Every episode ends on an ambiguously exciting moment in order to keep you watching, then when the following episode picks up, it doesn't address whatever mad shit it just dropped on you at the end of the previous episode, to the point that I was left wondering a few times if I had actually missed out an episode in-between. Then it just drones on for another dull hour before dropping another inexplicable, shocking moment and it rinses and repeats this process throughout the entire series.
*SPOILERS FROM HERE ON*
This also applies to the last episode, which ends with such a nonsensical, out-of-nowhere twist that is never justified or explained. It is a classic example of having a twist, simply for the sake of ending on a twist. A good twist ending makes a reveal that causes everything that the viewer has seen so far click into place, it explains everything at once and that is why endings to stories like Fight Club, Mr Robot and The Sixth Sense are so satisfying. This makes the viewer want to go back and re-watch the film or series again with the new knowledge of what is going to happen in their mind in order to see it from a different perspective and spot the hints that point towards the big reveal. A bad twist ending drops a bomb abruptly and offers no explanation to the bombshell and leaves the viewer baffled and annoyed.
That is what happens with Sharp Objects' ending. There is absolutely no precedent to Amma being the killer. When Adora got arrested, it was underwhelming but there was at least some precedent for Adora to be the killer based on her other messed up behaviour, which provided some explanation, but Amma makes literally no sense. They could honestly have picked any other character on the show to be the killer and it would have made more sense. There is a weird post credits scene that I feel that was put in as a half-arsed explanation for the nonsensical twist, but it really doesn't help matters any. Again, I haven't read the book so I don't know if the ending plays out the same way as the source material, or if it makes any more sense in the book, but in the show it is a mess.
Overall this is a slow burn that isn't even worth the slog of getting through thanks to a hugely disappointing payoff. The ending is the main reason that this only gets a 5. One of the most overrated things I've seen this year.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Aroma in Tabletop Games
Feb 20, 2021
Hello. My name is Travis and I have a big nose. It has always been big, and I used to tell people that it is so because I could smell so much better than everyone else. For a while this was partly true. However, as I age I find that I am less and less amazing than I thought I was when I was younger. Enter a game that revolves around actually using this schnoz and its wonderful ability and I thought I would have it in the bag! I was wrong. Again.
Aroma is a board game that originates from an essential oil company wishing to produce a board game utilizing its oils. Designer Odd Hackwelder then crafted a board game utilizing said essential oils that can be played four different ways. That’s right, Aroma is a game with four different play modes. Most of the modes revolve around the ability to guess the correct scent to score points. For this review I will be referencing rules for the Revolve mode with four players.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup a game of Revolve each player will choose one of the themed player boards and bits from the following: Citrus, Trees, Plants, Floral. They will lay the boards touching in the middle of the table and their oil trays with essential oil bottles in front of them. Each player will also receive the wooden player token and scent tokens in their color. Place the wooden player tokens on the point tracker zero space and the game is setup to begin!
Revolve is played in rounds where each player will choose one of their oil vials from their tray, place its matching scent token face-down on their board and pass it to the player on their left simultaneously. The players then take the vials just given to them, smell the oils inside and try to guess its content scent by choosing the appropriate scent token and placing it face-down on the board in front of them as well. Play continues in this fashion until all players have smelled the vials from all players and made their guesses.
Players then flip over their scent tokens to compare what was given to them throughout the round and they will score points based on how many were guessed correctly. The players then choose a different vial and the process starts anew. The game ends at the end of the fourth round and the player with the most correct guesses is the winner!
Components. This game has pretty amazing components. The oil trays with the little oil bottles are great, but a little flimsy. The boards and scent tokens are thick, and the wooden player pieces are nice and medium-sized. The overall look of the game is very clean and colorful, reminiscent of the art style in T.I.M.E Stories, but with more colors and smells. Aside from the flimsy cardboard used in the oil trays, the rest of the components are top notch. I do have one gripe: the oil bottles themselves sometimes take quite a bit of effort to get the smell going. We tried manually rolling with our fingers, and the suggested technique of rolling on a sheet of paper (we used a paper napkin). The best way was to just drench oneself in essential oil by manually rolling the ball with one’s finger.
As a game Aroma’s Revolve is interesting and invokes feelings not normally used to describe board games. I have not played another game like it, nor one that I can remember using my sense of smell at all. For this point alone I feel attracted to Aroma. However, smelling all the scents over and over can sometimes get a little overwhelming for me. I KNOW what a lemon smells like, but when you pass around a vial and I sniff it, I feel like I am smelling lemon. When the card is revealed and it is actually grapefruit I just smelled I become frustrated. I guess I never realized how closely many things smell to other items in the same family. I like to reminisce about the first time I ever smelled pine, or its unmistakable scent down in my wood shop. But the pine scent in Aroma doesn’t really smell like pine to me. Maybe my snout is aging faster than I thought, but I am really no good at picking out some of these scents.
I have also played the Survive mode with just my wife and of course she always beats me. Survive is the only mode that is designed for two players, and I wish there were more. Getting together during the lockdown is difficult, and I game mostly with my wife. That said, on the rare occasion I got to play games with another couple in our quarantine pod I wanted to break Aroma out and try a different mode. Revolve is good, and Survive is good too, but I would prefer both with the full compliment of players.
If you are looking for something completely different for your collection, Aroma is it. I don’t know if it will make many gamers’ Top 10 lists, but it is so interesting to use the sense of smell in a board game that I think it is almost essential (see what I did there?). I mean that Aroma currently has no competition in the same space, so it will not be replaced by another similar game for quite some time, I’m sure. And what guest wouldn’t be impressed by playing a board game that includes 20 vials of essential oil? How novel is that, anyway? Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a lovely-sniffed 8 / 12. Do be warned: Aroma may accidentally perfume some other games it is stored near, but the scent is pleasant. At least I THINK it is. Now I’m doubting my ability to smell anything correctly.
Aroma is a board game that originates from an essential oil company wishing to produce a board game utilizing its oils. Designer Odd Hackwelder then crafted a board game utilizing said essential oils that can be played four different ways. That’s right, Aroma is a game with four different play modes. Most of the modes revolve around the ability to guess the correct scent to score points. For this review I will be referencing rules for the Revolve mode with four players.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T
To setup a game of Revolve each player will choose one of the themed player boards and bits from the following: Citrus, Trees, Plants, Floral. They will lay the boards touching in the middle of the table and their oil trays with essential oil bottles in front of them. Each player will also receive the wooden player token and scent tokens in their color. Place the wooden player tokens on the point tracker zero space and the game is setup to begin!
Revolve is played in rounds where each player will choose one of their oil vials from their tray, place its matching scent token face-down on their board and pass it to the player on their left simultaneously. The players then take the vials just given to them, smell the oils inside and try to guess its content scent by choosing the appropriate scent token and placing it face-down on the board in front of them as well. Play continues in this fashion until all players have smelled the vials from all players and made their guesses.
Players then flip over their scent tokens to compare what was given to them throughout the round and they will score points based on how many were guessed correctly. The players then choose a different vial and the process starts anew. The game ends at the end of the fourth round and the player with the most correct guesses is the winner!
Components. This game has pretty amazing components. The oil trays with the little oil bottles are great, but a little flimsy. The boards and scent tokens are thick, and the wooden player pieces are nice and medium-sized. The overall look of the game is very clean and colorful, reminiscent of the art style in T.I.M.E Stories, but with more colors and smells. Aside from the flimsy cardboard used in the oil trays, the rest of the components are top notch. I do have one gripe: the oil bottles themselves sometimes take quite a bit of effort to get the smell going. We tried manually rolling with our fingers, and the suggested technique of rolling on a sheet of paper (we used a paper napkin). The best way was to just drench oneself in essential oil by manually rolling the ball with one’s finger.
As a game Aroma’s Revolve is interesting and invokes feelings not normally used to describe board games. I have not played another game like it, nor one that I can remember using my sense of smell at all. For this point alone I feel attracted to Aroma. However, smelling all the scents over and over can sometimes get a little overwhelming for me. I KNOW what a lemon smells like, but when you pass around a vial and I sniff it, I feel like I am smelling lemon. When the card is revealed and it is actually grapefruit I just smelled I become frustrated. I guess I never realized how closely many things smell to other items in the same family. I like to reminisce about the first time I ever smelled pine, or its unmistakable scent down in my wood shop. But the pine scent in Aroma doesn’t really smell like pine to me. Maybe my snout is aging faster than I thought, but I am really no good at picking out some of these scents.
I have also played the Survive mode with just my wife and of course she always beats me. Survive is the only mode that is designed for two players, and I wish there were more. Getting together during the lockdown is difficult, and I game mostly with my wife. That said, on the rare occasion I got to play games with another couple in our quarantine pod I wanted to break Aroma out and try a different mode. Revolve is good, and Survive is good too, but I would prefer both with the full compliment of players.
If you are looking for something completely different for your collection, Aroma is it. I don’t know if it will make many gamers’ Top 10 lists, but it is so interesting to use the sense of smell in a board game that I think it is almost essential (see what I did there?). I mean that Aroma currently has no competition in the same space, so it will not be replaced by another similar game for quite some time, I’m sure. And what guest wouldn’t be impressed by playing a board game that includes 20 vials of essential oil? How novel is that, anyway? Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a lovely-sniffed 8 / 12. Do be warned: Aroma may accidentally perfume some other games it is stored near, but the scent is pleasant. At least I THINK it is. Now I’m doubting my ability to smell anything correctly.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Dreamz in Books
Jun 12, 2019
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian
Word Count: 12,470
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.54/5 stars
My rating: 3/5 stars
To be honest, I automatically started to dislike this book because “Dreams” is spelled with a Z. And while it was okay, it was not as good as it could have been.
Wunder has been dreaming about a man for as long as she can remember, always the same man. The dreams leave her aroused to no end at night. Unfortunately, this man doesn’t exist in her life, at least not yet. But her love life is nonexistent and thanks to her being half zombie, that’s not going to change any time soon.
Little does she know that her dream man exists and his name is Pete. Not only does he exist, but he’s been dreaming about her as well. Pete is also half zombie and lives in the next town over with his uncle. When he moves to Wunder’s town to recover from a huge zombie attack, will they finally get to meet in real life?
You can get this book for free on Smashwords.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it’s a cool story with some damn good world-building. The explanation behind a half zombie, half human is actually logical, or as logical as anything to do with zombies is. This also sets up a lot of potential plotlines for the other books in the series, all of them sounding interesting. And the Resilient Infected Police, or RIP, have a fantastic name.
Also, I can always appreciate a bad-ass girl who knows how to kick some ass, zombie or otherwise.
But learn to fricking edit.
Aside from the grammatical and punctuational atrocities that made my eyes widen in horror while I was reading this, there are so many strange things in this story that aren’t even rookie mistakes. This story is as loose as your post Taco Bell shit.
Never mind the crazy summaries and excessive telling instead of showing. I’ve seen that so many times by now, I’m almost immune to that. What I haven’t seen is a fucking tree fetish.
Yes, ladies and gents, you read that right. Either Wunder loves trees a little too much, or the author does. Why else would Wunder interrupt her retelling of a very hot and kinky sex dream to describe at length the tree she’s tied to, when she first saw it, and how beautiful she thinks it is.
Damn, Wunder, get back to how your sexy dream man is dominating you. I don’t have patience for this arousal-killing nature shit.
Also, A. R. Von got so distracted with setting the stage for future plot lines that she totally forgot to dazzle the reader with the current plot. There was an awful lot of talk about how Pete’s town attracts zombies a lot more than normal towns do, and about the life test they have to take every month to make sure the people aren’t dead, although I feel like the rotting flesh would give it away. (Also how does a person keep their zombie side secret when being blood tested monthly for proof of life? Asking for a friend).
But the current plot of restless RIP agents going to save a town from a hoard of zombies while having kinky dreams is sadly neglected. The exchange between Wunder and her friend feels more like a free write than a final draft and the epic battle is slow-paced and anti-climactic.
Then at the end, Pete asks his uncle about Wunder, and Pete is able to tell him all about Wunder’s famous reputation of being an all-around badass, which brings up the question: how does Pete, who lives with his uncle and works with his uncle in the RIP not know even a little bit about Wunder’s existence when his uncle is able to recognize her on sight and gush about how awesome she is?
But I do like Pete and Wunder. Wunder is a bad-ass and Pete is sexy as hell. The chemistry between them is great. While there’s only a promise of a love connection in this book, I do believe they have a very juicy love story ahead of them.
Unfortunately the story needs massive editing and the dialogue and action often feels forced. I’m tempted to read the next book in the series, just to see how the love story plays out, but I doubt I will because I have a feeling the other stories are as unedited as this one was. But if you still want to check it out, you can get it for free on Smashwords.
Word Count: 12,470
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.54/5 stars
My rating: 3/5 stars
To be honest, I automatically started to dislike this book because “Dreams” is spelled with a Z. And while it was okay, it was not as good as it could have been.
Wunder has been dreaming about a man for as long as she can remember, always the same man. The dreams leave her aroused to no end at night. Unfortunately, this man doesn’t exist in her life, at least not yet. But her love life is nonexistent and thanks to her being half zombie, that’s not going to change any time soon.
Little does she know that her dream man exists and his name is Pete. Not only does he exist, but he’s been dreaming about her as well. Pete is also half zombie and lives in the next town over with his uncle. When he moves to Wunder’s town to recover from a huge zombie attack, will they finally get to meet in real life?
You can get this book for free on Smashwords.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it’s a cool story with some damn good world-building. The explanation behind a half zombie, half human is actually logical, or as logical as anything to do with zombies is. This also sets up a lot of potential plotlines for the other books in the series, all of them sounding interesting. And the Resilient Infected Police, or RIP, have a fantastic name.
Also, I can always appreciate a bad-ass girl who knows how to kick some ass, zombie or otherwise.
But learn to fricking edit.
Aside from the grammatical and punctuational atrocities that made my eyes widen in horror while I was reading this, there are so many strange things in this story that aren’t even rookie mistakes. This story is as loose as your post Taco Bell shit.
Never mind the crazy summaries and excessive telling instead of showing. I’ve seen that so many times by now, I’m almost immune to that. What I haven’t seen is a fucking tree fetish.
Yes, ladies and gents, you read that right. Either Wunder loves trees a little too much, or the author does. Why else would Wunder interrupt her retelling of a very hot and kinky sex dream to describe at length the tree she’s tied to, when she first saw it, and how beautiful she thinks it is.
Damn, Wunder, get back to how your sexy dream man is dominating you. I don’t have patience for this arousal-killing nature shit.
Also, A. R. Von got so distracted with setting the stage for future plot lines that she totally forgot to dazzle the reader with the current plot. There was an awful lot of talk about how Pete’s town attracts zombies a lot more than normal towns do, and about the life test they have to take every month to make sure the people aren’t dead, although I feel like the rotting flesh would give it away. (Also how does a person keep their zombie side secret when being blood tested monthly for proof of life? Asking for a friend).
But the current plot of restless RIP agents going to save a town from a hoard of zombies while having kinky dreams is sadly neglected. The exchange between Wunder and her friend feels more like a free write than a final draft and the epic battle is slow-paced and anti-climactic.
Then at the end, Pete asks his uncle about Wunder, and Pete is able to tell him all about Wunder’s famous reputation of being an all-around badass, which brings up the question: how does Pete, who lives with his uncle and works with his uncle in the RIP not know even a little bit about Wunder’s existence when his uncle is able to recognize her on sight and gush about how awesome she is?
But I do like Pete and Wunder. Wunder is a bad-ass and Pete is sexy as hell. The chemistry between them is great. While there’s only a promise of a love connection in this book, I do believe they have a very juicy love story ahead of them.
Unfortunately the story needs massive editing and the dialogue and action often feels forced. I’m tempted to read the next book in the series, just to see how the love story plays out, but I doubt I will because I have a feeling the other stories are as unedited as this one was. But if you still want to check it out, you can get it for free on Smashwords.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Rucksack in Tabletop Games
Jul 20, 2020 (Updated Jul 20, 2020)
Why does this always happen to you? Here you are, minding your own business when you are thrown into some strange scenario and are caught with only five ridiculous items on you. You have to survive… but how?
Rucksack is a card drafting storytelling and voting game for 4-8 players. Each player will be drafting a hand of five item cards in order to create the greatest survival story satisfying the active scenario.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to back the game through the upcoming Kickstarter campaign, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, give each player a voting sheet and pencil. Shuffle the scenario cards into a draw deck. Shuffle the item cards into a draw deck. Flip over the top scenario card and the game is ready to be played.
The game is played over three rounds and each round is played in two halves. During the first half of the game players will be drawing one card from the item deck and deciding whether to keep or discard it. If kept, the next player will do the same. If discarded, the player will add the card to the face-up discard pile and MUST keep the next card drawn. The next player may then choose the topmost card of the discard pile or draw from the item card draw stack. This continues until all players have five cards in hand and the game then transitions into the second phase – storytelling.
Using the drafted five cards each player will explain how they would survive the active scenario, and this is the crux of the game. How would someone use tweezers, a towel, a stun grenade, binoculars, and a wine glass to last 40 days on an island full of hostile inhabitants? Well this may be exactly what you are presented with while playing Rucksack. Each player will give their ideas and pitch them to the group. Once all players have made their cases, each player will mark on their voting sheet who created the best plan to combat the scenario. After three rounds the votes are tallied and the winner is crowned! Well, not with a real crown. Unless you want. But those are sold separately.
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of this game, so all comments on components should be taken with that in mind. In fact, some cards came without art or flavor text on them. This in no way detracted from our plays. The components here are a bunch of cards, a pack of golf pencils, and a pad of voting sheets. The pencils and voting sheets are fine. The cards, though not final quality and missing many art pieces, are also fine. The art style on this game is interesting and I like it. Rucksack could be played with no art and I would feel the same way about it. So in summation, the components here are good.
This is another game that I thought would be a dud upon reading the rules and knowing the people I am able to play games with currently. However, once we started playing a whole new side of these people came forth to weave these intricate stories of how someone would use marbles to help them be rescued from an uninhabited island. I found myself also prodding the creative part of my brain (that I don’t use much anymore). It has been a surprise for me that I like this one so well. I’m not usually into storytelling games, but using these item cards to help guide the final answers prove to add such a unique facet to what could have been such a disaster for our group. I am proud to have this game in my collection to scratch a very different itch that I never thought I had.
Should you be in the market for a good and light storytelling game to get the creative juices flowing and the hilarity of others’ answers out, then do consider backing or purchasing Rucksack. You will enjoy it immensely and think about it even after you’ve played. That is the sign of a great game to me.
Rucksack is a card drafting storytelling and voting game for 4-8 players. Each player will be drafting a hand of five item cards in order to create the greatest survival story satisfying the active scenario.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to back the game through the upcoming Kickstarter campaign, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, give each player a voting sheet and pencil. Shuffle the scenario cards into a draw deck. Shuffle the item cards into a draw deck. Flip over the top scenario card and the game is ready to be played.
The game is played over three rounds and each round is played in two halves. During the first half of the game players will be drawing one card from the item deck and deciding whether to keep or discard it. If kept, the next player will do the same. If discarded, the player will add the card to the face-up discard pile and MUST keep the next card drawn. The next player may then choose the topmost card of the discard pile or draw from the item card draw stack. This continues until all players have five cards in hand and the game then transitions into the second phase – storytelling.
Using the drafted five cards each player will explain how they would survive the active scenario, and this is the crux of the game. How would someone use tweezers, a towel, a stun grenade, binoculars, and a wine glass to last 40 days on an island full of hostile inhabitants? Well this may be exactly what you are presented with while playing Rucksack. Each player will give their ideas and pitch them to the group. Once all players have made their cases, each player will mark on their voting sheet who created the best plan to combat the scenario. After three rounds the votes are tallied and the winner is crowned! Well, not with a real crown. Unless you want. But those are sold separately.
Components. Again, we were provided a prototype copy of this game, so all comments on components should be taken with that in mind. In fact, some cards came without art or flavor text on them. This in no way detracted from our plays. The components here are a bunch of cards, a pack of golf pencils, and a pad of voting sheets. The pencils and voting sheets are fine. The cards, though not final quality and missing many art pieces, are also fine. The art style on this game is interesting and I like it. Rucksack could be played with no art and I would feel the same way about it. So in summation, the components here are good.
This is another game that I thought would be a dud upon reading the rules and knowing the people I am able to play games with currently. However, once we started playing a whole new side of these people came forth to weave these intricate stories of how someone would use marbles to help them be rescued from an uninhabited island. I found myself also prodding the creative part of my brain (that I don’t use much anymore). It has been a surprise for me that I like this one so well. I’m not usually into storytelling games, but using these item cards to help guide the final answers prove to add such a unique facet to what could have been such a disaster for our group. I am proud to have this game in my collection to scratch a very different itch that I never thought I had.
Should you be in the market for a good and light storytelling game to get the creative juices flowing and the hilarity of others’ answers out, then do consider backing or purchasing Rucksack. You will enjoy it immensely and think about it even after you’ve played. That is the sign of a great game to me.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Detective Comics Volume 3: League of Shadows in Books
Nov 30, 2020
<i>A little bit of "backstory": I am a sucker for well-executed Ra's al Ghul story! To me, he is one of Batman's best adversaries and one of my personal faves! Add in more human, less off-the-scale like he is under Tom King's run Batman, and you've got a great treat for me! Now, that said, on to my review.</i>
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/MW33UBM.gif"; width="300" height="200">
I am still enjoying my return to reading DC's books rather than the current slop Marvel is serving up. My latest undertaking has been James Tynion IV's run on DETECTIVE COMICS. Last night, I devoured the 3rd volume, "League of Shadows", largely for the reasons in my backstory above.
I know some folks on interwebs have issues with Tynion's writing for the Dark Knight. I've read things like "bland" and "his stories go NOWHERE". I don't know which of his Batman entries they are reading, but thus far, not a one has disappointed.
This one was particularly interesting as it dealt with Cassandra Cain, a former Batgirl/now calling herself "Orphan" as that is what her parents have chosen to do, leaving her <i>orphaned</i>. Her mother is Sandra Wu-San, or as she is better known, Lady Shiva. There is no love lost between Cassandra and her mother; essentially, Shiva treats the poor girl as if she was dead, not even a product of her womb. Sad, really. But, it is good to see Cassandra and Shiva's relationship dealt with following the whole "Rebirth".
I may be in a serious minority here, but I really liked the ending (not <i>really</i> much of Spoiler), where Batman holds her in a embrace, letting her known she is not alone..ever. Sure, Bats is all about the whole "Dark Knight" and "Oooh, feel my scary presence, criminals!", but it was nice to see his human, father-esque side to his character. Much better than the way he is being handled in his main book!
Equally meaty and worthwhile was Ra's inclusion as part of the story. I found him to be well-written, feeling much like "The Demon's Head" that is his being. I was totally able to hear, in my head, his dialogue as read by David Warner, who did his voice in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. That definitely seems like Tynion is truly writing at the top of his game!
I was also quite pleased with the subplot of more background to Batwoman's character. I was not really that familiar with her character, other than in the animated DC film. That aside, I found her to be real and decidedly interesting, especially her relationship with her father. Again, some excellent writing from Tynion!
And speaking of Batwoman, how cool was it to see Batman assembling Bat-Family 2.0? This plot element harkened back to the Silver Age, where DETECTIVE COMICS would often do double-sized issues that focused on the then-Bat-Fam: Batman, Robin (Dick Grayson, not yet Nightwing), Batgirl, and sometimes, Elongated Man would get a story in it as well.
The new Bat-Fam consists of Batman (of course!), Batwing (Lucius Fox's son), Batwoman, Orphan (Cassandra Cain), Azrael (who I consider to be not-so-interest, leaving me to skip the last issue of this volume as it was 100% Azrael-centric), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), Red Robin, and the-now-trying-his-hand-at-being-a-rehabilitated-good-guy Clayface. Quite a mixed bag, almost like a Skittles version of the Bat-Fam, but interesting choices for a collaborative team.
The team functions well enough, but there is some static and tension, as would be true of any team assembled such as this lot. All in all, I really dug the gang, and they really worked well together. Super-smooth idea of introducing a Bat-Fam 2.0! Bravo, James Tynion IV,you are AWESOME for doing this!
It is also worth mentioning the artists for this volume: Marcio Takara and Christian Duce. I was already familiar with Takara's delicious style from his work on Marvel's ALL-NEW WOLVERINE. Christian Duce was previously unknown to me, but after seeing his super-legit art skills, he is going to be one for me to keep an eye for going forward!
Blah, blah, blah, am I right? I could go on and on, but if you weren't reading my blathering, you could be reading this excellent Bat-book. I was going to give it 5-Stars, but I see that I was just giving them out for a while not unlike Oprah giving away new cars! So, that's it! Go already! You need to get a'readin'!
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/MW33UBM.gif"; width="300" height="200">
I am still enjoying my return to reading DC's books rather than the current slop Marvel is serving up. My latest undertaking has been James Tynion IV's run on DETECTIVE COMICS. Last night, I devoured the 3rd volume, "League of Shadows", largely for the reasons in my backstory above.
I know some folks on interwebs have issues with Tynion's writing for the Dark Knight. I've read things like "bland" and "his stories go NOWHERE". I don't know which of his Batman entries they are reading, but thus far, not a one has disappointed.
This one was particularly interesting as it dealt with Cassandra Cain, a former Batgirl/now calling herself "Orphan" as that is what her parents have chosen to do, leaving her <i>orphaned</i>. Her mother is Sandra Wu-San, or as she is better known, Lady Shiva. There is no love lost between Cassandra and her mother; essentially, Shiva treats the poor girl as if she was dead, not even a product of her womb. Sad, really. But, it is good to see Cassandra and Shiva's relationship dealt with following the whole "Rebirth".
I may be in a serious minority here, but I really liked the ending (not <i>really</i> much of Spoiler), where Batman holds her in a embrace, letting her known she is not alone..ever. Sure, Bats is all about the whole "Dark Knight" and "Oooh, feel my scary presence, criminals!", but it was nice to see his human, father-esque side to his character. Much better than the way he is being handled in his main book!
Equally meaty and worthwhile was Ra's inclusion as part of the story. I found him to be well-written, feeling much like "The Demon's Head" that is his being. I was totally able to hear, in my head, his dialogue as read by David Warner, who did his voice in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. That definitely seems like Tynion is truly writing at the top of his game!
I was also quite pleased with the subplot of more background to Batwoman's character. I was not really that familiar with her character, other than in the animated DC film. That aside, I found her to be real and decidedly interesting, especially her relationship with her father. Again, some excellent writing from Tynion!
And speaking of Batwoman, how cool was it to see Batman assembling Bat-Family 2.0? This plot element harkened back to the Silver Age, where DETECTIVE COMICS would often do double-sized issues that focused on the then-Bat-Fam: Batman, Robin (Dick Grayson, not yet Nightwing), Batgirl, and sometimes, Elongated Man would get a story in it as well.
The new Bat-Fam consists of Batman (of course!), Batwing (Lucius Fox's son), Batwoman, Orphan (Cassandra Cain), Azrael (who I consider to be not-so-interest, leaving me to skip the last issue of this volume as it was 100% Azrael-centric), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), Red Robin, and the-now-trying-his-hand-at-being-a-rehabilitated-good-guy Clayface. Quite a mixed bag, almost like a Skittles version of the Bat-Fam, but interesting choices for a collaborative team.
The team functions well enough, but there is some static and tension, as would be true of any team assembled such as this lot. All in all, I really dug the gang, and they really worked well together. Super-smooth idea of introducing a Bat-Fam 2.0! Bravo, James Tynion IV,you are AWESOME for doing this!
It is also worth mentioning the artists for this volume: Marcio Takara and Christian Duce. I was already familiar with Takara's delicious style from his work on Marvel's ALL-NEW WOLVERINE. Christian Duce was previously unknown to me, but after seeing his super-legit art skills, he is going to be one for me to keep an eye for going forward!
Blah, blah, blah, am I right? I could go on and on, but if you weren't reading my blathering, you could be reading this excellent Bat-book. I was going to give it 5-Stars, but I see that I was just giving them out for a while not unlike Oprah giving away new cars! So, that's it! Go already! You need to get a'readin'!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated X-Men: First Class (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
When the “X-Men:The Last Stand” failed to score big with critics and audiences in 2006, many fans began to wonder if they would ever see their favorite mutant superhero team on screen anytime soon. Despite mixed reviews, 2009’s standalone film “Wolverine“, did sufficient box office numbers to warrant a sequel which is currently in development, indicating that the likely future of the series was with standalone character films.
Then 20th Century Fox decided to tell a team-based origin story that focuses on the early days of the X-Men and how they became the team that they are today. This is a bit of a controversial move as it involves recasting several roles to play younger versions of beloved characters.
The result is X-Men: First Class which stars Scottish actor James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, a brilliant young academic who hides his unique and amazing telepathic gifts from the world. When a chance encounter proves to Charles that there are others in the world who share his gifts he dedicates his studies to unlocking the mysteries of genetic mutations and their possibilities.
At the same time a young man named Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), has embarked on a path of destruction and revenge against those who wronged and tormented him and his family during the Nazi occupation of their native Poland. Eric’s main target is man who now calls himself Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who has surrounded himself with a team of skilled mutants and is manipulating US and Russia to the brink of nuclear war, for his own evil purposes.
When CIA Agent MacTaggart (Rose Byrne), learns of Shaw’s plans, she recruits Xavier, not knowing that he and his friend Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) are mutants themselves, with the hopes of understanding their new enemy and mounting a proper defense.
When the truth of his true nature is revealed, Charles teems with MacTaggart and scientist Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult), to locate and recruit other gifted individuals to their cause. Fate steps in when Erik and Charles meet and eventually become friends over there mutual pursuit of Shaw. Despite a great deal of understanding between the two individuals, Eric is intent upon killing Shaw. He warns his new friend not to trust humans, as his time under Nazi control taught him that it’s only a matter of time until he and his fellow mutants are targeted for extinction by the world. Despite this the Eric and Charles recruit and train a team to prepare to face Shaw and his followers, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
The film starts off well and it was very enjoyable to see a deeper side of the characters. From young Charles hitting on women in bars and making jokes about losing his full head of hair to the deadly side of Eric and his abilities as well as the early relationship between the iconic characters. Somewhere along the way the film loses its initial momentum as the plot of the film takes a while to get going. As good as the cast is, they need something to do and after numerous debates and a few training and recruitment segments the film became somewhat boring. There simply was not a lot of action to sustain the plot.
Kevin Bacon was an interesting choice for the villain. He did a good job, although watching him strut around I kept expecting him to break into dance at any moment. Another issue I had was that some of the supporting characters were basically throwaway as I cared little about their stories and outcomes. Only the characters of Raven, Eric, and Charles held any real interest for me and watching their interplay with one another was one of the strong points of the film.
As the film move toward the finale there were several things about it that did not work for me starting with the makeup for The Beast. Complete with spectacles it was almost a laughable look that brought to mind Jason Bateman in “Teen Wolf 2“. The fact that the character was annoying as well did very little to help.
The biggest issue I had with the film was that after all this buildup the finale was actually very ho-hum and while it did contain some visually nice moments, I do not feel the action balanced with the storytelling, certainly not to the extent that audiences expect from nor require of a summer blockbuster.
There are a couple of moments in the film that will certainly be questioned by fans of the series as well as scenes which conflict with information from the earlier films in the series. It seems certain elements of continuity have been omitted for creative license. I will not spoil those here but suffice it to say that if my wife, who is a casual fan of the series, was able to note conflicts and discrepancies between this film and a previous film, then certainly hard-core fans may have some real issues.
The film does a good job with explaining the origin and nature of the characters, but fails to provide an adventure worthy of the effort and instead plays out in a very underwhelming fashion. Director Matthew Vaughn proved himself highly adept with adventure films when he produced “Kick Ass“, and other action-oriented films. He is clearly a fan of comics and action and I would love to have seen what could’ve resulted had he been given carte blanche with the film.
In the end, “X-Men: First Class“, for me was more entertaining than the previous ensemble films, but fails to live up to its potential and severely lacks enough action to sustain the early momentum of the film.
Then 20th Century Fox decided to tell a team-based origin story that focuses on the early days of the X-Men and how they became the team that they are today. This is a bit of a controversial move as it involves recasting several roles to play younger versions of beloved characters.
The result is X-Men: First Class which stars Scottish actor James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, a brilliant young academic who hides his unique and amazing telepathic gifts from the world. When a chance encounter proves to Charles that there are others in the world who share his gifts he dedicates his studies to unlocking the mysteries of genetic mutations and their possibilities.
At the same time a young man named Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), has embarked on a path of destruction and revenge against those who wronged and tormented him and his family during the Nazi occupation of their native Poland. Eric’s main target is man who now calls himself Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who has surrounded himself with a team of skilled mutants and is manipulating US and Russia to the brink of nuclear war, for his own evil purposes.
When CIA Agent MacTaggart (Rose Byrne), learns of Shaw’s plans, she recruits Xavier, not knowing that he and his friend Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) are mutants themselves, with the hopes of understanding their new enemy and mounting a proper defense.
When the truth of his true nature is revealed, Charles teems with MacTaggart and scientist Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult), to locate and recruit other gifted individuals to their cause. Fate steps in when Erik and Charles meet and eventually become friends over there mutual pursuit of Shaw. Despite a great deal of understanding between the two individuals, Eric is intent upon killing Shaw. He warns his new friend not to trust humans, as his time under Nazi control taught him that it’s only a matter of time until he and his fellow mutants are targeted for extinction by the world. Despite this the Eric and Charles recruit and train a team to prepare to face Shaw and his followers, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
The film starts off well and it was very enjoyable to see a deeper side of the characters. From young Charles hitting on women in bars and making jokes about losing his full head of hair to the deadly side of Eric and his abilities as well as the early relationship between the iconic characters. Somewhere along the way the film loses its initial momentum as the plot of the film takes a while to get going. As good as the cast is, they need something to do and after numerous debates and a few training and recruitment segments the film became somewhat boring. There simply was not a lot of action to sustain the plot.
Kevin Bacon was an interesting choice for the villain. He did a good job, although watching him strut around I kept expecting him to break into dance at any moment. Another issue I had was that some of the supporting characters were basically throwaway as I cared little about their stories and outcomes. Only the characters of Raven, Eric, and Charles held any real interest for me and watching their interplay with one another was one of the strong points of the film.
As the film move toward the finale there were several things about it that did not work for me starting with the makeup for The Beast. Complete with spectacles it was almost a laughable look that brought to mind Jason Bateman in “Teen Wolf 2“. The fact that the character was annoying as well did very little to help.
The biggest issue I had with the film was that after all this buildup the finale was actually very ho-hum and while it did contain some visually nice moments, I do not feel the action balanced with the storytelling, certainly not to the extent that audiences expect from nor require of a summer blockbuster.
There are a couple of moments in the film that will certainly be questioned by fans of the series as well as scenes which conflict with information from the earlier films in the series. It seems certain elements of continuity have been omitted for creative license. I will not spoil those here but suffice it to say that if my wife, who is a casual fan of the series, was able to note conflicts and discrepancies between this film and a previous film, then certainly hard-core fans may have some real issues.
The film does a good job with explaining the origin and nature of the characters, but fails to provide an adventure worthy of the effort and instead plays out in a very underwhelming fashion. Director Matthew Vaughn proved himself highly adept with adventure films when he produced “Kick Ass“, and other action-oriented films. He is clearly a fan of comics and action and I would love to have seen what could’ve resulted had he been given carte blanche with the film.
In the end, “X-Men: First Class“, for me was more entertaining than the previous ensemble films, but fails to live up to its potential and severely lacks enough action to sustain the early momentum of the film.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Apr 9, 2019 (Updated Apr 9, 2019)
Good Fun
Being the big ol' geek that I am, I usually know the source material of the superhero movie I am going to see pretty well. Shazam is an exception to this, - other than the infamous Captain Marvel/Shazam copyright battle between Marvel and DC's lawyers over the years and the fact that he is a teenage boy who transforms into a grown man who looks like Superman with a similar power set, - I don't know much about the character. Watching Shazam, I was more so reminded of a Mark Millar comic called Superior, which bears multiple plot similarities to Shazam, to the point that I am surprised that DC have never attempted to sue Millar for blatant plagiarism.
In a word, Shazam is fun. I enjoyed my time with it and I would see it again. I enjoyed seeing Mark Strong hamming it up as the movie's villain and Zachary Levi did a great job in the titular role. Also, his chemistry with Jack Dylan Grazer's character was a huge highlight of the film for me. The SFX were on point for the most part other than the fairly cartoony representations of the 7 deadly sins monsters. There was also a charming, dumb, pure, innocence to the movie that really shone through the entire thing.
My biggest issue with the movie was Asher Angel as Billy Batson when he's not Shazam. Not necessarily because he is a bad actor or anything, but more because of how he chose to play the role. He came across as broody and introspective, almost the total opposite of how Zachary Levi came across as Shazam with his over the top playfulness and silly puns. This discrepancy was prevalent to the point where the illusion that these two actors were playing the same character was entirely broken and it was as if they were just playing two totally different characters with entirely opposite personalities that were just never in the same room. I feel like a bit of smoothing out could have been done between the actors to come to a compromise where they could both deliver their respective lines while believably playing the same character.
Also, something that you should probably know going in is that this is a comedy with lessons about family and responsibility before it is a Superhero/Action movie. It does make sense within the context of the film that there are no epic action scenes as Billy is just an untrained everyday kid that has been given a bunch of amazing powers that he is still getting to grips with, but don't expect any mind-blowing action scenes on par with MCU movies etc. Even though I guess it makes sense that there wasn't anything too impressive in terms of action scenes, I was left a little bit unfulfilled as I left the theatre that the film felt more insistent on showing us tender family moments rather than huge scale superhero battles.
Overall, Shazam is dumb fun. Don't think too hard about it and you will almost certainly have a great time watching it. I am glad that the fun factor of DC films seems to be on the up and they have dropped the dour tone of their Batman/Superman stories set up by Zack Snyder and they seem to have almost totally abandoned the idea of following in Marvel's footsteps of tying movies together in order to lead up to a team up blockbuster. This move seems to be for the best and is what they should have been doing from the start rather than trying to win a losing battle and play catch up with a franchise that has been building for an entire decade at this point.
In a word, Shazam is fun. I enjoyed my time with it and I would see it again. I enjoyed seeing Mark Strong hamming it up as the movie's villain and Zachary Levi did a great job in the titular role. Also, his chemistry with Jack Dylan Grazer's character was a huge highlight of the film for me. The SFX were on point for the most part other than the fairly cartoony representations of the 7 deadly sins monsters. There was also a charming, dumb, pure, innocence to the movie that really shone through the entire thing.
My biggest issue with the movie was Asher Angel as Billy Batson when he's not Shazam. Not necessarily because he is a bad actor or anything, but more because of how he chose to play the role. He came across as broody and introspective, almost the total opposite of how Zachary Levi came across as Shazam with his over the top playfulness and silly puns. This discrepancy was prevalent to the point where the illusion that these two actors were playing the same character was entirely broken and it was as if they were just playing two totally different characters with entirely opposite personalities that were just never in the same room. I feel like a bit of smoothing out could have been done between the actors to come to a compromise where they could both deliver their respective lines while believably playing the same character.
Also, something that you should probably know going in is that this is a comedy with lessons about family and responsibility before it is a Superhero/Action movie. It does make sense within the context of the film that there are no epic action scenes as Billy is just an untrained everyday kid that has been given a bunch of amazing powers that he is still getting to grips with, but don't expect any mind-blowing action scenes on par with MCU movies etc. Even though I guess it makes sense that there wasn't anything too impressive in terms of action scenes, I was left a little bit unfulfilled as I left the theatre that the film felt more insistent on showing us tender family moments rather than huge scale superhero battles.
Overall, Shazam is dumb fun. Don't think too hard about it and you will almost certainly have a great time watching it. I am glad that the fun factor of DC films seems to be on the up and they have dropped the dour tone of their Batman/Superman stories set up by Zack Snyder and they seem to have almost totally abandoned the idea of following in Marvel's footsteps of tying movies together in order to lead up to a team up blockbuster. This move seems to be for the best and is what they should have been doing from the start rather than trying to win a losing battle and play catch up with a franchise that has been building for an entire decade at this point.
Update: Winter is the final book in the Lunar Chronicles series (although the story does continue in graphic novel form.) It is definitely one of my favourite conclusions, as the story wraps up well and is satisfying. The reader is not left with myriad plot holes and questions. As this is the fourth book in the series, you need to read the first three before delving into this one otherwise you will be confused and majorly spoiled.
The world building continued even in this book and most importantly we were shown Luna. Before that, they story took place predominantly on Earth in either the European Union, the African Republic or the Eastern Commonwealth. Once transported to Luna, readers were better able to get a sense of the disparity between the Lunar Aristocracy and the rest of Luna's citizens. The palace and surrounding area of Artemisia are ornately decorated whereas the outer sectors live in squalor. The stunning contrast is reminiscent of our own world and gives us a glimpse into the change that needs to happen.
Although this story was supposed to delve deeper into Winter and Jacin's relationship (which it did) I felt that it was overshadowed by the overarching plot. It was really nice to see the two interact and Jacin's character be developed more. He can seem cold and removed most of the time, but his demeanor completely changes when he is around Winter. He cares about her so much and will do anything to ensure her well-being. My one criticism about the book is that these two didn't receive the same relationship development and story time as the other three pairings.
You fall in love with these characters and follow them on their journey from mechanic to revolutionary, criminal to captain, or even unsure to (mildly) confident. They feel real and make their way into your heart. Iko was her usual precious self and I was so happy to see her woven more into the story. You don't want to see their stories end and thankfully they don't because the author is continuing the series in graphic novel form.
I would highly recommend this series to young adult/teen readers even if science fiction or fairytale retellings aren't usually your thing. They're so fantastically written that I think they appeal to broad range of readers and genres.
Original Review: I read the entire series over the course of four days, novellas included. That is how wonderful it is. As a fan of fairytale retellings, like Beastly by Alex Flinn, I had high hopes for this series and it did not disappoint. It gave the reader wonderful little homages to the classic fairytales while weaving the story through a world and characters all its own.
The world building in this novel was wonderfully done. As a reader, I could imagine the Lunar Palace as a place of opulence while those in the lower districts lived in poverty. There were a number of important characters and none of them were overlooked. You were able to learn about their personalities, histories, or relationships in a way that gave each depth. Each character had a unique personality and strength in the group. from fiery Scarlet to shy Cress and from flirty Thorn to tortured Wolf.
Sometimes conclusions to series just don't stand up to their legacy, but this was not one of those books. The author gave the reader everything they desired, climactic action scenes, wrapping up story threads while opening the door to future adventures, and leaving the reader satisfied. There's nothing worse than reading an amazing series that you become wholly invested in and then being utterly disappointed by the conclusion.
Recommended for anyone who liked YA, romance, fairytales, sci-fi, or really good books/series that you won't regret reading.
The world building continued even in this book and most importantly we were shown Luna. Before that, they story took place predominantly on Earth in either the European Union, the African Republic or the Eastern Commonwealth. Once transported to Luna, readers were better able to get a sense of the disparity between the Lunar Aristocracy and the rest of Luna's citizens. The palace and surrounding area of Artemisia are ornately decorated whereas the outer sectors live in squalor. The stunning contrast is reminiscent of our own world and gives us a glimpse into the change that needs to happen.
Although this story was supposed to delve deeper into Winter and Jacin's relationship (which it did) I felt that it was overshadowed by the overarching plot. It was really nice to see the two interact and Jacin's character be developed more. He can seem cold and removed most of the time, but his demeanor completely changes when he is around Winter. He cares about her so much and will do anything to ensure her well-being. My one criticism about the book is that these two didn't receive the same relationship development and story time as the other three pairings.
You fall in love with these characters and follow them on their journey from mechanic to revolutionary, criminal to captain, or even unsure to (mildly) confident. They feel real and make their way into your heart. Iko was her usual precious self and I was so happy to see her woven more into the story. You don't want to see their stories end and thankfully they don't because the author is continuing the series in graphic novel form.
I would highly recommend this series to young adult/teen readers even if science fiction or fairytale retellings aren't usually your thing. They're so fantastically written that I think they appeal to broad range of readers and genres.
Original Review: I read the entire series over the course of four days, novellas included. That is how wonderful it is. As a fan of fairytale retellings, like Beastly by Alex Flinn, I had high hopes for this series and it did not disappoint. It gave the reader wonderful little homages to the classic fairytales while weaving the story through a world and characters all its own.
The world building in this novel was wonderfully done. As a reader, I could imagine the Lunar Palace as a place of opulence while those in the lower districts lived in poverty. There were a number of important characters and none of them were overlooked. You were able to learn about their personalities, histories, or relationships in a way that gave each depth. Each character had a unique personality and strength in the group. from fiery Scarlet to shy Cress and from flirty Thorn to tortured Wolf.
Sometimes conclusions to series just don't stand up to their legacy, but this was not one of those books. The author gave the reader everything they desired, climactic action scenes, wrapping up story threads while opening the door to future adventures, and leaving the reader satisfied. There's nothing worse than reading an amazing series that you become wholly invested in and then being utterly disappointed by the conclusion.
Recommended for anyone who liked YA, romance, fairytales, sci-fi, or really good books/series that you won't regret reading.
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated The Durrells of Corfu in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Truth Without Disenchantment
I think the first thing to note is that there is probably no point in reading this book if you haven't at the very least watched one of the T.V. series. Indeed a lot of it will probably go right over your head if you are not well-versed in Durrell's tales of his childhood in Corfu.
I am, and have been since I first picked My Family And Other Animals when I was eleven - which is longer ago now than I would really like to think about! Age aside, my point is this: I have read and loved these books many times, and for several decades. Durrell was my first 'grown up' read as a child and the Corfu trilogy has long been ranked in my 'comfort reads' - those books you turn to again and again when you just want something familiar and easy. It was with some concern, then, that I picked up the ARC of Haag's book when it landed in our staff room. I didn't want my illusions destroyed, and whilst it goes largely without saying that there was going to be some massaging of the truth in Durrell's autobiographical stories I wasn't sure that I was ready for The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But.
Haag, it turns out, is also a little bit in love with the Durrells. As such I can think of few better people to write the bald truth about this family without destroying the charm and good humour of Gerald Durrell's books for those of us who want to hold on to the myth. This delicate unravelling begins on the very first page as Haag presents the reader with the brutal and tragic truth behind the Corfu sojourn - the sudden death of Durrell Snr at the age of just forty-four. In My Family Gerald Durrell manages to skim over this uncomfortable truth with such success that he imparts the information that his mother is a widow without ever giving the reader space to think or question more deeply into the effect on the family beyond their enforced to move back to cold, rainy England - a place from which they then escaped to Corfu, so legend has it, for no more pressing reason than to avoid colds.
And so Haag's biography continues, with a gentle but unrelenting quality, to pull scales from eyes. Using tracts from Durrell's books he often does little more than a simple but effective compare and contrast with reality: introducing characters who were completely written out of the Durrell legend, yet were significant members of the Durrell collective; opening up the more Bohemian aspects of their life, and the way they were perceived by other immigrant British at the time.
Haag also exposes the more complex relationships within the family. Lawrence, who is presented through young Gerry's eyes as probably his greatest critic it transpires is his greatest champion: directing and ensuring Gerry's education whilst keeping him free of the structure and strictures of school; the somewhat sadder story of belligerent and boisterous Leslie - so much larger-than-life in the Corfu books, who later seems to become estranged from the family; and perhaps most surprising of all - Margo, who had a life that rivals either of her famous brothers for interest and adventure, at least in her younger years.
All of these uncomfortable exposes Haag achieves, and I feel far better informed about the family now, than I ever have yet never once have I felt that I will not be able to return and pick up Gerry Durrell's books and read them with the same joy and pleasure that I have done for the last four decades.
I am, and have been since I first picked My Family And Other Animals when I was eleven - which is longer ago now than I would really like to think about! Age aside, my point is this: I have read and loved these books many times, and for several decades. Durrell was my first 'grown up' read as a child and the Corfu trilogy has long been ranked in my 'comfort reads' - those books you turn to again and again when you just want something familiar and easy. It was with some concern, then, that I picked up the ARC of Haag's book when it landed in our staff room. I didn't want my illusions destroyed, and whilst it goes largely without saying that there was going to be some massaging of the truth in Durrell's autobiographical stories I wasn't sure that I was ready for The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But.
Haag, it turns out, is also a little bit in love with the Durrells. As such I can think of few better people to write the bald truth about this family without destroying the charm and good humour of Gerald Durrell's books for those of us who want to hold on to the myth. This delicate unravelling begins on the very first page as Haag presents the reader with the brutal and tragic truth behind the Corfu sojourn - the sudden death of Durrell Snr at the age of just forty-four. In My Family Gerald Durrell manages to skim over this uncomfortable truth with such success that he imparts the information that his mother is a widow without ever giving the reader space to think or question more deeply into the effect on the family beyond their enforced to move back to cold, rainy England - a place from which they then escaped to Corfu, so legend has it, for no more pressing reason than to avoid colds.
And so Haag's biography continues, with a gentle but unrelenting quality, to pull scales from eyes. Using tracts from Durrell's books he often does little more than a simple but effective compare and contrast with reality: introducing characters who were completely written out of the Durrell legend, yet were significant members of the Durrell collective; opening up the more Bohemian aspects of their life, and the way they were perceived by other immigrant British at the time.
Haag also exposes the more complex relationships within the family. Lawrence, who is presented through young Gerry's eyes as probably his greatest critic it transpires is his greatest champion: directing and ensuring Gerry's education whilst keeping him free of the structure and strictures of school; the somewhat sadder story of belligerent and boisterous Leslie - so much larger-than-life in the Corfu books, who later seems to become estranged from the family; and perhaps most surprising of all - Margo, who had a life that rivals either of her famous brothers for interest and adventure, at least in her younger years.
All of these uncomfortable exposes Haag achieves, and I feel far better informed about the family now, than I ever have yet never once have I felt that I will not be able to return and pick up Gerry Durrell's books and read them with the same joy and pleasure that I have done for the last four decades.
<a href="http://fuzzysparrow.tumblr.com/post/101435382283/review">October 2014 Book of the Month</a>
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
It has been over twenty years since Lois Lowry’s controversial children’s story <i>The Giver</i> was published and it certainly deserves its status as an essential modern classic. Jonas has grown up in the perfect world of the Community whose survival relies on strict rules and rituals. Adults are assigned spouses and children (one boy and one girl) as they take up their role within the society. At the beginning of the book Jonas is approaching then end of his eleventh year and feeling apprehensive about the Ceremony of Twelve where he will be assigned a job for him to do for the rest of his adult life. Jonas gets selected as the Receiver of Memory – a very rare position – and begins to experience memories from humans who lived a long time ago. For Jonas this is exciting until he begins to see the flaws in his perfect world.
Dystopian literature has become popular over the past few years and it would not be surprising if it were <i>The Giver</i> that inspired these contemporary works. Lowry claims that she did not intend for The Giver to have a sinister feel about it; she was writing an adventure story and exploring the concept of the importance of memory, but it turned out to be something much more thought provoking. As the children’s novelist Margaret Mahy (<i>The Haunting</i>) pointed out, up until the publication of this novel in 1993 Lowry was best known for her funny stories about Anastasia Krupnik resulting in <i>The Giver</i> being even more shocking and unexpected.
<i>The Giver</i> highlights that attempting to produce perfection can often result in the loss of good things as well as the bad. The notion of the ideal world may seem like a wonderful proposal, but in order to achieve it humans would have to do away with free choice as in ironing out the inequalities and injustices of the present world would result in everything becoming the same for each individual.
This is a difficult concept to grasp, particularly for a child. Although intended as a children’s series, <i>The Giver</i> and its following installments are more suitable for young adults and older. The only issue with this is that the writing style was target at a younger audience meaning that the overall story is short and lacks depth. If it were to have been written for older readers then there would have been the scope for it to become a much lengthier novel.
There are a lot of mixed reviews surrounding this book although they have changed greatly since the original publication. To begin with <i>The Giver</i> was banned in some areas however the dystopian theme has become accepted in today’s society. What many people comment on now is the oversimplification of such strong ideas. Then again, as already mentioned, it needs to be emphasized that this book was aimed at children, thus the language reflects the reading skills of its target audience.
<i>The Giver</i> is a gem of a book that not only is enjoyable but also can educate the reader on the dangers of attempting a utopian society and why it is important to retain human memories – even the bad – in order that wisdom can exist. Those who have become fans of contemporary dystopian novels, for example <i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth or <i>Delirium</i> by Lauren Oliver, will be sure to love this series.
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
It has been over twenty years since Lois Lowry’s controversial children’s story <i>The Giver</i> was published and it certainly deserves its status as an essential modern classic. Jonas has grown up in the perfect world of the Community whose survival relies on strict rules and rituals. Adults are assigned spouses and children (one boy and one girl) as they take up their role within the society. At the beginning of the book Jonas is approaching then end of his eleventh year and feeling apprehensive about the Ceremony of Twelve where he will be assigned a job for him to do for the rest of his adult life. Jonas gets selected as the Receiver of Memory – a very rare position – and begins to experience memories from humans who lived a long time ago. For Jonas this is exciting until he begins to see the flaws in his perfect world.
Dystopian literature has become popular over the past few years and it would not be surprising if it were <i>The Giver</i> that inspired these contemporary works. Lowry claims that she did not intend for The Giver to have a sinister feel about it; she was writing an adventure story and exploring the concept of the importance of memory, but it turned out to be something much more thought provoking. As the children’s novelist Margaret Mahy (<i>The Haunting</i>) pointed out, up until the publication of this novel in 1993 Lowry was best known for her funny stories about Anastasia Krupnik resulting in <i>The Giver</i> being even more shocking and unexpected.
<i>The Giver</i> highlights that attempting to produce perfection can often result in the loss of good things as well as the bad. The notion of the ideal world may seem like a wonderful proposal, but in order to achieve it humans would have to do away with free choice as in ironing out the inequalities and injustices of the present world would result in everything becoming the same for each individual.
This is a difficult concept to grasp, particularly for a child. Although intended as a children’s series, <i>The Giver</i> and its following installments are more suitable for young adults and older. The only issue with this is that the writing style was target at a younger audience meaning that the overall story is short and lacks depth. If it were to have been written for older readers then there would have been the scope for it to become a much lengthier novel.
There are a lot of mixed reviews surrounding this book although they have changed greatly since the original publication. To begin with <i>The Giver</i> was banned in some areas however the dystopian theme has become accepted in today’s society. What many people comment on now is the oversimplification of such strong ideas. Then again, as already mentioned, it needs to be emphasized that this book was aimed at children, thus the language reflects the reading skills of its target audience.
<i>The Giver</i> is a gem of a book that not only is enjoyable but also can educate the reader on the dangers of attempting a utopian society and why it is important to retain human memories – even the bad – in order that wisdom can exist. Those who have become fans of contemporary dystopian novels, for example <i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth or <i>Delirium</i> by Lauren Oliver, will be sure to love this series.