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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Sisterland in Books
Dec 14, 2018
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to - I had been slightly wary of reading Curtis Sittenfeld’s <i>Sisterland</i> after seeing that it has been listed as Chick Lit on <i>Goodreads</i>. It is a story about two sisters (the title sort of gives that away) – twins in fact: Violet and Daisy. Although for the majority of the novel the narrator, Daisy, is known as Kate.
The chapters alternate between past and present, which helps the reader to understand the characters and their developments whilst the main story line is being played out. I say present but you later discover that Kate is actually narrating these events a couple of years after although this was not clear and the beginning.
Vi and Kate both have ESP or “senses” meaning that they occasionally experience visions, thoughts, or feelings about certain people or events that are yet to occur. When Vi receives a message about an earthquake due to occur in their hometown, the media ends up getting involved, speculating how much truth there is behind this prediction.
As the supposed “doomsday” date approaches, Vi and Kate’s relationship has its ups and down – something which seems to have been the case throughout most of their lives. But the main question is will there be an earthquake or is it, perhaps, a metaphor for events taking place in Kate’s own home and family?
While reading I felt as though I was - I am not really sure how to word it – perhaps growing close to the narrator as she recounted her tale. Learning about Kate as a person and understand and relating to how she felt and acted. This meant, however, that I became disappointed in Kate for making a certain bad decision – or more like giving in to an impulse. I will not reveal what that is as I do not want to spoil the book for anyone who has not yet read it.
As I have already said, I did enjoy this book. Personally I would not label it as Chick Lit, although I will not deny that it is intended for women to read. It is a contemporary, fictional novel with a hint of fantasy or the paranormal about it. I would recommend it to readers who appreciate other novels of a similar genre.
The chapters alternate between past and present, which helps the reader to understand the characters and their developments whilst the main story line is being played out. I say present but you later discover that Kate is actually narrating these events a couple of years after although this was not clear and the beginning.
Vi and Kate both have ESP or “senses” meaning that they occasionally experience visions, thoughts, or feelings about certain people or events that are yet to occur. When Vi receives a message about an earthquake due to occur in their hometown, the media ends up getting involved, speculating how much truth there is behind this prediction.
As the supposed “doomsday” date approaches, Vi and Kate’s relationship has its ups and down – something which seems to have been the case throughout most of their lives. But the main question is will there be an earthquake or is it, perhaps, a metaphor for events taking place in Kate’s own home and family?
While reading I felt as though I was - I am not really sure how to word it – perhaps growing close to the narrator as she recounted her tale. Learning about Kate as a person and understand and relating to how she felt and acted. This meant, however, that I became disappointed in Kate for making a certain bad decision – or more like giving in to an impulse. I will not reveal what that is as I do not want to spoil the book for anyone who has not yet read it.
As I have already said, I did enjoy this book. Personally I would not label it as Chick Lit, although I will not deny that it is intended for women to read. It is a contemporary, fictional novel with a hint of fantasy or the paranormal about it. I would recommend it to readers who appreciate other novels of a similar genre.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated It's About Love in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
It’s About Love</i> is not a typical love story. The author of Tape, Steven Camden, has written a story from the point of view of a sixteen-year-old boy named Luke. In his first week of college he meets a girl in his film studies class. Her name is Leia and, ignoring the Star Wars connection, their passion for film makes them the perfect partners.
Luke, however, comes from a very troubling background. He has purposefully chosen a college two bus journeys away in order to escape his past. He can try to hide his relation to his brother due to be released from prison, but he cannot cover up the scar on his face. Initially Luke wants as little attention as possible, although once he starts developing feelings for Leia he enjoys being around her and her friends.
Yet everything changes when Luke’s past life and friends collide with the new. Believing he has ruined everything with Leia, Luke needs all the encouragement he can get from his film studies tutor, Noah, to keep on going.
Camden writes the story through first person narrative, film directions and ideas in Luke’s notebooks. This is an interesting method and helps to create a clearer picture of Luke’s personality. He is a teenager with potential and the ability to think for himself. It is his past history that makes him feel like he does not deserve happiness or success.
Although I liked the concept I did not care for any of the characters. Many could be described as thuggish and a lot of violence was involved. I understand that Luke needed to be involved with these types of people for the storyline to work, but it was not for me.
Despite the title, <i>It’s About Love</i> is more suitable for young adult males than it is females due to the nature of the story and the main character. Whether a boy would happily be caught reading a book with ‘love’ written on the cover is another matter. Steven Camden clearly has the young adult audience in mind as he writes and, even though I did not think it anything special, I am sure there will be many readers who will love this book.
It’s About Love</i> is not a typical love story. The author of Tape, Steven Camden, has written a story from the point of view of a sixteen-year-old boy named Luke. In his first week of college he meets a girl in his film studies class. Her name is Leia and, ignoring the Star Wars connection, their passion for film makes them the perfect partners.
Luke, however, comes from a very troubling background. He has purposefully chosen a college two bus journeys away in order to escape his past. He can try to hide his relation to his brother due to be released from prison, but he cannot cover up the scar on his face. Initially Luke wants as little attention as possible, although once he starts developing feelings for Leia he enjoys being around her and her friends.
Yet everything changes when Luke’s past life and friends collide with the new. Believing he has ruined everything with Leia, Luke needs all the encouragement he can get from his film studies tutor, Noah, to keep on going.
Camden writes the story through first person narrative, film directions and ideas in Luke’s notebooks. This is an interesting method and helps to create a clearer picture of Luke’s personality. He is a teenager with potential and the ability to think for himself. It is his past history that makes him feel like he does not deserve happiness or success.
Although I liked the concept I did not care for any of the characters. Many could be described as thuggish and a lot of violence was involved. I understand that Luke needed to be involved with these types of people for the storyline to work, but it was not for me.
Despite the title, <i>It’s About Love</i> is more suitable for young adult males than it is females due to the nature of the story and the main character. Whether a boy would happily be caught reading a book with ‘love’ written on the cover is another matter. Steven Camden clearly has the young adult audience in mind as he writes and, even though I did not think it anything special, I am sure there will be many readers who will love this book.
Midge (525 KP) rated Playing with Fire in Books
Jan 29, 2019
Full of drama, romance and hot desire (2 more)
Good character development
Great plot
A Great, Spicy Romance Novella!
Wow, Jen Talty is straight into all of the action and keeps it coming with this thrilling romance novella, set in Lake George, New York. It is a delightful story that has a bit of everything, from drama and hot desire to tension and conflict, there is something for everyone.
I really like that, in the opening chapter, we are introduced to hot and sexy fire-fighter, Cade Nash. Next, we meet his gorgeous new neighbour, but Heather Holbrook is a dentist and Cade has a deep-rooted fear of dentists, dating back to a bad experience from his childhood. Cade loves to help people in their hour of need so when Heather’s car has a flat battery and she needs a jump-start, he is there to assist.
Heather has recently divorced and is trying to start over in her new neighbourhood. After leaving her abusive husband, she just wants a happy, quiet life. You could immediately sense that there was an intense physical attraction between Cade and Heather and one of the highlights of the book was following how they dealt with their emotionally-charged feelings for one another. After some problems with her ex-husband, Heather is forced to rely on Cade more than she would have chosen to, until he oversteps the mark, although his main goal was to protect her. Can Heather forgive him?
I thought both the plot and the character development were great and found the story-line to be very believable. The story is well-told, captivating and engaging. It held my interest right from the beginning and I found myself rooting for both Heather and Cade as they tried to deal with all of their conflicting emotions. This was a short, fast-paced read with plenty of action, some suspense and lots of lust and love. I enjoyed their instant attraction and the banter between them and I laughed-out-loud a few times while reading it. I thought the ending was very appropriate for this great novella.
I have been inspired to read more from Jen Talty and I highly recommend "Playing With Fire."
Thank you to Hidden Gems and the author, Jen Talty for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
I really like that, in the opening chapter, we are introduced to hot and sexy fire-fighter, Cade Nash. Next, we meet his gorgeous new neighbour, but Heather Holbrook is a dentist and Cade has a deep-rooted fear of dentists, dating back to a bad experience from his childhood. Cade loves to help people in their hour of need so when Heather’s car has a flat battery and she needs a jump-start, he is there to assist.
Heather has recently divorced and is trying to start over in her new neighbourhood. After leaving her abusive husband, she just wants a happy, quiet life. You could immediately sense that there was an intense physical attraction between Cade and Heather and one of the highlights of the book was following how they dealt with their emotionally-charged feelings for one another. After some problems with her ex-husband, Heather is forced to rely on Cade more than she would have chosen to, until he oversteps the mark, although his main goal was to protect her. Can Heather forgive him?
I thought both the plot and the character development were great and found the story-line to be very believable. The story is well-told, captivating and engaging. It held my interest right from the beginning and I found myself rooting for both Heather and Cade as they tried to deal with all of their conflicting emotions. This was a short, fast-paced read with plenty of action, some suspense and lots of lust and love. I enjoyed their instant attraction and the banter between them and I laughed-out-loud a few times while reading it. I thought the ending was very appropriate for this great novella.
I have been inspired to read more from Jen Talty and I highly recommend "Playing With Fire."
Thank you to Hidden Gems and the author, Jen Talty for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Runes (Runes, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I received this book through Newgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Runes is the story of a teenage girl who has everything should could possibly want until her father's plane crashes, and a mysterious guy moves in next door. Raine has a great relationship with her parents, she is on the school swimming team, and she has the start of a great relationship with her best friend Eirik. Then, Torin moves in next door and her world starts changing. She sees things no one else can see, and she begins to have feelings for the mysterious new neighbor.
Raine is a character you can easily love. She is a good girl who always tries to do the right thing; especially, when it comes to her friends. She always has a positive outlook, and you can't help but cheer for her. Raine is a very well rounded character, but the rest of the characters seem extremely flat or one dimensional to me. Her best friend Cora seems like she is constantly jumping from guy to guy and is never happy. Eirik is a very vague character, he's around but pretty much only to hang off of Raine. I would like to see more development with these characters in the next book.
The idea of Torin, Andris, Meliina, and Ingrid being Reapers was not something I saw coming. I purposefully didn't read any information about this book because I didn't want the surprise to be ruined, and I'm glad I waited. The idea of reapers is refreshing and not something that is currently popular with currently paranormal romance.
The pacing of the story is just right, there is always something happening and it left me wanting more, more, more! I couldn't put the book down, and I actually read it in 1 day.
The one thing that kept this book from receiving 5 stars from me was the ENORMOUS amount of grammatical errors and missing words I encountered while reading. I think the author needs to have someone else proof read the next book, or hopefully I received an early enough copy that it wasn't finished with the process.
Overall, this book is a wonderful adventure that I was truly lucky to get my hands on. I absolutely can't wait for book 2! You won't want to miss this book!
Runes is the story of a teenage girl who has everything should could possibly want until her father's plane crashes, and a mysterious guy moves in next door. Raine has a great relationship with her parents, she is on the school swimming team, and she has the start of a great relationship with her best friend Eirik. Then, Torin moves in next door and her world starts changing. She sees things no one else can see, and she begins to have feelings for the mysterious new neighbor.
Raine is a character you can easily love. She is a good girl who always tries to do the right thing; especially, when it comes to her friends. She always has a positive outlook, and you can't help but cheer for her. Raine is a very well rounded character, but the rest of the characters seem extremely flat or one dimensional to me. Her best friend Cora seems like she is constantly jumping from guy to guy and is never happy. Eirik is a very vague character, he's around but pretty much only to hang off of Raine. I would like to see more development with these characters in the next book.
The idea of Torin, Andris, Meliina, and Ingrid being Reapers was not something I saw coming. I purposefully didn't read any information about this book because I didn't want the surprise to be ruined, and I'm glad I waited. The idea of reapers is refreshing and not something that is currently popular with currently paranormal romance.
The pacing of the story is just right, there is always something happening and it left me wanting more, more, more! I couldn't put the book down, and I actually read it in 1 day.
The one thing that kept this book from receiving 5 stars from me was the ENORMOUS amount of grammatical errors and missing words I encountered while reading. I think the author needs to have someone else proof read the next book, or hopefully I received an early enough copy that it wasn't finished with the process.
Overall, this book is a wonderful adventure that I was truly lucky to get my hands on. I absolutely can't wait for book 2! You won't want to miss this book!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Beyond the Point in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Hannah, Dani, and Avery meet at West Point, the U.S. Military Academy. Together, they are going to face four difficult years--at a tough military academy that is even harder on women. Through the adversity, the three will forge a tight friendship. Dani has come to play basketball, but her body may not be on board with that plan. Hannah comes from a military family, but even her own grandfather isn't sure he wants Hannah at West Point. But Hannah forges ahead anyway, and at school, she meets Tim, the love of her life. And finally, there's Avery, who has come to West Point to escape her tough parents and get a free education. But once there, she finds the strict rules harder to follow than expected, especially when she can't help breaking a few hearts along the way. Hannah, Dani, and Avery are coming of age at West Point in the era of 9/11, facing war together, along with love, heartbreak, and more. Can their friendship survive all these things?
This book took me forever to read; it's very long and detailed, starting with the girls arriving at West Point and going much past it. It actually begins with a series of emails, then dips back to West Point. I have somewhat mixed feelings about this novel, which is very sweeping in its content. I never felt a deep desire to get back and pick it up, but when reading it, found it interesting and compelling.
Hannah, Dani, and Avery are intriguing characters, though it took me a little while to tell them apart. At times, they seemed a bit cliched. Other times, they seemed very in-depth. It was very interesting to read a book that went into such detail about military life. (While West Point clearly offered a chance at great friendships and future success, it seemed really scary sometimes!) It offers a lot of heartfelt moments, and I think it truly gave some insight to what military families go through.
Overall, I liked this one - it was a very different read, and I really enjoyed the chance to read a book set at West Point. It's very poignant and often heartbreaking. It felt a bit long and uneven at times, but still very strong for a debut novel. 3+ stars.
This book took me forever to read; it's very long and detailed, starting with the girls arriving at West Point and going much past it. It actually begins with a series of emails, then dips back to West Point. I have somewhat mixed feelings about this novel, which is very sweeping in its content. I never felt a deep desire to get back and pick it up, but when reading it, found it interesting and compelling.
Hannah, Dani, and Avery are intriguing characters, though it took me a little while to tell them apart. At times, they seemed a bit cliched. Other times, they seemed very in-depth. It was very interesting to read a book that went into such detail about military life. (While West Point clearly offered a chance at great friendships and future success, it seemed really scary sometimes!) It offers a lot of heartfelt moments, and I think it truly gave some insight to what military families go through.
Overall, I liked this one - it was a very different read, and I really enjoyed the chance to read a book set at West Point. It's very poignant and often heartbreaking. It felt a bit long and uneven at times, but still very strong for a debut novel. 3+ stars.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
The beautiful people of Forks, Washington, are back in the latest installment of the Twilight saga. This time around there’s a little bit more story and a lot more action. Still, not nearly enough of either to make this movie compelling for anyone but diehard fans. Oh, I’m sorry..Twi-hard fans.
Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swann (Kirsten Stewart) are reunited and still very much in love, to the brokenhearted dismay of Jacob Black (Tayor Lautner). As Edward and Bella prepare for graduation and contemplate marriage, Victoria, a vengeful vampire now played by Brice Howard, is creating an army to destroy Bella and the Cullen family. Because of this, the Cullen and the werewolves form an uneasy alliance to keep Bella from harm. Bella finds herself struggling with her desire to be with Edward and have him “change” her and her feelings for Jacob. Not your typical teenage angst, but in Bella’s world of vampires and werewolves, these are actually the least of her worries.
Directed by David Slade, of Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night, Eclipse at least makes attempts to flesh out the supporting characters, which helped keep the movie interesting because, honestly, if it just focused on the love triangle of Edward, Bella and Jacob, it would have felt interminably slower. While Pattinson, Stewart and Lautner play tortured, awkward and earnest well, they play it too much. Thank goodness for Chief Swan, portrayed with perfect unease by Billy Burke and the stories of Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) and Rosalie (Nikki Reed) and the first Quileute werewolves.
When there was action, it was fast and furious and and when there was humor it was usually when Jacob was around, but I’m sure there were a couple of funny lines that were missed because of the collective sighs and moans the predominantly female audience emitted every time Jacob graced the screen in all his shirtless splendor. A slowly paced tale that picks up speed towards the end, Eclipse is definitely easier to watch than the previous two movies. While no true Twi-hard will care what critics say about the movie, if you’re on the fence about watching this movie, stay on it, especially if you haven’t read the series or watched the previoius two.
Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swann (Kirsten Stewart) are reunited and still very much in love, to the brokenhearted dismay of Jacob Black (Tayor Lautner). As Edward and Bella prepare for graduation and contemplate marriage, Victoria, a vengeful vampire now played by Brice Howard, is creating an army to destroy Bella and the Cullen family. Because of this, the Cullen and the werewolves form an uneasy alliance to keep Bella from harm. Bella finds herself struggling with her desire to be with Edward and have him “change” her and her feelings for Jacob. Not your typical teenage angst, but in Bella’s world of vampires and werewolves, these are actually the least of her worries.
Directed by David Slade, of Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night, Eclipse at least makes attempts to flesh out the supporting characters, which helped keep the movie interesting because, honestly, if it just focused on the love triangle of Edward, Bella and Jacob, it would have felt interminably slower. While Pattinson, Stewart and Lautner play tortured, awkward and earnest well, they play it too much. Thank goodness for Chief Swan, portrayed with perfect unease by Billy Burke and the stories of Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) and Rosalie (Nikki Reed) and the first Quileute werewolves.
When there was action, it was fast and furious and and when there was humor it was usually when Jacob was around, but I’m sure there were a couple of funny lines that were missed because of the collective sighs and moans the predominantly female audience emitted every time Jacob graced the screen in all his shirtless splendor. A slowly paced tale that picks up speed towards the end, Eclipse is definitely easier to watch than the previous two movies. While no true Twi-hard will care what critics say about the movie, if you’re on the fence about watching this movie, stay on it, especially if you haven’t read the series or watched the previoius two.
Merissa (14056 KP) rated Wilde's Fire (Darkness Falls, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
WOW! My reading list recently has comprised of paranormal (romance or otherwise) and contemporary romance, so I decided to go back to my first love and read a fantasy book that had been on my t-b-r list for nearly a year. WHY did I wait so long to read this? This is fantasy as it's best. I was hooked in from the start and am now desperate to read the next two in this trilogy. How would you react if you meet the man you've been dreaming of for the past 6 years? Throw on top of that that you're in a whole new world with new rules and new... erm... demons!
Kate is a good main female. She is strong and independent but also has her close circle of her sister and her BFF, Brad. She accepts the new world quite well but does have a minor breakdown when things start becoming clear. To be honest, I don't blame her at all. Even with Arland to soften the blow, she's dealing with a lot and she doesn't even know how Arland feels for her. Flanna joins Kate's close circle as her friend and confidante and helps ease some of the transfer over. Kate is very impressive with a sword even though she has no training but she can't shoot an arrow to save her life! It's nice to have a main female that isn't perfect at everything!
Arland is wonderful. He is doing everything he can to protect Kate from things that she is not even aware of yet. He is proud of her and is already having feelings for her. But there is a lot of pressure on him as the leader of the Watchers Hall and also with undercurrents of power.
The ending is so in tune with the rest of the book. This book does not follow the 'normal' set pattern and instead breaks a new trend within it's pages. I thought the ending finished this book and set up the next book brilliantly. It gives you an idea of what Kate is up against and why. Now I need to read the second book to see 'how'. I loved this book and will definitely be reading the next two. Highly recommended.
Kate is a good main female. She is strong and independent but also has her close circle of her sister and her BFF, Brad. She accepts the new world quite well but does have a minor breakdown when things start becoming clear. To be honest, I don't blame her at all. Even with Arland to soften the blow, she's dealing with a lot and she doesn't even know how Arland feels for her. Flanna joins Kate's close circle as her friend and confidante and helps ease some of the transfer over. Kate is very impressive with a sword even though she has no training but she can't shoot an arrow to save her life! It's nice to have a main female that isn't perfect at everything!
Arland is wonderful. He is doing everything he can to protect Kate from things that she is not even aware of yet. He is proud of her and is already having feelings for her. But there is a lot of pressure on him as the leader of the Watchers Hall and also with undercurrents of power.
The ending is so in tune with the rest of the book. This book does not follow the 'normal' set pattern and instead breaks a new trend within it's pages. I thought the ending finished this book and set up the next book brilliantly. It gives you an idea of what Kate is up against and why. Now I need to read the second book to see 'how'. I loved this book and will definitely be reading the next two. Highly recommended.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Taking (Afterlife #2) in Books
Nov 26, 2019
After her actions at the end of the first book in the series - Fledgling - the human-turned-angel Aurora has drawn the unwelcome attention of Separus, one of the most powerful of the demons. He covets her power and is determined to capture her and turn her to the side of darkness.
Aware of this Archangel Michael, leader of the angels, assigns her and her friends to be further trained by Zacharias, a rather bad tempered 'earthbound' angel who is an expert in fighting and weapons. As their - at times brutal - training takes place the demons are plotting to capture the three angel friends by using the ultimate bait for Aurora - Ethan. Aurora will need to make a choice, and not an easy one.
The Taking continues more-or-less where Fledgling left off although there is a distinct change of tone. Whereas in the first book Aurora, Cindy and Ben are out and about in the world saving innocents, here they are in training for very much of the time. In other hands this might be a disappointment, but Cope has an eye for telling the interesting bits of stories and not labouring the mundane. It also helps that the training is somewhat unusual, as is the teacher. As the major new character Zacharias is very well drawn, suitably grumpy and terse at being given 'humans' to train, as he sees it.
When conflict with the demons arises Cope again shows the flair for describing fight scenes from the first book and these, as would be expected, are far more intense battles with much more at stake. These are not serene angels gently guiding their human charges through life. These are kick-ass super heroes who are not afraid to put themselves in the way of extreme danger for what they believe is right.
Aurora must also confront her feelings for both Ethan, her human love, and Ben her angel friend. Both relationships are forbidden and this just complicates things further. I suspect that this aspect of the books would appeal more to female young adult readers but they are well written even if you will probably be shouting at the book telling Aurora not to be so silly at points.
Overall a second strong showing in this series and very recommended. If the angel/demon theme doesn't sound like your cup of tea then just give it a go. You will be pleasantly surprised
Aware of this Archangel Michael, leader of the angels, assigns her and her friends to be further trained by Zacharias, a rather bad tempered 'earthbound' angel who is an expert in fighting and weapons. As their - at times brutal - training takes place the demons are plotting to capture the three angel friends by using the ultimate bait for Aurora - Ethan. Aurora will need to make a choice, and not an easy one.
The Taking continues more-or-less where Fledgling left off although there is a distinct change of tone. Whereas in the first book Aurora, Cindy and Ben are out and about in the world saving innocents, here they are in training for very much of the time. In other hands this might be a disappointment, but Cope has an eye for telling the interesting bits of stories and not labouring the mundane. It also helps that the training is somewhat unusual, as is the teacher. As the major new character Zacharias is very well drawn, suitably grumpy and terse at being given 'humans' to train, as he sees it.
When conflict with the demons arises Cope again shows the flair for describing fight scenes from the first book and these, as would be expected, are far more intense battles with much more at stake. These are not serene angels gently guiding their human charges through life. These are kick-ass super heroes who are not afraid to put themselves in the way of extreme danger for what they believe is right.
Aurora must also confront her feelings for both Ethan, her human love, and Ben her angel friend. Both relationships are forbidden and this just complicates things further. I suspect that this aspect of the books would appeal more to female young adult readers but they are well written even if you will probably be shouting at the book telling Aurora not to be so silly at points.
Overall a second strong showing in this series and very recommended. If the angel/demon theme doesn't sound like your cup of tea then just give it a go. You will be pleasantly surprised
Ali A (82 KP) rated I Wish You All the Best in Books
Mar 6, 2020
I Wish You All the Best is such a groundbreaking book that will let multiple people feel seen.
Trigger Warnings: misgendering, homophobia, anxiety, depression
When Ben finally decides to come out to their parents that they're nonbinary, everything goes south and Ben's out on the streets in just their socks. They call a sister they haven't had any contact with in 10 years to come pick them up and they begin living with them. Ben just wants to get through the last half of senior year unnoticed but they meet Nathan, a charming and humorous student who gets asked to show Ben around on their first day at their new high school, and feelings start to grow. Trying to deal with the rejection of their parents, depression and anxiety, as well as if and when they want to come out, Ben has a lot of their plate.
So much happens within just the first three chapters alone that my heart breaks for Ben and all I want is for them to have a happy ending. I believe this is a book that needs to be added to everyone's reading list.
- It really dives into how being closeted, even slightly, can affect mental health.
- How living a life that isn't 100% true to you is agonizing (in Ben's case, misgendering).
- The book, in my opinion, shows what it's truly like to have a panic attack and trying to figure out the triggers and then going through the steps to try and calm your nerves.
- It shines light on those who haven't really had much light shined on them in mainstream anything. There is a pansexual character in the book and so far, I've only read one other book with that representation and it made me smile.
- The book also brings up the struggle of figuring out "how and why do I want to label myself?" Rather that's to live your life to the fullest, to connect to others, or to give yourself a sense of being, everyone's reasons are different and Ben's story mentions that quite a bit.
Though I understand the book was focusing on Ben's journey as they begin coming out as nonbinary and trying to work through their anxiety and depression, I do wish some of the relationships were more flushed out. I feel like scenes were just glazed over and I just wish I would see more of Ben's friendships grow.
Trigger Warnings: misgendering, homophobia, anxiety, depression
When Ben finally decides to come out to their parents that they're nonbinary, everything goes south and Ben's out on the streets in just their socks. They call a sister they haven't had any contact with in 10 years to come pick them up and they begin living with them. Ben just wants to get through the last half of senior year unnoticed but they meet Nathan, a charming and humorous student who gets asked to show Ben around on their first day at their new high school, and feelings start to grow. Trying to deal with the rejection of their parents, depression and anxiety, as well as if and when they want to come out, Ben has a lot of their plate.
So much happens within just the first three chapters alone that my heart breaks for Ben and all I want is for them to have a happy ending. I believe this is a book that needs to be added to everyone's reading list.
- It really dives into how being closeted, even slightly, can affect mental health.
- How living a life that isn't 100% true to you is agonizing (in Ben's case, misgendering).
- The book, in my opinion, shows what it's truly like to have a panic attack and trying to figure out the triggers and then going through the steps to try and calm your nerves.
- It shines light on those who haven't really had much light shined on them in mainstream anything. There is a pansexual character in the book and so far, I've only read one other book with that representation and it made me smile.
- The book also brings up the struggle of figuring out "how and why do I want to label myself?" Rather that's to live your life to the fullest, to connect to others, or to give yourself a sense of being, everyone's reasons are different and Ben's story mentions that quite a bit.
Though I understand the book was focusing on Ben's journey as they begin coming out as nonbinary and trying to work through their anxiety and depression, I do wish some of the relationships were more flushed out. I feel like scenes were just glazed over and I just wish I would see more of Ben's friendships grow.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Intern (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Ben is a widower who has tried to fill his time with routine and travel since his wife passed, but he is stuck in a rut. He feels unnecessary and lonely. On his way out of a grocery store Ben spies a flier for “Senior Interns”. He discovers that they actually mean Senior Citizens and not high school seniors, and he creates a video application outlining his qualifications and telling about himself.
Jules runs her company, which she started out of her home, with an attention to detail that insists on perfection, all the while it’s strangling her home life.
She neither remembers she agreed to, nor wants to utilize, an intern of any sort, let alone an out-to-pasture one as Ben appears to be.
With quiet persistence, a good dose of humor, and genuine caring, expertise and talent, Ben goes about proving to Jules just how much she needs his brand of help and how much value he can add to her operation.
I really enjoyed this film. For me, it had just the right amount of funny and sad and even a bit of action (entrenched in a totally impossible situation, and obviously for pure comic relief sake) that made it completely enjoyable to watch.
It is rated PG-13, but I think that even a youngster in the 10 or 11 year old range, provided they were mature enough to deal with the idea of infidelity inside a marriage, would be ok to see it too. The rating was given in part due to “brief strong language” but to be honest I can’t recall any very strong language, which honestly in this day & age is a refreshing change.
I love DeNiro in almost anything I see him in, and this was no exception. I have never had strong feelings either way regarding Anne Hathaway, but I liked her in this, paired against DeNiro. The rest of the cast did their job well, but for me sort of faded into the background against the 2 main characters.
I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars, and the 4 stars is only because it wasn’t a movie I came away with a feeling of “oh my gosh that was AMAZING”, and more that I came away thinking “that was really good, I really enjoyed it and I’m glad that I got to see it.”
Jules runs her company, which she started out of her home, with an attention to detail that insists on perfection, all the while it’s strangling her home life.
She neither remembers she agreed to, nor wants to utilize, an intern of any sort, let alone an out-to-pasture one as Ben appears to be.
With quiet persistence, a good dose of humor, and genuine caring, expertise and talent, Ben goes about proving to Jules just how much she needs his brand of help and how much value he can add to her operation.
I really enjoyed this film. For me, it had just the right amount of funny and sad and even a bit of action (entrenched in a totally impossible situation, and obviously for pure comic relief sake) that made it completely enjoyable to watch.
It is rated PG-13, but I think that even a youngster in the 10 or 11 year old range, provided they were mature enough to deal with the idea of infidelity inside a marriage, would be ok to see it too. The rating was given in part due to “brief strong language” but to be honest I can’t recall any very strong language, which honestly in this day & age is a refreshing change.
I love DeNiro in almost anything I see him in, and this was no exception. I have never had strong feelings either way regarding Anne Hathaway, but I liked her in this, paired against DeNiro. The rest of the cast did their job well, but for me sort of faded into the background against the 2 main characters.
I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars, and the 4 stars is only because it wasn’t a movie I came away with a feeling of “oh my gosh that was AMAZING”, and more that I came away thinking “that was really good, I really enjoyed it and I’m glad that I got to see it.”