Search
Search results
A Touch of Frost
Book
In a world where magic is outlawed, a shy 20-year-old tavern maid enlists in the military to learn...
fantasy
King (Nobel Reckoning #2)
10.0
Rate It
Book
Rue I put up a good fight. Fate dealt me a raw deal, but I escaped it for a while, enjoying a...
Fantasy Romance Omegaverse
Debbiereadsbook (1441 KP) rated Arlo: An MM Age Play Daddy Romance in Books
Aug 4, 2024
Loved This!
I was gifted my copy of this book.
Ima gush about this book, k? It's my review and I can do that, right??
Cos what this is, is a whole bunch of sweet and smexy; cute and downright angry enducing; cat rescuing and pirate fighting (not literally, mind) and the cutest Lolo ever!
I mean, come on! Thomas needs a boy of his own, and Arlo just needs someone to love him. His parental units have mapped out a life for Arlo that he does not want, but he cannot fight them. Thomas helps him see, really see himself for the first time in his life. And I loved Thomas for Arlo.
I loved how Thomas was able to interpret Arlo talking about the pirates and what that really meant. Loved that, cos at first, I wasn't getting it, and then I had a lightbulb moment!
Loved how, at first, Arlo was adamant that there would be no grown up feelings/stuff. He soon changed his mind, but it was ARLO who moved the goalposts, and no pressure was put on him, at all.
Hated the parental units and how they made Arlo feel.
Loved what Thomas does for Jolly!
I'm gonna wrap up, or I'll go on and on, and a ranting review does not a good review make!
I
LOVED
THIS!
Every time Ms Welch writes these kinds of books, I think it's the best yet, and here we go again! Her best one yet!!
5 full and shiny stars.
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ima gush about this book, k? It's my review and I can do that, right??
Cos what this is, is a whole bunch of sweet and smexy; cute and downright angry enducing; cat rescuing and pirate fighting (not literally, mind) and the cutest Lolo ever!
I mean, come on! Thomas needs a boy of his own, and Arlo just needs someone to love him. His parental units have mapped out a life for Arlo that he does not want, but he cannot fight them. Thomas helps him see, really see himself for the first time in his life. And I loved Thomas for Arlo.
I loved how Thomas was able to interpret Arlo talking about the pirates and what that really meant. Loved that, cos at first, I wasn't getting it, and then I had a lightbulb moment!
Loved how, at first, Arlo was adamant that there would be no grown up feelings/stuff. He soon changed his mind, but it was ARLO who moved the goalposts, and no pressure was put on him, at all.
Hated the parental units and how they made Arlo feel.
Loved what Thomas does for Jolly!
I'm gonna wrap up, or I'll go on and on, and a ranting review does not a good review make!
I
LOVED
THIS!
Every time Ms Welch writes these kinds of books, I think it's the best yet, and here we go again! Her best one yet!!
5 full and shiny stars.
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Ghoulash in Tabletop Games
Sep 3, 2019
Beef, elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, many other spices. Combine. This is goulash.
Wait, this is Ghoulash? Ok so ditch the food and add Ghoul meat, dashes of Ghoo, some falling debris, and holes. Also add an opponent to play against and you have a recipe for a really great game. Intrigued by my recipe? Read on. This is Ghoulash.
When you name a game (and game company) using a pun for a delicious meal you just KNOW everyone is going to be making these jokes. I am not below this. However, Ghoulash pits two players against each other in a race to defeat eight Ghouls first – or die trying. This is a pencil and paper game contained on one double-sided sheet of paper (with the rules printed on the other side). With such little in components, this game CAN’T be very good, right?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided with a link to print off the game, so technically it’s a PNP for us. We printed off several copies to play our review games. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, 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 from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
To setup a game of Ghoulash: The Game of Pen and Paper Peril (which I will be calling simply Ghoulash for the remainder of this review) grab two copies of the game sheet and two writing utensils. Though the game’s title suggests using a pen, I recommend a pencil. From here, you will need to decide which map grid you want to use for your play map and which will be your DM map. For those who have not played table top RPG’s before, a DM is a Dungeon Master – the person who ultimately runs the game and is typically in charge of placing and playing the monsters, traps, and NPCs of a game. In this case, each player will be each other’s DM. You will see the number of items that must be placed on the map on the main page. You must place (anywhere you want on the map) eight Ghouls, five Holes, five Debris, and three First-Aid Kits. Seriously. Anywhere you want. These are the items and encounters your opponent will be interacting with as you play. You are now ready to begin!
On your turn you will be moving through the map attempting to encounter and kill Ghouls – blobby monsters that want to eat you. You do this by moving onto a square that your opponent has placed a Ghoul and fighting it. Fighting Ghouls is easy: your DM opponent will circle any number on the Ghoul you are fighting. You need to guess this number in order to exploit its weak spot and vanquish it. For every incorrect guess YOU will take a wound from it bashing you. Mark your wounds on the Wound Meters area below the Ghouls. If you happen to take 12 wounds before finding a First-Aid Kit, then you die and you lose the game. Finding a First-Aid Kit, however, will relieve you of all your wounds you have suffered. In this scenario, you will begin tracking your wounds anew on the next Wound Meter on the tracker.
Like I mentioned earlier, other traps will be awaiting you in your personal hell dungeon. When you fall into a Hole you will forfeit the rest of your turn and you will skip your next turn entirely. Should you move onto a square containing Debris, you will be hit for one wound from falling bits of the rickety dungeon. Or perhaps it’s guano. You never know.
The player to defeat all eight ghouls or remain living the longest will be the winner (unless you play hardcore rules and have to defeat all Ghouls to win)!
Usually at this point in my reviews I evaluate the game components. In this case I am going to evaluate how the game art and graphic design work with and for the game. As the entire game is played on one side of one sheet of paper and everything you really need is located on that page, this is really genius to me. Everything is right there, and it’s very clear what to place on the map, how many of each thing to place, and where you can track the Ghouls, wounds, and your Ghoul trophies. It’s really great! The only negative here is we wished the letters and numbers on the x and y axes were darker. It was a little difficult for some people to read the coordinates. This would be an easy fix for me, but it may not be within the designer’s vision for the layout. Many times we were describing our movement with Battleship coordinates: I am moving south to B-1 then east to P-1 then north to P-2, etc. I didn’t have much difficulty with this, but I did hear that others did.
I believe that the intent of the future of Ghoulash is to offer pre-printed charts for sale and possibly have different themed charts to play. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that we were playing The City map. I have not seen any other maps, so I cannot comment on them, but even if I only had The City to play forever, I think that I would be happy enough.
That said, I believe this is a really really great game. I enjoyed being able to place out my encounter elements, and being able to freely roam around the map until I ran into something – even if it was a hole in the middle of an intersection that I had to fall through several times (sneaky, sneaky, my brilliant little brother!). The guessing game of fighting Ghouls can be quick and fun, or it can give you five wounds in one encounter. Overall, I think that anyone can enjoy it, but I will give a caveat. Both players MUST be able to read the map and coordinates to follow along with where each player is moving or else you may have some bickering. Oh, just my family? Maybe.
Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a sticky-yet-pleasing 10 / 12. You really should give it a shot. It could work with couples, friends, co-workers, strangers, pets, anyone!
Wait, this is Ghoulash? Ok so ditch the food and add Ghoul meat, dashes of Ghoo, some falling debris, and holes. Also add an opponent to play against and you have a recipe for a really great game. Intrigued by my recipe? Read on. This is Ghoulash.
When you name a game (and game company) using a pun for a delicious meal you just KNOW everyone is going to be making these jokes. I am not below this. However, Ghoulash pits two players against each other in a race to defeat eight Ghouls first – or die trying. This is a pencil and paper game contained on one double-sided sheet of paper (with the rules printed on the other side). With such little in components, this game CAN’T be very good, right?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided with a link to print off the game, so technically it’s a PNP for us. We printed off several copies to play our review games. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, 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 from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
To setup a game of Ghoulash: The Game of Pen and Paper Peril (which I will be calling simply Ghoulash for the remainder of this review) grab two copies of the game sheet and two writing utensils. Though the game’s title suggests using a pen, I recommend a pencil. From here, you will need to decide which map grid you want to use for your play map and which will be your DM map. For those who have not played table top RPG’s before, a DM is a Dungeon Master – the person who ultimately runs the game and is typically in charge of placing and playing the monsters, traps, and NPCs of a game. In this case, each player will be each other’s DM. You will see the number of items that must be placed on the map on the main page. You must place (anywhere you want on the map) eight Ghouls, five Holes, five Debris, and three First-Aid Kits. Seriously. Anywhere you want. These are the items and encounters your opponent will be interacting with as you play. You are now ready to begin!
On your turn you will be moving through the map attempting to encounter and kill Ghouls – blobby monsters that want to eat you. You do this by moving onto a square that your opponent has placed a Ghoul and fighting it. Fighting Ghouls is easy: your DM opponent will circle any number on the Ghoul you are fighting. You need to guess this number in order to exploit its weak spot and vanquish it. For every incorrect guess YOU will take a wound from it bashing you. Mark your wounds on the Wound Meters area below the Ghouls. If you happen to take 12 wounds before finding a First-Aid Kit, then you die and you lose the game. Finding a First-Aid Kit, however, will relieve you of all your wounds you have suffered. In this scenario, you will begin tracking your wounds anew on the next Wound Meter on the tracker.
Like I mentioned earlier, other traps will be awaiting you in your personal hell dungeon. When you fall into a Hole you will forfeit the rest of your turn and you will skip your next turn entirely. Should you move onto a square containing Debris, you will be hit for one wound from falling bits of the rickety dungeon. Or perhaps it’s guano. You never know.
The player to defeat all eight ghouls or remain living the longest will be the winner (unless you play hardcore rules and have to defeat all Ghouls to win)!
Usually at this point in my reviews I evaluate the game components. In this case I am going to evaluate how the game art and graphic design work with and for the game. As the entire game is played on one side of one sheet of paper and everything you really need is located on that page, this is really genius to me. Everything is right there, and it’s very clear what to place on the map, how many of each thing to place, and where you can track the Ghouls, wounds, and your Ghoul trophies. It’s really great! The only negative here is we wished the letters and numbers on the x and y axes were darker. It was a little difficult for some people to read the coordinates. This would be an easy fix for me, but it may not be within the designer’s vision for the layout. Many times we were describing our movement with Battleship coordinates: I am moving south to B-1 then east to P-1 then north to P-2, etc. I didn’t have much difficulty with this, but I did hear that others did.
I believe that the intent of the future of Ghoulash is to offer pre-printed charts for sale and possibly have different themed charts to play. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that we were playing The City map. I have not seen any other maps, so I cannot comment on them, but even if I only had The City to play forever, I think that I would be happy enough.
That said, I believe this is a really really great game. I enjoyed being able to place out my encounter elements, and being able to freely roam around the map until I ran into something – even if it was a hole in the middle of an intersection that I had to fall through several times (sneaky, sneaky, my brilliant little brother!). The guessing game of fighting Ghouls can be quick and fun, or it can give you five wounds in one encounter. Overall, I think that anyone can enjoy it, but I will give a caveat. Both players MUST be able to read the map and coordinates to follow along with where each player is moving or else you may have some bickering. Oh, just my family? Maybe.
Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a sticky-yet-pleasing 10 / 12. You really should give it a shot. It could work with couples, friends, co-workers, strangers, pets, anyone!
Kaysee Hood (83 KP) rated Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead: Magnus Chase Series Book 3 in Books
Nov 30, 2017
Magnus & Alex (5 more)
Friendship
Big Banana
Chase Space
Percabeth
Pottery Barn
Dragon Dad (3 more)
Ragnarok
A Ship Made Out of Zombie Nails (Gross)
Abusive Dads
World Ending? Not again...
Stop the end of the world. Sounds easy enough, right?
How many times are children of the Gods going to have to do this before one of them has the foretold quest to alter it where life as we know it is not in peril?
Magnus Chase and his friends have to stop Loki, ensure Naglfar doesn't sail, and prevent Ragnarok. Oh, also all while fighting giants with pottery, getting Godly blood and spit mead from giants in the hopes it'll help Magnus in an insult contest with Loki, seeing if Granddad Njord's ex-wife will help them out or let them freeze like a pre-made dinner meal supermom prepared for someone else to pop in the oven. Did I mention Floor 19 Crew has to do all these tasks without dying because not being in Hotel Valhalla equals no responding to life in their rooms. No do overs. No second chances. Simply dead. Easy as pie.
To not spoil this for those of you who have yet to read book three I'll end my sum of The Ship of the Dead and continue on with my praise.
Though there is the question of the voices, if this is the last of Magnus Chase then I have to say I'm pleased with our trilogy of the Norse Gods. In Sword of Summer, Hammer of Thor, and now The Ship of the Dead we've had the characters fleshed out. We've seen them grown. We've witness them overcome personal trails and fight through fears (can we say good job Magnus for fighting wolves even though it is clearly a phobia?). This has proved even those waiting for their day of judgement for centuries can change who they are and accept things even if they are not okay with them.
Somehow in 400 pages that pasts of Halfborn, Mallory, and T.J. were laid out to be part of the main plot, but also show development of the characters and how their own lessons would help on the quest. We were actually able to learn how far they have come from who they were before they died, after death, and who they are now. It was even written how to show they are still learning their lessons and have things to overcome now, which is perfectly okay as long as they stay strong and levelheaded.
The daughters/son of Loki had to overcome their own fears of being good enough despite what poison their fathers have caused them to believe. Even Hearthstone has to return to face the curse over his family one more time. Even Magnus has a realization he has wroth and even if some may not see it, he does and so do his friends.
The Ship of the Dead seems to be about looking at your fears and flaws, realizing they are there, and having to make the choice what you will do about them. Will you allow them to take over your life? Or will you work to be a better person? Are you going to let one moment in the past ruin your future? Or will you take the lesson and forgive yourself, forgive someone else, and live the best life you can? Will you let a parents shortcomings decide how you live? Or will you choose to look beyond their views and become a better person than they are?
How many times are children of the Gods going to have to do this before one of them has the foretold quest to alter it where life as we know it is not in peril?
Magnus Chase and his friends have to stop Loki, ensure Naglfar doesn't sail, and prevent Ragnarok. Oh, also all while fighting giants with pottery, getting Godly blood and spit mead from giants in the hopes it'll help Magnus in an insult contest with Loki, seeing if Granddad Njord's ex-wife will help them out or let them freeze like a pre-made dinner meal supermom prepared for someone else to pop in the oven. Did I mention Floor 19 Crew has to do all these tasks without dying because not being in Hotel Valhalla equals no responding to life in their rooms. No do overs. No second chances. Simply dead. Easy as pie.
To not spoil this for those of you who have yet to read book three I'll end my sum of The Ship of the Dead and continue on with my praise.
Though there is the question of the voices, if this is the last of Magnus Chase then I have to say I'm pleased with our trilogy of the Norse Gods. In Sword of Summer, Hammer of Thor, and now The Ship of the Dead we've had the characters fleshed out. We've seen them grown. We've witness them overcome personal trails and fight through fears (can we say good job Magnus for fighting wolves even though it is clearly a phobia?). This has proved even those waiting for their day of judgement for centuries can change who they are and accept things even if they are not okay with them.
Somehow in 400 pages that pasts of Halfborn, Mallory, and T.J. were laid out to be part of the main plot, but also show development of the characters and how their own lessons would help on the quest. We were actually able to learn how far they have come from who they were before they died, after death, and who they are now. It was even written how to show they are still learning their lessons and have things to overcome now, which is perfectly okay as long as they stay strong and levelheaded.
The daughters/son of Loki had to overcome their own fears of being good enough despite what poison their fathers have caused them to believe. Even Hearthstone has to return to face the curse over his family one more time. Even Magnus has a realization he has wroth and even if some may not see it, he does and so do his friends.
The Ship of the Dead seems to be about looking at your fears and flaws, realizing they are there, and having to make the choice what you will do about them. Will you allow them to take over your life? Or will you work to be a better person? Are you going to let one moment in the past ruin your future? Or will you take the lesson and forgive yourself, forgive someone else, and live the best life you can? Will you let a parents shortcomings decide how you live? Or will you choose to look beyond their views and become a better person than they are?
Lee (2222 KP) rated Fisherman's Friends (2019) in Movies
Mar 18, 2019 (Updated Mar 18, 2019)
Formulaic, clichéd, enjoyable bit of fun
Hot on the heels of Fighting with my Family comes yet another true story that I feel I should have known more about beforehand, but didn't. Fisherman's Friends tells the story of a group of singing Cornish fishermen who, in 2010, managed to land themselves not only a top 10 album but an appearance on Glastonbury's pyramid stage! The plot follows a much more formulaic and clichéd approach than Fighting with my Family does though, not quite managing to come close to the high bar that set, but is enjoyable enough all the same.
We begin by following a group of four men heading out on their stag do in the beautiful town of Port Isaac in Cornwall. A&R man Danny (Daniel Mays), his annoying record exec boss Troy (Noel Clarke) and a couple of their colleagues all arrive in the small fishing town for the weekend and immediately find themselves on the wrong side of the locals - driving the wrong way down a narrow one way street, foolishly ordering lager instead of bitter in the local pub (they don't serve fizzy drinks there) and needing to be rescued after their careless weekend enjoyment finds them all stranded at sea. City types who think they know it all, but haven't got a clue.
The fishermen that rescued the lads turn out to be part of a popular local singing group - singing sea shanties together while working out at sea and regularly putting on small concerts for the locals down on the harbour. It's while performing one of those gigs that Danny and his friends come across them. After a few moments of watching, Troy tells Danny that he wants him to go over and sign them up, and that he's not to take no for an answer. Off he goes, not knowing that it's all just a big joke, while his three colleagues all return home. Danny is left behind, struggling to try and convince the group that their unique sound is going to make them all big stars.
Out of the group of fishermen, only a handful of them are really explored and fleshed out as characters in any kind of way, with the majority of them simply fading into the background - backing singers if you will. Jim (James Purefoy) and his father Jago (David Hayman), are the main focus of the movie, along with Jim's single-mum daughter Alwyn (Tuppence Middleton), who Danny eventually begins to strike up a friendship with, and her young daughter. One of the other fishermen runs the local pub at the heart of the community, along with his wife, but is struggling to make ends meet in a sub-plot which comes to a head later on in the movie.
Fisherman's Friends is a movie full of clichés - the city slicker who initially doesn't understand the simple life, the familiar rom-com couple who start off disliking one another, but will clearly be falling madly in love before long, annoying city types who don't even look like they know how to tie their own shoelaces, let alone become successfully music moguls. But, despite it all, the movie works considerably well. The relationship and chemistry between Danny and Alwyn is believable, and the highs and lows that the group go through on their journey to stardom is both heartwarming and fun in equal measure. It's the kind of reliable movie you could quite happily sit and watch on the TV, on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
We begin by following a group of four men heading out on their stag do in the beautiful town of Port Isaac in Cornwall. A&R man Danny (Daniel Mays), his annoying record exec boss Troy (Noel Clarke) and a couple of their colleagues all arrive in the small fishing town for the weekend and immediately find themselves on the wrong side of the locals - driving the wrong way down a narrow one way street, foolishly ordering lager instead of bitter in the local pub (they don't serve fizzy drinks there) and needing to be rescued after their careless weekend enjoyment finds them all stranded at sea. City types who think they know it all, but haven't got a clue.
The fishermen that rescued the lads turn out to be part of a popular local singing group - singing sea shanties together while working out at sea and regularly putting on small concerts for the locals down on the harbour. It's while performing one of those gigs that Danny and his friends come across them. After a few moments of watching, Troy tells Danny that he wants him to go over and sign them up, and that he's not to take no for an answer. Off he goes, not knowing that it's all just a big joke, while his three colleagues all return home. Danny is left behind, struggling to try and convince the group that their unique sound is going to make them all big stars.
Out of the group of fishermen, only a handful of them are really explored and fleshed out as characters in any kind of way, with the majority of them simply fading into the background - backing singers if you will. Jim (James Purefoy) and his father Jago (David Hayman), are the main focus of the movie, along with Jim's single-mum daughter Alwyn (Tuppence Middleton), who Danny eventually begins to strike up a friendship with, and her young daughter. One of the other fishermen runs the local pub at the heart of the community, along with his wife, but is struggling to make ends meet in a sub-plot which comes to a head later on in the movie.
Fisherman's Friends is a movie full of clichés - the city slicker who initially doesn't understand the simple life, the familiar rom-com couple who start off disliking one another, but will clearly be falling madly in love before long, annoying city types who don't even look like they know how to tie their own shoelaces, let alone become successfully music moguls. But, despite it all, the movie works considerably well. The relationship and chemistry between Danny and Alwyn is believable, and the highs and lows that the group go through on their journey to stardom is both heartwarming and fun in equal measure. It's the kind of reliable movie you could quite happily sit and watch on the TV, on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Good Daughter in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Charlie and Sam grew up in Pikeville, Georgia, with anything but an idyllic childhood. When the girls were teens, they were part of a brutal assault at their family's farmhouse. The attack left their mother, "Gamma," dead and profoundly affected their father, a prominent local attorney. Years later, Charlie remains in Pikeville, a lawyer like her father, and trying to keep the past behind her. All that changes when the town witnesses violence yet again--and Charlie is right in the thick of it. Suddenly, she's forced to confront so many of the emotions she's buried for years and to fully deal with exactly what happened to her family so many years ago.
Slaughter's latest novel starts quickly out of the gate--with a brutal, graphic, and spell-binding description of the assault and attack on Charlie, Sam, and Gamma--and it never lets up from there. <i>Seriously, this book never lets you take a breath or a break: it's just constant action and second guessing. </i>
Told from the points of view of both Charlie and Sam, including their varying memories of the incident at the farmhouse, we are forced to see all the events and violence through the eyes of the two sisters alone. As I mentioned, this keeps you guessing--and reading. I completely put down the other novel I was reading at the time (FINAL GIRLS) to read this: I had to know how it ended.
All the characters in this book are entwined, and Slaughter does a great job of depicting the small town of Pikeville. It's a mystery at its core, sure, but it also goes deeper with commentary on race, class, and how modern society deals with mass tragedy. The characters are well-drawn: I immediately found myself intrigued by Sam, Charlie, their father (Rusty), the descriptions of Gamma, and by a slew of small-town folk, including Rusty's secretary Lenore, and Charlie's estranged husband, Ben. Slaughter is excellent with the details.
Indeed, <i>she's great at doling out those "whoa" moments.</I> The plot never lets down; in fact, it continues to pick up as the novel continues on. I truly gasped a couple of times and found myself going "wow"! That's not easy to do once, let alone consistently.
This is a beautiful book at times--the way the plot and characters weave together. It even makes you laugh at moments, despite some truly somber subject matter. I found myself a bit irked at times by Charlie and Sam's fighting (I've read a lot of books with sisters fighting as of late), but if that's my only nitpick, that's not bad at all.
Overall, a great mystery that keeps you guessing and surprised to the very end. Excellent, fascinating, and deep characters. Definitely worth a read.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 08/22/2017.
You can read my review of Slaughter's novel PRETTY GIRLS <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1374683896?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1">here</a>;.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justacatandabook/">Instagram</a>; </center>
Slaughter's latest novel starts quickly out of the gate--with a brutal, graphic, and spell-binding description of the assault and attack on Charlie, Sam, and Gamma--and it never lets up from there. <i>Seriously, this book never lets you take a breath or a break: it's just constant action and second guessing. </i>
Told from the points of view of both Charlie and Sam, including their varying memories of the incident at the farmhouse, we are forced to see all the events and violence through the eyes of the two sisters alone. As I mentioned, this keeps you guessing--and reading. I completely put down the other novel I was reading at the time (FINAL GIRLS) to read this: I had to know how it ended.
All the characters in this book are entwined, and Slaughter does a great job of depicting the small town of Pikeville. It's a mystery at its core, sure, but it also goes deeper with commentary on race, class, and how modern society deals with mass tragedy. The characters are well-drawn: I immediately found myself intrigued by Sam, Charlie, their father (Rusty), the descriptions of Gamma, and by a slew of small-town folk, including Rusty's secretary Lenore, and Charlie's estranged husband, Ben. Slaughter is excellent with the details.
Indeed, <i>she's great at doling out those "whoa" moments.</I> The plot never lets down; in fact, it continues to pick up as the novel continues on. I truly gasped a couple of times and found myself going "wow"! That's not easy to do once, let alone consistently.
This is a beautiful book at times--the way the plot and characters weave together. It even makes you laugh at moments, despite some truly somber subject matter. I found myself a bit irked at times by Charlie and Sam's fighting (I've read a lot of books with sisters fighting as of late), but if that's my only nitpick, that's not bad at all.
Overall, a great mystery that keeps you guessing and surprised to the very end. Excellent, fascinating, and deep characters. Definitely worth a read.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 08/22/2017.
You can read my review of Slaughter's novel PRETTY GIRLS <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1374683896?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1">here</a>;.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justacatandabook/">Instagram</a>; </center>
Darren (1599 KP) rated Beyond the Line (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Story: Beyond the Line starts with the German’s surrendering in World War II, only certain forces of the German’s aren’t going down without a fight, as they shoot down a British squadron with the lone survivor Sydney Baker (Walters) finding himself trapped behind enemy lines, rescued by American William Summers (Berlin) the two team up to try and get to safety against the large number of German soldiers still in the woods.
As the number of German bodies piles up, the more German soldiers go in search for the enemy taking out their own, with the two-man army needing to face impossible odds to survive.
Characters – Sydney Baker is a nervous soldier that is on his final mission, he is involved in a plane crash after being shot down, being the lone survivor, needing to find his way through enemy lines woodland area. He must learn to be a soldier that will fight if he has any chance to survive with the help of William Summers. William Summers is an American soldier that is out for revenge against the Germans that took out his whole unit, he will kill anybody that gets his way and even pushes Sydney to become stronger in the field.
Performances – We only have two actors who get any real screen time, Chris Walters is our British solider that shows us how many soldiers weren’t ready to be in war, while Jackson Berlin does show how prepared a soldier would be to fight for the right thing. Both actors don’t put a foot wrong through the film which is nice to see, even if they don’t get challenged as much as they could be.
Story – The story here follows to soldiers that are trapped behind enemy lines, where they must fight to survive against the Germans looking to hunt down any remaining soldiers left in their land. This is a very simple story when it comes to a war story, we get the basics of surviving done without feeling like we are facing threat that you feel will put them in danger, even though they are in extreme danger. The story is told in the form of a flashback which does give us heavy vibes about how Saving Private Ryan did everything, even if it goes in its own direction. It does show us how two different people will need to work together to make it through the tough situation they find themselves in too.
War – When it comes to the war genre, one of the major factors we see a lot, is just how difficult the situation the soldiers found themselves in and how many odds they needed to overcome as well as how not everybody was in the right condition to be fighting in the first place, this give us all of that.
Settings – The film is set within woodland area, this shows us the struggles the soldiers are facing, while giving them enough cover to make it out of the situation, if they play it correctly.
Scene of the Movie – The barn.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of feeling of peril.
Final Thoughts – This is a strong look at how the war did make things difficult for the soldiers fighting, how they must overcome the odds if they want to survive.
Overall: A strong war survival story.
As the number of German bodies piles up, the more German soldiers go in search for the enemy taking out their own, with the two-man army needing to face impossible odds to survive.
Characters – Sydney Baker is a nervous soldier that is on his final mission, he is involved in a plane crash after being shot down, being the lone survivor, needing to find his way through enemy lines woodland area. He must learn to be a soldier that will fight if he has any chance to survive with the help of William Summers. William Summers is an American soldier that is out for revenge against the Germans that took out his whole unit, he will kill anybody that gets his way and even pushes Sydney to become stronger in the field.
Performances – We only have two actors who get any real screen time, Chris Walters is our British solider that shows us how many soldiers weren’t ready to be in war, while Jackson Berlin does show how prepared a soldier would be to fight for the right thing. Both actors don’t put a foot wrong through the film which is nice to see, even if they don’t get challenged as much as they could be.
Story – The story here follows to soldiers that are trapped behind enemy lines, where they must fight to survive against the Germans looking to hunt down any remaining soldiers left in their land. This is a very simple story when it comes to a war story, we get the basics of surviving done without feeling like we are facing threat that you feel will put them in danger, even though they are in extreme danger. The story is told in the form of a flashback which does give us heavy vibes about how Saving Private Ryan did everything, even if it goes in its own direction. It does show us how two different people will need to work together to make it through the tough situation they find themselves in too.
War – When it comes to the war genre, one of the major factors we see a lot, is just how difficult the situation the soldiers found themselves in and how many odds they needed to overcome as well as how not everybody was in the right condition to be fighting in the first place, this give us all of that.
Settings – The film is set within woodland area, this shows us the struggles the soldiers are facing, while giving them enough cover to make it out of the situation, if they play it correctly.
Scene of the Movie – The barn.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of feeling of peril.
Final Thoughts – This is a strong look at how the war did make things difficult for the soldiers fighting, how they must overcome the odds if they want to survive.
Overall: A strong war survival story.
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Knight of The Dead III: Fortress in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Knight of the Dead III: Fortress continues the adventures of Ronan and his family as they struggle to survive in the Zombie Apocalypse. The third book is a non-stop action-packed adventure as Ronan really starts to build up his fortress in a school building, slowly growing his kingdom. He has finally saved enough people that there really starts to be some interesting dynamics between the survivors and a look to the future can begin to happen. In this book, the stakes are raised as the zombies continue to change and seemingly become smarter and more dangerous. With the stakes raised, his family finally in a stable situation, Ronan sets out full force to save as many others as he can.
Without a doubt, my favorite part if this series is the unique take at apocalypse fiction by throwing in medieval fighting. This book does not disappoint as there are thrilling action scenes, plenty of training sequences, and the knight continuing to become a legend in the modern world. This unique touch simultaneously gives the story a fun and engaging layer while also somehow adding to the believability of the world that author Ron Smorynski has created. With the detailed fighting knowledge, and the time spent on gathering food, training, getting water, and fortifying the school, as a reader you can believe that they would have survived this long.518hheXuwoL._SY346_
This book focuses more on rescue then the previous books and as the cast of characters continues to grow there is less time spent one on one with people. This decreases the amount of individual tension between characters, but there is still tension as Ronan is the dictator and continues to push his Christian values on everyone within his fortress. This dynamic makes sense in the situation, but I like the moments when Ronan gets to be humanized more in small moments. A hug with his wife or children, a cute moment with him and the children, his appreciated a moment of laughter. These moments are very sweet in the otherwise horror-filled world they live in, and Ronan gets to relax the least as a leader.
Pet peeve of mine in apocalypse fiction is the idea that you are completely alone in the world. That although you survived no one else on the planet could have. Smorynski does not fall into this trap. He acknowledges the bigger world, although his characters have very little contact with it. And there is a good balance between the characters feeling alone and being alone. Many people have died in the month of the apocalypse, but they are still finding survivors. There are other people who are holding on. This makes the series more exciting for me and also keeps me excited for the books to come as I enjoy watching the growing community of survivors.
This series is exciting and gripping from beginning to end. Smorynski does a good job of justifying the risks that his characters take and ups the stakes and consequences as the book progresses, making the danger feel read from beginning to end. If you like zombie stories or apocalypse fiction, then I would highly recommend checking this series out. I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here!
Without a doubt, my favorite part if this series is the unique take at apocalypse fiction by throwing in medieval fighting. This book does not disappoint as there are thrilling action scenes, plenty of training sequences, and the knight continuing to become a legend in the modern world. This unique touch simultaneously gives the story a fun and engaging layer while also somehow adding to the believability of the world that author Ron Smorynski has created. With the detailed fighting knowledge, and the time spent on gathering food, training, getting water, and fortifying the school, as a reader you can believe that they would have survived this long.518hheXuwoL._SY346_
This book focuses more on rescue then the previous books and as the cast of characters continues to grow there is less time spent one on one with people. This decreases the amount of individual tension between characters, but there is still tension as Ronan is the dictator and continues to push his Christian values on everyone within his fortress. This dynamic makes sense in the situation, but I like the moments when Ronan gets to be humanized more in small moments. A hug with his wife or children, a cute moment with him and the children, his appreciated a moment of laughter. These moments are very sweet in the otherwise horror-filled world they live in, and Ronan gets to relax the least as a leader.
Pet peeve of mine in apocalypse fiction is the idea that you are completely alone in the world. That although you survived no one else on the planet could have. Smorynski does not fall into this trap. He acknowledges the bigger world, although his characters have very little contact with it. And there is a good balance between the characters feeling alone and being alone. Many people have died in the month of the apocalypse, but they are still finding survivors. There are other people who are holding on. This makes the series more exciting for me and also keeps me excited for the books to come as I enjoy watching the growing community of survivors.
This series is exciting and gripping from beginning to end. Smorynski does a good job of justifying the risks that his characters take and ups the stakes and consequences as the book progresses, making the danger feel read from beginning to end. If you like zombie stories or apocalypse fiction, then I would highly recommend checking this series out. I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here!
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Stepsister in Books
Feb 3, 2020
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<img src="https://i1.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/New-blog-banner-28.png?w=560&ssl=1"/>;
When you are little, you watch a lot of movies. For us girls, life is filled with princesses and happy ever afters. With castles and knights in shining armours. And it’s always that the beautiful girls get their princes. Only beautiful girls get to be happy.
In this book, we get to really see the reality of what I have said above. It is all true. Only beautiful girls get the happy ever after. <b><i>But beauty doesn’t always mean pretty.</b></i>
In a world of prejudice and bullying, Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly shows people, especially girls, that it is okay to be different. It is okay to be brave and follow your dreams. It is okay to be wild and strong willed. The people that truly love you, will always be by your side.
Meet Isabelle – Cinderella’s ugly stepsister. The girl that cuts her toes to get into the glass slipper. For those who didn’t know, the original Cinderella story by the Grimm brothers indeed has a scene where both ugly stepsisters cut their heel and toes, just to fit in the slipper and marry the prince.
<b><i>‘’The little toe was the hardest. Which didn’t come as a surprise. It’s often the small things that hurt the most – a cold glance, a cutting word, laughter that stops when you enter the room.’’</b></i>
Isabelle has never really wanted to be evil, but jealousy and mum’s pressure have been doing their own thing. When she gets a second chance in life though, she goes for it. She must complete an impossible task to find her happy ever after. And while doing so, she will find her true self.
<b><i>‘’Most people will fight when there is some hope for winning, no matter how slim. They are called brave. Only a few will keep fighting when all hope is gone. They are called warriors. Isabelle was a warrior once, though she has forgotten it.’’</b></i>
Be prepared to feel all emotions, and cheer for Isabelle, when she is fighting against the world. Relive the magic of an amazing retelling and be ready for an unforgettable adventure. What Jennifer has done to bring the Grimm feeling into a powerful story is to be admired. I will admire and cherish this book forever.
I am not a fan of re-reading books, but this will definitely be one book I will always come back to.
<b><i>‘’Algebra comes from Arabic. From al-jabr, which means ‘’the reunion of broken parts’’. Al-Khwarizmi believed that what’s broken can be made whole again if you just apply the right equation.’’
”If only there was an equation that could do the same for people.”</b></i>
Thank you to the team at ReadersFirst, for sending me a paperback copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<img src="https://i1.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/New-blog-banner-28.png?w=560&ssl=1"/>;
When you are little, you watch a lot of movies. For us girls, life is filled with princesses and happy ever afters. With castles and knights in shining armours. And it’s always that the beautiful girls get their princes. Only beautiful girls get to be happy.
In this book, we get to really see the reality of what I have said above. It is all true. Only beautiful girls get the happy ever after. <b><i>But beauty doesn’t always mean pretty.</b></i>
In a world of prejudice and bullying, Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly shows people, especially girls, that it is okay to be different. It is okay to be brave and follow your dreams. It is okay to be wild and strong willed. The people that truly love you, will always be by your side.
Meet Isabelle – Cinderella’s ugly stepsister. The girl that cuts her toes to get into the glass slipper. For those who didn’t know, the original Cinderella story by the Grimm brothers indeed has a scene where both ugly stepsisters cut their heel and toes, just to fit in the slipper and marry the prince.
<b><i>‘’The little toe was the hardest. Which didn’t come as a surprise. It’s often the small things that hurt the most – a cold glance, a cutting word, laughter that stops when you enter the room.’’</b></i>
Isabelle has never really wanted to be evil, but jealousy and mum’s pressure have been doing their own thing. When she gets a second chance in life though, she goes for it. She must complete an impossible task to find her happy ever after. And while doing so, she will find her true self.
<b><i>‘’Most people will fight when there is some hope for winning, no matter how slim. They are called brave. Only a few will keep fighting when all hope is gone. They are called warriors. Isabelle was a warrior once, though she has forgotten it.’’</b></i>
Be prepared to feel all emotions, and cheer for Isabelle, when she is fighting against the world. Relive the magic of an amazing retelling and be ready for an unforgettable adventure. What Jennifer has done to bring the Grimm feeling into a powerful story is to be admired. I will admire and cherish this book forever.
I am not a fan of re-reading books, but this will definitely be one book I will always come back to.
<b><i>‘’Algebra comes from Arabic. From al-jabr, which means ‘’the reunion of broken parts’’. Al-Khwarizmi believed that what’s broken can be made whole again if you just apply the right equation.’’
”If only there was an equation that could do the same for people.”</b></i>
Thank you to the team at ReadersFirst, for sending me a paperback copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;