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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Battle: Los Angeles (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
War movies depicting a group of soldiers against overwhelming odds are nothing new. For generations, moviegoers have been treated to cinematic recreations as well as new scenarios of fighting units in combat. Usually these films follow a typical formula that includes the tough and gritty commanding officer, the naïve new soldier, the one with a woman and children waiting at home, and one who has difficulties with combat. In the new movie Battle: Los Angeles a new twist is given to the formulaic troops-in-combat picture which produces a mixed bag of results.
Aaron Eckhart stars as Staff Sgt. Michael Nantz; a 20 year Marine who, after losing men on a recent mission, has decided that it is time for him to leave and has filed his retirement paperwork from the corps. While completing a training exercise, Nantz and a squadron of Marines at Camp Pendleton are activated for what they are told is an evacuation mission in order to clear Santa Monica and other area residents from a swarm of meteors which are scheduled to hit just off the coast.
Nantz is assigned to a new commanding officer who, like the men in his unit, is wary of Nantz as many believe that he got his men killed in his last assignment. Despite the misgivings of the new lieutenant, he agrees that Nantz offers a wealth of experience and should be just fine for a simple evacuation assignment.
However during the mission briefing, the Marines are informed that the meteors that are hitting off the coast of major cities around the world contain metallic centers and that this is very likely an invasion from an unknown force. While the Marines are deploying an otherworldly fighting unit emerges destroying everything in their path as they moved inland from the coast line. Unsure what they are dealing with, the military decides to carpet bomb the city in order to contain the alien threat and give Nantz and his unit three hours to enter the combat zone and evacuate civilians from a police station.
While the movie is for the most part the standard soldiers-at-war film which substitute’s aliens for the usual enemy forces, the strength of the cast and the solid action and special effects help the movie overcome many of its shortcomings. There is little character development in the film and scenarios that were introduced in some of the characters’ backstories early in the film were given little to no chance to develop once the shooting started.
I also had an issue with some of the tactics in the film. While it may seem nitpicking there were a few scenes where the soldiers didn’t follow logical courses of engagement until later in the film. I have had only the most basic of combat instruction from my brief time in the Air Force, yet I can think of at least four scenarios in the film where the unit failed to use the most logical options available in their combat situation. Of course any film dealing with an alien invasion is sure to have plot holes and yes I can quibble about the Air Force waiting three hours to bomb a heavily overrun area when containment would have been priority one in not allowing a hostile force that much time to entrench itself.
That being said it was an interesting and entertaining film. The enemy was sufficiently mysterious and dangerous enough to hold my interest and had me rooting desperately for the troops to rise up and strike back at the enemy. Michelle Rodriguez does fine supporting work in the role of an Air Force Tech Sgt. who may have the key to turning the tide of the battle. Eckhart is solid as the gruff but caring staff sergeant is equally strong and his unit of young corporals, including R&B singer Ne-Yo, are believable.
Director Jonathan Liebesman knows the core intention of this film is and in doing so provides enough action to keep the audience entertained throughout. despite some issues with pacing and plot. While it doesn’t have the epic feel of Independence Day, Battle: Los Angeles is a film that provides enough entertainment to make it one of the better alien invasion films ever made and one that I certainly would not mind seeing revisited in a future sequel.
3.5 stars out of 5
Aaron Eckhart stars as Staff Sgt. Michael Nantz; a 20 year Marine who, after losing men on a recent mission, has decided that it is time for him to leave and has filed his retirement paperwork from the corps. While completing a training exercise, Nantz and a squadron of Marines at Camp Pendleton are activated for what they are told is an evacuation mission in order to clear Santa Monica and other area residents from a swarm of meteors which are scheduled to hit just off the coast.
Nantz is assigned to a new commanding officer who, like the men in his unit, is wary of Nantz as many believe that he got his men killed in his last assignment. Despite the misgivings of the new lieutenant, he agrees that Nantz offers a wealth of experience and should be just fine for a simple evacuation assignment.
However during the mission briefing, the Marines are informed that the meteors that are hitting off the coast of major cities around the world contain metallic centers and that this is very likely an invasion from an unknown force. While the Marines are deploying an otherworldly fighting unit emerges destroying everything in their path as they moved inland from the coast line. Unsure what they are dealing with, the military decides to carpet bomb the city in order to contain the alien threat and give Nantz and his unit three hours to enter the combat zone and evacuate civilians from a police station.
While the movie is for the most part the standard soldiers-at-war film which substitute’s aliens for the usual enemy forces, the strength of the cast and the solid action and special effects help the movie overcome many of its shortcomings. There is little character development in the film and scenarios that were introduced in some of the characters’ backstories early in the film were given little to no chance to develop once the shooting started.
I also had an issue with some of the tactics in the film. While it may seem nitpicking there were a few scenes where the soldiers didn’t follow logical courses of engagement until later in the film. I have had only the most basic of combat instruction from my brief time in the Air Force, yet I can think of at least four scenarios in the film where the unit failed to use the most logical options available in their combat situation. Of course any film dealing with an alien invasion is sure to have plot holes and yes I can quibble about the Air Force waiting three hours to bomb a heavily overrun area when containment would have been priority one in not allowing a hostile force that much time to entrench itself.
That being said it was an interesting and entertaining film. The enemy was sufficiently mysterious and dangerous enough to hold my interest and had me rooting desperately for the troops to rise up and strike back at the enemy. Michelle Rodriguez does fine supporting work in the role of an Air Force Tech Sgt. who may have the key to turning the tide of the battle. Eckhart is solid as the gruff but caring staff sergeant is equally strong and his unit of young corporals, including R&B singer Ne-Yo, are believable.
Director Jonathan Liebesman knows the core intention of this film is and in doing so provides enough action to keep the audience entertained throughout. despite some issues with pacing and plot. While it doesn’t have the epic feel of Independence Day, Battle: Los Angeles is a film that provides enough entertainment to make it one of the better alien invasion films ever made and one that I certainly would not mind seeing revisited in a future sequel.
3.5 stars out of 5
Dr Dystopian (526 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Jan 9, 2018 (Updated Jan 9, 2018)
Interactions between Rey and Kylo (2 more)
The special effects
The lightsaber battle against the praetorian guard
Poor storyline (2 more)
Completely irrelevant side story with Finn and Rose
Wasted main villain
Disappointing entry after a promising previous film
What hasn't been said about this film already?!
Having had high hopes for this based on a solid entry in episode VII this film simply didn't live up to the high expectations.
The special effects were, as normal, fantastic with the ship collision at light speed a major highlight. The interactions between Rey and Kylo and subsequent character development of the 2 is both interesting and welcomed and provides hope for episode IX. The scene with the 2 fighting side by side against the praetorian guard was also great to watch.
Aside from those parts the film felt like it lacked any real direction and the storyline is simply poor. With the film opening on a massive battle where the first order, once again, are made out to be utterly inept and farcically incompetent it seems as if the film wants to substitute substance for style.
Almost the entire film consists of the first order chasing the rebellion at sub light speed waiting for them to run out of fuel whilst we are given an utterly pointless side mission for Finn and newcomer Rose which does nothing to develop either character or the actual main storyline.
Luke, meanwhile, has become a hermit and whilst that in itself isn't an issue (after all so was Yoda) it is a disappointing change to the legends Luke who would have been a lot more interesting.
The princess leia bridge explosion scene was also very shortly done. Whilst it was a great development to show her with significant force abilities the special effects made it crying worthy and completely ruined it.
Then there is the bizarre decision to simply kill off Snoke in the most pathetic of ways. All the build up of what appears to be an exceptionally strong Darkside user and he is cut down far too easily. It will be interesting to see how episode IX addresses this as it was a very disappointing ending to the character.
All in all there were just too many awful decisions and I left the cinema feeling massively underwhelmed. Perhaps in time, especially after its sequel, maybe this will be a film looked back on as a perfect midfilm in the trilogy.
Having had high hopes for this based on a solid entry in episode VII this film simply didn't live up to the high expectations.
The special effects were, as normal, fantastic with the ship collision at light speed a major highlight. The interactions between Rey and Kylo and subsequent character development of the 2 is both interesting and welcomed and provides hope for episode IX. The scene with the 2 fighting side by side against the praetorian guard was also great to watch.
Aside from those parts the film felt like it lacked any real direction and the storyline is simply poor. With the film opening on a massive battle where the first order, once again, are made out to be utterly inept and farcically incompetent it seems as if the film wants to substitute substance for style.
Almost the entire film consists of the first order chasing the rebellion at sub light speed waiting for them to run out of fuel whilst we are given an utterly pointless side mission for Finn and newcomer Rose which does nothing to develop either character or the actual main storyline.
Luke, meanwhile, has become a hermit and whilst that in itself isn't an issue (after all so was Yoda) it is a disappointing change to the legends Luke who would have been a lot more interesting.
The princess leia bridge explosion scene was also very shortly done. Whilst it was a great development to show her with significant force abilities the special effects made it crying worthy and completely ruined it.
Then there is the bizarre decision to simply kill off Snoke in the most pathetic of ways. All the build up of what appears to be an exceptionally strong Darkside user and he is cut down far too easily. It will be interesting to see how episode IX addresses this as it was a very disappointing ending to the character.
All in all there were just too many awful decisions and I left the cinema feeling massively underwhelmed. Perhaps in time, especially after its sequel, maybe this will be a film looked back on as a perfect midfilm in the trilogy.
Futuristic Fantasy
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is a futuristic, fantasy novel where society is divided by rich and poor; powerful and weak; elite and commoners; Silver and Red. Those with silver blood have magical abilities which make them believe they are more important than the talentless Reds who are forced to live in dilapidated towns and be sent to their deaths in wars they cannot survive.
Mare Barrow is a Red and knows that her future is doomed. Desperate to escape she confides in a stranger and lands herself a serving position in the Silver palace. Suddenly, however, her world is turned upside down after an accident reveals that, although she has red blood, she has a magical ability too. Instead of killing her as she expected, the king and queen force her to pretend she is a Silver, threatening her family if she steps out of line.
Naturally Mare hates the Silvers and involves herself with the Scarlet Guard – a terrorist group of Red rebels. However a complicated love triangle, and a shocking plot twist, puts Mare in even more danger than she bargained for.
The Cinderella-like idea of Mare coming from a poor background yet finding herself a member of the elite is nothing new. The difference here is that Mare does not want anything to do with the Silvers. She does not trust them and is angry about the way they are treating her family and her people.
Red Queen reminds me slightly of a couple of other young adult novels. It is a mishmash of The Selection by Kiera Cass (the poor become elite) and stories such as The Hunger Games (violence, rich verses poor etc.) Therefore this did not feel like a completely original piece of work. Nevertheless it was still exciting and Mare is such an admirable character.
I recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, dystopia and romance as Red Queen combines all three ideas. It is suitable for teenagers and adults alike, and do not let the word “Queen” make you believe that it is going to be overly girly. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next installment of this series – the ending suggests that there will be a lot more fighting!
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is a futuristic, fantasy novel where society is divided by rich and poor; powerful and weak; elite and commoners; Silver and Red. Those with silver blood have magical abilities which make them believe they are more important than the talentless Reds who are forced to live in dilapidated towns and be sent to their deaths in wars they cannot survive.
Mare Barrow is a Red and knows that her future is doomed. Desperate to escape she confides in a stranger and lands herself a serving position in the Silver palace. Suddenly, however, her world is turned upside down after an accident reveals that, although she has red blood, she has a magical ability too. Instead of killing her as she expected, the king and queen force her to pretend she is a Silver, threatening her family if she steps out of line.
Naturally Mare hates the Silvers and involves herself with the Scarlet Guard – a terrorist group of Red rebels. However a complicated love triangle, and a shocking plot twist, puts Mare in even more danger than she bargained for.
The Cinderella-like idea of Mare coming from a poor background yet finding herself a member of the elite is nothing new. The difference here is that Mare does not want anything to do with the Silvers. She does not trust them and is angry about the way they are treating her family and her people.
Red Queen reminds me slightly of a couple of other young adult novels. It is a mishmash of The Selection by Kiera Cass (the poor become elite) and stories such as The Hunger Games (violence, rich verses poor etc.) Therefore this did not feel like a completely original piece of work. Nevertheless it was still exciting and Mare is such an admirable character.
I recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, dystopia and romance as Red Queen combines all three ideas. It is suitable for teenagers and adults alike, and do not let the word “Queen” make you believe that it is going to be overly girly. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next installment of this series – the ending suggests that there will be a lot more fighting!
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Night of the Living Dead (1968) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
Iconic, influential and ground-breaking. All words to describe George A. Romero’s inaugural zombie horror, but what sets this apart from its contemporaries and the endless variations in the genre in which this Indie movie helped spawn?
Well to begin with, this is far from a simple zombie thriller. The real villains here are the collection of damaged human characters who all find themselves trapped together in an old farmhouse, barricaded within its fragile wooden walls, fighting not only the onslaught of zombie without, but the angst and fear from within.
At times they work together but unlike most films like this, the group rarely work at all, with conflicted views on how to survive, blinding them to the fact that if they only worked together they may just do so.
Instead, they all end up dead, with our leading man, a strong, smart black character, which at the time was a bold choice, being murdered by the redneck police posse, who mistake him for a zombie. But the metaphor, though hard to ignore, of a black man being gunned down without the white men bothering to ensure that he was zombie, may just be a coincidence, but the irony that he, Ben (Duane Jones) manages to survive until the end only be to gunned down in the final moments, is a tragedy that sums up this film’s tone.
With a killer child, a nude female zombie, a dysfunctional couple and the first named victim displaying a complacent contempt for God and the church, this group are real, though the acting standards are variable, the writing and direction are constantly very good, with a sense or gritty realism permeating throughout. Maintained by good pacing and gruesome cannibalistic action, this raised the bar of the genre, both now and then.
Even the zombies get a reasonable, yet none definitive explanation, as told through the radio and TV news. Radiation bringing the dead back to life, well, it may be the trope of 1960’s sci fi but it was well explained and the news reports were well composed, feeling more realistic than most movie news broadcasts.
Romero may have gone on to milk this franchise for all it is worth in the decades since but this opening low budget gem is a real piece of work; A complex moral drama set on one chaotic night in which the dead become living again.
Well to begin with, this is far from a simple zombie thriller. The real villains here are the collection of damaged human characters who all find themselves trapped together in an old farmhouse, barricaded within its fragile wooden walls, fighting not only the onslaught of zombie without, but the angst and fear from within.
At times they work together but unlike most films like this, the group rarely work at all, with conflicted views on how to survive, blinding them to the fact that if they only worked together they may just do so.
Instead, they all end up dead, with our leading man, a strong, smart black character, which at the time was a bold choice, being murdered by the redneck police posse, who mistake him for a zombie. But the metaphor, though hard to ignore, of a black man being gunned down without the white men bothering to ensure that he was zombie, may just be a coincidence, but the irony that he, Ben (Duane Jones) manages to survive until the end only be to gunned down in the final moments, is a tragedy that sums up this film’s tone.
With a killer child, a nude female zombie, a dysfunctional couple and the first named victim displaying a complacent contempt for God and the church, this group are real, though the acting standards are variable, the writing and direction are constantly very good, with a sense or gritty realism permeating throughout. Maintained by good pacing and gruesome cannibalistic action, this raised the bar of the genre, both now and then.
Even the zombies get a reasonable, yet none definitive explanation, as told through the radio and TV news. Radiation bringing the dead back to life, well, it may be the trope of 1960’s sci fi but it was well explained and the news reports were well composed, feeling more realistic than most movie news broadcasts.
Romero may have gone on to milk this franchise for all it is worth in the decades since but this opening low budget gem is a real piece of work; A complex moral drama set on one chaotic night in which the dead become living again.
Debbiereadsbook (1554 KP) rated Her Lord of Death in Books
Mar 21, 2019
loved this!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I'm not writing a blurby bit here, gonna jump straight in!
I bloody loved this!
So many layers, so much betrayal and back stabbing. Such pain for Acheron in his past, his present, and as he sees, his future. Kora is a woman he can never have, then he does, but still he can't. Cryptic, I know but I ain't doing spoilers!
And so, so many plot twists, I did not see any of them coming at me!
I loved that Acheron knew he was damaged, possibly beyond repair, but still he tries to make Kora see, to SEE that damage, in the only way he knows how: with violence. But KORA?? Kora SEES Acheron. She sees the man behind the rumours and whispers. She sees the man behind the scars, and finally, she SEES why Acheron does what he does to push her away and it makes her love him even more. She makes Acheron SEE, that there is more to life than pain.
And when WE find out why? Well, lets just say I bawled my eyes out. You get hints and snippets as to why Acheron reacts the way he does, but you don't get the full picture. Oh you put the clues together well enough, but really? Not enough. Nowhere NEAR enough.
After we get the full picture of what Acheron endured while in in Crete at the hands of Minos, it's a wonder the man is even sane! As Oz, Acheron's approximation of a best friend pointed out, he only had two years there, and Acheron had TEN years fighting for his life almost every day.
Suffices to say, this carries some dark story lines, but to say what they are would be spoilers. If you want to know, please message me, I'll tell you. Some readers may have triggers.
There is a little bit at the back of this, about how THIS book was Knight's first book, not Beautiful Beast. About how much of a battle Knight had with it. I'm so bloody glad she won that battle!
It's also billed as A Mythic World Romance. No idea what comes next, but I really wanna read it!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I'm not writing a blurby bit here, gonna jump straight in!
I bloody loved this!
So many layers, so much betrayal and back stabbing. Such pain for Acheron in his past, his present, and as he sees, his future. Kora is a woman he can never have, then he does, but still he can't. Cryptic, I know but I ain't doing spoilers!
And so, so many plot twists, I did not see any of them coming at me!
I loved that Acheron knew he was damaged, possibly beyond repair, but still he tries to make Kora see, to SEE that damage, in the only way he knows how: with violence. But KORA?? Kora SEES Acheron. She sees the man behind the rumours and whispers. She sees the man behind the scars, and finally, she SEES why Acheron does what he does to push her away and it makes her love him even more. She makes Acheron SEE, that there is more to life than pain.
And when WE find out why? Well, lets just say I bawled my eyes out. You get hints and snippets as to why Acheron reacts the way he does, but you don't get the full picture. Oh you put the clues together well enough, but really? Not enough. Nowhere NEAR enough.
After we get the full picture of what Acheron endured while in in Crete at the hands of Minos, it's a wonder the man is even sane! As Oz, Acheron's approximation of a best friend pointed out, he only had two years there, and Acheron had TEN years fighting for his life almost every day.
Suffices to say, this carries some dark story lines, but to say what they are would be spoilers. If you want to know, please message me, I'll tell you. Some readers may have triggers.
There is a little bit at the back of this, about how THIS book was Knight's first book, not Beautiful Beast. About how much of a battle Knight had with it. I'm so bloody glad she won that battle!
It's also billed as A Mythic World Romance. No idea what comes next, but I really wanna read it!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Sam (74 KP) rated The Possession of Mr Cave in Books
Mar 27, 2019
The Possession of Mr Cave is the story of a father’s mental breakdown after the tragic loss of many people close to him. Terrence is mentally unwell through the whole novel and is fighting his dead son’s influence on his mind. It’s completely disturbing, surprising and scary.
I’ll start this off by saying that I know that this book wasn’t for me. As I said, the blurb didn’t sound like anything I would usually enjoy reading and I only bought the book because it was by Matt Haig. But just because the book wasn’t for me didn’t stop me from still giving it 3/5.
The Possession of Mr Cave is very Shakespearean which isn’t a surprise coming from Matt Haig, as he has written a few novels inspired by Shakespeare’s plays. This is written as if it is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, so if you do enjoy that sort of thing, the book will be perfect. To begin with, it reminded me a lot of Romeo and Juliet because the novel begins at the end with Terrence Cave explaining that he has killed his daughter, and the novel is a letter to her, retelling exactly how the events led to her death. I did quite like this format, because it meant the suspense rose throughout the whole novel and left me guessing as to why he would kill his own daughter right up until the end.
I’m not the biggest fan of Shakespeare, which is why I feel that this was just not the book for me. Like I said, this reads exactly like a Shakespearean Tragedy, which I think in a way is also why I struggled to get into it. The language seemed clunky and drawn out in places and made it a bit hard to read, as well as Terrence’s conversations with his own mind.
It’s disturbing, and that is exactly what pulled me in. Terrence takes his protectiveness over Bryony too far to the point where I was wondering where his relationship with her was going to lead. I found it upsetting that nobody around Terrence spoke to him about how he was too protective of his daughter, and also how despite everything, nobody took the time to see if Terrence was okay.
I’ll start this off by saying that I know that this book wasn’t for me. As I said, the blurb didn’t sound like anything I would usually enjoy reading and I only bought the book because it was by Matt Haig. But just because the book wasn’t for me didn’t stop me from still giving it 3/5.
The Possession of Mr Cave is very Shakespearean which isn’t a surprise coming from Matt Haig, as he has written a few novels inspired by Shakespeare’s plays. This is written as if it is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, so if you do enjoy that sort of thing, the book will be perfect. To begin with, it reminded me a lot of Romeo and Juliet because the novel begins at the end with Terrence Cave explaining that he has killed his daughter, and the novel is a letter to her, retelling exactly how the events led to her death. I did quite like this format, because it meant the suspense rose throughout the whole novel and left me guessing as to why he would kill his own daughter right up until the end.
I’m not the biggest fan of Shakespeare, which is why I feel that this was just not the book for me. Like I said, this reads exactly like a Shakespearean Tragedy, which I think in a way is also why I struggled to get into it. The language seemed clunky and drawn out in places and made it a bit hard to read, as well as Terrence’s conversations with his own mind.
It’s disturbing, and that is exactly what pulled me in. Terrence takes his protectiveness over Bryony too far to the point where I was wondering where his relationship with her was going to lead. I found it upsetting that nobody around Terrence spoke to him about how he was too protective of his daughter, and also how despite everything, nobody took the time to see if Terrence was okay.
Sam (74 KP) rated Handle with Care in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Willow O’Keefe suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, meaning that her bones break easily. Just doing simple daily tasks can cause her a catastrophic break. But other than that, she’s like every other 5 year old – well, one with an amazing IQ for her age. Charlotte is Willow’s mum, and she’s running out of money, fast. So when she gets the chance to sue for wrongful birth, she takes it, desperate for any money she can get to help Willow’s well-being.
It was definitely a beefy book, with major questions on morality. Throughout the book I couldn’t work out whether I was on Charlotte’s side or not, as to sue for wrongful birth, she is basically saying she wishes Willow had never been born, and I found it really hard to understand how a parent could say that.
I did struggle reading this book. It took me two weeks to read 2/3 of it, and everyone who regularly reads this blog knows that’s not like me at all. I ended up skimming the last 1/3 to just get it finished because I was too far in to DNF in but felt that the plot was starting to become a little drawn out and a bit repetitive.
It’s very similar to Picoult’s Small Great Things, and I think that’s why I liked it so much to begin with. It covers the issues in childbirth and raising a child.
I felt so much empathy for Amelia, Willow’s half-sister. Throughout the novel she feels forgotten about because all of the focus is on Willow and to see her fighting her own battles with nobody to help was hard. Her mental health took a battering on behalf of her sister, but she still didn’t say anything. She suffered in silence for too long and were one of the few things that made me start to shift over to Charlotte’s side of the argument over Willow’s birth.
This novel is definitely not lighthearted, so if you like reading books that aren’t dealing with serious subjects, this probably isn’t for you. It was a tough read for me, which is why I only gave it 3/5. However, if you like Jodi Picoult’s other books, I definitely think you’ll like this one.
It was definitely a beefy book, with major questions on morality. Throughout the book I couldn’t work out whether I was on Charlotte’s side or not, as to sue for wrongful birth, she is basically saying she wishes Willow had never been born, and I found it really hard to understand how a parent could say that.
I did struggle reading this book. It took me two weeks to read 2/3 of it, and everyone who regularly reads this blog knows that’s not like me at all. I ended up skimming the last 1/3 to just get it finished because I was too far in to DNF in but felt that the plot was starting to become a little drawn out and a bit repetitive.
It’s very similar to Picoult’s Small Great Things, and I think that’s why I liked it so much to begin with. It covers the issues in childbirth and raising a child.
I felt so much empathy for Amelia, Willow’s half-sister. Throughout the novel she feels forgotten about because all of the focus is on Willow and to see her fighting her own battles with nobody to help was hard. Her mental health took a battering on behalf of her sister, but she still didn’t say anything. She suffered in silence for too long and were one of the few things that made me start to shift over to Charlotte’s side of the argument over Willow’s birth.
This novel is definitely not lighthearted, so if you like reading books that aren’t dealing with serious subjects, this probably isn’t for you. It was a tough read for me, which is why I only gave it 3/5. However, if you like Jodi Picoult’s other books, I definitely think you’ll like this one.
Merissa (13378 KP) rated Forged Futures (Tribal Spirits #4) in Books
May 21, 2019
Forged Futures (Tribal Spirits #4) by Katherine McIntyre
Forged Futures is the fourth book in the Tribal Spirits series, and we get Lana's story. Hers and Lucas', the gentle giant of the East Coast Tribe.
Lana has suffered since her husband died. Not only did she lose her best friend, but everyone treats her differently now too. She is unable to speak of him, and this tears her up inside. She is also not good at living alone. So when she hears creaks and groans that don't belong in her house, she knows something is up. That is the start of her life unravelling from how she knew it. Her husband wasn't who she thought he was, but there were reasons for that, which Lana finds out.
Lucas has been attracted to Lana from the start, but as a 'new' widow, he refused to make a move. He can't stop himself from protecting her though, and nor does he want to try. Lucas is fighting his own battles, and they help him with Lana, as it helps him to understand.
These two really are a match made in heaven. Lana sees Lucas for who he really is, and Lucas sees Lana as a woman, not just a widow. The excitement is rife in this book, and I got all flustered thinking Mackey was going down! I can't wait for that to happen!!! At least they made headway, but I won't say anything else! Drew is really coming into his own too. Ms. McIntyre is dropping hints about what happened, and why, and also what might be coming. I really hope I'm right, as he has managed to wriggle into my affections, and I really want to see him happy!
Exceptional writing, just what I would expect from a Katherine McIntyre book. There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, with a smoothly paced story, and no plot holes. There is a slow-build up to the steam, and it works perfectly. Great characters, and an exciting story. Sierra and Dax still remain my favourites (so far), but Lana and Lucas are hot on their heels. Let's see if it stays that way once Drew gets his story! Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Lana has suffered since her husband died. Not only did she lose her best friend, but everyone treats her differently now too. She is unable to speak of him, and this tears her up inside. She is also not good at living alone. So when she hears creaks and groans that don't belong in her house, she knows something is up. That is the start of her life unravelling from how she knew it. Her husband wasn't who she thought he was, but there were reasons for that, which Lana finds out.
Lucas has been attracted to Lana from the start, but as a 'new' widow, he refused to make a move. He can't stop himself from protecting her though, and nor does he want to try. Lucas is fighting his own battles, and they help him with Lana, as it helps him to understand.
These two really are a match made in heaven. Lana sees Lucas for who he really is, and Lucas sees Lana as a woman, not just a widow. The excitement is rife in this book, and I got all flustered thinking Mackey was going down! I can't wait for that to happen!!! At least they made headway, but I won't say anything else! Drew is really coming into his own too. Ms. McIntyre is dropping hints about what happened, and why, and also what might be coming. I really hope I'm right, as he has managed to wriggle into my affections, and I really want to see him happy!
Exceptional writing, just what I would expect from a Katherine McIntyre book. There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, with a smoothly paced story, and no plot holes. There is a slow-build up to the steam, and it works perfectly. Great characters, and an exciting story. Sierra and Dax still remain my favourites (so far), but Lana and Lucas are hot on their heels. Let's see if it stays that way once Drew gets his story! Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) in Movies
May 29, 2019
Oh my God...
#godzillakingofthemonsters is overlong, overstuffed, bland & lacks the one thing that at bare minimum I expected from a movie about big #monsters #fighting, EXCITEMENT. Now I quite liked the first #godzilla movie & yes it was to focused on the human element but visually it was really sticking & I found its slow build up to the reveal of Godzilla intense & exciting so that when he's finally introduced fully his presence became that more intimidating & thrilling. Sadly although in this sequel the monsters are given way more screen time at around 2hours the human element is still far to overpowering. That would be fine but its all so #boring & only serves as exposition to move the plot along. Dialog is sloppy/bellow basic & repetitive, acting is average at best & no one is likeable. Story wise its incredibly weak/bare bones which makes me wonder why it takes so long to play out considering we are only all here really to see monsters #fight. Cgi is really dodgy in places & I'm not sure if this is a throwback to past films but it feels odd & disjointed because at times its also impressive like it suddenly found its budget again. For an hour & a half I found this movie terrible with nothing setting it apart from stuff like #sanandreas or #geostorm. There are big set pieces upping the pace but like those movies they are a hollow mess of washed out cgi/badly framed fights that just weren't exciting at all. Why a 3? something changes in the last half hour & things do get a little cool for a bit, the score becomes epic, cgi looks great, theres some nice visual touches, #animation has weight & #action invokes some thrill but by then its all a just a bit to late. Theres also some #beautiful artsy establishing shots at times too throughout the movie & the subtle metaphors about the effects of #nuclear #weapons/war & looking after our #planet are well implemented too but thats about it. Im still #excited for #GodzillavsKong but just hoping this is a case of middle film itis but for now there are way better monster movies out there as i cant recomend seeing this one at all to be honest which is such a shame. #shingodzilla #godzillamovie #kong #japan #anime #gojira #kaiju
I enjoyed this fantasy book despite not particularly connecting with the main character. Katsa can be harsh and unrelatable, but the plot of the book is interesting. I listened to the book rather than reading it, so I think that I noticed the writing style/grammar problems less than those who were actually looking at the words.
The premise was fascinating - some people grow into special abilities called graces although each grace is different. Katsa has a fighting grace, which her King has her use to intimidate and harm people. Despite hating it, she never fights against it and accepts her position as a killer. I understand the fear of the King's anger, but cannot reconcile that with allowing oneself to be used and abused in such a manner. She is a fighter and strong enough that no one should be able to command her. Her freedom and her choices should be her own, but she allows herself to be manipulated for a long time.
Po, on the other hand, was very likable. He brings out a better side of Katsa and forces her to realize that she does not have to be the King's puppet. He is intelligent, a revered fighter and kind. I also liked another character, but as they do not have a role until the later half of the book - I'm afraid that talking about them might spoil details.
The world building was decent and I hope that it is expanded in future books, as this is not a standalone. The journey Katsa goes on is chronicled beautifully, but I don't feel like I know the world itself or its monarchies well. There are seven kingdoms and I would not be able to detail customs, names or climate of many of them.
Overall, the plot is relatively predictable although there were a few points that weren't expected. The pacing was steady throughout, but some scene changes and plot progressions seemed to jump forward when the plot would have been better served if they were expanded upon. For example, the conflict of the plot built and then the climax and "resolution" was mere moments so if you weren't paying close attention you may have missed it.
I would recommend this to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy books - and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
The premise was fascinating - some people grow into special abilities called graces although each grace is different. Katsa has a fighting grace, which her King has her use to intimidate and harm people. Despite hating it, she never fights against it and accepts her position as a killer. I understand the fear of the King's anger, but cannot reconcile that with allowing oneself to be used and abused in such a manner. She is a fighter and strong enough that no one should be able to command her. Her freedom and her choices should be her own, but she allows herself to be manipulated for a long time.
Po, on the other hand, was very likable. He brings out a better side of Katsa and forces her to realize that she does not have to be the King's puppet. He is intelligent, a revered fighter and kind. I also liked another character, but as they do not have a role until the later half of the book - I'm afraid that talking about them might spoil details.
The world building was decent and I hope that it is expanded in future books, as this is not a standalone. The journey Katsa goes on is chronicled beautifully, but I don't feel like I know the world itself or its monarchies well. There are seven kingdoms and I would not be able to detail customs, names or climate of many of them.
Overall, the plot is relatively predictable although there were a few points that weren't expected. The pacing was steady throughout, but some scene changes and plot progressions seemed to jump forward when the plot would have been better served if they were expanded upon. For example, the conflict of the plot built and then the climax and "resolution" was mere moments so if you weren't paying close attention you may have missed it.
I would recommend this to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy books - and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.