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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Apr 9, 2021
Gone Wild: Stories from a Lifetime of Wildlife Travel
Book
Often amusing, sometimes romantic or fraught with danger, these 30 short stories are about local...
The Scientist and the Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage
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In September 2011, sheriff's deputies in Iowa encountered three ethnic Chinese men near a field...
The Key Lime Crime
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National bestselling author Lucy Burdette's tenth Key West Food Critic mystery is piping hot with...
Revelations (The Nephilim Series #1)
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Imagine a world where everyone lives in peace. Supernaturals aren’t real and the only thing you...
Bachata: A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music
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Like rap in the United States, bachata began as a music of the poor and dispossessed. Originating in...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jun 5, 2022
Replica is a fascinating novel about human cloning that is written from two points of view. It's really unique because it can be read in three different ways. The first is from Lena's perspective. Lena is a replica, or clone, and has only known a life at Haven. The second is from Gemma's point of view. Gemma is a normal girl who doesn't feel like she fits in. The final method, and way I chose to read the book, was alternating chapters. The two stories are woven together seamlessly and make for a great read.
On an island surrounded by guard towers and fences, ocean and marsh, alligators and water mocassins is Have - Lyra's home. Each day she is told when to eat, sleep and take her medication. Her life is not her own. It's not even considered a life by most of the staff who address her as "it".. if they recognize her at all.
Gemma attends high school and has two overprotective parents. she was very sick as a child and her parents never quite got over it. Gemma isn't even allowed to participate in gym, which doesn't help shield her from school bullies. Instead, it makes her more of a target. Her only true friend is April.
Somehow, Gemma and April manage to convince their parents to allow them to spend their spring break at April's grandparent's house in Florida. Just days before their trip, there is an explosion at Haven. Gemma overhears her parents fighting about it and suddenly she's not longer allowed on her trip. hurt and confused, Gemma begins to dig into Haven wondering why it is so important. She discovers a world of conspiracies and realized she must uncover the truth.
Catching a ride to Florida with a classmate, Pete, Gemma rebels for the first time in her life. She goes on a harrowing adventure and her path eventually crosses with Lyra's. Together, they begin to learn the truth and uncover life-altering information about Haven and themselves.
Both Lyra and Gemma are well-written characters that the reader can relate to. Lyra, or number 24, is new to the world and slow to trust. Gemma is caring and curious. Personally, I related to Gemma more than Lyra but I know a lot of people say the opposite. They are joined by the talkative and reliable Pete; the only person to ever make it to Haven Jake; and a fellow Haven resident number 72, or Caelum. Each boy has a unique personality and purpose in the story.
The world of Haven and the replicas is fascinating. Unfortunately, we only know as much as out protagonists do. I eagerly await more world building in future books. The backstory was a giant mystery involving Gemma's father, but she slowly discovers little pieces and the world is exposed to us bit by bit.
The story immediately draws you in and you can't put the book down (or at least I couldn't!) Recommended for fans of science fiction (or fact) and mystery young adult books. Even if you don't normally gravitate towards science related fiction, this book is very accessible. Fans of BBC's Orphan Black will find themselves in love with this novel. Definitely a must read!
On an island surrounded by guard towers and fences, ocean and marsh, alligators and water mocassins is Have - Lyra's home. Each day she is told when to eat, sleep and take her medication. Her life is not her own. It's not even considered a life by most of the staff who address her as "it".. if they recognize her at all.
Gemma attends high school and has two overprotective parents. she was very sick as a child and her parents never quite got over it. Gemma isn't even allowed to participate in gym, which doesn't help shield her from school bullies. Instead, it makes her more of a target. Her only true friend is April.
Somehow, Gemma and April manage to convince their parents to allow them to spend their spring break at April's grandparent's house in Florida. Just days before their trip, there is an explosion at Haven. Gemma overhears her parents fighting about it and suddenly she's not longer allowed on her trip. hurt and confused, Gemma begins to dig into Haven wondering why it is so important. She discovers a world of conspiracies and realized she must uncover the truth.
Catching a ride to Florida with a classmate, Pete, Gemma rebels for the first time in her life. She goes on a harrowing adventure and her path eventually crosses with Lyra's. Together, they begin to learn the truth and uncover life-altering information about Haven and themselves.
Both Lyra and Gemma are well-written characters that the reader can relate to. Lyra, or number 24, is new to the world and slow to trust. Gemma is caring and curious. Personally, I related to Gemma more than Lyra but I know a lot of people say the opposite. They are joined by the talkative and reliable Pete; the only person to ever make it to Haven Jake; and a fellow Haven resident number 72, or Caelum. Each boy has a unique personality and purpose in the story.
The world of Haven and the replicas is fascinating. Unfortunately, we only know as much as out protagonists do. I eagerly await more world building in future books. The backstory was a giant mystery involving Gemma's father, but she slowly discovers little pieces and the world is exposed to us bit by bit.
The story immediately draws you in and you can't put the book down (or at least I couldn't!) Recommended for fans of science fiction (or fact) and mystery young adult books. Even if you don't normally gravitate towards science related fiction, this book is very accessible. Fans of BBC's Orphan Black will find themselves in love with this novel. Definitely a must read!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Florida Project (2017) in Movies
Feb 18, 2018
Not Strong Enough To Keep My Attention
THE FLORIDA PROJECT is one of those "slice of life" films, shot on a low budget that doesn't really have a plot but exposes the audience to 2 hours of what it would be like to live the life of someone - usually a disaffected fringe group. There is no real plot, so the film needs to hang itself onto how interesting the characters - and the situation they find themselves - are.
These types of films are not usually my cup of tea, and this film was no exception.
THE FLORIDA PROJECT, conceived, written and directed by Sean Baker (who did a similar-type of film about the transgender community, TANGERINE), is about the community of people living just at the poverty line in the shadow of Walt Disney World. These people are constantly scrambling to earn money to eat and live and to pay rent at one of the seedy, rundown motels boarding just outside "the happiest place on earth".
We see this world through the eyes of Moonee - a "precocious" (I would say farel) youth who lives at one of these hotels with her mother, Halley. Moonee runs wild all day, doing whatever she wants and just 'living her life" while her mother hustles to make ends meet - all under the watchful eye of the motel's Manager, Bobby.
There is no real plot to this film. We just follow Moonee and her pals Scooty, Dicky and Jancey as they go about their day getting into misadventures. 6 year old Brooklyn Prince (in her film debut) stars as Moonee and she is an engaging enough presence, but not nearly strong enough to keep my attention for the entire 2 hours of the film - and that's the issue with this film. It relies heavily on the audience's fascination with this 6 year old and I wasn't fascinated enough to watch her for 2 hours.
Much more interesting to me to watch was another new actress, Bria Vinaite as her mother, Halley. I said she spends the film hustling - and I mean that in every sense of the word. Every interaction with another person is laced with the thought "what can I get out of this". She is always working an angle, looking for the quick score. She was a fascinating character, and I would have preferred that she would be the focus of this story.
Overseeing these two - and the other denizen's of his Motel - is Willem DaFoe playing against type as the kindly, caring Manager, Bobby. DaFoe is nominated for an Oscar for his work in this film - and it is strong work (it's good to see DaFoe with something to sink his teeth into), but is it enough for an Oscar? I don't think so. Much like Mary J. Blige in MUDBOUND, I think it is a very good performance, but I kept waiting for the "Academy Award" scene from him, and it just didn't come.
Ultimately, a labor of love for Sean Baker. It looks like a film that was made on a shoestring budget - and I'm sure that was intentional. The look and feel of this film mimics the circumstance that the characters find themselves in - including some "guerilla" filmmaking at Disney's Magic Kingdom itself. He made the type of film he wanted to make.
It just isn't the kind of film I wanted - or am interested - in seeing.
Letter Grade: C+
5 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
These types of films are not usually my cup of tea, and this film was no exception.
THE FLORIDA PROJECT, conceived, written and directed by Sean Baker (who did a similar-type of film about the transgender community, TANGERINE), is about the community of people living just at the poverty line in the shadow of Walt Disney World. These people are constantly scrambling to earn money to eat and live and to pay rent at one of the seedy, rundown motels boarding just outside "the happiest place on earth".
We see this world through the eyes of Moonee - a "precocious" (I would say farel) youth who lives at one of these hotels with her mother, Halley. Moonee runs wild all day, doing whatever she wants and just 'living her life" while her mother hustles to make ends meet - all under the watchful eye of the motel's Manager, Bobby.
There is no real plot to this film. We just follow Moonee and her pals Scooty, Dicky and Jancey as they go about their day getting into misadventures. 6 year old Brooklyn Prince (in her film debut) stars as Moonee and she is an engaging enough presence, but not nearly strong enough to keep my attention for the entire 2 hours of the film - and that's the issue with this film. It relies heavily on the audience's fascination with this 6 year old and I wasn't fascinated enough to watch her for 2 hours.
Much more interesting to me to watch was another new actress, Bria Vinaite as her mother, Halley. I said she spends the film hustling - and I mean that in every sense of the word. Every interaction with another person is laced with the thought "what can I get out of this". She is always working an angle, looking for the quick score. She was a fascinating character, and I would have preferred that she would be the focus of this story.
Overseeing these two - and the other denizen's of his Motel - is Willem DaFoe playing against type as the kindly, caring Manager, Bobby. DaFoe is nominated for an Oscar for his work in this film - and it is strong work (it's good to see DaFoe with something to sink his teeth into), but is it enough for an Oscar? I don't think so. Much like Mary J. Blige in MUDBOUND, I think it is a very good performance, but I kept waiting for the "Academy Award" scene from him, and it just didn't come.
Ultimately, a labor of love for Sean Baker. It looks like a film that was made on a shoestring budget - and I'm sure that was intentional. The look and feel of this film mimics the circumstance that the characters find themselves in - including some "guerilla" filmmaking at Disney's Magic Kingdom itself. He made the type of film he wanted to make.
It just isn't the kind of film I wanted - or am interested - in seeing.
Letter Grade: C+
5 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
