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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in Books
Jun 7, 2018
This review can also be found on my blog <a href="themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>.
I feel the synopsis of what the book is about makes it sound a lot better than what it is. I wanted to like this book, I really did. I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, it didn't do much for me. I was expecting more of a ghost story. Instead I got more of a sci-fi story, and one that wasn't very good.
Jacob's grandfather tells him of a magical island of which he spent his childhood. He shows him photos and tells him stories about the peculiar children he grew up with. As Jacob becomes a teenager, he stops believing in his grandfather's ridiculous stories until something awful happens. Jacob travels to the mysterious island to find out about his grandfather. Little does he know that by going to that island he's put himself and many others in danger.
First off, I thought the word building/setting were fantastic. The author made me feel as if I was on the island. I'll give him props there. The description of the world was beautifully described.
I couldn't relate very much to the characters. I can't really place why that is. I just couldn't connect. I found myself not caring what happened to any of them. Perhaps the author should've spent a bit more time character building to make me relate to at least one the characters. The characters just felt a bit one dimensional. There wasn't even one that I could remotely say that I favourited. Okay, that's a lie. I liked Fiona, the Irish girl, but I only liked her because she was Irish, and I love all things Irish. That's it.
I found the pacing to be a bit slow. I'd read a chapter, then I'd get bored with it and go off to do something else. I really struggled with this book. There are a couple of chapters that the pacing is great in, but it's not until the last two chapters that the pacing definitely picks up.
The dialogue was easy to understand although some Americans may not get all the slang British terms. There was one scene where a character says "I was taking a piss" where he meant that he was joking around. The phrase he meant was "taking the piss" which is a British slang phrase for joking. "Taking a piss" isn't a typo either as it's mentioned a few more times. This annoyed me because taking a piss, is just that, it means urinating. "Taking the piss" means to be joking around. Other than that, the dialogue was good.
The best part of the book was the photographs found within the book. I loved that little touch! I found myself studying the photos and enjoying them a million times better than the actual book.
The cover is also something I loved about the book. How freaky does that little girl look??? The German cover looks even better. It's the same photo, just with a green hue. If I was marking the book based on the cover alone, it'd get 5 out of 5 for me.
The title of the book doesn't really leave anything to make you wonder what the books about. It says exactly what the book is about - a home for peculiar children.
All in all, this book left me feeling empty. I didn't really feel much of anything reading it until I got to the last two chapters where it got exciting. However, I will not put myself through the torture of reading the second book in the series especially as I don't care about the characters or what happens to them. I'm just glad I won this book in a competition and didn't buy it.
I was going to give this book a 2 - 2.5 star rating but the ending saved it a bit.
I feel the synopsis of what the book is about makes it sound a lot better than what it is. I wanted to like this book, I really did. I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, it didn't do much for me. I was expecting more of a ghost story. Instead I got more of a sci-fi story, and one that wasn't very good.
Jacob's grandfather tells him of a magical island of which he spent his childhood. He shows him photos and tells him stories about the peculiar children he grew up with. As Jacob becomes a teenager, he stops believing in his grandfather's ridiculous stories until something awful happens. Jacob travels to the mysterious island to find out about his grandfather. Little does he know that by going to that island he's put himself and many others in danger.
First off, I thought the word building/setting were fantastic. The author made me feel as if I was on the island. I'll give him props there. The description of the world was beautifully described.
I couldn't relate very much to the characters. I can't really place why that is. I just couldn't connect. I found myself not caring what happened to any of them. Perhaps the author should've spent a bit more time character building to make me relate to at least one the characters. The characters just felt a bit one dimensional. There wasn't even one that I could remotely say that I favourited. Okay, that's a lie. I liked Fiona, the Irish girl, but I only liked her because she was Irish, and I love all things Irish. That's it.
I found the pacing to be a bit slow. I'd read a chapter, then I'd get bored with it and go off to do something else. I really struggled with this book. There are a couple of chapters that the pacing is great in, but it's not until the last two chapters that the pacing definitely picks up.
The dialogue was easy to understand although some Americans may not get all the slang British terms. There was one scene where a character says "I was taking a piss" where he meant that he was joking around. The phrase he meant was "taking the piss" which is a British slang phrase for joking. "Taking a piss" isn't a typo either as it's mentioned a few more times. This annoyed me because taking a piss, is just that, it means urinating. "Taking the piss" means to be joking around. Other than that, the dialogue was good.
The best part of the book was the photographs found within the book. I loved that little touch! I found myself studying the photos and enjoying them a million times better than the actual book.
The cover is also something I loved about the book. How freaky does that little girl look??? The German cover looks even better. It's the same photo, just with a green hue. If I was marking the book based on the cover alone, it'd get 5 out of 5 for me.
The title of the book doesn't really leave anything to make you wonder what the books about. It says exactly what the book is about - a home for peculiar children.
All in all, this book left me feeling empty. I didn't really feel much of anything reading it until I got to the last two chapters where it got exciting. However, I will not put myself through the torture of reading the second book in the series especially as I don't care about the characters or what happens to them. I'm just glad I won this book in a competition and didn't buy it.
I was going to give this book a 2 - 2.5 star rating but the ending saved it a bit.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated If You Find Me in Books
Jun 6, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I read about this book from a blog, and I was intrigued. I knew this was one book I had to read. When I found out I had won a copy through a blog competition, I was thrilled! Luckily, I wasn't disappointed with If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch. I absolutely loved the plot twists!!
Carey is a fifteen year old girl who lives in the middle of the woods. Her mother is a meth addict, so she's left Carey alone to fend for herself and to take care of her 6 year old sister Janessa. When Carey and her sister are taken from all they've ever known and thrust into "normal" life, Carey doesn't know if she'll be able to cope. However, the "normal" world will make her question everything she's ever known especially when it comes to her mother.
I just want to say that the title of this book is actually mentioned in the book! Aside from that, the title does suit the book very well. Carey seems lost all throughout the book so the title fits with the theme.
I like the cover for the most part although I would've preferred to see maybe a dirty Carey instead of a normal looking teenage girl. I do enjoy the woods in the background especially since that's where Carey was raised.
As for the world building, I think it was good, but it could've been more believable. The way Carey spoke was a little too polished for what I would imagine a girl who grew up away from civilization to speak. I know that it mentions how Carey taught her and her sister to read and such from books her mother brought home, but still. I also thought Carey started speaking "normally" all too soon. Perhaps that's just me since I've never grown up away from civilization.
The pacing was great in If You find Me. It did start off a bit slow, and I was wondering if I was just in for one big disappointment. I was lucky because the pacing picked up within the next couple of chapters, and I was in for one smooth ride. I couldn't put the book down after that.
The characters were very well developed, and I found myself relating to all of them as best as my experience would let me. I loved Carey and how strong she was after how much she had endured. I thought Janessa was just the sweetest little girl. I could feel how much she loved Carey and how much Carey loved her. Delaney was written as a great mean girl. I found myself wanting to slap her so many times throughout the book!! Ryan was adorable, and I loved how he treated Carey. My favorite character though was Pixie. She was the best friend I wished I had. I absolutely loved her dress sense as well!
As for the dialogue, I loved Carey's internal monologue the most. I loved reading about what she thought and felt about everything. The way the characters interacted with each other was never awkward at all. The whole dialogue ran smoothly. I don't really remember any swearing in this book either.
The only disappointing thing I found was the ending. It left me wanting to know what ever became of Carey after the big reveal. I don't want to go into details due to spoilers, but if you read it, you'll know what I mean.
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch is an easy and enjoyable read that will leave readers thinking about it long after they've finished reading it. It is a very thought provoking piece of literature.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 13+ who wants to read something stimulating!
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch gets a 4.5 out of 5.
I read about this book from a blog, and I was intrigued. I knew this was one book I had to read. When I found out I had won a copy through a blog competition, I was thrilled! Luckily, I wasn't disappointed with If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch. I absolutely loved the plot twists!!
Carey is a fifteen year old girl who lives in the middle of the woods. Her mother is a meth addict, so she's left Carey alone to fend for herself and to take care of her 6 year old sister Janessa. When Carey and her sister are taken from all they've ever known and thrust into "normal" life, Carey doesn't know if she'll be able to cope. However, the "normal" world will make her question everything she's ever known especially when it comes to her mother.
I just want to say that the title of this book is actually mentioned in the book! Aside from that, the title does suit the book very well. Carey seems lost all throughout the book so the title fits with the theme.
I like the cover for the most part although I would've preferred to see maybe a dirty Carey instead of a normal looking teenage girl. I do enjoy the woods in the background especially since that's where Carey was raised.
As for the world building, I think it was good, but it could've been more believable. The way Carey spoke was a little too polished for what I would imagine a girl who grew up away from civilization to speak. I know that it mentions how Carey taught her and her sister to read and such from books her mother brought home, but still. I also thought Carey started speaking "normally" all too soon. Perhaps that's just me since I've never grown up away from civilization.
The pacing was great in If You find Me. It did start off a bit slow, and I was wondering if I was just in for one big disappointment. I was lucky because the pacing picked up within the next couple of chapters, and I was in for one smooth ride. I couldn't put the book down after that.
The characters were very well developed, and I found myself relating to all of them as best as my experience would let me. I loved Carey and how strong she was after how much she had endured. I thought Janessa was just the sweetest little girl. I could feel how much she loved Carey and how much Carey loved her. Delaney was written as a great mean girl. I found myself wanting to slap her so many times throughout the book!! Ryan was adorable, and I loved how he treated Carey. My favorite character though was Pixie. She was the best friend I wished I had. I absolutely loved her dress sense as well!
As for the dialogue, I loved Carey's internal monologue the most. I loved reading about what she thought and felt about everything. The way the characters interacted with each other was never awkward at all. The whole dialogue ran smoothly. I don't really remember any swearing in this book either.
The only disappointing thing I found was the ending. It left me wanting to know what ever became of Carey after the big reveal. I don't want to go into details due to spoilers, but if you read it, you'll know what I mean.
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch is an easy and enjoyable read that will leave readers thinking about it long after they've finished reading it. It is a very thought provoking piece of literature.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 13+ who wants to read something stimulating!
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch gets a 4.5 out of 5.
Laura (45 KP) rated My Bloody Valentine 3-D (2009) in Movies
Nov 15, 2017
The first time I watched this movie was in 3D at the theater and the effects made it a little more gross. Which is great, because it's a slasher movie. Slasher movies aren't always the highest quality, but this is a fun, bloody movie with a twist that got me in the end. I was suspicious of almost every character at some point.
The problem I found on my recent viewing was minor and weird, but this takes place in a coal town in central Pennsylvania. In February. I grew up there, it's cold. But no one wears a real coat or even looks chilly in this whole movie. Just had to make that bother someone else ?
The problem I found on my recent viewing was minor and weird, but this takes place in a coal town in central Pennsylvania. In February. I grew up there, it's cold. But no one wears a real coat or even looks chilly in this whole movie. Just had to make that bother someone else ?
MissCagey (2652 KP) rated A Good Year (2006) in Movies
Dec 5, 2017
Utterly charmless and boring
This film may have been more engaging if they'd had the likes of Hugh Grant as the leading man. As it was, Crowe is charmless, unfunny and boring throughout. I really didn't care what happened to him, whether he found love with the hapless damsel who he runs off the road without even knowing or whether he could force himself to leave the chateau after falling back in love with the place. It took me days to watch the film as I was determined to get through it and each day I hoped it would get better. It didn't but eventually I finished it! Hallelujah it was over.
Book Divas (227 KP) rated Ultimate Sacrifice in Books
Dec 12, 2017
What an unexpected twist this tale took for me as I definitely did not see it coming. I found this to be an exciting read with interesting characters and I read it all in one sitting. I was gripped by the death of a character right off the bat and I was held captive until the horrific end. The only reason I gave it four stars was because there were times when the story lagged and seemed to go off the beaten path. I still recommend this book.
{I requested a copy for review purposes only and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions contained within are unbiased and my own.}
{I requested a copy for review purposes only and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions contained within are unbiased and my own.}
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Station Eleven in Books
Jan 12, 2018
I was really looking forward to reading this. I have heard and read rave reviews about how fantastic it is so was chuffed to bits when I was provided with a copy from Netgalley via the publisher, Picador, and I settled down to read.
What can I say? Is there something wrong with me? I just didn't get it. I donÂ’t know why but it just didn't grab me at all and, I'm sorry to say, I found it boring so much so that I skim read parts just to get it over with a bit quicker.
For my full review, please visit my blog http://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/station-eleven-by-emily-st-john-mandel.html, thank you.
What can I say? Is there something wrong with me? I just didn't get it. I donÂ’t know why but it just didn't grab me at all and, I'm sorry to say, I found it boring so much so that I skim read parts just to get it over with a bit quicker.
For my full review, please visit my blog http://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/station-eleven-by-emily-st-john-mandel.html, thank you.
tonidavis (353 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Jun 29, 2017
Gal Gadot (1 more)
Amazon Opening Scence
I want to be an Amazon
The opening of this film was spectacular. the use of athletes as amazon was genious and worked better than anything CGI could produce. I truley was excited by this film and then they left the Island.
Unfortunely I found the middle to be far to long didnt feel a great connection between Diana and Steve on boat or in London. Honestly if those scence where a lot shorter I would of given this film a 10/10. however they kept the length and for me it ruined the film. The last half hour was great and the opening was stunning.
Unfortunely I found the middle to be far to long didnt feel a great connection between Diana and Steve on boat or in London. Honestly if those scence where a lot shorter I would of given this film a 10/10. however they kept the length and for me it ruined the film. The last half hour was great and the opening was stunning.
John Garrett (27 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2017
Gal Gadot (2 more)
Chris Pine
The story
Who knew DC could make a movie like this???
The finally done it. DC made a movie which was engaging, enjoyable and had a solid performance from its lead. Wonder Women has succeeded where man of steel and BvS fell short. The story of Dianna was not to watch, mainly due to the performances from the leads Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. There felt like there was real stakes in this movie which superhero movies sometimes lack. Where the movie falls short is the disposable villain .....it never really feels like Aries was a prominent plot point and was added in. All in all I found wonder women a please surprise.
I received a free copy of this novel direct from the author in return for an honest review.
The fact that I received it free and from the author in no way influences how I feel about this book ... it was absolutely brilliant and I loved everything about it. It sounds corny but I really couldn't put it down.
It is an exceptionally well told, well written story with really well thought-out characters. It was fast paced from the start with plenty of violence which is graphic but written in such a way as not to be gratuitous.
My full review can be found at http://haziegaze.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/my-review-of-survivor-horror-thriller.html
The fact that I received it free and from the author in no way influences how I feel about this book ... it was absolutely brilliant and I loved everything about it. It sounds corny but I really couldn't put it down.
It is an exceptionally well told, well written story with really well thought-out characters. It was fast paced from the start with plenty of violence which is graphic but written in such a way as not to be gratuitous.
My full review can be found at http://haziegaze.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/my-review-of-survivor-horror-thriller.html
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Cell in Books
Jan 12, 2018
Have you every found yourself refering to people who have their face buried in their cell phones as zombies? Stephen King took it a step further and made the cell phones turn them into killing monsters at a single pulse through the phone. As a middle school teacher this though terrifies me, I would never get out alive.
It is an interesting twist on the zombie/apocalyptic theme that seems to make a social commentary as well. The characters are typical Stephen King so they are developed but not complex. There is a certain amout of familiar predictability. I was quite disappointed by the ending though. Still it is a good beach read.
It is an interesting twist on the zombie/apocalyptic theme that seems to make a social commentary as well. The characters are typical Stephen King so they are developed but not complex. There is a certain amout of familiar predictability. I was quite disappointed by the ending though. Still it is a good beach read.