Search

Search only in certain items:

People Kill People
People Kill People
Ellen Hopkins | 2018 | History & Politics
2
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
This book first interested me when I read it was a book written about guns and gun control by a person who grew up in a household that supported guns. This is a voice that I had not really heard from in YA literature. Sadly what was given to me was a book that lacked depth for the characters and was quite predictable.
The story follows a group of teen to early adults. 2 of them are white supremacists, 2 are married with a young child, 1 is a homeless teen, 1 is a victim of gun violence who has epilepsy and is also homosexual, and 1 is the greatest person ever. The group itself is so entwined by siblings, marriage, relationships, friendships it isn't weird to wonder just how big of a town it could be they are living in.
The book is full of poor choices, dealing drugs with a toddler present, constant fantasizing about killing a certain person, a lot of time spent in the minds of white supremacists.
The whole book we know someone is going to die. Most of the book is framed to make you think it will be the homeless youth at the hands of the white supremacists. But it is actually the great girl that is anti gun and everyone loves because a toddler got a hold of a gun his parents couldn't be bothered to properly store. The end murder affects the lives of everyone else so they mostly die or want to, to demonstrate that guns aren't the problem. Too bad the gun and people's selfish nature was an unaddressed problem in the whole book full of problems.
The plot was too weighed down for anything to stick and the characters fell very flat despite Hopkins best efforts.
  
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
1967 | Pop, Psychedelic, Rock

"What killer pop songs, just killer fucking pop songs. It’s all over the place and I remember looking at it as a kid, just looking at the cover, it’s like a cartoon and at third grade I would play that record again and again. 'Lovely Rita' is probably my favourite song. I remember I had a crush on this girl and at that age you don’t know what girls are about and this song had something to do with my crush on this girl. I don’t know how, but it did, so it brings back memories of a more innocent time in my life for sure. It’s so ingenious and a pure band effort where all the band were listening to each other. I know from reading about that record later that there were a lot of battles but I think the band were at its zenith in terms of allowing each other’s input. Guns was also a band where everybody respected everybody else’s musical opinion - Appetite was a record that was a serious group effort. We didn’t have any away to record ourselves, we didn’t even have a PA, Axl would be singing lyrics into one of our ears while we were playing really loudly in this little room, so the only time we got to hear these songs properly was when we played live –in front of three people sometimes - 'cos there were monitors on stage. Then you’d realise that songs like 'Rocket Queen' were way too long and be shaving them. By Illusion we had a big rehearsal place with a PA and could record ourselves on cassette and hear what we were doing. And we had time, and if you don’t let time get away from you time can be a really great thing if you know how to manage it."

Source
  
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
I'm terrible with watching films in sequence, but I've been seeing the trailers for War for the Planet of the Apes repeatedly and really wanted to watch it. I saw the first one when it came out in some fashion, the second one has eluded me though.

The films begins with the Alpha-Omega paramilitary group laying down an attack on Caesar's ape clan. There is heavy resistance and several of Alpha-Omega's team are captured. Caesar, wanting to bring some form of peace to his clan, sends back the captured soldiers to the Colonel with a message, they did not start this war and that they want to live in peace together.

Caesar's son, Blue Eyes, returns from searching for a safe haven, and has found a place across the desert for them all to live. Thinking that they need more time to prepare, Caesar puts off their departure with tragic consequences. During the night the Colonel and a team of men infiltrate their camp, and her slaughters Blue Eyes and Caesar's wife, believing it was him.

Seeking revenge, Caesar leaves the camp to hunt down the Colonel, accompanied by a small group. Along the way they encounter a single soldier with his daughter in a camp, who Caesar kills when he goes for his gun. The girl doesn't speak and deciding not to leave her there alone, they take her with them on their journey.

The group make their way to the Border with the help of Bad Ape and Caesar discovers that the rest of their clan has been captured and is imprisoned below. After being captured they must plan their escape from both inside and outside the walls of the Border any way they can...

Quite simple put, this was an epic feat, and well worth the watch. At some point while it was on I honestly forgot that what I was seeing wasn't real. The effects are magnificent, and the emotions in Caesar in particular are just incredible. Those alone should be sure fire reasons to watch it, but if you're not convinced, then the story line isn't bad either.

I always think it's amazing how well movies manage to match up the emotion of the actor with their digitised counterpart. That takes an amazingly skilled group behind the scenes. My first reaction when I saw Woody Harrelson in the trailer was not a good one. He's amusing, but I couldn't name a film of his that I've enjoyed him in. I'm happy to say that this one has changed all of that. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance, you see his character go from one end of the spectrum to the other, and Harrelson does it all so well. Amiah Miller who plays Nova was amazing too, barely any lines and acting at something that gets put in the scene after the fact must be incredibly difficult and she managed to pull it off with real emotion.
  
A Life of the Twentieth Century
A Life of the Twentieth Century
Irene Even | 2014 | Biography, Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What a wonderful book this is. I have learned a bit more about Israel and it ever lasting world to survive. The book is about a girl named Aya who by all means was stuggling to fit into her family from the day she was born. Her family really did not know what was going on with her. She came out on top in the end, to me at least.

Aya was traveling with her young group for return to hope and freedom. Though once she reached the Jewish Brigade, she runs a solider that is supposed to be her hero. She does not know that she was to going to be control by this man when she was only 15 year's old. What happen next is a surprise as to anyone.

Late in life and raising two children. Things go from bad to worse. Aya try to protect her two children from their father. When she clasped and is ask to see phys doctor. She decides to go to school. Things get harder for her and she decides to do the one thing that get her to travel and get a career in something she loves. There are many different twist and surprises to be learn the read in this book
  
WL
What's Left of Us (Us, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book is wonderful! The characters are easy to relate to and the story keeps you guessing. I was lucky enough to read this before it went to the editor and I absolutely loved it!

The characters of Asher and Beck are great. They are best friends and they both go through some pretty epic changes (which I won't share because I don't want to give away any of the story).

Enter Calla or Cal for short. She is the new girl in the neighborhood and she quickly befriends Ash and Beck. The three of them are inseparable. Of course being friend with two boys is going to lead to some drama, but that's just the tip of the ice berg.

Honestly, I wasn't prepared for this book. The story took me by surprise and the emotion involved just blew me away.

What's Left of Us is a Christian novel; however, be advised that religion and religious beliefs are NOT shoved down your throat. This is a great book about a group of friends that endure a tragedy and through the help of their religious beliefs manage to come out whole on the other side.

Give this debut novel by this talented new author a shot. You won't be disappointed.