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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Old Guard (2020) in Movies
Aug 27, 2020
Kick Ass Action (2 more)
Good Casting and Supporting Actors/Characters
Cool Concept
The Musical Score/ Soundtrack (3 more)
Some characters were a little cliché
Characters not fully developed or given enough backstory
Dialogue
In With The Old Guard (7/10)
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Old Guard is 2020 action movie directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and written by Greg Rucka, The film was produced by Skydance Media, Denver and Delilah Productions and Marc Evans Productions and distributed by Netflix. Producers on the movie include David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Charlize Theron, AJ Dix, Beth Kono and Marc Evans. The film stars Charlize Theron, Kiki Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli and Matthias Schoenaerts.
Andy (Charlize Theron), and her covert group of tight-knit immortals have fought and protected the mortal world for centuries with their mysterious inability to die. With their extraordinary abilities suddenly exposed on an emergency mission, the group finds themselves hunted by those who will stop at nothing to replicate their power. Nile (Kiki Layne), the newest soldier, joins their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat and avoid capture as they find out who's found them.
This move was pretty bad ass. I liked it quite a bit. Charlize Theron definitely kicks ass as Andy in this flick and has a bunch of really cool action sequences throughout the film. The supporting cast was really good as well. I hadn't heard of the graphic novel or comic that it was based off of by the film's writer Greg Rucka but now I really want to check it out because the backstory they give the characters and their actions seem really cool. Now I know a lot of people give the whole girl power thing bad energy online and a lot of stuff gets hate and trolls for stuff like that but I dig this film. (examples Captain Marvel, The girl power scene in Endgame, etc...) I definitely got that vibe that the director was a woman without even paying attention to it in the opening credits and that's not a bad thing, just an observation. The way certain things happened in the movie, the soundtrack (which was good but felt like it didn't match) and the two main characters/protagonists are female as well. I think Gina Prince-Bythewood did a great job in mixing in the story and the action in this movie. Of course when coming up with a cool concept like this there always going to be plot holes or things that don't make sense and this movie is no exception, some characters are a little cliché but there acting pretty good and their performances were good but the dialogue definitely suffered from the writing. There was some weird lines in there and some scenes that just kind of faltered. The villain wasn't that memorable and the film had some slow places, not that pacing was off but maybe dragged on a little too long. I think this movie was still great good though and if you're looking for a good action flick to check out you should definitely give it a try, I give it a 7/10.
Spoiler Section Review:
Man, I have seen this movie getting ripped on reviews online and a lot of it is actually on the soundtrack. Now I understand completely, to me the song choices were off for the mood or tone of the film from the beginning but I saw what "they" were going for because all the songs had a similar theme which was connected by women. It was one of the reasons I felt like the movie was directed by a woman before I looked it up. Now I didn't hate the music, I actually liked some of the songs but for some people I can understand how it distracts, how it lessens in a way the impact of the cinematography and graphic violence of the film. Also the plot holes and logic when it comes to cool concept like the one for this movie. Like when they heal, the bullets get pushed out of their body, but what about Andy's earrings? That's literally the only example of plot holes I've found in other reviews, but every review hating on it says that. Other people hated on it's "woke politics" whatever that means and cheap and lacking in most places. I'll admit that they dropped the ball on putting in decent enough backstory for the characters who were supposed to have live for hundreds of years. You would think they would have some good flashback scenes but they only show a couple and some are weird and blurry sometimes. They just really dropped the ball on developing the characters more or giving you a reason to like them or care about them. They're were the two gay guys but for some people that is a little cliché already because everyone movie is trying to be inclusive now so it comes off as unoriginal. I'll admit that Kiki Layne's performance could be better in certain scenes especially in the beginning some of the girl soldiers didn't seem like "real soldiers" whatever that means, lol. but didn't look the part or act the part. And even at the end her character totally just shifts into kill mode when the whole time she couldn't get over the first person she killed and we're supposed to believe that she believes in the cause the fight for now. I mean she has some good scenes too though. There's just a lot of convenience or hand of god ("deus ex machina") throughout the movie. It's hard for me to give this a higher score when some of the points against it are legitimate but I think some of them are just haters. Anyways I give this movie a 7/10 and I for one personally can't wait for the sequel.
Andy (Charlize Theron), and her covert group of tight-knit immortals have fought and protected the mortal world for centuries with their mysterious inability to die. With their extraordinary abilities suddenly exposed on an emergency mission, the group finds themselves hunted by those who will stop at nothing to replicate their power. Nile (Kiki Layne), the newest soldier, joins their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat and avoid capture as they find out who's found them.
This move was pretty bad ass. I liked it quite a bit. Charlize Theron definitely kicks ass as Andy in this flick and has a bunch of really cool action sequences throughout the film. The supporting cast was really good as well. I hadn't heard of the graphic novel or comic that it was based off of by the film's writer Greg Rucka but now I really want to check it out because the backstory they give the characters and their actions seem really cool. Now I know a lot of people give the whole girl power thing bad energy online and a lot of stuff gets hate and trolls for stuff like that but I dig this film. (examples Captain Marvel, The girl power scene in Endgame, etc...) I definitely got that vibe that the director was a woman without even paying attention to it in the opening credits and that's not a bad thing, just an observation. The way certain things happened in the movie, the soundtrack (which was good but felt like it didn't match) and the two main characters/protagonists are female as well. I think Gina Prince-Bythewood did a great job in mixing in the story and the action in this movie. Of course when coming up with a cool concept like this there always going to be plot holes or things that don't make sense and this movie is no exception, some characters are a little cliché but there acting pretty good and their performances were good but the dialogue definitely suffered from the writing. There was some weird lines in there and some scenes that just kind of faltered. The villain wasn't that memorable and the film had some slow places, not that pacing was off but maybe dragged on a little too long. I think this movie was still great good though and if you're looking for a good action flick to check out you should definitely give it a try, I give it a 7/10.
Spoiler Section Review:
Man, I have seen this movie getting ripped on reviews online and a lot of it is actually on the soundtrack. Now I understand completely, to me the song choices were off for the mood or tone of the film from the beginning but I saw what "they" were going for because all the songs had a similar theme which was connected by women. It was one of the reasons I felt like the movie was directed by a woman before I looked it up. Now I didn't hate the music, I actually liked some of the songs but for some people I can understand how it distracts, how it lessens in a way the impact of the cinematography and graphic violence of the film. Also the plot holes and logic when it comes to cool concept like the one for this movie. Like when they heal, the bullets get pushed out of their body, but what about Andy's earrings? That's literally the only example of plot holes I've found in other reviews, but every review hating on it says that. Other people hated on it's "woke politics" whatever that means and cheap and lacking in most places. I'll admit that they dropped the ball on putting in decent enough backstory for the characters who were supposed to have live for hundreds of years. You would think they would have some good flashback scenes but they only show a couple and some are weird and blurry sometimes. They just really dropped the ball on developing the characters more or giving you a reason to like them or care about them. They're were the two gay guys but for some people that is a little cliché already because everyone movie is trying to be inclusive now so it comes off as unoriginal. I'll admit that Kiki Layne's performance could be better in certain scenes especially in the beginning some of the girl soldiers didn't seem like "real soldiers" whatever that means, lol. but didn't look the part or act the part. And even at the end her character totally just shifts into kill mode when the whole time she couldn't get over the first person she killed and we're supposed to believe that she believes in the cause the fight for now. I mean she has some good scenes too though. There's just a lot of convenience or hand of god ("deus ex machina") throughout the movie. It's hard for me to give this a higher score when some of the points against it are legitimate but I think some of them are just haters. Anyways I give this movie a 7/10 and I for one personally can't wait for the sequel.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Dark Knight (2008) in Movies
Oct 31, 2017 (Updated Oct 31, 2017)
A stone cold classic at this point (2 more)
Nolan's direction
Fantastic performances all around
The Movie That Comic Book Fans Deserve
Contains spoilers, click to show
Almost 10 years on from the original release of this film, it is still the best superhero film ever made up until this point. While a few movies, such as Logan and Winter Soldier, have came close to the quality of TDK, nothing has surpassed it in the last decade. There is so much to love here, whether it is Nolan's deliberate and effective direction, Hans Zimmer's uplifting yet melancholy score, the beautifully epic cinematography provided by Wally Pfister and of course Heath Ledger's incredible, electrifying performance as the Clown Prince Of Crime.
The movie starts as it means to go on, with an awesome opening sequence introducing the Joker. It plays out like a short film that could even be viewed independently of the rest of the movie and still make complete sense. We see a group of criminals dressed in clown masks robbing a bank and offing each other one by one after they complete their part of the heist. This all builds up to the reveal of the enigmatic Joker, complete with an awesome Cesar Romero reference in the Joker's mask as well. The sequence works so well, because it shows even those who aren't comic book fans or aren't familiar with these characters, exactly what kind of villain we are dealing with.
On the other hand though, there is a lot here for long time fans of Batman comics as well. A good amount of plot elements in the movie were taken from one of my favourite Batman stories ever written: The Long Halloween. Things such as the Harvey Dent working with Jim Gordon and Batman to prevent crime to then go on to show his eventual transformation into the totally unhinged Two-Face. The character design for the characters is also clearly inspired by a comic by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, simply titled: Joker. Lastly, the ending of the movie shares similar elements to the ending of The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, in that they both end with Batman being framed for a murder he didn't commit and having to go into hiding and retire from crime fighting.
Overall, this is a perfect movie in my opinion. It is an astonishing achievement for a comic book movie and it is a great crime epic in its own right as well. The performances across the board are great, with Heath Ledger being the obvious standout and absolutely stealing every single scene that he appears in. The technical elements of the movie are great and it is just a fantastic cinematic experience all around. I first saw the movie in IMAX and that definitely was the premium way to initially experience this movie, but no matter what format you watch it on, its hard to deny that it is a masterpiece.
The movie starts as it means to go on, with an awesome opening sequence introducing the Joker. It plays out like a short film that could even be viewed independently of the rest of the movie and still make complete sense. We see a group of criminals dressed in clown masks robbing a bank and offing each other one by one after they complete their part of the heist. This all builds up to the reveal of the enigmatic Joker, complete with an awesome Cesar Romero reference in the Joker's mask as well. The sequence works so well, because it shows even those who aren't comic book fans or aren't familiar with these characters, exactly what kind of villain we are dealing with.
On the other hand though, there is a lot here for long time fans of Batman comics as well. A good amount of plot elements in the movie were taken from one of my favourite Batman stories ever written: The Long Halloween. Things such as the Harvey Dent working with Jim Gordon and Batman to prevent crime to then go on to show his eventual transformation into the totally unhinged Two-Face. The character design for the characters is also clearly inspired by a comic by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, simply titled: Joker. Lastly, the ending of the movie shares similar elements to the ending of The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, in that they both end with Batman being framed for a murder he didn't commit and having to go into hiding and retire from crime fighting.
Overall, this is a perfect movie in my opinion. It is an astonishing achievement for a comic book movie and it is a great crime epic in its own right as well. The performances across the board are great, with Heath Ledger being the obvious standout and absolutely stealing every single scene that he appears in. The technical elements of the movie are great and it is just a fantastic cinematic experience all around. I first saw the movie in IMAX and that definitely was the premium way to initially experience this movie, but no matter what format you watch it on, its hard to deny that it is a masterpiece.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated In the Midst of Life in Books
Feb 7, 2019
When I picked up this book to read, it was because I wanted something far removed from what I would normally turn to. Usually I'm very much a 'chick-lit' reader. But I've been finding these magazine/tabloid style novels all follow the same formula and are so predictable. Time for something new.
I hadn't previously heard of Jennifer Worth but was aware of Call the Midwife, although I hadn't read it or seen the series.
These memoirs show what a full and rewarding life Jennifer has lived. A simple and loving life, but she made quite an impact. The way Jennifer can recall so many interesting characters, people and tales from over the years during her nursing career just goes to show how much she cared. Plus the fact that she obviously inspired her nieces to follow her footsteps in the career path.
She talks about her experiences with life and death and how procedures, and perhaps opinions, have changed in her lifetime.
It often gave a very detail and graphic insight to health problems and what occurs in the lead up to end of life as we know it. I have had health issues myself, so to me this didn't come across as too out of the ordinary or gruesome but I can understand that it might be quite horrific to others.
In reading this book I feel more of a sense of calm of what I will one day face. We all will die. This is a fact. Whether it comes about from some unfortunate accident or illness or simply 'growing old' we will all one day breathe our last breath.
It gives new incentive to make the most of life and those we share it with.
I had always seen death as something terrifying. I felt that dying was a personal event and that the individual should be allowed privacy. I felt this gave the most dignity. But I now believe I was wrong. You repeatedly hear how having a loved one there can bring on a sense of calm and peace. It is a very spiritual, and almost intimate time, that helps both the one who is passing and the people left behind.
I would recommend this book to everyone who works in the medical field. I have seen time and time again the heartless doctors Jennifer talks about but the caring nurses and assistants who brighten your day.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has had medical issues. It gives a sense of calm about death when you know your life expectancy isn't quite as long as you had hoped.
I would recommend this book to those with depression or suicidal feelings. I have been suffering myself for the past year but reading this helped me see that others are suffering more than myself.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a heart and soul. It is a very touching read.
I hadn't previously heard of Jennifer Worth but was aware of Call the Midwife, although I hadn't read it or seen the series.
These memoirs show what a full and rewarding life Jennifer has lived. A simple and loving life, but she made quite an impact. The way Jennifer can recall so many interesting characters, people and tales from over the years during her nursing career just goes to show how much she cared. Plus the fact that she obviously inspired her nieces to follow her footsteps in the career path.
She talks about her experiences with life and death and how procedures, and perhaps opinions, have changed in her lifetime.
It often gave a very detail and graphic insight to health problems and what occurs in the lead up to end of life as we know it. I have had health issues myself, so to me this didn't come across as too out of the ordinary or gruesome but I can understand that it might be quite horrific to others.
In reading this book I feel more of a sense of calm of what I will one day face. We all will die. This is a fact. Whether it comes about from some unfortunate accident or illness or simply 'growing old' we will all one day breathe our last breath.
It gives new incentive to make the most of life and those we share it with.
I had always seen death as something terrifying. I felt that dying was a personal event and that the individual should be allowed privacy. I felt this gave the most dignity. But I now believe I was wrong. You repeatedly hear how having a loved one there can bring on a sense of calm and peace. It is a very spiritual, and almost intimate time, that helps both the one who is passing and the people left behind.
I would recommend this book to everyone who works in the medical field. I have seen time and time again the heartless doctors Jennifer talks about but the caring nurses and assistants who brighten your day.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has had medical issues. It gives a sense of calm about death when you know your life expectancy isn't quite as long as you had hoped.
I would recommend this book to those with depression or suicidal feelings. I have been suffering myself for the past year but reading this helped me see that others are suffering more than myself.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a heart and soul. It is a very touching read.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Umbrella Academy in TV
Mar 7, 2019 (Updated Mar 7, 2019)
Characters (1 more)
SFX
One For A Rainy Day
A few years ago when I heard the guy from My Chemical Romance had wrote a graphic novel, it peaked my interest, but after reading up on some reviews of the book, it just sounded like a rip-off of other properties like Watchmen and X-Men and to be honest I wasn't a huge fan of the obscure character designs and bizarre artwork. I never got around to reading it after this as I was kind of put off by the accusations of unoriginality and the weird art.
Then late last year, I read that there was a Netflix adaption of the show being released and my curiosity was once again peaked. After reading some of the early glowing reviews from critics, I knew that I had found my next binge.
This show is fantastic, which for the most part is owed to it's well written and well acted characters. The members of the Umbrella Academy and their various odd relationships with one another, as well as the outsiders that have interaction with them throughout the show, make the character dynamics of this show as a whole pretty unique and exciting. The cast are all brilliant, with Robert Sheehan's Klaus being the clear stand-out. He gets all of the best lines and nails the American accent that he speaks with in the show.
It is cool to get an insight into the world that the show-runners have crafted, which is as odd as it is charming. It is similar to our own world, with a few pretty drastic changes that change the dynamic of the universe in a oddly interesting way. There were points while watching the show that I was reminded of other superhero stories like Watchmen and X-Men, but instead of Umbrella Academy blatantly ripping off these other stories, it instead takes some of the best parts from its respective influences and adapts them to suit the narrative that is unfolding. It comes off as more of a wink and a nod than just a lazy copy/paste job.
I also feel like the amazing CGI work on Pogo the chimp, - who is highly intelligent and serves as the family's butler, - deserves a shout-out. It is quite possibly the best CGI that I have ever seen in a TV show and is almost on the same level as the CGI on Caesar in the Planet Of The Apes movies.
Overall, The Umbrella Academy is a stellar example of what happens when a show embraces it's influences and presents them in a coherent way in collaboration with the original story that the show itself is telling. It is not the greatest superhero story ever filmed, but it is an extremely entertaining and satisfying ride that the show takes you on over its 10 episodes and it is well worth your time.
Then late last year, I read that there was a Netflix adaption of the show being released and my curiosity was once again peaked. After reading some of the early glowing reviews from critics, I knew that I had found my next binge.
This show is fantastic, which for the most part is owed to it's well written and well acted characters. The members of the Umbrella Academy and their various odd relationships with one another, as well as the outsiders that have interaction with them throughout the show, make the character dynamics of this show as a whole pretty unique and exciting. The cast are all brilliant, with Robert Sheehan's Klaus being the clear stand-out. He gets all of the best lines and nails the American accent that he speaks with in the show.
It is cool to get an insight into the world that the show-runners have crafted, which is as odd as it is charming. It is similar to our own world, with a few pretty drastic changes that change the dynamic of the universe in a oddly interesting way. There were points while watching the show that I was reminded of other superhero stories like Watchmen and X-Men, but instead of Umbrella Academy blatantly ripping off these other stories, it instead takes some of the best parts from its respective influences and adapts them to suit the narrative that is unfolding. It comes off as more of a wink and a nod than just a lazy copy/paste job.
I also feel like the amazing CGI work on Pogo the chimp, - who is highly intelligent and serves as the family's butler, - deserves a shout-out. It is quite possibly the best CGI that I have ever seen in a TV show and is almost on the same level as the CGI on Caesar in the Planet Of The Apes movies.
Overall, The Umbrella Academy is a stellar example of what happens when a show embraces it's influences and presents them in a coherent way in collaboration with the original story that the show itself is telling. It is not the greatest superhero story ever filmed, but it is an extremely entertaining and satisfying ride that the show takes you on over its 10 episodes and it is well worth your time.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Mentor, The in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Oh, Im so sad I can only give this book a 3 star review. I really wanted to love this one! The synopsis sounds so dark, intense and creepy, but it let me down in that department
almost completely!
The first 40% of this book was definitely enthralling, at times silly and over the top, but still exciting to read. The characters were interesting, the story was moving along nicely and the writing was simple, but not bad. It was about when I got to 50% that I realised I was getting a little bit bored by this novel.
Characters in this one werent so bad. They were well developed and even though there were a fair few number of them, we did get to know them individually, quite well. My problem was that they were pretty unbelievable and I didnt really like any of them. Im not sure if Kyle was meant to come across as an anti-hero, but thats kind of what he felt like although for me, it was mostly anti, less hero. I really didnt like the introduction to the character as being a semi-graphic description of the sex he had with his girlfriend.
The plot for this book sounded amazing! An English professor writes a depraved book that sounds like an unsolved murder case from years ago? Is it just a coincidence or is it something more sinister? Doesnt that sounds amazing? Well, it isnt, I hate to say! Yes, this professor does write a depraved, and terribly written, book about kidnapping a girl but it doesnt allude to the fact it might be about a cold case until around the 60% mark, which is ridiculous!
At 336 pages, this isnt a long novel, but it definitely could have been cut down! Most of this novel was a very repetitive back and forth between Kyle and his mad professor. Repetition like this in books is something I absolutely despise and with each new chapter, I could feel myself losing the will to read this book.
That was my first issue with the writing, and then my annoyance moved on to the number of spelling, grammatical and sentence structure errors. Considering this novel was about an editor, you would have thought the real editor would have caught the vast number of cock ups in this book!
I got very irritated by this novel towards the end. The story was convoluted, silly and unrealistic. I got to the point of skimming pages in the ending chapters, yes, it was that disappointing. Not to mention this wasnt creepy or tense at all. It was pretty predictable all the way through and the ending was a cheap way out.
Overall, I wouldnt recommend this novel. It gets 3 stars because I did enjoy the first 40% or so, but the story became silly and I couldnt get over the number of errors in the writing.
The first 40% of this book was definitely enthralling, at times silly and over the top, but still exciting to read. The characters were interesting, the story was moving along nicely and the writing was simple, but not bad. It was about when I got to 50% that I realised I was getting a little bit bored by this novel.
Characters in this one werent so bad. They were well developed and even though there were a fair few number of them, we did get to know them individually, quite well. My problem was that they were pretty unbelievable and I didnt really like any of them. Im not sure if Kyle was meant to come across as an anti-hero, but thats kind of what he felt like although for me, it was mostly anti, less hero. I really didnt like the introduction to the character as being a semi-graphic description of the sex he had with his girlfriend.
The plot for this book sounded amazing! An English professor writes a depraved book that sounds like an unsolved murder case from years ago? Is it just a coincidence or is it something more sinister? Doesnt that sounds amazing? Well, it isnt, I hate to say! Yes, this professor does write a depraved, and terribly written, book about kidnapping a girl but it doesnt allude to the fact it might be about a cold case until around the 60% mark, which is ridiculous!
At 336 pages, this isnt a long novel, but it definitely could have been cut down! Most of this novel was a very repetitive back and forth between Kyle and his mad professor. Repetition like this in books is something I absolutely despise and with each new chapter, I could feel myself losing the will to read this book.
That was my first issue with the writing, and then my annoyance moved on to the number of spelling, grammatical and sentence structure errors. Considering this novel was about an editor, you would have thought the real editor would have caught the vast number of cock ups in this book!
I got very irritated by this novel towards the end. The story was convoluted, silly and unrealistic. I got to the point of skimming pages in the ending chapters, yes, it was that disappointing. Not to mention this wasnt creepy or tense at all. It was pretty predictable all the way through and the ending was a cheap way out.
Overall, I wouldnt recommend this novel. It gets 3 stars because I did enjoy the first 40% or so, but the story became silly and I couldnt get over the number of errors in the writing.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated All the Rage in Books
Feb 20, 2018
Trigger Warning: Rape and Recovery
Contains spoilers, click to show
Wow. I finished this book, sat back, and stared at it in silence for a while. This is an emotional wringer of a book that more people should read. It's also full of trauma triggers, so beware.
Trigger Warning. Rape and Recovery.
All The Rage is about a girl. It's about rape culture. It's about her trauma, and the aftermath. The book flashes back and forth a little - it includes a triggered flashback to her rape, and her memories of it. The font choices show how mixed up she is sometimes, and how hard it is for her to tell what's really happening, what is a memory, and what is a flashback. Her rape is never written about in high detail. One Goodreads reviewer made a good point - the details being scant makes the shadows larger for the devil to hide in. (Her review is is posted in full on her blog, and it's a powerful one.) (links can be found on my blog as they can't be embedded here.)
The book was an easy read, technically - I read it in an afternoon - but it was a very hard read, emotionally and mentally. The main character, Romy, talks about how no one prepares girls for this, and she's right. As a society, we don't. We tell girls how to avoid those kinds of situations, but not what to do when actually IN them. Or how to determine the best course of action. Because surviving an attack is usually the priority, and screaming and fighting isn't always the best way to do that. Romy froze, and she blames herself for the failure to fight. But she also blames society for not teaching girls what to do. And once the unthinkable has happened, society abandons the victims. That was one of the hardest parts of the book - the victim-blaming. No one believes Romy. They call her a slut and a liar. Her high school classmates do horrible things to her.
The book is dark, but there are points of light. Leon is a coworker at the diner, and he's sweet on Romy. The book uses the relationship to show how rape can affect any future intimacy. Romy can't trust him, because her rapist seemed sweet, too. Until he wasn't. Romy's mother and mother's boyfriend are both supportive, caring, and loving. They don't understand what she's going through, mostly because Romy won't tell them, but they do their best anyway.
All The Rage is a really good book. It's also a very important book, and personally I think it should be required reading in high school. (That will never happen, it's too graphic and would offend parents, I'm sure. But it should.) If it's something you've experienced personally, it's very triggery and should maybe be avoided. But if it isn't? Read this book. You need to know.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Trigger Warning. Rape and Recovery.
All The Rage is about a girl. It's about rape culture. It's about her trauma, and the aftermath. The book flashes back and forth a little - it includes a triggered flashback to her rape, and her memories of it. The font choices show how mixed up she is sometimes, and how hard it is for her to tell what's really happening, what is a memory, and what is a flashback. Her rape is never written about in high detail. One Goodreads reviewer made a good point - the details being scant makes the shadows larger for the devil to hide in. (Her review is is posted in full on her blog, and it's a powerful one.) (links can be found on my blog as they can't be embedded here.)
The book was an easy read, technically - I read it in an afternoon - but it was a very hard read, emotionally and mentally. The main character, Romy, talks about how no one prepares girls for this, and she's right. As a society, we don't. We tell girls how to avoid those kinds of situations, but not what to do when actually IN them. Or how to determine the best course of action. Because surviving an attack is usually the priority, and screaming and fighting isn't always the best way to do that. Romy froze, and she blames herself for the failure to fight. But she also blames society for not teaching girls what to do. And once the unthinkable has happened, society abandons the victims. That was one of the hardest parts of the book - the victim-blaming. No one believes Romy. They call her a slut and a liar. Her high school classmates do horrible things to her.
The book is dark, but there are points of light. Leon is a coworker at the diner, and he's sweet on Romy. The book uses the relationship to show how rape can affect any future intimacy. Romy can't trust him, because her rapist seemed sweet, too. Until he wasn't. Romy's mother and mother's boyfriend are both supportive, caring, and loving. They don't understand what she's going through, mostly because Romy won't tell them, but they do their best anyway.
All The Rage is a really good book. It's also a very important book, and personally I think it should be required reading in high school. (That will never happen, it's too graphic and would offend parents, I'm sure. But it should.) If it's something you've experienced personally, it's very triggery and should maybe be avoided. But if it isn't? Read this book. You need to know.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Wrong Stars in Books
Aug 26, 2018 (Updated Aug 26, 2018)
Diversity (2 more)
World-building
Amazing alien species
I've watched my fair share of Space Opera (Firefly, Dark Matter, Farscape, Star Trek, Star Wars - don't try to tell me those last two aren't Space Opera, THEY TOTALLY ARE) - but I haven't read much of it. I picked up The Wrong Stars mostly because reviews said it had a demisexual main character, rather than because it's a Space Opera. Regardless, I am SO GLAD I DID. The book is excellent.
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com