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Ross (3284 KP) rated Starve Acre in Books

Nov 1, 2019

Starve Acre

Andrew Michael Hurley | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Horror

9.3

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

A very unusual book

Starve Acre is first and foremost a book about loss. Richard and Juliette Willoughby have recently lost their 5 year old son, and both are struggling to come to terms with their loss and grief in their different ways. Richard has taken to digging up a nearby field, looking for evidence of an ancient oak tree that once stood there. Juliette has just gone into herself and refuses to let Ewan go, convinced she heard him at night.
The interactions between the two, and the lack of interactions, beautifully tell a story of shared yet so personal loss. Neither can truly help or understand the other's loss.
Throughout the story, which is told without chapter breaks, we get a picture of Ewan's short life and the beginnings of odd behaviour, as well as some odd findings while Richard is digging in the field.
There are some very odd, creepy moments in this book, and some very touching moments. However, I felt slightly let down by the ending. There was a good amount of exposition in the last couple of pages (which may sound like a cop-out rushed ending but is well delivered) but the very final scene felt like a missed trick to me. I was expecting a very horror ending, but while what I got was unsettling, there was an element of ridiculousness to it that spoiled it.
A very enjoyable short read.

Kudos

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Aaru in Books

Nov 8, 2019

Aaru

David Meredith | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy

7.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Rose is only 16 but her life is over. She has terminal cancer but a mysterious strangers offers her and her family the option of taking part in a trial. When she dies they assume the trail failed and mourn her passing, her sister being hit particularly hard. Then the message comes... Rose lives on.

This books takes one fascinating idea - what if people's personalities and memories could be copied at the point of death and then recreated inside a computer? - and looks at it from a lot of different angles. It is certainly thought provoking, and occasionally disturbing.

The first half of the book deals with Rose's death, the grief of her family and then the emotional trauma, denial and final acceptance that in some ways she is still alive. It also follows Rose's journey as she discovers her new virtual world and its other inhabitants.

The second half is darker and moves into thriller territory as Rose's new paradise shows that it may not be perfect and both her and her sister are exposed to danger. Some of the themes here - obsession, violence, sexual abuse, suicide - are made all the worse by their premeditated nature.

This book will make you think about a potential life after death but it doesn't flinch from showing the emotional, physical and moral implications that might arise both for those saved and those they leave behind.

Kudos

Leigh J (71 KP) rated The Final Girls (2015) in Movies

Dec 3, 2019

The Final Girls (2015)

2015 | Comedy, Horror

6.9

(14 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Cruel, Cruel Summer

Still grieving for the death of her Scream Queen Mother, Max is coaxed into attending a screening of her Mother's Movies (called Camp Bloodbath) where she will also answer any questions the fans have. However, whilst they're all watching the Movie, an accidental fire breaks out. Max and her group of friends all escape from it and mysteriously wake up in a Forest... the Forest in the Camp Bloodbath Movies. Even more strange... alll the Camp Bloodbath characters are also there, and Max comes face to face with her deceased Mother. But the killer is also there, and Max and her friends know who's going to be murdered and when. They also get caught in a timeloop if they don't go along with the Movie's plot. But can they intervene in any way? Will Max be able to change the plot and possibly save her Mother? Or will the Killer start to come after them?

Final Girls is very tongue in cheek whilst also dealing with the fatality of Max's Mother and Max's subsequent grief with sensitivity and tact. It's a Slasher with a unique perspective and I totally appreciate that it stands apart from what's become the norm. It's definitely a must see for those of us who enjoy Movies like Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp, but for me it's a one watch wonder. I'm very glad I've seen it but don't really see myself reaching for it.