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Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Awaken (Awakened Fate #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Awaken is the first book in the Awakened Fate series by Skye Malone, and I'm pretty familiar with her other series as Megan Joel Peterson (The Children and the Blood trilogy) that I was confident her latest book will go into my good graces pretty easily. Thing is, Awaken reminded me so much of The Little Mermaid, I can't help but have the urge to sing "Under the Sea" and ask one question:
<b>"Sebastian, Sebastian, where art thou?"</b>
I had also associated funny brow movements with the author in particular. As in, brows drawing down, which I still don't know how that works without your brows looking like a seesaw or ending up with a pouting pucker fish face.
But back to The Little Mermaid similarities... and not brow movements.
Chloe has red hair, or as the book describes, auburn. But auburn's technically red with a tinge of brown. Ariel has red hair. The difference? Chloe doesn't know how to swim, and has been living on land her entire life. Then there's Zeke, which I sort of predicted him to have dark hair, and he does! Just like the princey dude for whom I've forgotten the name. In fact, said unknown princeling stalks Ariel, and so does Zeke... due to curiosity on who the pretty girl is. It's not revealed in Awaken, but I won't be surprised if Zeke is a prince.
<blockquote>Despite the fact we were barely any distance from the shore, the temperature had dropped to levels ordinarily found in places even deeper than Nyciena, with darkness to match.</blockquote>
Every book has got to have an Ursula of some sort. And she just oozes darkness, doesn't she? Too bad the Ursulas here aren't Octopuses. ;)
<blockquote>The girl changed the ocean when she was near it – a statement that on any level should have been impossible.</blockquote>
Okay, here's Sophia Lin logic: See, Ariel has a curse. I was sort of assuming Chloe willingly turned into a human just like Ariel, but she doesn't lose her voice, right? Except, here's the curse: she changes the ocean... and it's not exactly a pleasant way. Technically, that logic isn't going to get you far, because it isn't true, and I can't reveal the actual answer without spoiling anything. Nor do I want to reveal anything, because answers are spoilers, and not everyone can be trusted with the trusty little spoiler button. ;)
Then there are the differences, which pretty much revamps The Little Mermaid. Enough commentary on Little Mermaid.
Awaken follows two views – Chloe and Zeke. The best part of those two views though? They balance each other out pretty well. Chloe doesn't really know anything about what she is, so we're basically following a naïve character for most of the story who has strange things happening to her and strange peeps with glowing eyes wanting to murder the likes of her. Very boring in my opinion, because she doesn't know what's going on and it's all confusing and she's stuck in the hospital every once in awhile from an unfortunate encounter with said strange flowing peepy eyes. Zeke balances her out because he pretty much knows what's going on from his observations – but he doesn't really know what Chloe is until the end either.
Let's just say that balance is a good thing. Because I just can't handle an utterly boring character, and I'm sure not everyone likes that either. But if there's one thing Chloe has that makes her an interesting character, it's her voice and her frustration on why her parents hate the ocean with a passion and come up with logical, but weird excuses for them.
The only problem I probably have is how some of the terms don't appear in the pronunciation guide, and how the long ones are confusing. Maybe my head just needs to wrap around them after reading Irish terms from the second book in the Danaan Trilogy. O_o
Awaken is a good start to the Awakened Fate series, and while we spend most of the time above the surface, it's hinted that the sequel will most likely be focused underwater. It's a quick read for those who enjoy reading stories related to <s>merps</s> merpeople.
------------------
original rating: 4.5 out of 5
Original review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-awaken-by-skye-malone.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
<b>"Sebastian, Sebastian, where art thou?"</b>
I had also associated funny brow movements with the author in particular. As in, brows drawing down, which I still don't know how that works without your brows looking like a seesaw or ending up with a pouting pucker fish face.
But back to The Little Mermaid similarities... and not brow movements.
Chloe has red hair, or as the book describes, auburn. But auburn's technically red with a tinge of brown. Ariel has red hair. The difference? Chloe doesn't know how to swim, and has been living on land her entire life. Then there's Zeke, which I sort of predicted him to have dark hair, and he does! Just like the princey dude for whom I've forgotten the name. In fact, said unknown princeling stalks Ariel, and so does Zeke... due to curiosity on who the pretty girl is. It's not revealed in Awaken, but I won't be surprised if Zeke is a prince.
<blockquote>Despite the fact we were barely any distance from the shore, the temperature had dropped to levels ordinarily found in places even deeper than Nyciena, with darkness to match.</blockquote>
Every book has got to have an Ursula of some sort. And she just oozes darkness, doesn't she? Too bad the Ursulas here aren't Octopuses. ;)
<blockquote>The girl changed the ocean when she was near it – a statement that on any level should have been impossible.</blockquote>
Okay, here's Sophia Lin logic: See, Ariel has a curse. I was sort of assuming Chloe willingly turned into a human just like Ariel, but she doesn't lose her voice, right? Except, here's the curse: she changes the ocean... and it's not exactly a pleasant way. Technically, that logic isn't going to get you far, because it isn't true, and I can't reveal the actual answer without spoiling anything. Nor do I want to reveal anything, because answers are spoilers, and not everyone can be trusted with the trusty little spoiler button. ;)
Then there are the differences, which pretty much revamps The Little Mermaid. Enough commentary on Little Mermaid.
Awaken follows two views – Chloe and Zeke. The best part of those two views though? They balance each other out pretty well. Chloe doesn't really know anything about what she is, so we're basically following a naïve character for most of the story who has strange things happening to her and strange peeps with glowing eyes wanting to murder the likes of her. Very boring in my opinion, because she doesn't know what's going on and it's all confusing and she's stuck in the hospital every once in awhile from an unfortunate encounter with said strange flowing peepy eyes. Zeke balances her out because he pretty much knows what's going on from his observations – but he doesn't really know what Chloe is until the end either.
Let's just say that balance is a good thing. Because I just can't handle an utterly boring character, and I'm sure not everyone likes that either. But if there's one thing Chloe has that makes her an interesting character, it's her voice and her frustration on why her parents hate the ocean with a passion and come up with logical, but weird excuses for them.
The only problem I probably have is how some of the terms don't appear in the pronunciation guide, and how the long ones are confusing. Maybe my head just needs to wrap around them after reading Irish terms from the second book in the Danaan Trilogy. O_o
Awaken is a good start to the Awakened Fate series, and while we spend most of the time above the surface, it's hinted that the sequel will most likely be focused underwater. It's a quick read for those who enjoy reading stories related to <s>merps</s> merpeople.
------------------
original rating: 4.5 out of 5
Original review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-awaken-by-skye-malone.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Chopping Mall (1986) in Movies
Feb 16, 2020
As I sat on my sofa looking for trash to watch I headed over to Prime to see what there was available. I decided to scroll through films it thought I'd like to watch based on my previous viewing habits... and that's how I discovered Chopping Mall, which is a much better title than it's alternative, Killbots... you always have to go for the pun. Amazon may know me a little bit too well with this recommendation.
The latest in shopping mall security is here, robot security guards that patrol the walkways and detain robbers with minimal fuss keeping your stores and staff safe*. [*Disclaimer: Unless there's a technical malfunction, in which case we take no responsibility for the massive loss of life and property damage.]
This is possibly one of the most 80s of all 80s films. Fantastic hair, all those pastel colours and were thankfully lost some time in the early 90s, random nudity, terrific electronic music [that you know what created by someone who also had fantastic hair] and Dick Miller. I don't even know what I have to say any further than that... go to Prime and watch it immediately!
Sure, Chopping Mall will make you never trust a furniture store again but it's still totally worth watching.
There are moments where you want to scream at the screen for errors in common sense and continuity, but in that fun way where you're laughing and telling them they're all going to die because of their stupidity. That alone is worth watching it for. At only one point during the film did I think something was actually bad, and that was during a stunt where they obviously had the actress off screen doing the audio for a stunt double and the two didn't match well... honestly though, that's just nitpicking.
No, you're not mistaken if you thought you recognised the shopping mall in this, it's the same one used in T2, Commando and Fast Times At Ridgemont High as well as others. In fact there's a lot to spot in the film with nods to other films and the director, though I have to admit that most of them passed me by.
The film is an incredibly short (but very entertaining) 77 minutes and it's worth every second of time you spend on it. Turning to the trivia you'll discover that this is a cut down of the original... the one titled Killbots. It was initially released with about 15 minutes of extra footage but performed badly so they cut it down and renamed it to appeal more to the horror fans. Finding this trivia also made me realise that there's actually no chopping in the whole movie, which made me sad, but I still love the pun.
I could analyse this until the cows come home but it's just genuinely great fun. The acting is exactly what I love about these sorts of movies and there's nothing frivolous thrown in, that was one of the best films I've seen in ages and I'm annoyed I never discovered it before.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/chopping-mall-movie-review.html
The latest in shopping mall security is here, robot security guards that patrol the walkways and detain robbers with minimal fuss keeping your stores and staff safe*. [*Disclaimer: Unless there's a technical malfunction, in which case we take no responsibility for the massive loss of life and property damage.]
This is possibly one of the most 80s of all 80s films. Fantastic hair, all those pastel colours and were thankfully lost some time in the early 90s, random nudity, terrific electronic music [that you know what created by someone who also had fantastic hair] and Dick Miller. I don't even know what I have to say any further than that... go to Prime and watch it immediately!
Sure, Chopping Mall will make you never trust a furniture store again but it's still totally worth watching.
There are moments where you want to scream at the screen for errors in common sense and continuity, but in that fun way where you're laughing and telling them they're all going to die because of their stupidity. That alone is worth watching it for. At only one point during the film did I think something was actually bad, and that was during a stunt where they obviously had the actress off screen doing the audio for a stunt double and the two didn't match well... honestly though, that's just nitpicking.
No, you're not mistaken if you thought you recognised the shopping mall in this, it's the same one used in T2, Commando and Fast Times At Ridgemont High as well as others. In fact there's a lot to spot in the film with nods to other films and the director, though I have to admit that most of them passed me by.
The film is an incredibly short (but very entertaining) 77 minutes and it's worth every second of time you spend on it. Turning to the trivia you'll discover that this is a cut down of the original... the one titled Killbots. It was initially released with about 15 minutes of extra footage but performed badly so they cut it down and renamed it to appeal more to the horror fans. Finding this trivia also made me realise that there's actually no chopping in the whole movie, which made me sad, but I still love the pun.
I could analyse this until the cows come home but it's just genuinely great fun. The acting is exactly what I love about these sorts of movies and there's nothing frivolous thrown in, that was one of the best films I've seen in ages and I'm annoyed I never discovered it before.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/chopping-mall-movie-review.html
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Sheridan (209 KP) rated The Fifth Wave in Books
Jul 9, 2017
Love/Hate Relationship with this Novel
I both like and hate this book. I like the storyline it has great potential but it fell flat for me. Here's why: The point of view jumped around way too much. I thought the idea of changing point of view was good except the execution sucked. It went from one to another so hard I got whiplash and it kind of takes you out of the story trying to figure out who's part of the story you're following. The second thing that stuffed it up was the way it was written. I get that the people in it are kids they're all 18 and under but the way they thought was painful. I mean they crawl out of a hole in the damn ground all bloodied and totally f**ked up and she's worried about her hair? F**k off with that s**t. I don't care how old you are there's no way you'd be worried about that type of crap at that point. It's so shallow it hurts. The last thing is, wtf is with Cassie getting all sappy over Ben? The guy you're sort of dating might be dead and Ben kisses you and you get all mushy about it? Are you f**king kidding me? I'm sorry but you'd have a bullet in your head if it were me. I'm going to give the rest of the series a chance but at this point I'm not hopeful....
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Harm None (A Rowan Gant Investigation #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Since I don't feel like writing a review, I'll just detail what I liked and disliked about the book.
Liked:
The subject matter - From what I know, I think the author handled Wicca/Witchcraft very well.
How it was written - I'm not the grammar police and don't know everything about it, so it was fine with me. Sometimes I think that the books that have the best grammar are the most unrealistic and holds the reader away from the book and story because of this. I mean Mr. Sellars has a point, how many people really speak or think in proper English?
Most of the book.
Disliked:
The constant use of paleface, squaw, and other white or Native American Indian terms. I get that Rowan and Ben are friends and they use the words as buddies (and the author means well I assume), but I think it's unlikely that anyone would say them so much - it felt forced and unrealistic to me.
Some repetitions of phrases, descriptions, etc. - i.e. Felicity's hair, eyes, temperament, other actions people did, or descriptions of places.
The use of the word query. How many people actually use that word? LoL
The ending was a bit saccharine and not very likely, but I'll let that pass.
Neutral
Some of the descriptions made me a bit queasy but I think it added to the storyline.
Overall, I was very impressed with the story, will read the next and be on the lookout for others in the series.
Liked:
The subject matter - From what I know, I think the author handled Wicca/Witchcraft very well.
How it was written - I'm not the grammar police and don't know everything about it, so it was fine with me. Sometimes I think that the books that have the best grammar are the most unrealistic and holds the reader away from the book and story because of this. I mean Mr. Sellars has a point, how many people really speak or think in proper English?
Most of the book.
Disliked:
The constant use of paleface, squaw, and other white or Native American Indian terms. I get that Rowan and Ben are friends and they use the words as buddies (and the author means well I assume), but I think it's unlikely that anyone would say them so much - it felt forced and unrealistic to me.
Some repetitions of phrases, descriptions, etc. - i.e. Felicity's hair, eyes, temperament, other actions people did, or descriptions of places.
The use of the word query. How many people actually use that word? LoL
The ending was a bit saccharine and not very likely, but I'll let that pass.
Neutral
Some of the descriptions made me a bit queasy but I think it added to the storyline.
Overall, I was very impressed with the story, will read the next and be on the lookout for others in the series.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated First Frost in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Claire and Sydney are sisters. Claire is the more practical of the two and lately, she is drowning under the weight of a blossoming candy business. Sydney runs a hair salon and worries about her teenage daughter, Bay, who seems to be drifting away from her. In addition, Sydney longs for another baby. One day, a mysterious stranger shows up in their tiny town and threatens to disrupt their lives, especially Claire's.
This was an interesting read and definitely more on the 3.5 star end. I was about halfway through when I realized there was a book that came before this one - I'll probably read that one at some time, but I was already committed to this one. The book has a mystical edge to it; supposedly, each of the Waverley women are blessed with a gift, and Claire's house - the old Waverley home - has strange powers and a mind of its own.
At first it's a little strange to add the magic to the story, but it actually works well. Claire, Sydney, and Bay are all interesting characters. I actually found myself hoping there will be a third book that focuses more on Bay, because she's a compelling person. In a way, not much happens in the story, things just sort of float along as the women wait for the "first frost" to occur, but I still found myself compulsively flipping pages, wondering what would happen next. All in all, that's a sign of a good tale. Definitely a fun little read.
This was an interesting read and definitely more on the 3.5 star end. I was about halfway through when I realized there was a book that came before this one - I'll probably read that one at some time, but I was already committed to this one. The book has a mystical edge to it; supposedly, each of the Waverley women are blessed with a gift, and Claire's house - the old Waverley home - has strange powers and a mind of its own.
At first it's a little strange to add the magic to the story, but it actually works well. Claire, Sydney, and Bay are all interesting characters. I actually found myself hoping there will be a third book that focuses more on Bay, because she's a compelling person. In a way, not much happens in the story, things just sort of float along as the women wait for the "first frost" to occur, but I still found myself compulsively flipping pages, wondering what would happen next. All in all, that's a sign of a good tale. Definitely a fun little read.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Not That I Could Tell in Books
May 29, 2018
Where the $#%#% is Kristen!?!?!
This book will take you up and down, and back around again just trying to answer that question. I really enjoyed the suspense that builds up throughout this - and it's a fun, easy read as well. A bit "Big Little Lies" -esque, this story follows a group of neighbors (mostly moms), who let their hair down one night with some wine, and stories, and some neighborly bonding while their children and families sleep unaware of the mystery they will wake up to Monday morning - Kristen, has disappeared.
You wonder throughout the WHOLE BOOK where she went. You think it's one thing, then you think it's another (I wish there was more of this though - I didn't question many characters, and wished there were more angles to point fingers) but ultimately the end is satisfying, yet a little predictable, and then WHAM! Total surprise! I loooooved the end of this book!
I have read a few books in the past that each chapter is dedicated to a character. I find this a bit hard to keep track when its three or more characters. This book primarily follows two, Clara and Izzy, who are very likeable although troubled. I loved this technique of just following two people and watching all the drama in this entire neighborhood unfold.
The writing is smart, and clever and progresses very smoothly. This story of how well you really know the people around you, flows really well, and is definitley a page-turner, and I'm glad I read this.
This book will take you up and down, and back around again just trying to answer that question. I really enjoyed the suspense that builds up throughout this - and it's a fun, easy read as well. A bit "Big Little Lies" -esque, this story follows a group of neighbors (mostly moms), who let their hair down one night with some wine, and stories, and some neighborly bonding while their children and families sleep unaware of the mystery they will wake up to Monday morning - Kristen, has disappeared.
You wonder throughout the WHOLE BOOK where she went. You think it's one thing, then you think it's another (I wish there was more of this though - I didn't question many characters, and wished there were more angles to point fingers) but ultimately the end is satisfying, yet a little predictable, and then WHAM! Total surprise! I loooooved the end of this book!
I have read a few books in the past that each chapter is dedicated to a character. I find this a bit hard to keep track when its three or more characters. This book primarily follows two, Clara and Izzy, who are very likeable although troubled. I loved this technique of just following two people and watching all the drama in this entire neighborhood unfold.
The writing is smart, and clever and progresses very smoothly. This story of how well you really know the people around you, flows really well, and is definitley a page-turner, and I'm glad I read this.
Lindsay (1812 KP) rated The Hope Jar (The Prayer Jars #1) in Books
Aug 30, 2018
Wanda does it once again with her latest book. Ever wonder what would happen if you mistaking though someone was your relative or grandchild by think that the person got the same hair color as your daughter?
That person goes along with it by pretending to be someone they are not. Well, that is kinda what goes on in this book. Can you fault the person that was asked, if you are acting as that person even though you are not them?
Well, the Lapps do this when they get a letter from their granddaughter Sara and hurry to pick her up at the bus station that day which is July 5th. Not knowing what she looks like or if she is even coming that day.
Michelle is asked if she is Sara Murray? She goes along with them. She never really says their granddaughter or not. We know she wants to stay away from Jerry and his abuse.
As she stays with them, she learns about the Amish culture and a little bit about the Lapps. She meets the family. She is asked questions by the Lapps. She too has questions.
We Eli as well. He seems fond of Michelle. Does he not know if he wants to stay Amish or go English? What will he decide? He comes to help Michelle (Sara), and Lapps. He comes over to the Lapps to see Michelle (Sara).
How does it end? Do we meet the real Sara? You will have to pick up a copy to read to find out.
That person goes along with it by pretending to be someone they are not. Well, that is kinda what goes on in this book. Can you fault the person that was asked, if you are acting as that person even though you are not them?
Well, the Lapps do this when they get a letter from their granddaughter Sara and hurry to pick her up at the bus station that day which is July 5th. Not knowing what she looks like or if she is even coming that day.
Michelle is asked if she is Sara Murray? She goes along with them. She never really says their granddaughter or not. We know she wants to stay away from Jerry and his abuse.
As she stays with them, she learns about the Amish culture and a little bit about the Lapps. She meets the family. She is asked questions by the Lapps. She too has questions.
We Eli as well. He seems fond of Michelle. Does he not know if he wants to stay Amish or go English? What will he decide? He comes to help Michelle (Sara), and Lapps. He comes over to the Lapps to see Michelle (Sara).
How does it end? Do we meet the real Sara? You will have to pick up a copy to read to find out.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Witch & Wizard (Witch & Wizard, #1) in Books
Dec 3, 2018
This book has so much potential. I almost gave it a two & 1/2 stars. The characters can at times be funny and humorous. It has almost no romance beyond the acknowledgement that Whit has a girlfriend. Although, the prophecy is one of the largest let downs since I found out the name of the childlike empress in The Neverending Story. I kinda started to root a little for the siblings.
However, I kept getting hung up on the layout of the book. The chapters really? Truly? I don’t think that there is a chapter longer than 5 pages. I’m not even sure there is a chapter that is 5 pages long. I’m all about short chapters but this takes the cake. There is no reason for at all for some of the chapter breaks. Especially when a double space between the paragraphs or an asterisk (*) would do the job much better.
Here’s an example of one of the worst breaks. This is the last two sentences of chapter 58 which is in Whisty’s pov
“His thick, black hair fell forward over his eyes. ‘Sorry about that, Freckles.’
Chapter 59
Whisky
‘Not Freckles either,’ suggested Whit. ‘Or Carrottop.’”
For the reals. There is no need for this to be a new chapter. All it does is distract and chop up the flow of he book. It made me think they are getting paid per chapter. There are 104 of them!
The idea is there and like I said massive potential.... just feels unfinished.
However, I kept getting hung up on the layout of the book. The chapters really? Truly? I don’t think that there is a chapter longer than 5 pages. I’m not even sure there is a chapter that is 5 pages long. I’m all about short chapters but this takes the cake. There is no reason for at all for some of the chapter breaks. Especially when a double space between the paragraphs or an asterisk (*) would do the job much better.
Here’s an example of one of the worst breaks. This is the last two sentences of chapter 58 which is in Whisty’s pov
“His thick, black hair fell forward over his eyes. ‘Sorry about that, Freckles.’
Chapter 59
Whisky
‘Not Freckles either,’ suggested Whit. ‘Or Carrottop.’”
For the reals. There is no need for this to be a new chapter. All it does is distract and chop up the flow of he book. It made me think they are getting paid per chapter. There are 104 of them!
The idea is there and like I said massive potential.... just feels unfinished.