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Falls the Shadow
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Falls the Shadow: By far, the most predictable book I've ever read. Fun Fact: I figured out the entire plot by 6% of the book, which, in my humble opinion, figuring out the plot very early on in the book is bad. VERY bad, because where's the fun in knowing the big plan?!

It's not fun at all. In fact, it's like Hansel and Gretel, only those bread crumbs? They're like me placing them from school to home. It's pretty boring if you ask me – unless you're hungry of course, but has anyone heard of the word germs? – and that's precisely how I felt about Gaither's debut novel. There's a great idea: a society who recently came out of war not too long ago where the population is dwindling as generations continue. To save humanity, a scientific experiment – company? – by the name of Huxley comes up with a genius idea of cloning, in which if accidents happen, – because they do, and the universe is sometimes cruel – families can continue on with their lives as though nothing has changed. And that's the case with Catelyn Benson's sister, Violet. At least until Violet mysteriously disappears.

I only stuck around because I was at work early and was sitting at a table with sucky wifi, so I couldn't download any books. Not that downloading books is necessary because I'm that person who's prepared for situations like DNF or finishing books. I've got quite a few at my disposal, but it never hurts to entertain Lupe from Catching Bookz about renaming Kahlan's Zeitoun essay to Essay to Murder on my hard drive (I really did. For a reason) when the wifi actually does work.

Mainly I stuck around reading Falls the Shadow because I was hoping Gaither would surprise me. I was hoping that she would later fling said bread crumbs – hopefully kindly – at me in a way that I'll be shocked and amazed. I was not hoping, however, for me to be led from school to home and vice versa, with said bread crumbs already laid about, perfectly planned as though I was part of the plot planning (which I wasn't).

I think I also stuck around because there's something about Falls the Shadow. Perhaps it's the way the story is written, how Cate has to be watchful of her classmates who once treated her like furniture but as soon as "new Violet" comes around, she begins to get attacked. Or maybe it's how Cate seems to be really neutral until she finds out what Huxley's real plans are and she finally chooses a side.

Just when I lost hope though, something surprising happens! Near the end! But then it was a roller coaster ride for the rest of the book. Too bad that roller coaster ride sometimes resulted in disappointment. And now someone's bound to smack me upside the head for waiting that long.

Falls the Shadow is a novel with a heroine who acts strong but doesn't feel the same way and has a unique concept, however predictable it may be. Oh, and the clones? They're creepy. It's worse than cameras watching your every move, because it actually is. Only it's a chip.
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Advanced review copy provided by Simon & Schuster for review
Original Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/09/arc-review-falls-the-shadow-by-stefanie-gaither.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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Making A Murderer - Season 1
Making A Murderer - Season 1
2015 | Crime, Documentary
The phenomenon of “true crime” as entertainment is disturbing. What we are saying when we subscribe to watch these compellingly morbid shows is that, of course, we don’t “enjoy” or condone the crimes themselves. But, we do increasingly expect that without the grotesque detail of primary crime scene evidence, documented visually, we can switch over to another show that will give us our macabre kick. So, it is a dangerous precedent to say that without that factor we won’t engage.

What does make us want to know, and solve, and understand the worst criminal minds of the last century? Do we place ourselves as amateur sleuths and psychologists, so we can have our own opinions on a difficult subject, or do we just want to see the very worst of humanity to satisfy a need to be shocked? One thing for sure is that there is no end to this kind of docu-drama available, especially on Netflix, if we choose to stomach it.

I watched three recently in quick succession, and do feel like I have something to say about it…

First, was the extension of the Making A Murderer case of Steven Avery, which can be credited for re-imagining the scope of this kind of “reality” show on Netflix in late 2015. Without a doubt, the draw of the first series was in showing how corrupt, ambiguous and vague the American criminal system can be. We know this from circus shows such as the OJ Simpson case, that capture a curiosity in the public that must be explored and documented. There is no point in saying, no don’t do it, because eventually we have to know, and current forensic science and film techniques allow us to approach it. Carefully. Oh, so carefully!

In this case, the much criticised production extracts further detail from an undeniably fascinating case of criminal negligence and injustice, without ever providing a new revelation enough to definitively say we now know enough to put it to bed. It focuses largely on the power of Kathleen Zellner as a lawyer of impeccable motives and results to prove the innocence of convicted men.

What we then get is 10 episodes of contrivance that increasingly try to convince us further that this is a miscarriage of justice that must be addressed. The continual message is that there is a conspiracy here, which makes for good TV. Someone doesn’t want this show to have an influence. Who is covering up what? And why is the justice system adamant in disallowing the revelations this show throws up so regularly? In the end it becomes less about the victim and the crime, as an indictment of a process that does not want to be examined. The power of this show has always been that something is rotten in Denmark. But what exactly?

There is no doubt at all that once involved you have to keep watching. It is exceptionally presented, and therefore successful as an entertainment because of that. The complexity of the argument comes not in the real recordings of conversations and evidence, but in the form of presentation as a TV show. A question, I am certain, the film-makers themselves constantly ask. It is about finding “truth” for the families of the victims; a crusade that may or may not include individuals wrongly accused of a crime.
  
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
2015 | Action
Knowing my love of reading, a friend of mine suggested I read The Maze Runner by James Dashner a few years ago. I had just finished reading Hunger Games so, honestly, I was burned out on post-apocalyptic survival stories so I set it aside. However, being familiar with the title, my interest was piqued when the movie was announced and I found myself drawn into the story more than I expected when I screened The Maze Runner movie in 2014. It didn’t have the desperate drama of The Hunger Games, but the mystery of the maze was intriguing enough.

If you haven’t seen the first movie in this series, you’ll want to watch that first as Scorch Trials picks up pretty much where the last movie ended. There are no recaps or flashbacks which fans may appreciate as the full 2 hours and 12 minute running time is dedicated to advancing the story, but it’s definitely not a movie that stands well on its own.

Having escaped from the Glade, Thomas and his somber band of Gladers are transported to a fortified military installation where for a brief moment they believe they’re safe from Ava Paige and WCKD, the mysterious organization that placed them in the Glade for reasons still unknown.

Suspicious and untrusting (by nature, or conditioning?), Thomas, played with grim determination by Dylan O’Brien, uncovers the outpost’s connection to WCKD and the gang is on the run again but this time, instead of a maze, they find themselves in a desolate landscape known as the Scorch.

If the first movie was “The Great Escape”, this movie is “The Amazing Race”. Hoping to find “The Right Hand”, a vigilante group of resistance fighters that have allegedly rescued other Gladers, Thomas and gang set out across a barren wasteland. The movie follows their desperate flight to avoid both WCKD operatives and “cranks”, zombies who were victims of a virus that has wiped out most of humanity.

I watched most of The Scorch Trials, much like I watch The Walking Dead, with my eyes clenched shut but still listening earnestly, but I’m a bit of a wimp that way. There’s definitely more action in this installment and those who enjoyed the first movie, will appreciate this one more even though the last 20 minutes or so of the movie was set up for the third Maze Runner: The Death Cure due in 2017.

The core band of Gladers, played by O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario (Teresa), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt), Ki Hong Lee (Minho), Dexter Darden (Frypan) and Alexander Flores (Winston) are easy to root for, while Game of Thrones’ Aiden Gillen (Janson) and Patricia Clarkson, who reprises her role as Ava Paige, are very easy to dislike. The Scorch Trials introduces new characters, like Aris another maze escapee played by Jacob Lofland, and Brenda and Jorge, survivors turned mercenaries played by Rosa Salazar and Giancarlo Esposito who add a new dimension to the story. Will they help lead the Gladers to The Right Hand or turn them over to WCKD for the right price?

In addition to nearly maiming my husband by squeezing his hand too tight, I also left the movie a little winded from holding my breath in suspense, and watching these kids do a hell of a lot of running. A worthy sequel, The Scorch Trials definitely leaves you ready for the story to continue.
  
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Justin Young recommended track Dancing Queen by ABBA in Gold: Greatest Hits by ABBA in Music (curated)

 
Gold: Greatest Hits by ABBA
Gold: Greatest Hits by ABBA
1993 | Rock

Dancing Queen by ABBA

(0 Ratings)

Track Watch

"I didn’t really know about ABBA when I was growing up, they’re one of those bands you think you’d get into through your parents, but my parents didn’t listen to them. I think the first time I heard them properly was in Muriel’s Wedding, obviously that wasn’t a cool thing so they became a kind of guilty pleasure, but when Mamma Mia! came out in my late teens I was ‘Damn, all of these songs are so fucking good.’ “I have this list of songs in my head that I think are perfect, obviously that’s completely subjective, but they’re untouchable pop masterpieces like ‘God Only Knows’, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, ‘Waterloo Sunset’ and ABBA have so many of them. There’s a humanity in their songs but they also feel like ‘how could anyone have made something so perfect?’ The writing, the production, the arrangements, even the way their voices sound, it has the same effect as when siblings sing. Their voices are unbelievable, sometimes I think ‘is that a weird harmony?’ but it’s just the way their voices sound together, it’s incredible. “This song makes me well up because it’s so perfect, but it’s also so silly, it makes me want to throw my hands in the air, I want to dance when I hear it and I want to smile. You feel silly when you hear it, you feel camp and like a character in Muriel’s Wedding or Mamma Mia! when it comes on. It’s an amazing feeling and that is the power music isn’t it? “The other thing you have to remember is that one of the things that made The Beatles so amazing and such an interesting proposition and a reason why people really like The Velvet Underground as well, is because they changed the way songs were written, they rewrote the rulebook. Before then all music essentially sounded the same, everyone was using the same three or four chords and melodies, that kind of Rockabilly and Rock and Roll, all operating in the same framework, even the blues, The Stones and The Beach Boys, until they started breaking the rules too. But ABBA were making this music only ten or twenty years after pop music as we know it began to exist and it’s so innovative. “You know when people talk about their favourite bands? They’re a band who if you’re in a car, someone could put on an hour of ABBA and I’d like every song and there’s bands who I consider to be my favourite bands who I couldn’t say that about. It’s banger after banger, I guess it depends what mood you’re in, actually I was listening to them in a car the other day and someone told me to turn it off! “It’s mind-bending how good they are when they’re at their best. I think music is more often than not written about as art, but it’s also entertainment and whilst what they do is this incredible art it’s also so entertaining. It’s funny, we’ve been speaking about music for the last half an hour but this is the first time where we’ve talked about music making us happy and that’s really important. Music should make you happy and ‘Dancing Queen’ definitely does that."

Source
  
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
2015 | Action, Sci-Fi
Hulk Continues to Smash...and I'm Here For All of it
When an artificial intelligence outthinks its creator and forms itself into dozens of destructive robots, Earth's mightiest heroes come together once again to put a stop to the threat.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10
As most MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) films tend to do, Avengers: Age of Ultron gets off to a really quick start wasting no time with action. Everyone gets a piece in the first ten minutes and they're working even better together than they did in the first film. While Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) flex their muscle and rip tanks in half, Hawkeye Jeremy Renner) pierces through dudes like the modern-day Legolas.

Characters: 10
A part of what works so well for these characters is how grossly different their backstories and personalities are. Hawkeye is a family man that uses humor to mask his annoyance in certain situations. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is constantly pushing the boundary envelope and acts superior to the ideas and thoughts of the rest of the group. Normally you hate a guy like this but he wears the hat so well. Throw in Vision, a benevolent AI with a sense of purpose, and the rest of the crew and you have a pretty solid character-base.

AI of the hour Ultron (James Spader) is a villain with a surprising amount of depth. He fights for his own cause which, in his mind, is the only necessary option for balance and preservation. His smooth, even-keeled voice can be chilling at times making for some pretty solid scenes.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 10
There is enough action in the film for two films. The plot steamrolls into new scenes of combat, one after the next. Dull moments are nonexistent. There is something about having all of these characters on the screen at the same time that keeps the film exciting and fresh. Teamups are especially cool, watching pairs like Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor perform unique combo moves. You want eye candy? The film delivers.

Genre: 8
Not the best superhero film I've seen, although I believe that says more about the emergence of the genre than the film itself. This century has ushered in some phenomenal superhero movies that do the genre proud, including ones that set themselves apart by having enriched characters and deeper meaning. Age of Ultron is solid, but falls just slightly out of the Cream of the Crop territory.

Memorability: 9
The action sequences alone played throughout my mind well after having watched the film. Among other things, Age of Ultron gives you a falling city along with a classic matchup between Hulk and Stark in the Hulkbuster suit. Perhaps the most memorable part came at the very end when Ultron and Vision are having a conversation about the fate of humanity. Part foreshadowing, part introspection, it was a very fitting way to bring the curtain down on the action.

Pace: 10

Plot: 9

Resolution: 8

Overall: 94
No, it's not the best MCU film made to date, but it's still a high-quality film with a solid story and memorable sequences that keep you glued to your seat. Thankful for the rewatch as I enjoyed it even more the second time around.
  
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1)
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1)
Neal Shusterman | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
5
9.0 (22 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unfortunately, it looks like I have an unpopular opinion once more and I'm so sad about it. The hype for the book is big and the concept of it made me really want to read it and I was sure I'll like it. But alas...

Things I like:

    -The main idea of the book sounded very unique and interesting. A future society where humanity had overcome death and all diseases and the only way to keep the population to a normal number is having a group of people how must obey to a certain set of rule, randomly killing other members of the society. Such a nice concept and so many topics that you could dive in.
    -There were a couple of nice twists.
    -Scyth Curie was an interesting character with a nice backstory.
    -Volta. He is a side character and yet, he was one of the most interesting ones.

Things I didn't like

    -Everything came down to execution. As I mentioned the concept was unique but yet we get very little world-building and very little description in general. And this is coming for someone that despises lengthy descriptions. By the end of the book the only thing that I knew is that people don't die, they have a way to become young again but there is nothing left for them to do and they are bored. That's a missed opportunity to elaborate and dive into what would actually people do in these circumstances.
   -Because we don't get enough information and rules in this world I was left with questions and also instances that looked like plot holes.
    -The main characters. Throughout the book, we are constantly being told what characters are feeling, never shown through their actions, which made it very difficult for me to connect with them and believe what I was told they felt. An example was during Rowan training where he had to perform some actions and the only thing we got was "I don't like this" but this was never followed with actions to show us that he didn't like what he needed to do.
    -It's hinted in the book that Rowan slowly turns into a bad person that is enjoying killing, but again this is never back with his action and I never felt that this was what was happening to him.
    -The love story. So I've seen many people saying that there was instant love and unfortunately I agree. The two main characters fall in love within 3 months which I would argue that that makes it not instant love but, because once again we brush over everything we go to "I don't like you" to "I'm in love with you" without been shown how this happened. Yes, they are supposed to spend 3 months training together but if you don't show me how they slowly bonded and fall in love I'll never believe it. And this what happened to me.
    -The climax. The book build-up to the final moment where one of the main characters will have to kill the other. This moment is in the last 5 pages off the book and once again just gets brush over the events and makes it looks too easy.

To sum up this could have been an amazing story but unfortunately, I felt like it was rushed and not well executed.