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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Bloodshot (2020) in Movies
May 8, 2020
"Funner" than I expected
BLOODSHOT was one of those movies that I was going to "get around to see, sometime" before it left the movie theaters, little did I know that I would leave the movie theaters before Bloodshot did. So, when I ran across it On-Demand at home, I figured I would check it out - probably to let it run in the background as I multi-tasked.
Well...a funny thing happened while multi-tasking while watching this film. I found myself NOT multi-tasking, but rather, I stopped to focus on the film, for I was being entertained by the events unfolding before me on my screen.
Based on the Valiant comic of the same name, BLOODSHOT tells the tale of Ray Garrison a slain soldier who is brought back to life with nano-technology - technology that allows him to be used as a tool by Dr. Emil Harting.
Vin Diesel is the perfect blunt instrument to play Bloodshot. He reeks of testosterone and macho-ness but is a winning personality on the screen with enough charm and charisma to draw the audience in. Ably aiding him is Eiza Gonzalez (BABY DRIVER) as KT - another experiment/tool of Dr. Harting's - their relationship is the heart of this movie and it there is "enough" chemistry between the two to make me care about them. The revelation for me in this film is Lamorne Morris (GAME NIGHT) as Wilfred Wigans - a rival hacker who is an enemy (or is he a friend) of Bloodshot. I loved the fun that Wigans brought to the role and the film - he knew what kind of movie he was in and just "ran with it".
Everyone else in this film is pretty "generic" - especially (to my disappointment) Guy Pearce as Dr. Harting. I needed him to be less contained and more broad for this type of comic book film. I read that Michael Sheen was slated to play this role but had to drop out at the last moment due to scheduling conflicts. I would have loved to have seen "wild. out of control Michael Sheen" in this role.
The direction by David Wilson - in his major motion picture debut - is "serviceable", his direction doesn't get in the way. He is a former Visual Effects Supervisor and it shows in this film for it is at it's best when the VFX takes center stage (especially in the fight/action scenes). The key to Bloodshot is that he cannot be killed by conventional means for the nano-bots in his blood stream will reform immediately. So, you get quite a few slow-motion shots of bullets piercing through various parts of Bloodshot's body (with nano-bots flying out) only to have the nano-bots stop their flight away from the body and return to reform the shape of the particular body part (mostly, Bloodshot's head). In lesser hands, this could be an annoying trick, but it worked for me here.
The script and secondary characters and the plot is mostly throwaway in this film - clearly we are here for the fight scenes and the VFX - and if you set your expectations correctly, you will be entertained by this film.
I know I was - to my surprise.
Letter Grade: B
7 Stars (out of 10) - and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Well...a funny thing happened while multi-tasking while watching this film. I found myself NOT multi-tasking, but rather, I stopped to focus on the film, for I was being entertained by the events unfolding before me on my screen.
Based on the Valiant comic of the same name, BLOODSHOT tells the tale of Ray Garrison a slain soldier who is brought back to life with nano-technology - technology that allows him to be used as a tool by Dr. Emil Harting.
Vin Diesel is the perfect blunt instrument to play Bloodshot. He reeks of testosterone and macho-ness but is a winning personality on the screen with enough charm and charisma to draw the audience in. Ably aiding him is Eiza Gonzalez (BABY DRIVER) as KT - another experiment/tool of Dr. Harting's - their relationship is the heart of this movie and it there is "enough" chemistry between the two to make me care about them. The revelation for me in this film is Lamorne Morris (GAME NIGHT) as Wilfred Wigans - a rival hacker who is an enemy (or is he a friend) of Bloodshot. I loved the fun that Wigans brought to the role and the film - he knew what kind of movie he was in and just "ran with it".
Everyone else in this film is pretty "generic" - especially (to my disappointment) Guy Pearce as Dr. Harting. I needed him to be less contained and more broad for this type of comic book film. I read that Michael Sheen was slated to play this role but had to drop out at the last moment due to scheduling conflicts. I would have loved to have seen "wild. out of control Michael Sheen" in this role.
The direction by David Wilson - in his major motion picture debut - is "serviceable", his direction doesn't get in the way. He is a former Visual Effects Supervisor and it shows in this film for it is at it's best when the VFX takes center stage (especially in the fight/action scenes). The key to Bloodshot is that he cannot be killed by conventional means for the nano-bots in his blood stream will reform immediately. So, you get quite a few slow-motion shots of bullets piercing through various parts of Bloodshot's body (with nano-bots flying out) only to have the nano-bots stop their flight away from the body and return to reform the shape of the particular body part (mostly, Bloodshot's head). In lesser hands, this could be an annoying trick, but it worked for me here.
The script and secondary characters and the plot is mostly throwaway in this film - clearly we are here for the fight scenes and the VFX - and if you set your expectations correctly, you will be entertained by this film.
I know I was - to my surprise.
Letter Grade: B
7 Stars (out of 10) - and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant (V, #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I had been wanting to read this book since I saw it advertised on another blog. It has a creepy boarding school which definitely piqued my interest. Luckily, this turned out to be an interesting read!
I like the title of this book. It sounds super ominous. I think the title definitely suits the story as, well, the plot does kind of involve Anne's education.
I love the cover! How creepy does it look!?! I love the way the boarding school on the cover looks really foreboding.
I enjoyed the world building. I'm not going to lie. While I was reading, I kept thinking that never would a poor girl get into a rich school, but the author does a fantastic job of explaining why and how towards the end of the book. I did have a lot of questions about the world building, but Wiebe does an awesome job at answering every single one. World events are mentioned in this book and how a character in this book relates to them. That was the scariest bit of world building for me because it's so easy to picture this scenario being responsible.
The pacing is a bit slow for the first two-thirds of the book, I'd say. I was thinking this would be one of those disappointing reads that I was really looking forward to. However, the last third or so of the book picks up the pace, and before I knew it, I couldn't put the book down. The only thing that would hurt this book is that a lot of readers might give up on it simply because the pacing is so slow throughout a huge chunk of the book.
The plot was really intriguing. A poor girl, Anne, is invited to study at a prestigious boarding school where only the super rich send their kids. Not to mention, it's also a secret boarding school. When Anne arrives at the school, everyone seems to know her story. Anne discovers that not all is as it seems at Cania Christy, and she embarks on a dangerous mission to find out the truth about her secretive boarding school. I really wish I could elaborate more on the plot, but if I did, it would give away spoilers and a major plot twist. The plot twist is what really pulled me in! Also, just when you think the book is going to end, it starts back up again with another plot twist! As this is part of a series, there is a cliff hanger at the end.
I thought the characters were all written very well. I especially liked the main character of Anne. I found her to be just an average teenage girl trying to find her place in the world. I found myself always feeling the same exact feelings she was experiencing during different points in the book. I also really enjoyed the character of Pilot. I loved his care free attitude about everything and how he didn't really let anything get to him. I also thought he was really good at what he did. I didn't really know what to make of Ben at first, but I eventually warmed to him. He seemed like a really sweet guy. The one character that annoyed me was Harper simply because I hated the way the author stereotyped her as she was from Texas. I hate how a lot of authors think Texans are all rich hillbillies which is what Harper seemed to be. The stereotypes that Harper embodied just really angered me. I wish Joanna Wiebe would've done some research on people from Texas before she wrote the character of Harper because it seemed obvious to me, as a Texan, that she didn't.
I thought the dialogue felt very realistic and flowed very well for the most part. The only dialogue that annoyed me was Harper's since the author made her sound like a stereotypical Texan. A lot of the "Texan" dialogue Harper used were words I'd never even heard (and I was born and raised in Texas). I'm thinking the author just made up a lot of those phrases. I'm just hoping that people who read this book don't actually believe that's how we talk in Texas. Other then that, I enjoyed the dialogue, and it felt like a real high school setting. There is some sexual talk, some violence, and some swear words, but I felt like none of that was over the top.
Overall, The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant by Joanna Wiebe is an interesting read. I feel that if the first two thirds of the book would've had a bit more action and there wasn't any stereotyping going on that this could've been a fantastic book. However, I'm looking forward to and will be reading the next book.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who want to immerse themselves in a brilliant paranormal world.
<b>I'd give <i>The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant</i> by Joanna Wiebe a 3.75 out of 5.</b>
I had been wanting to read this book since I saw it advertised on another blog. It has a creepy boarding school which definitely piqued my interest. Luckily, this turned out to be an interesting read!
I like the title of this book. It sounds super ominous. I think the title definitely suits the story as, well, the plot does kind of involve Anne's education.
I love the cover! How creepy does it look!?! I love the way the boarding school on the cover looks really foreboding.
I enjoyed the world building. I'm not going to lie. While I was reading, I kept thinking that never would a poor girl get into a rich school, but the author does a fantastic job of explaining why and how towards the end of the book. I did have a lot of questions about the world building, but Wiebe does an awesome job at answering every single one. World events are mentioned in this book and how a character in this book relates to them. That was the scariest bit of world building for me because it's so easy to picture this scenario being responsible.
The pacing is a bit slow for the first two-thirds of the book, I'd say. I was thinking this would be one of those disappointing reads that I was really looking forward to. However, the last third or so of the book picks up the pace, and before I knew it, I couldn't put the book down. The only thing that would hurt this book is that a lot of readers might give up on it simply because the pacing is so slow throughout a huge chunk of the book.
The plot was really intriguing. A poor girl, Anne, is invited to study at a prestigious boarding school where only the super rich send their kids. Not to mention, it's also a secret boarding school. When Anne arrives at the school, everyone seems to know her story. Anne discovers that not all is as it seems at Cania Christy, and she embarks on a dangerous mission to find out the truth about her secretive boarding school. I really wish I could elaborate more on the plot, but if I did, it would give away spoilers and a major plot twist. The plot twist is what really pulled me in! Also, just when you think the book is going to end, it starts back up again with another plot twist! As this is part of a series, there is a cliff hanger at the end.
I thought the characters were all written very well. I especially liked the main character of Anne. I found her to be just an average teenage girl trying to find her place in the world. I found myself always feeling the same exact feelings she was experiencing during different points in the book. I also really enjoyed the character of Pilot. I loved his care free attitude about everything and how he didn't really let anything get to him. I also thought he was really good at what he did. I didn't really know what to make of Ben at first, but I eventually warmed to him. He seemed like a really sweet guy. The one character that annoyed me was Harper simply because I hated the way the author stereotyped her as she was from Texas. I hate how a lot of authors think Texans are all rich hillbillies which is what Harper seemed to be. The stereotypes that Harper embodied just really angered me. I wish Joanna Wiebe would've done some research on people from Texas before she wrote the character of Harper because it seemed obvious to me, as a Texan, that she didn't.
I thought the dialogue felt very realistic and flowed very well for the most part. The only dialogue that annoyed me was Harper's since the author made her sound like a stereotypical Texan. A lot of the "Texan" dialogue Harper used were words I'd never even heard (and I was born and raised in Texas). I'm thinking the author just made up a lot of those phrases. I'm just hoping that people who read this book don't actually believe that's how we talk in Texas. Other then that, I enjoyed the dialogue, and it felt like a real high school setting. There is some sexual talk, some violence, and some swear words, but I felt like none of that was over the top.
Overall, The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant by Joanna Wiebe is an interesting read. I feel that if the first two thirds of the book would've had a bit more action and there wasn't any stereotyping going on that this could've been a fantastic book. However, I'm looking forward to and will be reading the next book.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who want to immerse themselves in a brilliant paranormal world.
<b>I'd give <i>The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant</i> by Joanna Wiebe a 3.75 out of 5.</b>
King of Dragon Pass
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If there is something i love the most in this life …. I believe it is … socializing with the...
Debbiereadsbook (1440 KP) rated Keeping a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #2) in Books
Jun 18, 2019
stunning foloow up!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Loving a Warrior series, but you don’t NEED to have read book one, Loving a Warrior, for this to make sense. But personally, I would recommend you do. Cos I loved that book, and Matt and Shane play a huge part here.
Devon is trailing a path through a man’s world, a path she will not be veered from. But meeting Rhys, and how she connects with him on a very primal level, scares her a bit. When Devon’s full history comes clear, and Rhys’ too, their relationship takes the next step. Temporary, but NOT casual, right?
I loved this book, but equally I struggled with it. I shall attempt to voice why!
At times, I wanted to slap Rhys, I really did! He KNEW he was stringing his ex along, deep down he knew it, but he did nothing to stop it. He answered her calls, her messages, her crying down the phone, and pulled the string along a bit more. He KNEW he had to let her go. But then Devon comes into his life again. They met some 4 years before during an op. And here they are, working together again. And he doesn’t shut Lani down IMMEDIATELY! And I wanted to slap him some more.
He DOES care for Devon, right from the start though, and that makes him really question what he had been doing.
Devon’s trauma doesn’t come clear immediately, it kinda creeps out along the way. And it’s shocking, the level of betrayal she suffered, and it appears MANY women in the armed forces suffer. And I think this is what I found most difficult to deal with. How high up the food chain the covering up goes.
Oh, no, this bit, THIS is what I struggled with the most! Matt and Shane play a HUGE part here. Granted, they spend most of the book either fighting or ignoring each other, trying to find what they really feel for each other but failing miserably. Matt, apparently, said something to Shane. WHAT was said was never explained, and I’ve been trying to recall if this happened in their book, but short of going back to reread (I don’t, nor do I have the time!) I will never know, and I wanted to!
I loved the way Hanssen melds Loving a Warrior into Keeping a Warrior, not just because of Shane and Matt’s part here, but because of that other thing, the thing that I did NOT see coming! Had I read the two books back to back, I might have picked it up way WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY right back at the beginning of the book, but I didn’t, and I was blown away by that little revelation!
Both Devon and Rhys have a say, in the third person. I did not see any spelling or editing to spoil my reading, and I read this book in one sitting, not an easy or short read, but I could NOT put it down!
Who is next? I dunno. Are there more in this series? I hope so! Oh please tell me there will be! It would be great if Matt, Shane, Devon and Rhys all take part too!
Ms Hansen has 9 books (according to Goodreads) and now I’ve read 3. 3 very different, but still amazing books. I want to read the rest of them. I want to start at the beginning and work my way through. I want to follow the path of this author, cos she is on my hit list now!!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 2 in the Loving a Warrior series, but you don’t NEED to have read book one, Loving a Warrior, for this to make sense. But personally, I would recommend you do. Cos I loved that book, and Matt and Shane play a huge part here.
Devon is trailing a path through a man’s world, a path she will not be veered from. But meeting Rhys, and how she connects with him on a very primal level, scares her a bit. When Devon’s full history comes clear, and Rhys’ too, their relationship takes the next step. Temporary, but NOT casual, right?
I loved this book, but equally I struggled with it. I shall attempt to voice why!
At times, I wanted to slap Rhys, I really did! He KNEW he was stringing his ex along, deep down he knew it, but he did nothing to stop it. He answered her calls, her messages, her crying down the phone, and pulled the string along a bit more. He KNEW he had to let her go. But then Devon comes into his life again. They met some 4 years before during an op. And here they are, working together again. And he doesn’t shut Lani down IMMEDIATELY! And I wanted to slap him some more.
He DOES care for Devon, right from the start though, and that makes him really question what he had been doing.
Devon’s trauma doesn’t come clear immediately, it kinda creeps out along the way. And it’s shocking, the level of betrayal she suffered, and it appears MANY women in the armed forces suffer. And I think this is what I found most difficult to deal with. How high up the food chain the covering up goes.
Oh, no, this bit, THIS is what I struggled with the most! Matt and Shane play a HUGE part here. Granted, they spend most of the book either fighting or ignoring each other, trying to find what they really feel for each other but failing miserably. Matt, apparently, said something to Shane. WHAT was said was never explained, and I’ve been trying to recall if this happened in their book, but short of going back to reread (I don’t, nor do I have the time!) I will never know, and I wanted to!
I loved the way Hanssen melds Loving a Warrior into Keeping a Warrior, not just because of Shane and Matt’s part here, but because of that other thing, the thing that I did NOT see coming! Had I read the two books back to back, I might have picked it up way WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY right back at the beginning of the book, but I didn’t, and I was blown away by that little revelation!
Both Devon and Rhys have a say, in the third person. I did not see any spelling or editing to spoil my reading, and I read this book in one sitting, not an easy or short read, but I could NOT put it down!
Who is next? I dunno. Are there more in this series? I hope so! Oh please tell me there will be! It would be great if Matt, Shane, Devon and Rhys all take part too!
Ms Hansen has 9 books (according to Goodreads) and now I’ve read 3. 3 very different, but still amazing books. I want to read the rest of them. I want to start at the beginning and work my way through. I want to follow the path of this author, cos she is on my hit list now!!
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Doctor Sleep (2019) in Movies
Nov 11, 2019 (Updated Nov 12, 2019)
39 Years Later: Redrum aka Murder
Doctor Sleep- if you dont know is the sequel to the shining. I have been waiting for this movie to come out ever since it got announced. I read the book over two years again and i loved it. I didnt even know their was a sequel to the shining until i read the book. The book is phenomenal, it is acutally my first stephen king novel that i read and finshed, so to say at less, i was hyped and very anticpated, so what did i think. I thought it was good. I liked it alot.
Ewan McGregor was a perfect cast for Danny Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson was excellent as Rose The Hat and newcomer actress Kyliegh Curran was great as Abra Stone. Mike Flanagan was amazing choice for the dirctor. I liked his other movies that he directed and also loved The Haunting of Hill House which he created and directed.
The Recreated sences from the oringal film was intresting, i liked it not to bad. The hotel looks the same, old, crooked, haunted, scary, horrorfying and terrorfying. The replacements for Dick Hallorann, young Danny, Wendy and Llyod/Jack were intresting. I really liked the actress who played Wendy. As for Dick, i liked the actor who played him. As for young Danny he was good and Llyod/Jack the actor who played him was okay/bad, he just did a impression of Jack Nichoslon and looked like a young Jack Nicolson.
This is intresting, i just found this out: Danny Lloyd, who played Danny Torrance in The Shining, makes a cameo appearance as Bradley Trevor's father. Lloyd had been retired from acting for roughly 38 years, and was direct-messaged on Twitter by Flanagan to appear in the film. Producer Trevor Macy said of Lloyd's involvement, "[Lloyd] was excited to do [the cameo]. He hadn't acted since [the original]. He's a schoolteacher, and a very successful one at that, [who] like[s] making the world better. He came back for a day, and we were thrilled to have him." When pressed as to why the filmmakers did not extend the same offer to Jack Nicholson, Macy responded, "With Jack, I knew that they approached him for Ready Player One, and that he seems to be very serious about being retired. I had known that he was supportive [of the sequel] but retired." Flanagan admitted, "I didn't know how that would really work. Even if he were to come back, if he were appearing as a different character, I thought that would set people's hair on fire. He was absolutely a presence on set, though, whether he knew it or not."
So thats intresting. I would of loved to see Jack Nichloson come out of retirement and play old Jack Torrance.
Doctor Sleep was a great/excellent sequel to the shining and what Mike Flanagan did was perfect he toke elements from Stanley Kubrick's film and made it his own. The cast is great, the story is great, the hotel is great.
If you havent seen the shining than watch it and read it. If you havent seen this movie, than go watch it and read it.
Ewan McGregor was a perfect cast for Danny Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson was excellent as Rose The Hat and newcomer actress Kyliegh Curran was great as Abra Stone. Mike Flanagan was amazing choice for the dirctor. I liked his other movies that he directed and also loved The Haunting of Hill House which he created and directed.
The Recreated sences from the oringal film was intresting, i liked it not to bad. The hotel looks the same, old, crooked, haunted, scary, horrorfying and terrorfying. The replacements for Dick Hallorann, young Danny, Wendy and Llyod/Jack were intresting. I really liked the actress who played Wendy. As for Dick, i liked the actor who played him. As for young Danny he was good and Llyod/Jack the actor who played him was okay/bad, he just did a impression of Jack Nichoslon and looked like a young Jack Nicolson.
This is intresting, i just found this out: Danny Lloyd, who played Danny Torrance in The Shining, makes a cameo appearance as Bradley Trevor's father. Lloyd had been retired from acting for roughly 38 years, and was direct-messaged on Twitter by Flanagan to appear in the film. Producer Trevor Macy said of Lloyd's involvement, "[Lloyd] was excited to do [the cameo]. He hadn't acted since [the original]. He's a schoolteacher, and a very successful one at that, [who] like[s] making the world better. He came back for a day, and we were thrilled to have him." When pressed as to why the filmmakers did not extend the same offer to Jack Nicholson, Macy responded, "With Jack, I knew that they approached him for Ready Player One, and that he seems to be very serious about being retired. I had known that he was supportive [of the sequel] but retired." Flanagan admitted, "I didn't know how that would really work. Even if he were to come back, if he were appearing as a different character, I thought that would set people's hair on fire. He was absolutely a presence on set, though, whether he knew it or not."
So thats intresting. I would of loved to see Jack Nichloson come out of retirement and play old Jack Torrance.
Doctor Sleep was a great/excellent sequel to the shining and what Mike Flanagan did was perfect he toke elements from Stanley Kubrick's film and made it his own. The cast is great, the story is great, the hotel is great.
If you havent seen the shining than watch it and read it. If you havent seen this movie, than go watch it and read it.
You Can't Have My Daughter
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As a single 51-year-old woman, Elizabeth McDonnell had given up hope of ever becoming a mother. When...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Broken Symmetry in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href=http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a> at the end of October).
The blurb to this book sounded super intriguing, and I knew right away that I had to read it. Luckily, I was right about it being intriguing even if the blurb was a little off.
Blair Adams' dad disappeared 12 years ago without a trace. One day, he mysteriously shows up coughing up blood and making no sense in what he says. He tells Blair that she was the one that actually vanished for 12 years, not him. When Blair's father dies suddenly, Blair makes it her mission to find out what happened to him. She decides to start interning where her father worked to try to make sense of everything. There, she finds out she has two extra sets of chromosomes and that she can crossover into a reflection by using a mirror. However, nothing is as straightforward as it may seem, and Blair may just meet the same fate as her father.
The title is definitely interesting. After reading the blurb, the title stood out to me more. I think Broken Symmetry is a fantastic choice for a title as this is what the book's main focus is.
I think the cover is pretty but boring. It doesn't really give its readers a clue as to what the book is going to be about other then some girl is going to be in it. I wish this would've had a more sci-fi feel to it. I would've also have liked to see something about mirrors or reflections as this is what the book focuses on.
The world building is decent enough although I couldn't get a real picture of it with all that scientific jargon which just confused me more than anything. There's also one scene in the book that involves a severed appendage and to save you from some mini spoilers, let's just say that it didn't seem medically possible due to how much time had elapsed. However, I'm not a doctor so maybe I'm wrong. Also, when the characters would cross over into a mirror, shouldn't their reflection have been right there on the other side? Perhaps I'm just over thinking things.
I definitely enjoyed the pacing! I felt that it takes off right way and just gets faster and faster. I was totally hooked the whole time! I couldn't wait to finish this book to see what would happen next although I was disappointed when it did end because I was totally enjoying it.
The plot was definitely grabbed my attention. I like the whole idea of being able to enter a parallel universe just by going through a mirror. It's a little bit scary to think about though. I kept wondering if I was just a reflection, so the plot line is one that certainly makes you think. I also enjoyed the sub-plot going on between Blair and Damian. There's not a hardcore romance sub-plot between the two, but there's definitely some romance in this book. I must mention that there's a couple of plot twists in this book. One was fairly easy to figure out especially as Blair kept being told that she was the one thing that didn't belong. The other twist was a bit more difficult for me to figure out.
I loved, loved, loved the characters! I loved how Blair went from the pretty, popular girl to hardcore girl fairly quickly just to find out what happened to her father. I loved her sarcasm and wit. She was super funny, and I just all around enjoyed reading about her. I also liked Damian with his sarcasm and wit that was enough to match Blair's. I loved his devil may care attitude about crossing over, but I would've liked to learn more about his back story such as how and why he ended up where he did. Mr. Donovan was also an interesting character. He came across as a caring father figure and mentor. He seemed very intelligent as well. I would've liked to read more about Amy though. I actually found her a bit fascinating.
As for the dialogue, it was extremely confusing due to all the scientific jargon. Most of the time, I ended up not really understanding what was going on because of it. I know Mr. Donovan is a scientist and supposed to be very intelligent, but the majority of the readers aren't going to understand all that scientific lingo. I was really surprised Blair understood it because I didn't understand one word of it really. Other then all the scientific mumbo jumbo, the dialogue is very interesting. I loved the banter between Blair and Damian the most. There are a few swear words in this book as well.
Overall, Broken Symmetry by Dan Rix is a truly interesting albeit scary read. It does leave you thinking what if" long after you've finished read it. I think if there wasn't so much scientific wording used, this could've been a 5 star read, but unfortunately, the dialogue is what lets it down a bit.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who like to ponder over things as well as those that want to get immersed in an interesting read.
(I won this book in paperback form through the Goodreads First Reads Program).
The blurb to this book sounded super intriguing, and I knew right away that I had to read it. Luckily, I was right about it being intriguing even if the blurb was a little off.
Blair Adams' dad disappeared 12 years ago without a trace. One day, he mysteriously shows up coughing up blood and making no sense in what he says. He tells Blair that she was the one that actually vanished for 12 years, not him. When Blair's father dies suddenly, Blair makes it her mission to find out what happened to him. She decides to start interning where her father worked to try to make sense of everything. There, she finds out she has two extra sets of chromosomes and that she can crossover into a reflection by using a mirror. However, nothing is as straightforward as it may seem, and Blair may just meet the same fate as her father.
The title is definitely interesting. After reading the blurb, the title stood out to me more. I think Broken Symmetry is a fantastic choice for a title as this is what the book's main focus is.
I think the cover is pretty but boring. It doesn't really give its readers a clue as to what the book is going to be about other then some girl is going to be in it. I wish this would've had a more sci-fi feel to it. I would've also have liked to see something about mirrors or reflections as this is what the book focuses on.
The world building is decent enough although I couldn't get a real picture of it with all that scientific jargon which just confused me more than anything. There's also one scene in the book that involves a severed appendage and to save you from some mini spoilers, let's just say that it didn't seem medically possible due to how much time had elapsed. However, I'm not a doctor so maybe I'm wrong. Also, when the characters would cross over into a mirror, shouldn't their reflection have been right there on the other side? Perhaps I'm just over thinking things.
I definitely enjoyed the pacing! I felt that it takes off right way and just gets faster and faster. I was totally hooked the whole time! I couldn't wait to finish this book to see what would happen next although I was disappointed when it did end because I was totally enjoying it.
The plot was definitely grabbed my attention. I like the whole idea of being able to enter a parallel universe just by going through a mirror. It's a little bit scary to think about though. I kept wondering if I was just a reflection, so the plot line is one that certainly makes you think. I also enjoyed the sub-plot going on between Blair and Damian. There's not a hardcore romance sub-plot between the two, but there's definitely some romance in this book. I must mention that there's a couple of plot twists in this book. One was fairly easy to figure out especially as Blair kept being told that she was the one thing that didn't belong. The other twist was a bit more difficult for me to figure out.
I loved, loved, loved the characters! I loved how Blair went from the pretty, popular girl to hardcore girl fairly quickly just to find out what happened to her father. I loved her sarcasm and wit. She was super funny, and I just all around enjoyed reading about her. I also liked Damian with his sarcasm and wit that was enough to match Blair's. I loved his devil may care attitude about crossing over, but I would've liked to learn more about his back story such as how and why he ended up where he did. Mr. Donovan was also an interesting character. He came across as a caring father figure and mentor. He seemed very intelligent as well. I would've liked to read more about Amy though. I actually found her a bit fascinating.
As for the dialogue, it was extremely confusing due to all the scientific jargon. Most of the time, I ended up not really understanding what was going on because of it. I know Mr. Donovan is a scientist and supposed to be very intelligent, but the majority of the readers aren't going to understand all that scientific lingo. I was really surprised Blair understood it because I didn't understand one word of it really. Other then all the scientific mumbo jumbo, the dialogue is very interesting. I loved the banter between Blair and Damian the most. There are a few swear words in this book as well.
Overall, Broken Symmetry by Dan Rix is a truly interesting albeit scary read. It does leave you thinking what if" long after you've finished read it. I think if there wasn't so much scientific wording used, this could've been a 5 star read, but unfortunately, the dialogue is what lets it down a bit.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who like to ponder over things as well as those that want to get immersed in an interesting read.
(I won this book in paperback form through the Goodreads First Reads Program).
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing in Books
Nov 5, 2018
IÕll be honest, I had never heard of this author or read the blurb when I signed up to this event, but I am so grateful that this particular opportunity came knocking on my door. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and have to thank the author, Steven Luna, for the chance to read and review his amazing writing. I have so much good to say about this book that IÕll waste no time in getting started, and I hope I donÕt repeat myself too much.
The first thing I absolutely adored about this book is how incredibly engaging and well written the plot was. In all honesty, TylerÕs struggles with his motherÕs death could have very easily become cliche and tiresome very quickly, but not once when reading this book did I feel bored or like I wasnÕt fully engaged with Tyler and his dilemma. Luna really pulls you right into his story quickly, leaving no time to Ôum and aahÕ over things, you just jump straight in and keep on going on what is a roller coaster of superbly written twists and turns. IÕve not read many books with this kind of subject matter, but I feel like I want to read more, and almost felt a little bereft when I finished the book as I so wanted there to be more to it! That is, perhaps, the only negative I have Ð I was gutted to find that the book had finished! It was just that good I didnÕt want it to ever end!
This is, in part, to how wonderful the characters are. Tyler, as the lead, is incredibly easy to invest emotionally in. HeÕs believable, much like the entire plot, and his emotions are so easy to understand, even if they do break your heart as you watch him, essentially, turn his rage and grief on himself and Tom. Xan and Chelsea, although minor characters, also leave a lasting impression, much like Trevor and Tom. This is a testament to Steven LunaÕs way of writing as it is very rare a minor character grabs my attention and thoughts much when I put the book down, but IÕve found myself not only thinking about Tyler, but also Tom and Xan quite a lot too.
Something else that really needs a mention is how emotionally charged this book is, but in all the right ways. I guess IÕd better explain exactly what I mean here, because I mean to give the highest praise to Steven Luna on this note. I love a book that not only engages my brain as IÕm reading, but also engages my heart, and ÔSongsÕ does this so completely that at times I truly wished I could reach into the kindle and make everything all right again for Tyler. Having recently experienced my own loss to cancer, this book really did touch a delicate part of my heart but in the best possible way. Steven Luna writes with such sincerity and honesty in this tale that I truly believed every word, my heart aching and my eyes moistening as I lived through TylerÕs sadness. ItÕs very hard for an author to make me cry, but within the first few pages that is exactly what was happening, and I wish to offer the highest praise for the style with which Luna manages this.
And so, IÕm going to wrap this up, partly because the superlatives are running out, and partly because I am literally dying to get onto reading some of his other writing. This book is, like the title suggests, truly phenomenal. It was difficult to put down, gripping from the first chapter and above all, a very believable and easy book to read. I cannot recommend this twisting tale highly enough, and I wish to take this opportunity to thank Steven Luna for opening my heart to a new range of emotions.
ARC received in return for an honest review as part of a blog tour on Lily Loves Indie - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=250
The first thing I absolutely adored about this book is how incredibly engaging and well written the plot was. In all honesty, TylerÕs struggles with his motherÕs death could have very easily become cliche and tiresome very quickly, but not once when reading this book did I feel bored or like I wasnÕt fully engaged with Tyler and his dilemma. Luna really pulls you right into his story quickly, leaving no time to Ôum and aahÕ over things, you just jump straight in and keep on going on what is a roller coaster of superbly written twists and turns. IÕve not read many books with this kind of subject matter, but I feel like I want to read more, and almost felt a little bereft when I finished the book as I so wanted there to be more to it! That is, perhaps, the only negative I have Ð I was gutted to find that the book had finished! It was just that good I didnÕt want it to ever end!
This is, in part, to how wonderful the characters are. Tyler, as the lead, is incredibly easy to invest emotionally in. HeÕs believable, much like the entire plot, and his emotions are so easy to understand, even if they do break your heart as you watch him, essentially, turn his rage and grief on himself and Tom. Xan and Chelsea, although minor characters, also leave a lasting impression, much like Trevor and Tom. This is a testament to Steven LunaÕs way of writing as it is very rare a minor character grabs my attention and thoughts much when I put the book down, but IÕve found myself not only thinking about Tyler, but also Tom and Xan quite a lot too.
Something else that really needs a mention is how emotionally charged this book is, but in all the right ways. I guess IÕd better explain exactly what I mean here, because I mean to give the highest praise to Steven Luna on this note. I love a book that not only engages my brain as IÕm reading, but also engages my heart, and ÔSongsÕ does this so completely that at times I truly wished I could reach into the kindle and make everything all right again for Tyler. Having recently experienced my own loss to cancer, this book really did touch a delicate part of my heart but in the best possible way. Steven Luna writes with such sincerity and honesty in this tale that I truly believed every word, my heart aching and my eyes moistening as I lived through TylerÕs sadness. ItÕs very hard for an author to make me cry, but within the first few pages that is exactly what was happening, and I wish to offer the highest praise for the style with which Luna manages this.
And so, IÕm going to wrap this up, partly because the superlatives are running out, and partly because I am literally dying to get onto reading some of his other writing. This book is, like the title suggests, truly phenomenal. It was difficult to put down, gripping from the first chapter and above all, a very believable and easy book to read. I cannot recommend this twisting tale highly enough, and I wish to take this opportunity to thank Steven Luna for opening my heart to a new range of emotions.
ARC received in return for an honest review as part of a blog tour on Lily Loves Indie - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=250
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Dope (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Dope
A drug taken illegally for recreational purposes, especially marijuana or heroin.
A stupid person
A slang term meaning very good or awesome.
That is exactly what this movie is about. All three of those definitions apply equally to this brilliant film. It tells you right up front with definitions very similar to these right on the screen. Though, the application of each definition may surprise you.
Dope centers around Malcom (Shameik Moore) who, along with his friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons), found himself in a difficult situation after attending the birthday party for a local drug dealer. You see the trio are your typical geeks, into computers, math, science, games, have their own band (not as glamorous as you would think)… oh, and obsessed with the nineties hip-hop culture. But they live in a not so friendly neighborhood in Inglewood known as “The Bottoms”. Forced to take an alternate route home from school one afternoon, he unwittingly gets invited to a birthday party for Dom (Rakim Mayers, aka A$ap Rocky), but he is really going because of a girl, Nakia (Zoe Kravitz). While at the party, things start to go south, and Dom hides all of the “Molly” he was in the middle of selling in Malcom’s bag, unbeknownst to him. Once he finds it, Dom tells him to deliver it to a man named AJ, and that’s where all the hijinks begin.
I really don’t want to give away any more than this. The trailer only really tells half the story, and I believe that it will have more impact if you discover it yourself. Needless to say, though, it was really a fantastic movie. With Pharrell in charge of music, and Forest Whitaker and Sean Combs on board as well, the film does a great job at keeping things very original. There were many times where I could not hear the next few lines of dialogue, I was laughing so hard. And the soundtrack was incredible.
If I had to give you a frame of reference, though, think of it like this: Friday meets The Girl Next Door, with a little bit of Superbad mixed in. But the film delivers in so many great ways, and was very excellently cast. Moore did a great job of portraying that awkward geek who just got caught up in some very interesting situations. I should know, because I was there once, too. But the film has a powerful message. Showing off his love of nineties hip-hop, the film begins with Malcolm trying to get his Harvard admittance essay past his guidance counselor, but the essay is about the research to find that good day that Ice Cube talks about in his song. He was asked to write something more personal, and boy did he deliver after everything he went through following that birthday party.
I can’t truthfully say that you absolutely need to see this on the big screen. There’s nothing to really promote seeing it in theaters over at home. But, if you are looking for a good date night movie, this might be the one to see this weekend. While there were a few slow parts, the movie did keep up a good pace and was lighthearted enough to be enjoyable by all. Definitely worth checking out, but when is up to you. Know that I would definitely recommend it though, and will absolutely be picking it up for my home collection when it releases in stores.
A drug taken illegally for recreational purposes, especially marijuana or heroin.
A stupid person
A slang term meaning very good or awesome.
That is exactly what this movie is about. All three of those definitions apply equally to this brilliant film. It tells you right up front with definitions very similar to these right on the screen. Though, the application of each definition may surprise you.
Dope centers around Malcom (Shameik Moore) who, along with his friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons), found himself in a difficult situation after attending the birthday party for a local drug dealer. You see the trio are your typical geeks, into computers, math, science, games, have their own band (not as glamorous as you would think)… oh, and obsessed with the nineties hip-hop culture. But they live in a not so friendly neighborhood in Inglewood known as “The Bottoms”. Forced to take an alternate route home from school one afternoon, he unwittingly gets invited to a birthday party for Dom (Rakim Mayers, aka A$ap Rocky), but he is really going because of a girl, Nakia (Zoe Kravitz). While at the party, things start to go south, and Dom hides all of the “Molly” he was in the middle of selling in Malcom’s bag, unbeknownst to him. Once he finds it, Dom tells him to deliver it to a man named AJ, and that’s where all the hijinks begin.
I really don’t want to give away any more than this. The trailer only really tells half the story, and I believe that it will have more impact if you discover it yourself. Needless to say, though, it was really a fantastic movie. With Pharrell in charge of music, and Forest Whitaker and Sean Combs on board as well, the film does a great job at keeping things very original. There were many times where I could not hear the next few lines of dialogue, I was laughing so hard. And the soundtrack was incredible.
If I had to give you a frame of reference, though, think of it like this: Friday meets The Girl Next Door, with a little bit of Superbad mixed in. But the film delivers in so many great ways, and was very excellently cast. Moore did a great job of portraying that awkward geek who just got caught up in some very interesting situations. I should know, because I was there once, too. But the film has a powerful message. Showing off his love of nineties hip-hop, the film begins with Malcolm trying to get his Harvard admittance essay past his guidance counselor, but the essay is about the research to find that good day that Ice Cube talks about in his song. He was asked to write something more personal, and boy did he deliver after everything he went through following that birthday party.
I can’t truthfully say that you absolutely need to see this on the big screen. There’s nothing to really promote seeing it in theaters over at home. But, if you are looking for a good date night movie, this might be the one to see this weekend. While there were a few slow parts, the movie did keep up a good pace and was lighthearted enough to be enjoyable by all. Definitely worth checking out, but when is up to you. Know that I would definitely recommend it though, and will absolutely be picking it up for my home collection when it releases in stores.