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I'm Not Cinderella
I'm Not Cinderella
Tarrah Montgomery | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received this book as a gift from my best friend who insisted I read it. (Thanks, Krystal. Darn you!) I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would.

The story follows Brinlee, a 17-year-old girl from Idaho, as she accidentally switches places with Cinderella after finding a secret door in her attic bedroom. While stuck in this fairytale world, Brinlee threatens the happily ever after of this beloved tale; now with new mysteries surrounding the characters, Brinlee is determined to uncover those secrets. Along the way, she meets some new friends and finds unexpected love.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Especially given the fact that I almost gave up on it. It started out slow and didn’t really hold my attention until about halfway through, at which point the story took off including an unexpected twist that had me hooked and anxious to see how it would play out.

Once the story picked up, I found it hard to put down. However, I was slightly disappointed with the ending and the introduction or revelation of the identities of characters that were only vaguely introduced to begin with.

Overall, I found it to be a good clean read that I would recommend to any fan of Cinderella.
  
The Ghost Studies: New Perspectives on the Origins of Paranormal Experiences
The Ghost Studies: New Perspectives on the Origins of Paranormal Experiences
Brandon Massullo | 2017 | Paranormal, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
7
6.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Interesting and thought provoking.
The Ghost Studies was an interesting read. One that I definitely scribbled in, ear-marked pages, and all that stuff you do when you want to cross-reference and remember things. The author makes a lot of salient points, and a lot of times I found myself sitting back and just reconsidering things I had previously brushed off.

It was also, truth be told, a difficult book for me to read. Not because it was bad, but because it oftentimes required more concentration than I was capable of. This is not a book you want to skim. You want to sit down with it when you have the time to truly pay attention to it, and the ability to concentrate on what the author is saying.

I think my favorite topic was that of quantum entanglement. I hadn't heard of it before I started this book, and, funnily enough, right before I got to the section in The Ghost Studies, I read a book involving it for the first time. (I read multiple books at once, if that sentence confused anyone.) The section on EMF was very interesting as well.

Now, I won't say that this has influenced my belief (or lack thereof) in ghosts one way or another, but I definitely enjoyed the way it made me think. I do wish the author had spent a little bit more time on the Not Everything is Paranormal section, though. I felt like that one skimmed a bit.

Overall, a good read but not a quick one. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, I think you'll find something interesting about paranormal experiences in The Ghost Studies.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
  
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Yvonne (12 KP) rated Thirteen in Books

Jun 9, 2019  
Thirteen
Thirteen
Steve Cavanagh | 2018 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.5 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
Before I started this book, I had never read any of the other books in this series. What grabbed me was the blurb and a lot of recommendations from my friends.
Eddie Flynn is a defence lawyer, good at what he does, he has made a name for himself, whilst annoying the NYPD. When Robert Solomon gets arrested for murder, Flynn gets an invite to be on the defence team. With all the evidence stacked up against Robert, Flynn knows he has a fight in court. But the further Flynn investigates, he quickly comes to realise that it is not a simple case of murder.
From the start, you know that Joshua Kane was a master of his work. Everything he did was planned to the finest detail. He was one of the cleverest serial killers I have read about and I did have an admiration for him.
The story swaps between Flynn and Kane’s story, there is no confusion as Kane is in 3rd POV. This helped the story flow and you learn about the characters in detail. This story is fast paced and the tension builds throughout. I do not read many courtroom dramas but I found this intriguing, even down to the jury selection and after I found out what they have to go through to get selected, I admired Joshua more.
When I am reading thrillers I like to guess where the story was going, but with this story, I was wrong in every case. The story was well plotted and there was a lot of detail to the story. Even if you have not read the others in the series, you do not miss out on any of the stories as this can be read as a stand-alone and for me a good introduction to this author’s work. An intriguing plot and a must for thriller lovers and you will get to find out why thirteen as there are only twelve on the jury.
  
The Invisible Man (2020)
The Invisible Man (2020)
2020 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Terrifying
Don't you just love it when you go and see a film you know little to nothing about, and end up being pleasantly surprised at how good it is? Yesterday was my last chance to catch a film due to closure because of the coronavirus, and I'm very glad I chose to watch The Invisible Man.

Right from the opening scene, the first half of this film i found absolutely terrifying. The score really helps to build up a lot of tension and I found myself on the edge of my seat. I'm known for being quite hardened when it comes to scary films, but there was something about this film that had me wanting to hide my head in my hands. It may just be the idea of an invisible enemy or jump scares that you obviously can't see coming, but I havent been this creeped out in a long time.

The second half of the film is a little less scary and ends up being more like a thriller, which was probably a good thing as I dont think I could've handled that level of terror for the entire film! The acting is great, especially from Elizabeth Moss and really had me questioning her character's sanity. She carries the entire film and she puts in a brilliant performance. The technology and science behind this is maybe a little lacking and questionable at times, but as they dont focus too much on the detail of this and the backstory of Adrian it's rather easy to ignore some of the slightly dodgy science and just enjoy the ride. There are a lot of twists and turns in this film that I hadn't been expecting, and I found the ending to be especially satisfying.

Overall this is a unexpected yet hugely enjoyable thriller that had me cowering in my seat for a good hour. Not many films can do that.
  
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ClareR (5674 KP) rated Sun Damage in Books

Jul 4, 2023  
Sun Damage
Sun Damage
Sabine Durrant | 2022 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sun Damage is a slow burn of a book, dripping in paranoia!

Ali and Sean are confidence tricksters: they get people to trust them, and then extract large amounts of money from them. Except something goes wrong when they try to con Lulu, and Ali goes on the run - with a large sum of money from Sean’s safe. Ali thinks she has found the perfect hiding place in a gîte in the South of France, but it seems inevitable that her past will catch up with her.

This is all set in the summer, when the heat is as oppressive as Ali’s paranoia. The whole novel feels claustrophobic - will Ali be found out? Will Sean find her? What will her employers do?

We see Ali’s past and childhood in some detail, and I found myself forgiving her for her terrible behaviour - although I doubt I would have been so forgiving if I was the one being swindled!

This is probably the ideal summer holiday read - great for by the pool, somewhere hot. Although you’ll be a lot more suspicious of anyone you don’t know trying to strike up a conversation!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for another great serialisation.
  
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Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated I Kill Giants (2017) in Movies

Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)  
I Kill Giants (2017)
I Kill Giants (2017)
2017 | Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
This is a movie that I have enjoyed so much from start to finish, the giants are amazingly done, you don’t get to see much of them, but when you do, you have the feeling of their sheer power and fear that Barbara is creating in these creatures.

But with the underlying story that her mother is ill and she takes herself off into a fantasy world to battle giants to escape the reality of true-life is so nicely done, I found myself very emotional towards the end of the film, but still lifted that Barbara has fought her way through against giants, bullies and the fears of losing her mother.
  
The Woman in the Window
The Woman in the Window
A.J. Finn | 2018 | Thriller
7
8.0 (42 Ratings)
Book Rating
A story that will keep you guessing. (0 more)
So slow to start! (0 more)
Slow burner.
This novel came highly recommended to me. So it was one I had high expectations of.
Honestly those expectations were let down in the first half of the book. I found the style of writing slow and the main charictor hard to warm too.
However! Once into the story I quickly became hooked. It picked up pace and the story kept me guessing. I did unfortunately guess part of the twist. But it didn't stop the book from being cleverly written in a unique style. Overall I enjoyed it, and do recommend others read it. Just don't expect a fast paced read.
  
The Girl Before
The Girl Before
J.P. Delaney | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.7 (25 Ratings)
Book Rating
Clever
The book is cleverly told from two different people, at two different times….but their stories are linked in such a way that you just have to keep reading to find out what comes next!

I found myself dreaming of living in One Folgate Street, where one rule is that nothing is lying around – everything is tidy. Well my house isn’t like that but I would love for it to be… but then I enjoy my things around me and I am sure I would find it much more difficult that Emma or Jane did.

Thanks to JP Delaney, Quercus Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the sampler and the full novel. Highly recommended reading!!