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Hadley (567 KP) rated The Road in Books

Nov 25, 2019  
The Road
The Road
Cormac McCarthy | 2010 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.8 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well written (1 more)
Great characters
If the world ended, could you keep your morals and values? Imagine that your a father, with a young child in a burned-out world, barely surviving out on the road, and there are cannibals and murderers out to get you. Over time, you would watch your child become thinner and thinner, and every now and then you're lucky enough to find some canned or jarred food here and there, but it's only a matter of time before you can't find anymore. Soon, you would both be too weak to move - - - would you murder someone if they had food? Yet, most people out on the road are just like you, with no food and searching for more - - - in that case, could you kill and eat a person to survive? Or would you let yourself and your child starve, keeping your morals and values intact?

This is a scenario people may have to face one day, especially with the shape the world is in today. Even now people are faced with sticking with their morals and values, from helping our fellow man to the decision of holding a door open for a stranger. The Road, Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, brings the very question of humanity to the forefront, as well as how hard it is to hold onto it.

The father, The Road's main character, takes us on a journey through the mountains in a burned-out America, but the fires that took over are never explained and they didn't need to be. Apparently having been on the move for a couple of years, he wants to take his young son South to survive the winter months that are very close by. Readers get glimpses of what happened the night the grid went down from the father's point-of-view, but so many years have passed that the memories are few, the facts aren't completely straight, and any type of life before the fires seems to have been just a dream. So the two begin the story heading South, dragging everything they have scavenged in their travels inside of a metal shopping cart, and the father isn't sure they'll make it out of the mountains before winter. He only has tattered pieces of a map that they have carried for a long time, having numbered each piece with a broken crayon they had found, making it hard to estimate how far they need to travel.

While traveling, they very rarely run into other people, at one point, when they run into a very bad man, the father realizes he hasn't spoken to another person (other than his son) in at least a year. This is mostly because the majority of people that are still alive are the type of people that would rather kill you and take whatever you have than speak to you. Even most of the houses they come upon are burned and abandoned, but the father sees these buildings as a chance to find food and supplies: "The roadside hedges were gone to rows of black and twisted brambles. No sign of life. He left the boy standing in the road holding the pistol while he climbed an old set of limestone steps and walked down the porch of the farmhouse shading his eyes and peering in the windows. He let himself in through the kitchen. Trash in the floor, old newsprint. China in a breakfront, cups hanging from their hooks. He went down the hallway and stood in the door to the parlor. There was an antique pumporgan in the corner. A television set. Cheap stuffed furniture together with an old handmade cherrywood chifforobe. He climbed the stairs and walked through the bedrooms. Everything covered with ash. A child's room with a stuffed dog on the windowsill looking out at the garden. He went through the closets. He stripped back the beds and came away with two good woolen blankets and went back down the stairs. In the pantry were three jars of homecanned tomatoes. He blew the dust from the lids and studied them. Someone before him had not trusted them and in the end neither did he and he walked out with the blankets over his shoulder and they set off along the road again. " The young son is usually left close by outside because he seems scared that either there will be bad people or dead people inside.

Throughout this incredible, heart wrenching novel, the father slowly becomes more ill with what seems to be a case of pneumonia, possibly caused by all of the ash that is in the air from the fires; this makes him cough uncontrollably. Yet, he doesn't focus on that he may not live too much longer, instead he tries everything to get his son as far South as possible without too much of a plan of what to do when they get there.

The horror of this book is brought to light by the realism of what could happen if the world were to end, when people lose their humanity and begin to kill and eat their fellow humans. It leaves us wondering if we could hold onto what we are today when the basic need for shelter and food become more important than another person's life. But the father and son are examples of the few individuals who are able to hold onto their humanity during the end of the world: they share supplies if they can, they don't kill humans or animals to feed themselves, and they live by one rule: if a person is still alive, they take nothing from them.

The struggle these two go through is very real and believable, and McCarthy's writing is so well done that this book is hard to put down. Even while reading, most won't notice that there is only one character in the entire story that is given a name; our two main characters are never addressed by anything other than Papa or son/boy. The father's worry about keeping his son alive and unharmed is heartbreaking, for instance, one scene where he believes that he and his son are going to be found by cannibals, he quickly goes over with his son on how to shoot himself with the pistol, so neither of them will be taken alive. As a parent, I choked up in quite a few scenes, including this one - - - and as with the film adaptation, I cried heartily at the end.

This emotional, dark novel is an amazing book to read. The Road is bound to leave readers questioning what they would do in the same circumstances as the father. I highly recommend this book to people who love dystopian novels, but beware, this is a story you won't be able to forget.
  
The Lost City of Z (2017)
The Lost City of Z (2017)
2017 | Biography, Drama, History
Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) stars as the British Explorer Colonel Percival Fawcett, who disappeared on an expedition in search of an ancient city and civilization in the Amazon. The film centers on the true-life adventure of Col Fawcett and his journey to find evidence of a lost people while engaging audiences in the ego and superiority complex that much of western civilization finds itself.
We are introduced to Fawcett as he is an Army Major who seeks to have some sense of distinction and recognition. Seeking notoriety and a sense of honor, Fawcett accepts the task of mapping out disputed territory between Peru and Brazil at the opening of the 20th century in order to prevent war between the two nations.

In his exploits, he is confronted with the exploitation of the indigenous population, extraction of resources, and an untamed land. Upon subsequent journeys and serving in World War I, he is consumed with the need to find a sense of honor in his duty to his nation. Over the course of the film, we begin to see how invested he is in this struggle to learn more about the people and places that he is exploring, however, there isn’t a true connection made between Hunnam’s portrayal and the audience. At times, I found myself not caring about Fawcett’s contributions or career. I could not get invested in his story or his struggle to find a lost city that he believed existed in the wild. By the end of the film, I wasn’t invested in who Fawcett was, what he set out to accomplish, or even his legacy.

One thing that I did find remarkable was that the film helps to expose much of the anxiety and danger that existed during this period and previous expeditions into the region. Additionally, it gave me an appreciation for the endless heights of the human ego, ambition, and drive. The film allows for a critique to emerge about western interference and exploration of the region and the ethnocentrism held by western nations. Lost City of Z is an expansive visual spectacle. The jungle becomes a living, breathing, creature that audiences will connect with, become fearful of, and appreciate. It is the character that carries the film.

The actors and actresses are the background. This aspect allows for the audience to become absorbed by the surroundings and the environment that the characters find themselves in.

The film is beautifully shot and captivating. The sequences are engaging and give the sense of being transported to a foreign, mysterious land that holds secrets that many of us could never comprehend or witness with our own eyes.
  
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Merissa (12720 KP) rated DNA Demons N Angels in Books

Nov 23, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)  
DNA Demons N Angels
DNA Demons N Angels
Katie Zaber | 2021 | Contemporary, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
DNA Demons N Angels is definitely What To Expect When You're Expecting Something Different!

The basic premise of this book is a woman (Evie) gets unexpectedly pregnant. Unexpectedly, because her husband has a vasectomy years ago! Think Virgin Mary. Obviously, he doesn't believe her when she says she hasn't slept with anyone but him, and they separate. This starts the journey of a lifetime with possessions, kidnappings, and hints galore about who the father of the baby is and what 'it' will be.

The cravings in this book made me laugh, and also wonder if this was real life in a book. If not the author, then maybe someone she knows? They are just as funky as some cravings can be, and I loved it.

I didn't think too much as I was reading this. I didn't try to figure anything out. I just let the book sweep me along, giving me bits of information when deemed necessary. Maybe because of that but the ending didn't come as a surprise. It was a good ending, just not surprising to me.

I'm really hoping there is more to come in this world. I would like to know more about Lucas, Annabel, Bell, and co, plus I'm sure that baby has stories to tell. A very different read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 23, 2021
  
Official Secrets (2019)
Official Secrets (2019)
2019 | Biography, Drama, Thriller
Should this tense, dramatic thriller remain a Secret?
I was lucky enough to be invited to an advanced screening of this film, ahead of it's general release.

"Official Secrets (2019)" is a tense and clever thriller based on real events that occurred during the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003. Keira Knightley plays Katherine Gun, a British spy-turned-whistleblower who worked for GCHQ at the time. She leaked confidential information to the press, exposing illegal activities at the highest levels of government intended to falsely justify the invasion of Iraq. Backed by a high-calibre support cast, which includes Matt Smith and Ralph Fiennes, this film serves to show you the true story of what happened during this shadowy and questionable chapter in our history.

The film uses actual news footage from the time to great effect, making you feel as if you're watching a biographical documentary on the History Channel. Knightley is captivating as the Robin Hood-esque lead, delivering a truly believable and heartfelt performance throughout. It wasn't until the credits began to roll and they showed you footage of the real Katherine Gun from news reels at the time that you realise just how good Knightley's performance really was. From the way she dressed to the tone in which she spoke and the small mannerisms of her personality, it was a very, very good portrayal.

As with most films like this, I imagine certain events and aspects of the story were dramatised or exaggerated for the purposes of cinema, but at no point did it ever feel like it. Any changes to real events were subtle enough that you couldn't spot them without detailed knowledge of what really happened at the time - something, it turns out, very few people actually had.

Matt Smith is both charming and uncompromising as the stubborn reporter who champions Gun's crusade for the truth, giving her support and a platform to get her message out to the world. Similarly, Ralph Fiennes looks right at home as the lawyer who defends her in the public eye.

I admit that certain aspects and legalities within the plot felt, at times, a little far-fetched, but honestly, the film did such a good job of telling this story, I'm inclined to think that's still how things actually happened.

Spoilers aren't as much of an issue for films like this, as you already know the outcome. But this film isn't about the destination, it's about the journey. It shines a spotlight on the down-and-dirty world of global politics, as well as how difficult it can sometimes be to choose to do the right thing.

The film moves along at a slow yet perfect pace. It doesn't look or feel like a Hollywood movie, which I think is a very good thing. Instead, it feels like a BBC drama, similar to Line of Duty or Luther or Spooks, and that's exactly the kind of approach this film needed to work.

I went into this admittedly understanding very little of what went on back in 2003. I was much younger and wasn't interested in geopolitics, or even the news in general. But seeing this film piqued my interest, and after a few hours of Googling the events depicted in the film, I'm even more in awe of just how well made this was. Kudos to everyone involved.

My only criticism, if I had to give one, would be the number of times people had to say "Official Secrets Act"... I get that's what the film is about, but it seemed like every character had a quota for the number of times they had to mention it! But that's just nit-picking for nit-picking's sake. This truly is a cracking film. One of the gems of the year that's not to be missed!
  
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ClareR (5859 KP) rated Unclean Spirits (Gods and Monsters #1) in Books

Feb 20, 2018 (Updated Feb 20, 2018)  
Unclean Spirits (Gods and Monsters #1)
Unclean Spirits (Gods and Monsters #1)
Chuck Wendig | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Low down and dirty Mythology!!
Carson Cole escapes his life of servitude when a bomb destroys his boss, Mr E. Rose. Yes, if you say it quickly it sounds like Eros, and that’s because it IS Eros. Carson learns that he is embroiled in the world of the Gods from every pantheon. They have all been cast out of the heavens by ‘The Usurper’ and are having to scratch out a life on Earth. Not many of them actually like it.
Carson had lost his life five years previously to Eros’ whims, and his wife and son hate him. He goes on a journey with Frank (who is frankly, a horrific character) to find out why this is. It’s a ‘100mph’ book: non-stop action pretty much, and if you like Gods (and monsters!) you’ll like this. It has a very dark, menacing atmosphere: dirty, unclean, violent. I enjoyed it! There was a bit (a huge!) twist at the end.
I also enjoyed the short story at the end by Pat Kelleher (Drag Hunt) featuring Coyote. This story isn’t set completely in the US, but does start there and ends in London and it’s environs. Coyote has lost a rather important part of himself, and is determined to find it. A very enjoyable story, again, with a great selection of Norse, Celtic, Egyptian and other Gods that I have probably forgotten in it! I find myself very much enjoying these stories with Coyote in. He’s very much the Loki of the North American native people. Got to love a trickster!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book!
  
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Becs (244 KP) rated Angel Land in Books

Jun 6, 2019  
Angel Land
Angel Land
PS Scott | 2019 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Interesting yet lacking
My rating: ☆☆☆.5

Review:
I was sent a final copy of Angel Land by PS Scott to read and review for my honest opinion. Thank you to Indiegram Book Tours and PS Scott for sending me a final copy.

Angel Land follows a thirteen year old boy named Gabriel Perez and his journey to try to become a ruling archangel. He is wingless and that adds to multiple of difficult bumps throughout the story. When it comes to take the GTEE, Gabriel ends up failing. But what he doesn’t expect in to get chosen to enter the Z Guild. But he soon gets attacked and put in protective custody in the Holy Guild. This all leads to Gabriel making a few friends, going on a few adventures, finding out the truth, and having to choose sides.

“There are some moments you spend all your life dreaming of so much that they become a quasi-reality. You see them when you wake up, you see them when you go to sleep, you see them when you close your eyes, and you see them when you open your eyes. You begin living in the dream, seeing the same vision for years, desperately hoping it’ll come true but never expecting it to. When dreams meet reality the collision is so powerful there are no words to describe it.”

Reasons why I rated it 3.5 stars:
1. The plot:
I felt the plot was lacking a bit and did discover a few plot holes. Really took away from the story as I was confused in a few parts.

2. My enjoyment:
I really enjoyed reading Angel Land. But I probably won’t reread as it’s not typically something that I would read.

3. Character and story development:
There was not really as much development that I felt was needed. The character development was yet wasn’t there and the story had some development, but lacked a bit in parts.

4. Grammar and spelling:
There were quite a bit of spelling and grammatical errors that it took away from the story. My brain was automatically correcting parts and other parts of the story I had to reread more than once so I could understand what was going on.

5. The overall story:
I enjoyed Angel Land but because it lacked in parts, it slithered closer and closer to the unenjoyable state. The story was there, it just needed a bit more added to it to make it one hundred percent.

“Fear is the most debilitating thing in the world, but if you can face your greatest fear, you become invincible.”