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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Mammoth in Books

Mar 15, 2018  
M
Mammoth
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Also find my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/mammoth-by-douglas-perry

NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UK!

Thank you to Netgalley and Amberjack Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this in an exchange for a review.

Not quite what I was expecting, which I think is the general feel judging by others reviews. Be warned, this isn’t a creepy paranormal, alien type of thing. I don’t think that’s a spoiler either, I wouldn’t want you to pick this up and be greatly disappointed. If you love character focused novels then this will be your kind of book! This gives you some really in depth information about each of the characters, but it can get confusing because there are <i>so</i> many characters! There are <b>eleven</b> main characters, plus more characters that relate to these characters in little sub plots.

<u>Characters: </u>
Tori
Billy & Becky
Jackson & Sam
Hicks & Lloyd
Oscar - “King”
Melvin & Gordon
Winnie Lloyd

If you find it difficult to keep up with lots of different people in books then this won’t be for you. It can get a little confusing at times and I often forgot what was happening to one character by the time we got back to reading about them after having read about 4 characters in between.

I though this novel was superbly written. Possibly one of the best written books I’ve read in quite a while! There is some really grotesque imagery in this book, not in a violent way though, so I wouldn’t give it any trigger warnings, though rape is implied. My only problem with the writing was that sometimes it was really difficult to understand where the characters were in Mammoth View or Bakersfield or what. That was my one annoyance, I wasn’t able to keep a grip on where each character was.

In terms of the plot that there was, which wasn’t much, it was an interesting storyline. Lots of things going on a once which could definitely add to the confusion. I feel as though Perry had created seven(ish) separate short stories and then tried to mash them into one… which in my opinion worked. I felt let down by the ending in a way but at the same time I thought it was really unique. You do find out why panic ensues in the small town of Mammoth View and I can bet you won’t see it coming… Though now I’ve told you it’s not paranormal or aliens then maybe you might…

If you like to really get to know a character and don’t really care about a well developed plot then this book is a definite read for you, but if you’re expecting something scary or creepy form this then don’t bother as it isn’t that kind of thing. I will definitely look out for more of Perry’s work!
  
Army of the Dead (2021)
Army of the Dead (2021)
2021 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
6
6.8 (21 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Took To Long To Get To The Fun Part
I love me a good Zombie flick. I also love me a good Heist flick. So…when I heard that Zack Snyder (JUSTICE LEAGUE) was making a “Zombie/Heist Flick”, I thought “what’s not to like”?

Turns out…plenty.

A pet project of Sndyer’s that has been stuck in “development hell” in Hollywood for almost 2 decades, ARMY OF THE DEAD tells the tale of a group of mercenaries that look to rob $200 million from a vault under the casinos of Las Vegas - one small problem…Las Vegas has been walled off as a way to contain a zombie plague.

My first warning that this was not going to a pleasant experience is that this film has a 2 1/2 hour run time. That certainly seems bloated for a Zombie film and the first 1 1/2 of this flick certainly proves this out as Snyder - ham handedly - seeks to flesh out each of the characters in long, boring exposition scenes that didn’t really add anything to the tension or action. Well…it did add something…restless boredom.

But…I gotta admit, once the group of mercenaries make their way to the vault in Las Vegas, the last hour of the film was pretty darn fun.

Dave Bautista (Drax in the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY films) leads the group of mercenaries and Ella Purnell (Emma in MISS PEREGRINE…) is his estranged daughter. I won’t bore you with the details of why these 2 are estranged…but they are and Bautista insists that his daughter NOT come along on this mission. So you know what happens next…yep, she comes along and I was rooting for her to get killed almost from the start. Neither of these 2 characters work and since they are central to the story they are really at the root of the problems with the first 1 1/2 hours of this film.

The rest of the ensemble, however, are a lot of fun and bring that “B Monster Movie” vibe to the proceedings and they look like they are having alot of fun. Tig Notero, Ana de La Reguera, Omari Hardwick and Theo Rossi are an enjoyable lot and know EXACTLY what type of film they are in.

But the standouts of the ensemble are the always great Garret Dillahunt (John Dorie in FEAR THE WALKING DEAD) who brings his usual “A” game to the proceedings. As does Nora Arnezeder (SAFE HOUSE) as “The Coyote” a survivor who has been in Las Vegas before and - especially - Matthias Schweighofer (RESISTANCE) who steals every scene he is in playing the German safecracker.

I would have loved it if Snyder would have cut the Bautista and daughter scenes (and characters) and just had this ensemble go after the loot - it would have been a much better - and shorter - film.

But…if you can last through the long, boring first 1 1/2 hours, the last hour is “good enough” Zombie action with an interesting “twist” on the genre that I will have to give Snyder credit for.

If you do all this, you’ll have a passably decent enough entertaining time.

Letter Grade: B-

6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
  
    Fashion School Girl

    Fashion School Girl

    Games and Entertainment

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

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    ~~> Stella’s school is a fashion nightmare! Help her give a school-wide fashion makeover! ~~> From...

Immortal Girl5
Immortal Girl5
Griffin Stark | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Immortal Girl5 by Griffin Stark
Immortal Girl5 is a fast paced short story about five girls who are made immortal to 'save the world'. The introduction to each girl is perfect, and suited to the individual. It felt like we found out more about Skylar than most of the others, but it still seemed to fit.

I did feel like this book raised questions that weren't answered though. For example, who were Alistair and Isabelle? You are under the impression they are 'good', but nothing really backs that up. What actually was the job of the Immortal Girl5, because it seemed like they exacted vengeance and then spent the followings years doing... what? With Joan of Arc, Anne Frank, and Jack the Ripper all making an appearance, I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, giving more detail and story to these scenes.

There is also a MASSIVE case on insta-love going on, that managed to make the whole ending confusing. There were plenty of things alluded to, but nothing was made clear. I'm not sure if this is book one in a series, or if it's a standalone. The ending suggests it could go further.

I did enjoy this book, but in my opinion, it could do with a bit... more. A bit more story, a bit more editing and formatting so the differences in times and characters become clearer. I would definitely like to read 'more' from this author, and about these characters.

* 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!