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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Dollars to Donuts in Tabletop Games
Jul 21, 2020 (Updated Jul 21, 2020)
I don’t think I even have to say anything up top here to get those juices flowing – just looking at the box to Dollars to Donuts makes you pine for them. Just me? Nah, everyone loves donuts – even most of the diabetics I’ve known. So when I heard that we had a chance to preview a tile-laying, set collection donut-themed game, I knew we had to jump on it. And oh, spoilers, it’s GREAT.
Dollars to Donuts is a game where you are literally turning dollars into donuts. Pretty on the nose with the title, eh? Agreed, but once you play it, I promise you will be hooked.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to back the game on Kickstarter running until August 10, 2020, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after it is fulfilled. -T
There really are plenty of rules for this game, and I will not touch on everything. To setup, deal each player a board in their color along with the matching starting 1×1 donut tiles to be placed on the boards according to the rules, as well as the proper starting Dollar Tiles. Populate the Specials Board (shown below), reveal the top four Customer Cards (shown below), separate the Donut Tiles into like piles, and throw the rest of the Dollar Tiles into the cloth bag. The game is now ready to begin!
Each player will be purchasing a Donut tile (1×4) on their turn and placing it on their board. The interesting thing here is that these tiles do NOT have to be confined to the spaces on the Player Mat (board) – tiles can hang off the edge. And icons that are hanging off, however, cannot score or provide any benefit, so that is the trade-off. After placing the Donut Tile on the board, players will then collect Donut VP Tokens if placing on the board created a complete donut. If the placing created a mismatched donut, the player will instead collect as many Dollar Tiles as the highest number of $ symbols of the mismatched donut (so a plain donut half is worth $1 but a chocolate is worth $2 so a mismatched donut of those two flavors would count as $2). At this point, the player may choose to place a 1×1 double-sided Dollar Tile on their board to fill a gap, or hole, and I’ll be darned if you don’t use donut holes to fill holes in your board. Lastly, a player may then Serve a Customer using their earned Donut VP Tokens. Serving customers increases the value of the VP tokens, so serving is certainly beneficial.
Play continues in this fashion until a player has filled their empty board spaces with delicious donuts. Complete the round and then count the scores to see who really is the Donut Champ.
Components. Again, we were provided with a prototype copy of Dollars to Donuts, and upgraded components are stretch goals for a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, the art on this is really great. Dylan Mangini can illustrate games superbly for sure. I love the colors they have chosen, the art style, and fun start player token that came with it (and I hope it is something that can be offered to all through a stretch goal or something). I have no complaints here and I look forward to seeing how the final products looks.
So it is absolutely no surprise that I loved this one. I have a special place in my heart for games with ever-changing resource costs, tile-placing, donuts, multi-use components, and donuts. I love being able to use any part of the Donut Tiles, even if my board looks kooky at the end (see below). It’s so refreshing when a game comes along that takes a comfortable given and turns it on its head. We all know how to keep components within the boundaries of our player board. But WHYYYYY? Dollars to Donuts fixes that, even at the cost of our more organized players’ sanity. I simply love this game and can’t wait to get my final copy. If you also are excited to grab a copy of this one, head over to Kickstarter and join the campaign going on NOW (at the time of this writing) until August 10, 2020. I would also suggest ordering a dozen or two of your favorite bakery treats to have on hand when you play this – your tummy will thank you. Unless you’re diabetic. Then I am sorry.
Dollars to Donuts is a game where you are literally turning dollars into donuts. Pretty on the nose with the title, eh? Agreed, but once you play it, I promise you will be hooked.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and the final components may be different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but to give our readers an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to back the game on Kickstarter running until August 10, 2020, order from your FLGS, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after it is fulfilled. -T
There really are plenty of rules for this game, and I will not touch on everything. To setup, deal each player a board in their color along with the matching starting 1×1 donut tiles to be placed on the boards according to the rules, as well as the proper starting Dollar Tiles. Populate the Specials Board (shown below), reveal the top four Customer Cards (shown below), separate the Donut Tiles into like piles, and throw the rest of the Dollar Tiles into the cloth bag. The game is now ready to begin!
Each player will be purchasing a Donut tile (1×4) on their turn and placing it on their board. The interesting thing here is that these tiles do NOT have to be confined to the spaces on the Player Mat (board) – tiles can hang off the edge. And icons that are hanging off, however, cannot score or provide any benefit, so that is the trade-off. After placing the Donut Tile on the board, players will then collect Donut VP Tokens if placing on the board created a complete donut. If the placing created a mismatched donut, the player will instead collect as many Dollar Tiles as the highest number of $ symbols of the mismatched donut (so a plain donut half is worth $1 but a chocolate is worth $2 so a mismatched donut of those two flavors would count as $2). At this point, the player may choose to place a 1×1 double-sided Dollar Tile on their board to fill a gap, or hole, and I’ll be darned if you don’t use donut holes to fill holes in your board. Lastly, a player may then Serve a Customer using their earned Donut VP Tokens. Serving customers increases the value of the VP tokens, so serving is certainly beneficial.
Play continues in this fashion until a player has filled their empty board spaces with delicious donuts. Complete the round and then count the scores to see who really is the Donut Champ.
Components. Again, we were provided with a prototype copy of Dollars to Donuts, and upgraded components are stretch goals for a successful Kickstarter campaign. That said, the art on this is really great. Dylan Mangini can illustrate games superbly for sure. I love the colors they have chosen, the art style, and fun start player token that came with it (and I hope it is something that can be offered to all through a stretch goal or something). I have no complaints here and I look forward to seeing how the final products looks.
So it is absolutely no surprise that I loved this one. I have a special place in my heart for games with ever-changing resource costs, tile-placing, donuts, multi-use components, and donuts. I love being able to use any part of the Donut Tiles, even if my board looks kooky at the end (see below). It’s so refreshing when a game comes along that takes a comfortable given and turns it on its head. We all know how to keep components within the boundaries of our player board. But WHYYYYY? Dollars to Donuts fixes that, even at the cost of our more organized players’ sanity. I simply love this game and can’t wait to get my final copy. If you also are excited to grab a copy of this one, head over to Kickstarter and join the campaign going on NOW (at the time of this writing) until August 10, 2020. I would also suggest ordering a dozen or two of your favorite bakery treats to have on hand when you play this – your tummy will thank you. Unless you’re diabetic. Then I am sorry.
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
May 5, 2020
Asks more questions than it answers. (3 more)
Fails to recover from the damages of The Last Jedi.
No sense to the narrative.
Some acting is appalling.
Goodbye, Star Wars.
Almost six months from its release, I finally sat down and treated myself to Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Ever since Disney took over the Star Wars brand, I've been sceptical of their intentions with the property, and so far I've been massively disappointed. I enjoyed the Mandalorian, and still believe Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is easily as good as the original trilogy. Controversial, I know. But the newest trilogy has dropped my interest in Star Wars altogether, as they've so far been bogged down by awful writing, humongous plot holes, and the butchering of beloved characters to make way for wooden new ones. The Force Awakens was a step in the right direction, but the nostalgia factor was what drew me in. Eight years on, it hasn't aged well at all. The Last Jedi became my Stopping point in the Galaxy far, far away. Yes it has flair and popped visually, but the story was an insult to all the fans who had cherished Star Wars back in the days of the Original trilogy. After countless rewrites, multiple directors, and suspicions of actors within feeling disheartened with the over arc of their characters (looking at you, John Boyega), The Rise of Skywalker is finally here to cap of Disney's first trilogy.
What a disaster.
The Rise of Skywalker is an incoherent, messy and boring experience to chug through. Time and time again throughout the two and a half hours, I face palmed in absolute cringe and embarrassment at what Disney have done to this once celebrated franchise. The film feels rushed, on edge to get to the next destination for the newest plot point, without explaining or finishing the previous one, pointing even more towards those rewritten scripts. The film feels like multiple entries, crammed into one sprawling narrative that can't be resolved in the time given, this is especially the case with characters like Poe and Finn, who's arcs have been destroyed to make way for Rey, and that is the biggest issue. Rey has been written as the central moving force of this trilogy, but she never undergoes any development. Sure, she learns a few things about herself in this film, and challenges the idea of who she is for a brief moment, but she’s been made the perfect Jedi without trying. Its poor and lazy writing, and fans have began to feel an agenda is presenting itself. Whilst the women feel strong, wise, intelligent, the men are all morons, blundering their way through the story and often bickering with each other. Its an observation as a critic and fan, and its made me loath almost every character introduced since The Force Awakens. It became clear how little I cared about anything that was happening when a moment of embrace for the three main heroes once the final act ended. It should feel emotional, impactful, but it feels hollow, even forced. Much like most of the decision making of the film itself.
This brings me neatly onto the content of the film, if you can make any sense of it. If this is supposed to end the Skywalker saga once and for all, why add ridiculous plot threads and more pointless characters,that add no weight or purpose to the narrative? The ending is cut so quickly after the anti-climatic ending, that we don’t even have an idea of any characters finishing point. This is just one example of how badly things have spiralled into a mish mash of ideas from different writers and directors. If The Last Jedi was the franchise jumping into a well, this film is trying it's best to climb out. The two previous entries at least connected, but this feels a stand alone chapter, with no context or reason for what happens, and what does happen makes you scratch your head all the more.
I feel sorry for the hardcore fanbase, it genuinely feels like a slap in the face to history George Lucas has created. Once you lose the interest of your core audience, I feel its time to cut your losses. And yet again, another franchise has seen its demise. It feels like a symptomatic failure that the entertainment industry still don’t understand. You can buy any brand you want, but you can’t buy the fans love. Whatever direction Star Wars goes into next, I will not be tuning in.
What a disaster.
The Rise of Skywalker is an incoherent, messy and boring experience to chug through. Time and time again throughout the two and a half hours, I face palmed in absolute cringe and embarrassment at what Disney have done to this once celebrated franchise. The film feels rushed, on edge to get to the next destination for the newest plot point, without explaining or finishing the previous one, pointing even more towards those rewritten scripts. The film feels like multiple entries, crammed into one sprawling narrative that can't be resolved in the time given, this is especially the case with characters like Poe and Finn, who's arcs have been destroyed to make way for Rey, and that is the biggest issue. Rey has been written as the central moving force of this trilogy, but she never undergoes any development. Sure, she learns a few things about herself in this film, and challenges the idea of who she is for a brief moment, but she’s been made the perfect Jedi without trying. Its poor and lazy writing, and fans have began to feel an agenda is presenting itself. Whilst the women feel strong, wise, intelligent, the men are all morons, blundering their way through the story and often bickering with each other. Its an observation as a critic and fan, and its made me loath almost every character introduced since The Force Awakens. It became clear how little I cared about anything that was happening when a moment of embrace for the three main heroes once the final act ended. It should feel emotional, impactful, but it feels hollow, even forced. Much like most of the decision making of the film itself.
This brings me neatly onto the content of the film, if you can make any sense of it. If this is supposed to end the Skywalker saga once and for all, why add ridiculous plot threads and more pointless characters,that add no weight or purpose to the narrative? The ending is cut so quickly after the anti-climatic ending, that we don’t even have an idea of any characters finishing point. This is just one example of how badly things have spiralled into a mish mash of ideas from different writers and directors. If The Last Jedi was the franchise jumping into a well, this film is trying it's best to climb out. The two previous entries at least connected, but this feels a stand alone chapter, with no context or reason for what happens, and what does happen makes you scratch your head all the more.
I feel sorry for the hardcore fanbase, it genuinely feels like a slap in the face to history George Lucas has created. Once you lose the interest of your core audience, I feel its time to cut your losses. And yet again, another franchise has seen its demise. It feels like a symptomatic failure that the entertainment industry still don’t understand. You can buy any brand you want, but you can’t buy the fans love. Whatever direction Star Wars goes into next, I will not be tuning in.
Merissa (12069 KP) rated Beauty's Beasts in Books
Oct 6, 2023
BEAUTY'S BEASTS is a why choose romance that, although it's long, just isn't long enough! I'm not ready to leave them. I need more! (I feel like Oliver Twist!)
We start off in the village with Evan. They go to the shop and meet Will, their best friend. It's through this first scene that we understand just what is going on, how they are living, what they are up against, what the village thinks, and how it could be an Eve, Evangeline, or Evan day. Even though I knew what was coming, it still shocked me. It was so well-written, and that's only in the first few pages!!!
One thing I need to say. It would have been so easy for this author to split the book up, but I'm SO glad they didn't! I loved that it was chunky, and I loved even more that nothing stopped me from turning the pages and continuing with the story.
The four Gryxen are perfect. Very different personalities which came through clearly. There was never any doubt about which one they were interacting with. My favourites were Caliborne and Drixus, I guess I go for the quieter ones! Seerraf though? He's one dark horse that I want to know more about. Oh yes! I'm so glad that Caliborne stayed the way he was. It would have been an easy fix to make him different. It was how he was that made me fall in love with him. And Drixus? Well, he definitely deserved to change.
I will tell you, this book hit me right in the feels and absolutely made my eyes leak. It about killed me, before making it all right again. And don't get me started on the epilogue! This is why I need more!!!
So so good. I didn't want this book to finish. Definitely one I'll be buying in paperback or hardcover format, as I want to keep it and re-read whenever I want to. But, you know, if there was something to add to it, that would be good. 😍
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 6, 2023
We start off in the village with Evan. They go to the shop and meet Will, their best friend. It's through this first scene that we understand just what is going on, how they are living, what they are up against, what the village thinks, and how it could be an Eve, Evangeline, or Evan day. Even though I knew what was coming, it still shocked me. It was so well-written, and that's only in the first few pages!!!
One thing I need to say. It would have been so easy for this author to split the book up, but I'm SO glad they didn't! I loved that it was chunky, and I loved even more that nothing stopped me from turning the pages and continuing with the story.
The four Gryxen are perfect. Very different personalities which came through clearly. There was never any doubt about which one they were interacting with. My favourites were Caliborne and Drixus, I guess I go for the quieter ones! Seerraf though? He's one dark horse that I want to know more about. Oh yes! I'm so glad that Caliborne stayed the way he was. It would have been an easy fix to make him different. It was how he was that made me fall in love with him. And Drixus? Well, he definitely deserved to change.
I will tell you, this book hit me right in the feels and absolutely made my eyes leak. It about killed me, before making it all right again. And don't get me started on the epilogue! This is why I need more!!!
So so good. I didn't want this book to finish. Definitely one I'll be buying in paperback or hardcover format, as I want to keep it and re-read whenever I want to. But, you know, if there was something to add to it, that would be good. 😍
** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 6, 2023
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years in Books
Jan 2, 2019
If you don't know by now, I am a huge fan of the Beatles. Both of my children have their own Beatles song (Hey Jude and Help), however my general knowledge of their history is not so great. So when I saw Tune In, I didn't hesitate at the opportunity to read it. Being born in the late 80s I can only imagine what it was like to live in the world of Beatlemania, endure the sorrow of their breakup, and all the years in between. Which is why I am so excited about this book. Something else about me, is that I value history, learning the facts and details about people and time periods. Tune In is an extremely in depth look at the men that changed music forever.
Beginning with their family histories, we learn everything there is to know about the background, the life, the creation of the Beatles. Each chapter covers a few years to a few months, and a single day in some cases, beginning in 1845-1945 with the histories of their families, going through their childhood years in the next chapter (1945-1954), and taking us through to the end of 1962.
I have only begun to scratch the surface of this book and I think it is safe to say...Mind...Blown. So much detail, so much history. I love it! With about 80 pages of Notes and another 10 for Credits Mark Lewisohn has definitely done his research to give us such an in depth account of Beatles history. If you are a fan of the Beatles, you are sure to love reading Tune In. Now to wait for volume two...
I received a free copy of Tune In (The Beatles: All These Years) Volume 1, from the publisher through Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Beginning with their family histories, we learn everything there is to know about the background, the life, the creation of the Beatles. Each chapter covers a few years to a few months, and a single day in some cases, beginning in 1845-1945 with the histories of their families, going through their childhood years in the next chapter (1945-1954), and taking us through to the end of 1962.
I have only begun to scratch the surface of this book and I think it is safe to say...Mind...Blown. So much detail, so much history. I love it! With about 80 pages of Notes and another 10 for Credits Mark Lewisohn has definitely done his research to give us such an in depth account of Beatles history. If you are a fan of the Beatles, you are sure to love reading Tune In. Now to wait for volume two...
I received a free copy of Tune In (The Beatles: All These Years) Volume 1, from the publisher through Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Gifted (2017) in Movies
Jan 13, 2019
Good Stuff
After the death of his sister, Frank (Chris Evans) opts to take in his extremely intelligent niece Mary (McKenna Grace) and raise her like he thought his sister would have wanted. His hope is to protect her from growing up too fast, particularly from ending up in the clutches of his mom Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) who would prefer to hole Mary up in a private institution.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
When I look at characters and how they impact a movie, it’s not just about how intriguing they are, but also about how real they are. I love characters that are flawed and you get that with Frank. He’s just trying to do the right thing by his sister and his niece while still trying to live his own life as well. There are oftentimes where he’s wondering if he’s making the right decision and you’re wondering right along with him. I really appreciate the relationship between him and Mary as it wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops. They’ve clearly had some disagreements, but they love each other through it.
The supporting characters helped to hold the movie up as well. Bonnie (Jenny Slate) was probably my personal favorite as the warm caring teacher who genuinely wants the best for Mary. Both encouraging and sweet, she is another character whose story you get to unpack more and more as the movie progresses.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Great imagery and shots of a sleepy town in coastal Florida. There isn’t much to blow you away in the way of cinematography, but I appreciate the consistency at the very least. They keep the scenery fresh throughout which was good enough for me.
Conflict: 8
Genre: 7
Memorability: 8
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 8
Overall: 88
I’ve seen Gifted quite a few times, whether all the way through or in bits and pieces. Everytime I watch it, I find someting different to appreciate it. Solid surprise of a movie.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
When I look at characters and how they impact a movie, it’s not just about how intriguing they are, but also about how real they are. I love characters that are flawed and you get that with Frank. He’s just trying to do the right thing by his sister and his niece while still trying to live his own life as well. There are oftentimes where he’s wondering if he’s making the right decision and you’re wondering right along with him. I really appreciate the relationship between him and Mary as it wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops. They’ve clearly had some disagreements, but they love each other through it.
The supporting characters helped to hold the movie up as well. Bonnie (Jenny Slate) was probably my personal favorite as the warm caring teacher who genuinely wants the best for Mary. Both encouraging and sweet, she is another character whose story you get to unpack more and more as the movie progresses.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Great imagery and shots of a sleepy town in coastal Florida. There isn’t much to blow you away in the way of cinematography, but I appreciate the consistency at the very least. They keep the scenery fresh throughout which was good enough for me.
Conflict: 8
Genre: 7
Memorability: 8
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 8
Overall: 88
I’ve seen Gifted quite a few times, whether all the way through or in bits and pieces. Everytime I watch it, I find someting different to appreciate it. Solid surprise of a movie.
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Sharp Objects in TV
Oct 4, 2018 (Updated Oct 4, 2018)
Boring and drawn out (1 more)
Terrible ending
Overrated and Slow
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was looking forward to Sharp Objects when it premiered earlier this year. I love a whodunit thriller and am a fan of Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn's other adapted novel. I also read a bunch of glowing reviews before I dove into this series that promised an engaging, gripping story, which just made me more excited to get through the show.
Unfortunately, gripping isn't the word I would choose to describe this show. Engaging maybe, in that even though none of the characters that you are following are very likable, you do have a morbid curiosity to see what is going to happen to them. To be honest though, this series is only 8 episodes long and it was a slog to try and get through. Each episode drags something awful, to the point that 3 episodes in, I was ready to give up on this series. Then my girlfriend reminded me that it is only a limited series and will be worth sticking with to find out who the killer is in the end. Well, she was wrong about that last part, but we'll get back to that later.
I am not a huge Amy Adams fan, I feel that other than Arrival, she pretty much does the exact same thing in any role she is in. In this, she actually puts in a decent performance, it's more the way that her character is written that I take issue with. Camille is a whiney, dour character that is a drag to watch and none of the characters around her are any better. Her mother is a bitter, nasty old cow and her younger sister is an arrogant, immature little shit.
I haven't read the book, so I don't know if the pacing issues that the show has are inherent to the source material or the fault of the filmmakers. Either way, they are present and they are a detriment to this show. Every episode ends on an ambiguously exciting moment in order to keep you watching, then when the following episode picks up, it doesn't address whatever mad shit it just dropped on you at the end of the previous episode, to the point that I was left wondering a few times if I had actually missed out an episode in-between. Then it just drones on for another dull hour before dropping another inexplicable, shocking moment and it rinses and repeats this process throughout the entire series.
*SPOILERS FROM HERE ON*
This also applies to the last episode, which ends with such a nonsensical, out-of-nowhere twist that is never justified or explained. It is a classic example of having a twist, simply for the sake of ending on a twist. A good twist ending makes a reveal that causes everything that the viewer has seen so far click into place, it explains everything at once and that is why endings to stories like Fight Club, Mr Robot and The Sixth Sense are so satisfying. This makes the viewer want to go back and re-watch the film or series again with the new knowledge of what is going to happen in their mind in order to see it from a different perspective and spot the hints that point towards the big reveal. A bad twist ending drops a bomb abruptly and offers no explanation to the bombshell and leaves the viewer baffled and annoyed.
That is what happens with Sharp Objects' ending. There is absolutely no precedent to Amma being the killer. When Adora got arrested, it was underwhelming but there was at least some precedent for Adora to be the killer based on her other messed up behaviour, which provided some explanation, but Amma makes literally no sense. They could honestly have picked any other character on the show to be the killer and it would have made more sense. There is a weird post credits scene that I feel that was put in as a half-arsed explanation for the nonsensical twist, but it really doesn't help matters any. Again, I haven't read the book so I don't know if the ending plays out the same way as the source material, or if it makes any more sense in the book, but in the show it is a mess.
Overall this is a slow burn that isn't even worth the slog of getting through thanks to a hugely disappointing payoff. The ending is the main reason that this only gets a 5. One of the most overrated things I've seen this year.
Unfortunately, gripping isn't the word I would choose to describe this show. Engaging maybe, in that even though none of the characters that you are following are very likable, you do have a morbid curiosity to see what is going to happen to them. To be honest though, this series is only 8 episodes long and it was a slog to try and get through. Each episode drags something awful, to the point that 3 episodes in, I was ready to give up on this series. Then my girlfriend reminded me that it is only a limited series and will be worth sticking with to find out who the killer is in the end. Well, she was wrong about that last part, but we'll get back to that later.
I am not a huge Amy Adams fan, I feel that other than Arrival, she pretty much does the exact same thing in any role she is in. In this, she actually puts in a decent performance, it's more the way that her character is written that I take issue with. Camille is a whiney, dour character that is a drag to watch and none of the characters around her are any better. Her mother is a bitter, nasty old cow and her younger sister is an arrogant, immature little shit.
I haven't read the book, so I don't know if the pacing issues that the show has are inherent to the source material or the fault of the filmmakers. Either way, they are present and they are a detriment to this show. Every episode ends on an ambiguously exciting moment in order to keep you watching, then when the following episode picks up, it doesn't address whatever mad shit it just dropped on you at the end of the previous episode, to the point that I was left wondering a few times if I had actually missed out an episode in-between. Then it just drones on for another dull hour before dropping another inexplicable, shocking moment and it rinses and repeats this process throughout the entire series.
*SPOILERS FROM HERE ON*
This also applies to the last episode, which ends with such a nonsensical, out-of-nowhere twist that is never justified or explained. It is a classic example of having a twist, simply for the sake of ending on a twist. A good twist ending makes a reveal that causes everything that the viewer has seen so far click into place, it explains everything at once and that is why endings to stories like Fight Club, Mr Robot and The Sixth Sense are so satisfying. This makes the viewer want to go back and re-watch the film or series again with the new knowledge of what is going to happen in their mind in order to see it from a different perspective and spot the hints that point towards the big reveal. A bad twist ending drops a bomb abruptly and offers no explanation to the bombshell and leaves the viewer baffled and annoyed.
That is what happens with Sharp Objects' ending. There is absolutely no precedent to Amma being the killer. When Adora got arrested, it was underwhelming but there was at least some precedent for Adora to be the killer based on her other messed up behaviour, which provided some explanation, but Amma makes literally no sense. They could honestly have picked any other character on the show to be the killer and it would have made more sense. There is a weird post credits scene that I feel that was put in as a half-arsed explanation for the nonsensical twist, but it really doesn't help matters any. Again, I haven't read the book so I don't know if the ending plays out the same way as the source material, or if it makes any more sense in the book, but in the show it is a mess.
Overall this is a slow burn that isn't even worth the slog of getting through thanks to a hugely disappointing payoff. The ending is the main reason that this only gets a 5. One of the most overrated things I've seen this year.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated These Nameless Things in Books
Jul 2, 2020
When I read the synopsis for These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker, I knew it was a book I had to read. It ticked all the right boxes for me. Luckily, this book did not disappoint!
The plot was very interesting. Dan lives in an idyllic small village. Everyone is happy and friendly until a beautiful woman arrives at Dan's door on the verge of death. Dan doesn't tell anyone about her as he nurses her back to health. However, strange things start happening. The crops don't grow right, and people are regaining painful memories they had long forgotten. When the mysterious woman convinces Dan to go back through the mountain, a place he had been tormented at and had escaped, to fetch his brother who is stuck there, Dan is torn. He misses his brother like crazy. All the while Dan is left wondering who this strange woman is who has a strong pull over him, and why does she want him to go back to the horrible place he came from to save his brother so badly.
How amazing does that plot sound!?! The plot for These Nameless Things was solid, and it helps very much that Shawn Smucker is a very talented writer. Smucker has a way with words. The way he wrote and described everything really helped make it easy to envision everything that was unfolding second by second. He was able to put so much description into everything, but Smucker doesn't overdo it to the point where it becomes boring to read. He creates a very nice balance. I will say that the first third of the book is fairly slow pacing, but I kept reading because I did want to know more about Dan's brother and how the mysterious woman was connected to everything. For my perseverance, I was richly rewarded. The last two thirds of the book really took off! I found myself hooked on every single word, hungry for as much as I could get. I did not want to put this book down at all. I had to know what was going to happen to everyone. Yes, some of it was predictable, but it was a fantastic read nonetheless. While I would have liked to read some sort of epilogue or had more knowledge in what happened to everyone some time later, I think These Nameless Things ends well enough, and everything is explained leading up to the ending.
I felt that every character in These Nameless Things was fleshed out very well. By the middle of the book (perhaps even sooner than that), I felt like I had become friends with everyone mentioned in the book. It was easy to picture each and every character as a real life person (mostly thanks to Shawn Smucker's excellent writing again). I did feel that although the character of Dan was written superbly, he came across as a bit selfish for the most part. I felt like he put people in so much danger by keeping secrets. I did love Miho and Lucia very much. Miho seemed to be the biggest voice of reason throughout the book. I just loved Lucia because she made me feel hopeful and happy. Abe was my favorite character though. I loved how optimistic he could become and how much he cared for everyone. He was the leader of the village, and I admired how seriously he took this title. It was obvious how much love he had for all of his village. I would love an Abe in my life. He had such a soothing presence.
Trigger warnings for These Nameless Things include minor violence, death, a mention of rape, and alcoholism.
Overall, These Nameless Things is a highly interesting read that makes you reflect on your own feelings and how you react to them. With Shawn Smucker's fantastic prose, this book makes it easy to get hooked. I would definitely recommend These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker to those aged 17+ who are after well written novels with a touch of philosophy.
--
(A special thank you to the publisher for sending me a paperback of These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot was very interesting. Dan lives in an idyllic small village. Everyone is happy and friendly until a beautiful woman arrives at Dan's door on the verge of death. Dan doesn't tell anyone about her as he nurses her back to health. However, strange things start happening. The crops don't grow right, and people are regaining painful memories they had long forgotten. When the mysterious woman convinces Dan to go back through the mountain, a place he had been tormented at and had escaped, to fetch his brother who is stuck there, Dan is torn. He misses his brother like crazy. All the while Dan is left wondering who this strange woman is who has a strong pull over him, and why does she want him to go back to the horrible place he came from to save his brother so badly.
How amazing does that plot sound!?! The plot for These Nameless Things was solid, and it helps very much that Shawn Smucker is a very talented writer. Smucker has a way with words. The way he wrote and described everything really helped make it easy to envision everything that was unfolding second by second. He was able to put so much description into everything, but Smucker doesn't overdo it to the point where it becomes boring to read. He creates a very nice balance. I will say that the first third of the book is fairly slow pacing, but I kept reading because I did want to know more about Dan's brother and how the mysterious woman was connected to everything. For my perseverance, I was richly rewarded. The last two thirds of the book really took off! I found myself hooked on every single word, hungry for as much as I could get. I did not want to put this book down at all. I had to know what was going to happen to everyone. Yes, some of it was predictable, but it was a fantastic read nonetheless. While I would have liked to read some sort of epilogue or had more knowledge in what happened to everyone some time later, I think These Nameless Things ends well enough, and everything is explained leading up to the ending.
I felt that every character in These Nameless Things was fleshed out very well. By the middle of the book (perhaps even sooner than that), I felt like I had become friends with everyone mentioned in the book. It was easy to picture each and every character as a real life person (mostly thanks to Shawn Smucker's excellent writing again). I did feel that although the character of Dan was written superbly, he came across as a bit selfish for the most part. I felt like he put people in so much danger by keeping secrets. I did love Miho and Lucia very much. Miho seemed to be the biggest voice of reason throughout the book. I just loved Lucia because she made me feel hopeful and happy. Abe was my favorite character though. I loved how optimistic he could become and how much he cared for everyone. He was the leader of the village, and I admired how seriously he took this title. It was obvious how much love he had for all of his village. I would love an Abe in my life. He had such a soothing presence.
Trigger warnings for These Nameless Things include minor violence, death, a mention of rape, and alcoholism.
Overall, These Nameless Things is a highly interesting read that makes you reflect on your own feelings and how you react to them. With Shawn Smucker's fantastic prose, this book makes it easy to get hooked. I would definitely recommend These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker to those aged 17+ who are after well written novels with a touch of philosophy.
--
(A special thank you to the publisher for sending me a paperback of These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
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