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Clueless (Squad Goals #1)
8.0
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The Cheerleader and His Twin’s Best Friend Lexi I’ve been in love with Ryder Jackson since...
Contemporary MM Romance
Merissa (13956 KP) rated Caught (Gold Hockey #15) in Books
Jan 31, 2022 (Updated Jul 5, 2023)
CAUGHT is the fourteenth book in the Gold Hockey series but you can read it as a standalone. This time, it's Charlie's story and we get to find out just what drove him back home. It's also Kacee's story, as she learns that sometimes it's okay to let people in.
Told from both perspectives, you get an up-close and personal viewpoint on just how they have both survived what they have gone through, and how they interact with each other, making their rough edges smoother. It also shows how it can be easier to give to someone else, rather than receive anything for yourself.
This is an emotional story that will make you laugh and feel sorrow as Charlie struggles with what he has going on. To be honest, I would have liked a bit more back-story about Ji-Ho and how he treated Charlie, but that may just be me wanting to see the train wreck before I get my HEA.
I am loving the Gold family and can't wait for the next book. A brilliant addition to the series that I 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
Jan 31, 2022
Told from both perspectives, you get an up-close and personal viewpoint on just how they have both survived what they have gone through, and how they interact with each other, making their rough edges smoother. It also shows how it can be easier to give to someone else, rather than receive anything for yourself.
This is an emotional story that will make you laugh and feel sorrow as Charlie struggles with what he has going on. To be honest, I would have liked a bit more back-story about Ji-Ho and how he treated Charlie, but that may just be me wanting to see the train wreck before I get my HEA.
I am loving the Gold family and can't wait for the next book. A brilliant addition to the series that I 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
Jan 31, 2022
The Demon's Beauty (Grym Hollow #4)
10.0
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Isabelle would do anything for her sister—and she proved it. She will never regret seeking...
Fantasy Romance
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Devil's Workshop in Books
Jan 10, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Devil’s Workshop by Donnally Miller is one of the few books that I felt like I had to read twice, and did. Even after that I still feel like I am missing quite a bit of what this book has to offer. If there were ever a book that deserves to be torn apart (and I mean that in the best possible sense) and be studied in depth to have all the hidden meanings exposed this is it. However, I am not the one to do it.
Tom and Katie love each other to the point that when Tom leaves to work on a ship for a while, Katie gives him an extremely special engraved pocket watch to take with him. Little does Tom know, he helped bury the Son of Light shortly before leaving and this has thrown the world into chaos. Katie loses her job at the mansion where she lives and finds herself traveling with a dog and a lovesick man whom she has no affection for on a journey to find Tom. Meanwhile, Tom has lost Katie’s pocket watch, was thrown overboard, and is trying to make his way back to her. Thanks to Deirdre, The Queen of the Witches, the journey these two lovers are on is excruciatingly long and dangerous.
The Indians who live peacefully in the Forest have started to band together in preparation for driving “the white man” back into the sea where they came from. Slaves have also started rebelling all along the Coast and are being hunted by a military who wants them destroyed. Making things even worse Pirates are causing the roads to be unsafe for travelers and Tom finds himself mixed up with them. All the while Deirdre is playing her games with each of the separate groups. The only way to set everything right once more is to create a new Child of Light.
I enjoyed how all the characters seem to cross paths at one point or another in ways that are more natural than forced by the author. All the trials that Tom and Katie are willing to endure in an attempt to see each other again restore a person’s faith in humanity and love. At the same time, the book forces the reader to question just what is love and why will we go to the ends of the Earth for it. What I did not like was that there were a few different times where I would lose track of who was talking or what was going on. I am not sure if this was in any way due to how the book was written or because I was not devoting the amount of attention to the book as it deserves. Even so philosophical books are expected to confuse readers at times and force them to re-evaluate passages, so it in no way changes my opinion of this book.
I would only recommend this book to adult readers. While there is nothing inappropriate for readers in high school, the philosophy would probably be a bit much for them. The casual reader should also be prepared for a long and at times difficult read. Nonetheless, I rate this book to be a perfect 4 out of 4. People who do not realize what kind of book this is would probably put it down during the first few chapters and give it a low rating for being hard to read. Those that realize what they are reading will find that the seemingly random ramblings do make sense if you slow down. There is a wonderful plotline and a beautiful love story (thankfully not a mushy one) that takes place throughout the book if readers are willing to take their time and look.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Tom and Katie love each other to the point that when Tom leaves to work on a ship for a while, Katie gives him an extremely special engraved pocket watch to take with him. Little does Tom know, he helped bury the Son of Light shortly before leaving and this has thrown the world into chaos. Katie loses her job at the mansion where she lives and finds herself traveling with a dog and a lovesick man whom she has no affection for on a journey to find Tom. Meanwhile, Tom has lost Katie’s pocket watch, was thrown overboard, and is trying to make his way back to her. Thanks to Deirdre, The Queen of the Witches, the journey these two lovers are on is excruciatingly long and dangerous.
The Indians who live peacefully in the Forest have started to band together in preparation for driving “the white man” back into the sea where they came from. Slaves have also started rebelling all along the Coast and are being hunted by a military who wants them destroyed. Making things even worse Pirates are causing the roads to be unsafe for travelers and Tom finds himself mixed up with them. All the while Deirdre is playing her games with each of the separate groups. The only way to set everything right once more is to create a new Child of Light.
I enjoyed how all the characters seem to cross paths at one point or another in ways that are more natural than forced by the author. All the trials that Tom and Katie are willing to endure in an attempt to see each other again restore a person’s faith in humanity and love. At the same time, the book forces the reader to question just what is love and why will we go to the ends of the Earth for it. What I did not like was that there were a few different times where I would lose track of who was talking or what was going on. I am not sure if this was in any way due to how the book was written or because I was not devoting the amount of attention to the book as it deserves. Even so philosophical books are expected to confuse readers at times and force them to re-evaluate passages, so it in no way changes my opinion of this book.
I would only recommend this book to adult readers. While there is nothing inappropriate for readers in high school, the philosophy would probably be a bit much for them. The casual reader should also be prepared for a long and at times difficult read. Nonetheless, I rate this book to be a perfect 4 out of 4. People who do not realize what kind of book this is would probably put it down during the first few chapters and give it a low rating for being hard to read. Those that realize what they are reading will find that the seemingly random ramblings do make sense if you slow down. There is a wonderful plotline and a beautiful love story (thankfully not a mushy one) that takes place throughout the book if readers are willing to take their time and look.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated King of Bad (Super Villain Academy #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>).
This book has been on my TBR (to be read) list for awhile. It sounded very intriguing, so when I was offered the chance to review it, I automatically said yes. Luckily, the book didn't disappoint.
I think the title is an excellent fit for this book. Even Jeff's sister refers to him as the king of bad at one point. It's also an ironic fit for Jeff as we soon discover. (And don't worry, that wasn't a spoiler).
The cover is alright. I like the whole fire and ice thing going on with the cover which fits nicely with the book. I just wish there was less person and more scenery in the forefront.
I loved the world building! It made me wish I was part of it. Strand does a fantastic job of making the world of King of Bad seem like it's a real thing. The setting takes place in the United States although there are super villain and super hero academies all around the world. I like that Strand kept her novel set in the real world instead of some made up fantasy world. It makes it feel more real. The only thing I found confusing was the end. To me, it just felt a bit rushed, and just left me scratching my head wondering what had just happened.
The pacing is very enjoyable, and I found myself becoming more and more immersed with what was and what would happen to Jeff. Like the world building, the pacing does speed up a bit too much towards the end for my liking. Personally, I felt that things should've been better explained.
I loved the plot! It's about time we see the perspective of the world from a super villain! All too often, books tend to focus on the super hero. I liked the idea of a Super Villain Academy and seeing how the children were all trained to be bad. When a super hero academy attacks Jeff's school, I was actually rooting for the bad guys although it didn't feel wrong. There is a plot twist which I really enjoyed. There's no cliff hangers in this book that I noticed, so it can be read as a stand alone.
The characters were fantastic. It was hard not to love Jeff. He had fantastic manners for a baddie, and he was also very sarcastic which was my favorite thing about him. Source was probably my favorite character. I loved his nerdiness, and I could totally relate to him feeling that he didn't really fit in although Jeff felt that way as well. Oceanus came across as conflicted which I believe was intentional. She didn't want Jeff to think of her as a nice girl because she was supposed to be a villain. However, I did like Oceanus very much, and I kept rooting for her and Jeff to get together. Mystic is a fantastic character, and I never really trusted her. The author does a fantastic job in making the reader feel conflicted about Mystic which is also intentional. She had the power of suave which I thought was a fantastic ability. She also comes across as a caring and sweet girl for the most part.
The dialogue and character interactions flow very smoothly. Nothing ever felt forced or awkward writing wise. There is some swearing in this book as well as some sexual references and violence in case that isn't your thing.
Overall, King of Bad is an enjoyable and original read. My favorite thing about this book were the characters and reading about super villains as opposed to super heroes.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are feeling a little bit bad although they're really good. If you enjoy great characters and a fantastic plot, then this is the book for you!
(I received this ebook for free from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
This book has been on my TBR (to be read) list for awhile. It sounded very intriguing, so when I was offered the chance to review it, I automatically said yes. Luckily, the book didn't disappoint.
I think the title is an excellent fit for this book. Even Jeff's sister refers to him as the king of bad at one point. It's also an ironic fit for Jeff as we soon discover. (And don't worry, that wasn't a spoiler).
The cover is alright. I like the whole fire and ice thing going on with the cover which fits nicely with the book. I just wish there was less person and more scenery in the forefront.
I loved the world building! It made me wish I was part of it. Strand does a fantastic job of making the world of King of Bad seem like it's a real thing. The setting takes place in the United States although there are super villain and super hero academies all around the world. I like that Strand kept her novel set in the real world instead of some made up fantasy world. It makes it feel more real. The only thing I found confusing was the end. To me, it just felt a bit rushed, and just left me scratching my head wondering what had just happened.
The pacing is very enjoyable, and I found myself becoming more and more immersed with what was and what would happen to Jeff. Like the world building, the pacing does speed up a bit too much towards the end for my liking. Personally, I felt that things should've been better explained.
I loved the plot! It's about time we see the perspective of the world from a super villain! All too often, books tend to focus on the super hero. I liked the idea of a Super Villain Academy and seeing how the children were all trained to be bad. When a super hero academy attacks Jeff's school, I was actually rooting for the bad guys although it didn't feel wrong. There is a plot twist which I really enjoyed. There's no cliff hangers in this book that I noticed, so it can be read as a stand alone.
The characters were fantastic. It was hard not to love Jeff. He had fantastic manners for a baddie, and he was also very sarcastic which was my favorite thing about him. Source was probably my favorite character. I loved his nerdiness, and I could totally relate to him feeling that he didn't really fit in although Jeff felt that way as well. Oceanus came across as conflicted which I believe was intentional. She didn't want Jeff to think of her as a nice girl because she was supposed to be a villain. However, I did like Oceanus very much, and I kept rooting for her and Jeff to get together. Mystic is a fantastic character, and I never really trusted her. The author does a fantastic job in making the reader feel conflicted about Mystic which is also intentional. She had the power of suave which I thought was a fantastic ability. She also comes across as a caring and sweet girl for the most part.
The dialogue and character interactions flow very smoothly. Nothing ever felt forced or awkward writing wise. There is some swearing in this book as well as some sexual references and violence in case that isn't your thing.
Overall, King of Bad is an enjoyable and original read. My favorite thing about this book were the characters and reading about super villains as opposed to super heroes.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are feeling a little bit bad although they're really good. If you enjoy great characters and a fantastic plot, then this is the book for you!
(I received this ebook for free from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Operation Avalanche (2016) in Movies
Jul 15, 2019
You’ve heard me say it before. I’ll say it again. Before this year is out, I’ll say it in perhaps another article. The ‘found footage genre’ of movies was played out in perhaps its most notable appearance as well as its debut in the original ‘Blair Witch Project’. Now they’re gearing-up for another round of ‘beating a dead horse’ with a remake would you believe? However, I’m not here writing this article to go on and on and plague your eyes with an entire article complaining about the issue. No. Why you ask? For the unique reason which is since I’ve been writing reviews for movies, ‘Skewed & Reviewed’ has given me the good fortune to screen movies incorporating said genre that present ORIGINAL ideas. Today’s film for your consideration does so in the form of a unique period piece incorporating one of the most notorious conspiracy theories in the world with a pivotal moment in history. Not just in American history but global history.
July 20th, 1969. Less than 10 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis in the midst of the Cold War the great ‘space race’ between the two world superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, is on. NASA astronauts Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong journey to the moon aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft where Neil Armstrong becomes the first human being in history to set foot on the moon. That’s what the history books say. However, almost immediately after the crew of Apollo 11 returned to Earth there were many individuals on both sides who claimed not only was it not possible to land human beings safely on the moon and return them to Earth, but that NASA had faked the entire event in conjunction with other organizations and agencies within the American intelligence and military communities. This is where the basis for today’s film originates.
‘Operation Avalanche’ is an American-Canadian found footage/conspiracy thriller film directed by Matt Johnson who also starred in and co-wrote the film with Josh Boles. The film also stars Owen Williams, Jared Raab, Andrew Appelle, Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Krista Madison, Tom Bolton, and Sharon Belle. The film begins in 1967. The Central Intelligence Agency suspects that a Soviet mole has infiltrated NASA and is providing the Russians with information on American rocket technology. Four employees of the CIA are sent in undercover as a documentary film crew to determine if the agency’s suspicions are true and to determine the mole’s identity. Instead, what the discover sends shockwaves through the agency’s upper echelons and could potentially lead to a Soviet victory in the space race and bring to light one of the biggest conspiracies imaginable.
This movie is a brilliantly conceived and executed piece of film making. It not only includes historical news footage from the event, but combines it with a bit of guerrilla film-making. The film was shot in Toronto, Washington DC, and Houston, Texas. They were able to shoot on site at NASA by claiming they were shooting a documentary which was not entirely untrue. Essential they sort of broke the ‘fourth wall’ three times. The characters in the film were documentary film makers going undercover to shoot a documentary under the guise of a documentary film crew. The attention to detail from the locations, to the music, to the people themselves (how they looked, talked, and dressed) was something that one would imagine would’ve taken a larger budget. These folks pulled it off brilliantly essentially creating a period piece within the film. You get a genuine sense that the characters are who they act like they are in the particular time and place. Four CIA operatives looking to move up in the agency by moving themselves into place to be assigned to an undercover operation with low risk to themselves with the slight possibility of danger but then get caught up in a secret far bigger than anything they originally anticipated. The senses are heightened, the pace increases, and the conspiracy begins to unfold. The film is most definitely worth checking out. It kinda slows down a bit too much at certain points but all in all an excellent film. I’m going to give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. It’s certainly what I’d like to call a ‘thinking persons movie’. If you’re a fan of history, conspiracy theory, or both this film is certainly worth watching.
July 20th, 1969. Less than 10 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis in the midst of the Cold War the great ‘space race’ between the two world superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, is on. NASA astronauts Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong journey to the moon aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft where Neil Armstrong becomes the first human being in history to set foot on the moon. That’s what the history books say. However, almost immediately after the crew of Apollo 11 returned to Earth there were many individuals on both sides who claimed not only was it not possible to land human beings safely on the moon and return them to Earth, but that NASA had faked the entire event in conjunction with other organizations and agencies within the American intelligence and military communities. This is where the basis for today’s film originates.
‘Operation Avalanche’ is an American-Canadian found footage/conspiracy thriller film directed by Matt Johnson who also starred in and co-wrote the film with Josh Boles. The film also stars Owen Williams, Jared Raab, Andrew Appelle, Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Krista Madison, Tom Bolton, and Sharon Belle. The film begins in 1967. The Central Intelligence Agency suspects that a Soviet mole has infiltrated NASA and is providing the Russians with information on American rocket technology. Four employees of the CIA are sent in undercover as a documentary film crew to determine if the agency’s suspicions are true and to determine the mole’s identity. Instead, what the discover sends shockwaves through the agency’s upper echelons and could potentially lead to a Soviet victory in the space race and bring to light one of the biggest conspiracies imaginable.
This movie is a brilliantly conceived and executed piece of film making. It not only includes historical news footage from the event, but combines it with a bit of guerrilla film-making. The film was shot in Toronto, Washington DC, and Houston, Texas. They were able to shoot on site at NASA by claiming they were shooting a documentary which was not entirely untrue. Essential they sort of broke the ‘fourth wall’ three times. The characters in the film were documentary film makers going undercover to shoot a documentary under the guise of a documentary film crew. The attention to detail from the locations, to the music, to the people themselves (how they looked, talked, and dressed) was something that one would imagine would’ve taken a larger budget. These folks pulled it off brilliantly essentially creating a period piece within the film. You get a genuine sense that the characters are who they act like they are in the particular time and place. Four CIA operatives looking to move up in the agency by moving themselves into place to be assigned to an undercover operation with low risk to themselves with the slight possibility of danger but then get caught up in a secret far bigger than anything they originally anticipated. The senses are heightened, the pace increases, and the conspiracy begins to unfold. The film is most definitely worth checking out. It kinda slows down a bit too much at certain points but all in all an excellent film. I’m going to give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. It’s certainly what I’d like to call a ‘thinking persons movie’. If you’re a fan of history, conspiracy theory, or both this film is certainly worth watching.
Hello Next! Forget your ex.
Entertainment and Lifestyle
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Just broke up? Haven’t seen your ex for a while but your heart is still broken with no one there...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated When We Fall 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 wanted to love When We Fall by Peter Giglio because it sounded so ominous and scary. However, it was only an alright read that wasn't very scary at all. In fact, I didn't think there was enough ghostliness. All in all, this is a book that's not very memorable at all.
I don't feel like the title conveys what the book is about in the slightest. Personally, I like books to at least give a subtle hint in their title.
I do like the cover however. Ben loves making Super 8 films, and it's on the roll of film that he notices a ghostly image.
The world building was fairly believable. The problem that I had with this book is that a popular 17 year old girl would want to hang out with a unpopular 13 year old boy. Yes, I understand that she's his babysitter, but she spends time with him just because as well. Not only that, but she ends up kissing him at one point!
The pacing was alright. When We Fall is a novella so it can be easily read in one sitting. The pacing did hold my attention until the very end which I was happy about.
I felt that the plot was a bit weak. It was as if this book didn't know if it wanted to be a coming of age story or a paranormal story. The coming of age side of the story works rather well, but it was the paranormal side that was a bit weak. For example, we're led to believe that Ben is seeing and hearing his dead best friend in his room. Yet that's the only encounter we ever read about. So was that all in Ben's mind or was Johnny, his best friend, actually a ghost? There's only one more incident where there's possibly a ghost. I really wish this focused more on the horror/paranormal aspect.
Ben felt like a well developed character. It was easy enough to believe what he was feeling especially when it came to his crush on Aubrey. Ben seemed like a "normal" 13 year old boy. I didn't like Audrey. She didn't feel like an average 17 year old girl. As I said before, she's a popular girl hanging out with a 13 year old boy when she could be hanging out with friends her own age. Plus, I felt as if she took advantage of Ben sometimes.
The dialogue seemed to flow rather well. I also loved reading about how Ben was feeling. There were a few swear words throughout the book.
Overall, while When We Fall is an alright book, it lacks a certain something. Perhaps it needed more of a horror element to it especially as the blurb leads us to believe this is going to be a scary horror book. Unfortunately, When We Fall by Peter Giglio is a forgettable book.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are looking for a read that will help them pass some time or for those who like books with a light paranormal theme.
</b>I'd give When We Fall by Peter Giglio a 2.5 out of 5.</b>
(I received this ebook for free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review).
I wanted to love When We Fall by Peter Giglio because it sounded so ominous and scary. However, it was only an alright read that wasn't very scary at all. In fact, I didn't think there was enough ghostliness. All in all, this is a book that's not very memorable at all.
I don't feel like the title conveys what the book is about in the slightest. Personally, I like books to at least give a subtle hint in their title.
I do like the cover however. Ben loves making Super 8 films, and it's on the roll of film that he notices a ghostly image.
The world building was fairly believable. The problem that I had with this book is that a popular 17 year old girl would want to hang out with a unpopular 13 year old boy. Yes, I understand that she's his babysitter, but she spends time with him just because as well. Not only that, but she ends up kissing him at one point!
The pacing was alright. When We Fall is a novella so it can be easily read in one sitting. The pacing did hold my attention until the very end which I was happy about.
I felt that the plot was a bit weak. It was as if this book didn't know if it wanted to be a coming of age story or a paranormal story. The coming of age side of the story works rather well, but it was the paranormal side that was a bit weak. For example, we're led to believe that Ben is seeing and hearing his dead best friend in his room. Yet that's the only encounter we ever read about. So was that all in Ben's mind or was Johnny, his best friend, actually a ghost? There's only one more incident where there's possibly a ghost. I really wish this focused more on the horror/paranormal aspect.
Ben felt like a well developed character. It was easy enough to believe what he was feeling especially when it came to his crush on Aubrey. Ben seemed like a "normal" 13 year old boy. I didn't like Audrey. She didn't feel like an average 17 year old girl. As I said before, she's a popular girl hanging out with a 13 year old boy when she could be hanging out with friends her own age. Plus, I felt as if she took advantage of Ben sometimes.
The dialogue seemed to flow rather well. I also loved reading about how Ben was feeling. There were a few swear words throughout the book.
Overall, while When We Fall is an alright book, it lacks a certain something. Perhaps it needed more of a horror element to it especially as the blurb leads us to believe this is going to be a scary horror book. Unfortunately, When We Fall by Peter Giglio is a forgettable book.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are looking for a read that will help them pass some time or for those who like books with a light paranormal theme.
</b>I'd give When We Fall by Peter Giglio a 2.5 out of 5.</b>
(I received this ebook for free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review).
I'm an avid, some might even say obsessive, crocheter. I love looking through crochet books for new patterns and inspirations. Paging through Crochet with One Sheepish Girl, I noticed the book had a nice, clean, and attractive look with a crisp and easy to read layout. The contents has not only the project and page number, but a picture of the project as well. There's a nice use of color that's classy and shows off the projects well. Looking further, I saw a lot of useful projects, i.e. coasters, placemats, baskets, a cowl, a clutch, an apron, and a darling hook case, among many others. Sure, there are some purely decorative items, like a pillow, a stuffed latte and muffin, bunting, crocheted edges and frames for cards, tags, and art, etc. However the bulk I would describe as useful and cute.
The yarn used is given, as is the weight so an alternative can be utilized instead, which I always appreciate that addition. There does seem to be a decent amount of bulky yarn used, but worsted can always be doubled or tripled up as a substitute. The instructions are fairly clear and detailed, although there were times I wish for a picture or illustration to clearly show proper execution. This mainly came up with the turban earwarmer. I'm pretty sure I made it accurately but it took more time figuring it out with only the written instructions. The bow brooch also seemed a bit more difficult than it needed to be and I think I could figure out a way to make it easier in the future. The gift boxes are cute, but the use of sugar water to stiffen the yarn? I don't think so, I'll find an alternative, thank you. There is a few pages of artwork that can be scanned to add the crocheted edges to the tags and cards. The artwork is by Oana Befort and is pretty darned adorable, I especially love the snowman made of yarn balls, crochet hooks, and a thimble and the kittens playing with yarn (yarn and crochet hooks make up the designs on the cards). I'm not so fond of flattening a book to scan the images and would have preferred a link to a specific webpage, pdf file or something like that instead.
Overall, the book is mostly well done and I really enjoyed it. The bulk of the projects would best be described as cute and kitschy, so if that's not your thing, than this book isn't for you. I happen to love those type of items, so will be making many projects from the book. I'd recommend this to someone who isn't a complete newbie to crochet unless supplemented by online videos, otherwise it has many fun, fast, and easy projects.
<i>Received for review through Amazon Vine.</i>
The yarn used is given, as is the weight so an alternative can be utilized instead, which I always appreciate that addition. There does seem to be a decent amount of bulky yarn used, but worsted can always be doubled or tripled up as a substitute. The instructions are fairly clear and detailed, although there were times I wish for a picture or illustration to clearly show proper execution. This mainly came up with the turban earwarmer. I'm pretty sure I made it accurately but it took more time figuring it out with only the written instructions. The bow brooch also seemed a bit more difficult than it needed to be and I think I could figure out a way to make it easier in the future. The gift boxes are cute, but the use of sugar water to stiffen the yarn? I don't think so, I'll find an alternative, thank you. There is a few pages of artwork that can be scanned to add the crocheted edges to the tags and cards. The artwork is by Oana Befort and is pretty darned adorable, I especially love the snowman made of yarn balls, crochet hooks, and a thimble and the kittens playing with yarn (yarn and crochet hooks make up the designs on the cards). I'm not so fond of flattening a book to scan the images and would have preferred a link to a specific webpage, pdf file or something like that instead.
Overall, the book is mostly well done and I really enjoyed it. The bulk of the projects would best be described as cute and kitschy, so if that's not your thing, than this book isn't for you. I happen to love those type of items, so will be making many projects from the book. I'd recommend this to someone who isn't a complete newbie to crochet unless supplemented by online videos, otherwise it has many fun, fast, and easy projects.
<i>Received for review through Amazon Vine.</i>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated White Stag (Permafrost, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Wowowow the synopsis on top of the pretty cover for <em>White Stag</em> called for my name and beckoned me to come and dig myself into a hole for winter break big time.
<h2><strong><em>White</em> <em>Stag</em> has an amazing first chapter.</strong></h2>
Barbieri grabbed my attention with her debut from the very beginning, introducing us to a world where humans and goblins know of each others' existence. The first chapter is action-packed and fast-paced, quickly grabbing my attention and making me want <em>more</em> from the novel.
<h2><strong>"More monster than human."</strong></h2>
Janneke is a human girl who has spent over a century with goblins after her family and village is slaughtered, working as a thrall for one of the goblins. Through observation and her father's teachings, she's one of the few people who survived longer than most. With those years of survival and living, though, she's also slowly lost touch with the human world. Despite wanting to return to the human world and start her life over, she knows it is no longer the same, and it is a struggle for her throughout the book.
<h2><strong>Something about the relationship bothers me a little.</strong></h2>
I can't place my finger on what it is, exactly, but something about Janneke's relationship with Sorren bothers me a little. I guess I didn't care about their relationship? Maybe being in a relationship with someone who technically owns me isn't my thing at all even though Sorren treats her better than any of the other goblins? I honestly don't know.
<h2><strong>So much about rape and flashbacks.</strong></h2>
I'm pretty sure there are at least twenty different ways Barbieri tells us Janneke was brutally raped before she gets placed under Sorren's care. It's implied, it's told, it's shoved in my face and it's used as one of her struggles to accept her transition into becoming a goblin, etc.
And honestly? Without her rape being involved, Janneke is essentially a very special human bean who assimilated into goblin culture with her fierceness and no bullshittery. There's nothing else about her as a character, but maybe we'll see more in the second book?
<h2><strong>Slow, but interesting.</strong></h2>
I think I got caught at a good time while reading this. <em>White Stag</em> is slow, but it was interesting. And if I started reading this a few days later, I would likely say differently because I'm a big mood reader. No book likes to be caught in one of my bad reading days when I go all stabby (aka extremely critical) with books.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/white-stag-by-kara-barbieri/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Wowowow the synopsis on top of the pretty cover for <em>White Stag</em> called for my name and beckoned me to come and dig myself into a hole for winter break big time.
<h2><strong><em>White</em> <em>Stag</em> has an amazing first chapter.</strong></h2>
Barbieri grabbed my attention with her debut from the very beginning, introducing us to a world where humans and goblins know of each others' existence. The first chapter is action-packed and fast-paced, quickly grabbing my attention and making me want <em>more</em> from the novel.
<h2><strong>"More monster than human."</strong></h2>
Janneke is a human girl who has spent over a century with goblins after her family and village is slaughtered, working as a thrall for one of the goblins. Through observation and her father's teachings, she's one of the few people who survived longer than most. With those years of survival and living, though, she's also slowly lost touch with the human world. Despite wanting to return to the human world and start her life over, she knows it is no longer the same, and it is a struggle for her throughout the book.
<h2><strong>Something about the relationship bothers me a little.</strong></h2>
I can't place my finger on what it is, exactly, but something about Janneke's relationship with Sorren bothers me a little. I guess I didn't care about their relationship? Maybe being in a relationship with someone who technically owns me isn't my thing at all even though Sorren treats her better than any of the other goblins? I honestly don't know.
<h2><strong>So much about rape and flashbacks.</strong></h2>
I'm pretty sure there are at least twenty different ways Barbieri tells us Janneke was brutally raped before she gets placed under Sorren's care. It's implied, it's told, it's shoved in my face and it's used as one of her struggles to accept her transition into becoming a goblin, etc.
And honestly? Without her rape being involved, Janneke is essentially a very special human bean who assimilated into goblin culture with her fierceness and no bullshittery. There's nothing else about her as a character, but maybe we'll see more in the second book?
<h2><strong>Slow, but interesting.</strong></h2>
I think I got caught at a good time while reading this. <em>White Stag</em> is slow, but it was interesting. And if I started reading this a few days later, I would likely say differently because I'm a big mood reader. No book likes to be caught in one of my bad reading days when I go all stabby (aka extremely critical) with books.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/white-stag-by-kara-barbieri/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>