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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Lies Lies Lies in Books

Aug 13, 2020

Lies Lies Lies

Adele Parks | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller

8.3

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

"Millie was a miracle. Conceived without any medical intervention. A miracle. She saved us."

This was my first book by Adele Parks, and I found she sucked me into the story from the very beginning. For me, the plot was easily the star here. This was a twisty thriller that kept me guessing, often wondering which path it was going to lead us down next. While I had an inkling about one particular plot point, others took me by complete surprise, which was fun. I always love a mystery that keeps me on my toes and goes down completely unexpected paths.

"People with secrets rarely sleep soundly. Fact."

One strength of the book is the fact that it's told from both Daisy and Simon's perspectives. Neither are particularly sympathetic, but it's easy to get caught up in their worlds. Daisy comes across as a doormat, who cannot stand up to her alcoholic husband. And Simon, of course, a drunk who endangers his family on a regular basis. You want to shake some sense into both of them. But there's certainly a twisted web of lies and secrets behind the foundation of this couple. Nothing is as it seems, and as time goes on, you can start to at least understand some of their motivations.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I welcomed a different plot, which had some surprises in store. The ending was a bit ambiguous, but overall still a solid read. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.

Kudos

Skin Doctor - Kids Game

Games and Education

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

Kids have a really bad skin day! Become a skin doctor and help patients to cure different types of...

God's Rough Drafts

Rob Scott

9.5 (2 Ratings) Rate It

Book

What if nothing changes?What if government and industry plow, unchecked, through the twenty-first...

The Inn at Hidden Run (Tree of Life #1)

Olivia Newport

8.0 (2 Ratings) Rate It

Book

.A Father-Daughter Genealogy Team Link Present to Past on Family Trees Meri's family has been...

Family Family Tree Generolgy History

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Uneasy Prey in Books

Apr 25, 2022 (Updated Apr 25, 2022)

Uneasy Prey

Annette Dashofy | 2018 | Mystery

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Who Are the Monsters Targeting the Elderly?

Zoe Chambers is back to work after a couple of months of medical leave, and her first night back in the ambulance finds her taking a call for an elderly woman who fell down the stairs in her house. On her way to the hospital, she revives enough to say she was pushed, but then she passed out again. When she dies, Zoe’s boyfriend, Police Chief Pete Adams, becomes involved. The investigation quickly leads to the thieves who are targeting the elderly in the area. Can Pete and Zoe catch them before they strike again?

Every time I pick up one of these books, I’m reminded why I enjoy them. Zoe and Pete are both strong, and they share main character duties. I love seeing the story unfold from both of their point-of-views, and it is always easy to follow whose head we are in. The story includes a couple of sub-plots that help draw us into the story, and I had a hard time putting the book down. The twists kept coming until the end. The characters are all strong whether returning or new. I did get a little frustrated with Pete at one point, but it was a minor point. These books are a tad darker than the books I normally read, and they have a shade more language and violence as well, but that’s worth noting only in passing. I hope I get a chance to pick up the next in the series soon.

Kudos

Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Re-Animator (1985) in Movies

Jun 22, 2019

Re-Animator (1985)

1985 | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

7.6

(27 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Herbert West is no ordinary doctor. He's brilliant and obviously knows quite a bit about the field of medicine, but something is peculiar about him. He acts strangely and tends to keep to himself while getting absorbed into his work. Throughout his research, Dr. West may have finally perfected his serum. A serum that brings the dead back to life. The consequences of the serum are hectic, as expected. The sooner the serum is injected into a fresh corpse in comparison to one that's been lying around for a few hours, the better the results. Based on the H.P. Lovecraft tale, Herbert West-Reanimator, West finds himself at a medical college when his stint in Switzerland ends a bit abruptly. There he meets Dan Cain, a student at the college who is held in high regard, and Dan's girlfriend, Meg, whose father is the dean to the medical college. When Dan puts a notice up looking for a roommate in his dorm, West comes knocking. Things seem to be a constant downward spiral from there as West continues his research and the bodies begin to pile up.

Re-Animator is one of the few cult classics that I'll stick up for. I usually wind up feeling like most classic horror films that are recommended or held in such high regard aren't good at all or are extremely overrated. This film is a lot of fun though. It's definitely got its campy qualities with a headless corpse stumbling around the third act of the film, but it doesn't feel out of place for a film built around a concoction that's injected into the brain to bring corpses back from the dead. The music, especially the opening theme, tends to get a bad wrap because it blatantly rips off (or pays homage, depending on how you look at it) the Psycho score. While the similarities are crystal clear once they're heard, I honestly didn't mind it. It's kind of hard to imagine this film with different music, so I have no complaints.

The Herbert West role really fits Jeffrey Combs like a glove. His attraction to weird and quirky roles pretty much began with films like this one. As West's unusual personality is revealed throughout the film, you can't help but get a sense of uneasiness as his character traits unravel before your very eyes. The best example is when West brings Dan's cat Rufus back to life. After it's been killed for the second time, Dan is shocked to discover it's Rufus and turns to look at West. West points at the cat and tells Dan to, "Look out!" Dan quickly turns his attention back to poor Rufus, who's still lying there motionless. West begins to burst into maniacal laughter as Dan looks on in horror. With the upcoming remake on the horizon, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Herbert West especially with Jeffrey Combs confirmed for a cameo.

While Re-Animator could definitely be considered cheesy and campy at times, its strengths outweigh its flaws. The story is simple, but tends to unfold nicely and the acting is solid (David Gale as Dr. Hill is up for debate though). The film is pretty much exactly what you would expect a horror film to be like from the eighties; gory, cheesy, tons of nudity and sex, and a few creative twists along the way. And when it comes to horror, what else could you really ask for?