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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Island in Books
Jan 30, 2021
This is a book written for the Young Adult market ... I have to confess that I am a few years past what I would call a young adult ... well, quite a few actually ... but nevertheless I really enjoyed this story and I know I would have loved it when I was a teenager.
This book is The Famous Five on steroids; although there are six of them and no dog! Full of action, thrills and tension but it also explores many of the issues that young people have to face growing up such as mental health, death, grief and relationships but it does so with ease and with sympathy and understanding.
The characters were really well developed and although not all of them I particularly liked, they all felt right somehow. The setting was perfect and so well described that my hair frizzed due to the humidity! The pace was good and the writing style was easy to read so much so that I raced through quite quickly.
This is a great thriller for people of any age even though it is primarily aimed at young adults and I want to thank HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
This book is The Famous Five on steroids; although there are six of them and no dog! Full of action, thrills and tension but it also explores many of the issues that young people have to face growing up such as mental health, death, grief and relationships but it does so with ease and with sympathy and understanding.
The characters were really well developed and although not all of them I particularly liked, they all felt right somehow. The setting was perfect and so well described that my hair frizzed due to the humidity! The pace was good and the writing style was easy to read so much so that I raced through quite quickly.
This is a great thriller for people of any age even though it is primarily aimed at young adults and I want to thank HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through a Books With Bite giveaway.</i>
Ally Carter has become well known for her <i>Gallagher Girls</i> series, which was followed by <i>Heist Society</i>. Now she is back with a brand new young adult series: <i>Embassy Row</i>. After witnessing the death of her mother three years earlier, sixteen year old Grace is shipped off to Adria to live with her ambassador grandfather at the United States embassy. Well known for her dare devil, rebellious history, she is now expected to settle down, become more ladylike and attend international balls. Grace, however, has other plans.
Grace is convinced her mother was murdered and that she knows whom the murderer was. The only problem is no one believes her; not her grandfather, not the many psychiatrists; and even her friends have their doubts. So, Grace does what any “self-respecting mentally unbalanced teenager” would do and takes matters into her own hands.
It is exciting to read about Grace putting pieces of the puzzle together by investigating underground tunnels, tailing a scarred man around the city and, all in all, behaving rather like James Bond. As the plot begins to climax it is difficult not to rush through the novel to discover how it ends, where the reader is left with another mystery.
As well as the mystery storyline, Ally Carter also explores the theme of mental health. Naturally Grace has had issues since the death of her mother and finds herself, time and again, trying to convince people she is not crazy. Readers who have experienced mental health problems may relate to not being taken seriously and understand Grace’s frustration.
Overall, <i>All Fall Down</i> is a fantastic and exciting story to read. The air of mystery and feeling of suspense keeps the reader on their toes as they race through the book. It is also refreshing to read a young adult novel that does not focus on a teenage love story. The only problem is the wait for the second book to be published!
Ally Carter has become well known for her <i>Gallagher Girls</i> series, which was followed by <i>Heist Society</i>. Now she is back with a brand new young adult series: <i>Embassy Row</i>. After witnessing the death of her mother three years earlier, sixteen year old Grace is shipped off to Adria to live with her ambassador grandfather at the United States embassy. Well known for her dare devil, rebellious history, she is now expected to settle down, become more ladylike and attend international balls. Grace, however, has other plans.
Grace is convinced her mother was murdered and that she knows whom the murderer was. The only problem is no one believes her; not her grandfather, not the many psychiatrists; and even her friends have their doubts. So, Grace does what any “self-respecting mentally unbalanced teenager” would do and takes matters into her own hands.
It is exciting to read about Grace putting pieces of the puzzle together by investigating underground tunnels, tailing a scarred man around the city and, all in all, behaving rather like James Bond. As the plot begins to climax it is difficult not to rush through the novel to discover how it ends, where the reader is left with another mystery.
As well as the mystery storyline, Ally Carter also explores the theme of mental health. Naturally Grace has had issues since the death of her mother and finds herself, time and again, trying to convince people she is not crazy. Readers who have experienced mental health problems may relate to not being taken seriously and understand Grace’s frustration.
Overall, <i>All Fall Down</i> is a fantastic and exciting story to read. The air of mystery and feeling of suspense keeps the reader on their toes as they race through the book. It is also refreshing to read a young adult novel that does not focus on a teenage love story. The only problem is the wait for the second book to be published!
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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Nails (2017) in Movies
May 12, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
If you’re looking for a film packed with clichés and continuity issues, I recommend Nails – an Irish film currently available on Netflix. I ended up watching it yesterday with my sister-in-law and while it isn’t absolutely awful, it was definitely something I won’t be watching again.
The movie begins with a bam, jumping immediately into what can be read in the above synopsis. There’s not much of a build up and the characters are awfully flat. In fact, we don’t really get much of a chance to learn anything about them other than that Dana Milgrom, the main character, is helpless and dismissed by her healthcare professionals, and Steve Milgrom is a cheating asshole (because hey, what movie does that not happen in?). There’s also a daughter, and while she plays a major role toward the end of the film, she’s fairly minor otherwise.
What bothers me most about Nails isn’t its dry characters, though. The film is riddled with continuity errors. For instance, Dana is struck by a car and hits the pavement, but her face appears to have been severely burnt after the fact. Also Dana’s broken arm somehow heals faster than her face. Similarly, her stitches don’t lighten up or begin to heal. Later, there’s a scene where she’s tossed haphazardly over a wheelchair, then magically has repositioned herself.
As for clichés, here’s a list of them:
-Creepy scenes accompanied with ear shattering music
-Borderline creeper psychiatrist
-Eric Nilsson is an “angel of mercy” that killed five children then, surprise, killed himself in the same room Dana just happens to be stuck in.
-Hospital has a prior nefarious history and record of poor choices
Steve’s affair
-The dismissal of Dana’s concerns as being a mental issue (though this does have some importance when you consider the current mental health battles, it is hugely overplayed in horror movies without actually addressing the issue itself)
This is just a short compilation of issues I found with the movie. It’s one saving grace really is the type of monster being radically different from what you usually see. I felt Nails, the entity itself, was unique enough to save this movie from a one skull rating. Nonetheless, it could have been a lot better.
The movie begins with a bam, jumping immediately into what can be read in the above synopsis. There’s not much of a build up and the characters are awfully flat. In fact, we don’t really get much of a chance to learn anything about them other than that Dana Milgrom, the main character, is helpless and dismissed by her healthcare professionals, and Steve Milgrom is a cheating asshole (because hey, what movie does that not happen in?). There’s also a daughter, and while she plays a major role toward the end of the film, she’s fairly minor otherwise.
What bothers me most about Nails isn’t its dry characters, though. The film is riddled with continuity errors. For instance, Dana is struck by a car and hits the pavement, but her face appears to have been severely burnt after the fact. Also Dana’s broken arm somehow heals faster than her face. Similarly, her stitches don’t lighten up or begin to heal. Later, there’s a scene where she’s tossed haphazardly over a wheelchair, then magically has repositioned herself.
As for clichés, here’s a list of them:
-Creepy scenes accompanied with ear shattering music
-Borderline creeper psychiatrist
-Eric Nilsson is an “angel of mercy” that killed five children then, surprise, killed himself in the same room Dana just happens to be stuck in.
-Hospital has a prior nefarious history and record of poor choices
Steve’s affair
-The dismissal of Dana’s concerns as being a mental issue (though this does have some importance when you consider the current mental health battles, it is hugely overplayed in horror movies without actually addressing the issue itself)
This is just a short compilation of issues I found with the movie. It’s one saving grace really is the type of monster being radically different from what you usually see. I felt Nails, the entity itself, was unique enough to save this movie from a one skull rating. Nonetheless, it could have been a lot better.
HerCrazyReviews (247 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Aug 24, 2019
Marketed As A Mystery But It Isn't (2 more)
Unhealthy Friendships
Unsatisfactory Ending
Mental Illness Representation But No Mystery
Contains spoilers, click to show
As a casual fan who has watched a few of John Green’s YouTube videos and read a few books of his, I can honestly say he seems like such a genuinely honest and funny person. Plus, I have read a book or two of his in the past (Example: Paper Towns) and while I did enjoy this book there were quite a few things that made me stray away from a five or even four-star review.
The first thing that I felt was a let down in this novel was the fact that the book was actually not a mystery novel but instead dealt with more of Aza’s own anxiety. While I do love the fact that the book dealt with the topic of anxiety and mental illness in what I felt like was a realistic way I am disappointed that there was not as much mystery. To me, it seemed like the book was marketed around the fact that Aza was trying to solve the mystery of Russell Pickett and where he went. I incorrectly assumed that this novel would be some kind of Scooby-Doo mystery. We did see the characters wonder about Mr. Pickett’s “magical” escape and we did get an ending where everything was wrapped up and solved but it didn’t seem like the characters worked that hard towards it and the book was more about Aza’s own self-realization.
Speaking (or technically typing) about Aza’s struggle with anxiety and mental health I felt like the book did a good job of realistically representing the struggles and many difficulties people experience. I will say that I have personally never had a problem with mental illness and while I do have people I love and care for go through it my experiences are mainly from trying to help them. Therefore, I am not necessarily an accurate source when it comes to the reality of mental illness. I am able to see what my loved ones experience but those are on two different scales.
The simple fact is there is nothing pretty about struggling with mental illness. No matter how hard people try no one is able to always able to stay above the rainbow. Everyone has their bad days and Aza’s experiences, while cringe-worthy in some cases (Ex: digging into her fingernail and swallowing hand sanitizer) is the reality for many people.
While I am pleased by the fact that this book dealt with mental illness and the struggles that come along with it there are a few things that I am disappointed by besides the let down on the mystery front. Overall, the ending was not satisfying. While yes, we were able to see Aza grow and confront the fact that she will always have bad days and good days I felt like certain endings or wrap-ups were not satisfactory. One huge thing I felt strongly about was Aza’s relationships. With Daisy, her best friend, we eventually find out she has been writing about Aza in her fanfiction. But that isn’t the issue. The issue is that Daisy finally exposes her true feelings about her best friend. Turns out Daisy more or less has a lot of bottled up issues resolving Aza and reading Aza’s reaction to this is simply heartbreaking. I also felt that the ending where they simply go back to being friends was not good enough for me. If I found out one of my best friends had been writing hurtful things about me behind my back I would, of course, do what Aza did and confront them but I also do not think I could go back to being friends. Friendships are based on trust and respect for one another and Daisy was not being a true friend.
Now that I have gotten through my thoughts and let downs of the novel there were redeeming qualities. As mentioned above I am a huge fan of representation from several different areas such as mental health as is represented in this novel. This book gave representation to people who on a regular basis may not receive the care they are entitled to or feel like they are alone in the world. This book gives these people ownage and that is a truly beautiful thing. John Green, I believe, wrote this based on his own experiences with anxiety (though obviously, it is not his exact account) and I, therefore, feel like this is a fairly accurate source to read when wondering about the realities of anxiety. Now, I know this book is fiction but I personally feel like it did a great job on that front, which is what I believe John Green was aiming for.
Would I Recommend It?: Maybe. I do enjoy certain aspects of this book such as the amazing representation of mental illness such as OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and anxiety. Not to mention I truly loved the mentions of fanfiction. However, there were a few bits here and there that made my rating decrease down to three-stars. One of the main things was the fact that the book, from my point of view, appeared to be marketed with the mystery factor and while it was solved the solution was a letdown and the book wasn’t truly focused on the mystery. Plus, Aza’s relationships with her friends seemed to be unhealthy and the last chapter or two of the book did not hold a satisfactory ending for me.
The first thing that I felt was a let down in this novel was the fact that the book was actually not a mystery novel but instead dealt with more of Aza’s own anxiety. While I do love the fact that the book dealt with the topic of anxiety and mental illness in what I felt like was a realistic way I am disappointed that there was not as much mystery. To me, it seemed like the book was marketed around the fact that Aza was trying to solve the mystery of Russell Pickett and where he went. I incorrectly assumed that this novel would be some kind of Scooby-Doo mystery. We did see the characters wonder about Mr. Pickett’s “magical” escape and we did get an ending where everything was wrapped up and solved but it didn’t seem like the characters worked that hard towards it and the book was more about Aza’s own self-realization.
Speaking (or technically typing) about Aza’s struggle with anxiety and mental health I felt like the book did a good job of realistically representing the struggles and many difficulties people experience. I will say that I have personally never had a problem with mental illness and while I do have people I love and care for go through it my experiences are mainly from trying to help them. Therefore, I am not necessarily an accurate source when it comes to the reality of mental illness. I am able to see what my loved ones experience but those are on two different scales.
The simple fact is there is nothing pretty about struggling with mental illness. No matter how hard people try no one is able to always able to stay above the rainbow. Everyone has their bad days and Aza’s experiences, while cringe-worthy in some cases (Ex: digging into her fingernail and swallowing hand sanitizer) is the reality for many people.
While I am pleased by the fact that this book dealt with mental illness and the struggles that come along with it there are a few things that I am disappointed by besides the let down on the mystery front. Overall, the ending was not satisfying. While yes, we were able to see Aza grow and confront the fact that she will always have bad days and good days I felt like certain endings or wrap-ups were not satisfactory. One huge thing I felt strongly about was Aza’s relationships. With Daisy, her best friend, we eventually find out she has been writing about Aza in her fanfiction. But that isn’t the issue. The issue is that Daisy finally exposes her true feelings about her best friend. Turns out Daisy more or less has a lot of bottled up issues resolving Aza and reading Aza’s reaction to this is simply heartbreaking. I also felt that the ending where they simply go back to being friends was not good enough for me. If I found out one of my best friends had been writing hurtful things about me behind my back I would, of course, do what Aza did and confront them but I also do not think I could go back to being friends. Friendships are based on trust and respect for one another and Daisy was not being a true friend.
Now that I have gotten through my thoughts and let downs of the novel there were redeeming qualities. As mentioned above I am a huge fan of representation from several different areas such as mental health as is represented in this novel. This book gave representation to people who on a regular basis may not receive the care they are entitled to or feel like they are alone in the world. This book gives these people ownage and that is a truly beautiful thing. John Green, I believe, wrote this based on his own experiences with anxiety (though obviously, it is not his exact account) and I, therefore, feel like this is a fairly accurate source to read when wondering about the realities of anxiety. Now, I know this book is fiction but I personally feel like it did a great job on that front, which is what I believe John Green was aiming for.
Would I Recommend It?: Maybe. I do enjoy certain aspects of this book such as the amazing representation of mental illness such as OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and anxiety. Not to mention I truly loved the mentions of fanfiction. However, there were a few bits here and there that made my rating decrease down to three-stars. One of the main things was the fact that the book, from my point of view, appeared to be marketed with the mystery factor and while it was solved the solution was a letdown and the book wasn’t truly focused on the mystery. Plus, Aza’s relationships with her friends seemed to be unhealthy and the last chapter or two of the book did not hold a satisfactory ending for me.
Learning on Your Feet: Incorporating Physical Activity into the K-8 Classroom
Book
In this much-needed book, you'll learn how incorporating physical activity into the classroom can...
ClareR (5841 KP) rated Haverscroft in Books
Sep 6, 2020
This has been described as a ghost/ horror story, but I think it was more of a suspense. Coupled with an unreliable main character, the reader is never sure that what is happening IS actually happening.
Kate Keeling moves to Haverscroft with her twins and her husband, in the hope that she can rescue her marriage from mistakes that have been made. Kate also seems to be recovering from a breakdown - and this, I think, is a major piece of information in unlocking what is happening to her.
Timelines seem to be a bit fluid, whether this was intended or not, it did make it confusing. This may have been a device to portray Kate’s mental health, but to be honest, I’m not sure.
There is something definitely not quite right about the house: noises, things moving, lightbulbs breaking, figures moving out of the corner of your eye that aren’t there when you look. More interesting is how Kate and her husbands (Matt) marriage deteriorates over the course of the book, and the reason why (which I won’t go in to, because spoilers!).
There are what appears to be a lot of editing issues: words missed out or misspelt, and wonky timelines (but I’m really not sure whether this was intended), but I still enjoyed reading it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book.
Kate Keeling moves to Haverscroft with her twins and her husband, in the hope that she can rescue her marriage from mistakes that have been made. Kate also seems to be recovering from a breakdown - and this, I think, is a major piece of information in unlocking what is happening to her.
Timelines seem to be a bit fluid, whether this was intended or not, it did make it confusing. This may have been a device to portray Kate’s mental health, but to be honest, I’m not sure.
There is something definitely not quite right about the house: noises, things moving, lightbulbs breaking, figures moving out of the corner of your eye that aren’t there when you look. More interesting is how Kate and her husbands (Matt) marriage deteriorates over the course of the book, and the reason why (which I won’t go in to, because spoilers!).
There are what appears to be a lot of editing issues: words missed out or misspelt, and wonky timelines (but I’m really not sure whether this was intended), but I still enjoyed reading it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book.
Sam (74 KP) rated All That She Can See in Books
Mar 27, 2019
Cherry has a bakery. She knows exactly what people need and serves them something to cheer them up. What her customers don’t understand is that she bakes magic into everything to defeat their problems.
Cherry sees Meddlums – creatures that personify people’s problems. They are everywhere, following people around and never leaving them alone. That is until people go into her bakery, and Meddlums are stuck outside, slowly disappearing as Cherry solves everyone’s problems through food.
All That She Can See reminded me a lot of a Disney story, which isn’t surprising coming from Carrie. Lots of the reviews over on Goodreads slate this for being too Disney and pink and fluffy but I loved it. It makes a great change from the books I’ve been reading lately and it’s nice to read something that’s soft and an easy read.
It does have an abstract focus on mental health, showing how everyone has their own problems. It also raises the question of whether you can ever fully fix someone’s emotions. Cherry does everything to make people where she is happy, but in Plymouth, where this book is set, the happiness becomes too much and raises its own issues. It just goes to show that no matter what you do and how hard you work, people will always have their own issues.
I loved the way that Cherry sees bad feelings as monsters and Chase sees good ones as monsters. It shows their different personalities and how a generally happy person will easily see the bad things and a generally sad person will always see the good things happening to other people.
This is an absolutely brilliant read and I need a sequel!
Cherry sees Meddlums – creatures that personify people’s problems. They are everywhere, following people around and never leaving them alone. That is until people go into her bakery, and Meddlums are stuck outside, slowly disappearing as Cherry solves everyone’s problems through food.
All That She Can See reminded me a lot of a Disney story, which isn’t surprising coming from Carrie. Lots of the reviews over on Goodreads slate this for being too Disney and pink and fluffy but I loved it. It makes a great change from the books I’ve been reading lately and it’s nice to read something that’s soft and an easy read.
It does have an abstract focus on mental health, showing how everyone has their own problems. It also raises the question of whether you can ever fully fix someone’s emotions. Cherry does everything to make people where she is happy, but in Plymouth, where this book is set, the happiness becomes too much and raises its own issues. It just goes to show that no matter what you do and how hard you work, people will always have their own issues.
I loved the way that Cherry sees bad feelings as monsters and Chase sees good ones as monsters. It shows their different personalities and how a generally happy person will easily see the bad things and a generally sad person will always see the good things happening to other people.
This is an absolutely brilliant read and I need a sequel!
NR
New Religious Movements and Counselling: Academic, Professional and Personal Perspectives
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There are many different ways in which the disciplines of minority religions and counselling may...
Straight Jacket
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Written by Matthew Todd, editor of Attitude, the UK's best-selling gay magazine, Straight Jacket is...