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Pines (Wayward Pines, #1)
Pines (Wayward Pines, #1)
Blake Crouch | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.4 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
I started reading this as a result of the ads for the upcoming adaptation on Fox, which made it look somewhat cheesy, but intriguingly weird. I was right about the central plot being weird, but luckily, the book is not really cheesy. While on a mission to locate 2 missing Secret Service agents, Ethan Burke finds himself stranded in the mysterious town of Wayward Pines after a car accident which killed his partner. His identification, money and phone are all missing and while the town seems outwardly idyllic, there is something pretty clearly off about it. As Ethan tries to figure out what is happening to him, things get progressively stranger, until he finds himself in a fight for his life. Things get surprisingly creepy and the ending provides a pretty big, and wholly unexpected, explanation for what is going on. While the author claims inspiration from TV show "Twin Peaks", and there is evidence as such, I found it read like one of Stephen King's more sprawling works, but condensed down to its core focus and with a more satisfying conclusion than he often comes up with. I still think the show looks likely to be sort of cheesy, but the book is anything but, and I highly recommend it to fans of suspense, horror or sci-fi.
  
Gothika (2003)
Gothika (2003)
2003 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
5
6.5 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Smh
Contains spoilers, click to show
Older movie but I never saw it so I thought I'd check it out. The cinematography in this one was good and the acting was ok but the story was all over the place. I think they simply tried hard to include too many aspects of the horror/thriller genre in one movie. A ghost confusingly trying to warn someone if something, a person trying to convince others she's not crazy, an unknown murder mystery within a murder mystery, a killer that comes face to face eith his victim's ghost, a person who ends up with the ability to see the dead, etc etc etc.... only thing missing was a creature from space(or hell). It was ok for what it tried to be, I guess. Tried to have plot twists but they only ended up being pretty predictable. The ending didn't make sense (spoiler here). The main character DID (without a doubt) - although while possessed (and that means what, exactly, to authorities of the law?)- kill her husband but was walking free at the end of the movie. How'd THAT happen? Just ignore ALL the evidence against her (fingerprints, witnesses, etc)? Anyway, if, and ONLY if, you're really bored and there's nothing else on, this one is (kinda) worth a watch. Otherwise, I'd say you're not missing much here.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2470 KP) rated Bear Bottom in Books

May 25, 2021 (Updated May 25, 2021)  
Bear Bottom
Bear Bottom
Stuart Gibbs | 2021 | Children, Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Missing Necklace and Bison
Teddy Fitzroy is in Yellowstone with his parents and the McCrackens to evaluate a ranch that J.J. McCracken is thinking about buying. The ranch is just outside of the national park, and the Fitzroys are also using the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The ranch raises bison, and they’ve had a couple go missing, so Teddy is asked to try to figure out what has happened to them. Before he can even start on that, the house where everyone is staying is broken into by a Grizzley bear. In the aftermath, Mrs. McCracken’s expensive necklace disappears. Can Teddy solve both mysteries?

Part of the fun of the FunJungle series is the setting and the recurring characters. I’ll admit I missed them. However, this book does have a core cast of regulars, and I enjoyed spending time with them. Both mysteries are intriguing and kept the pace steady. Watching Teddy work is always fascinating, and we got some wonderful action scenes along the way. While the series always tackles some environmental issues, I felt like this book lectured a bit more than the series usually does. It doesn’t help that one thing intended to be funny didn’t come across that way to me; instead, if felt like more lectures. I still did enjoy this book overall. It’s just not quite up to Stuart Gibbs’s usual high standards.