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Louise (64 KP) rated Mad About the Hatter in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I received a free copy of this book to review from Netgalley.
Hatter has been kept prisoner in the red queens dungeons for longer than he can remember. Eventually the day has come, he has been summoned by the Queen herself what can only be for none the less a beheading as everyone knows this is her favourite pastime. To the Hatters amazement she is sparing his head by striking a deal that he can’t refuse (really he can’t refuse) by capturing ‘boy Alice’ – and returning him for a right old head lolloping.
‘Boy Alice’ is in fact Alice’s younger brother Henry(17). He has never believed Alice’s stories of wonderland and always thought she was attention seeking, for which they have never seen eye to eye.
All Henry remembers is Alice apologising after their recent altercation, handing him a glass of punch and telling him to find the Hatter!
Henry finds himself in a mysterious place of oversized flowers and a caterpillar sitting upon a mushroom that speaks in riddles – can it really be Wonderland? Was Alice really an attention seeking twit?.
When Hatter finds Henry they grow to like each other and try to figure a plan to get Henry back to his home but by doing so they have to cross some challenging areas within Wonderland such as the Neverglades and Drawrof, during this adventure the relationship between the Hatter and Henry blossom.
"Rules are merely a fistful of conundrums, obstacles and barriers knotted and twisted together for the sole purpose of sucking the last bit of fun out of every experience"
I loved this book so much! The world-building was amazing that I felt like I was in Wonderland alongside the Hatter and Henry. Every section of Wonderland they crossed was so different from the last and every bit as magical.
The book is only 190 pages so a very fast and easy read. I liked that all the original characters were used and they all had the same traits as from Alice in Wonderland and that new creatures added and were blended in well.
The friendship between Henry and that Hatter was very sweet and heartwarming as they ventured on through the mystical lands and defied death, the feelings for one another become more than companions.
There were some particularly funny moments in the book that did make me laugh out loud as they were quite witty and there were still some essence of nonsense but not as much as Alice in Wonderland.
Alice to me was the only character that I didn’t really feel genuine, it felt a bit forced like she had to been in the book because it was based on Alice in Wonderland by C.S Lewis.
Nearing the end of the book there was a particular cheesy bit that I didn’t really like as it was a bit of a cliché but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I was sucked in to the magical world that was Wonderland!
I think there is definitely room for a sequel.
"That’s the secret to Wonderland. Believing. It’s what fuels magic"
I would recommend this book for anyone that reads/likes Young Adult and Lite fantasy novels.
I have never read anything else by Dakota Chase, though she has other books published such as ‘Changing Jamie’ and ‘Monster Town’.
Overall I rate this 4 out of 5 stars
Hatter has been kept prisoner in the red queens dungeons for longer than he can remember. Eventually the day has come, he has been summoned by the Queen herself what can only be for none the less a beheading as everyone knows this is her favourite pastime. To the Hatters amazement she is sparing his head by striking a deal that he can’t refuse (really he can’t refuse) by capturing ‘boy Alice’ – and returning him for a right old head lolloping.
‘Boy Alice’ is in fact Alice’s younger brother Henry(17). He has never believed Alice’s stories of wonderland and always thought she was attention seeking, for which they have never seen eye to eye.
All Henry remembers is Alice apologising after their recent altercation, handing him a glass of punch and telling him to find the Hatter!
Henry finds himself in a mysterious place of oversized flowers and a caterpillar sitting upon a mushroom that speaks in riddles – can it really be Wonderland? Was Alice really an attention seeking twit?.
When Hatter finds Henry they grow to like each other and try to figure a plan to get Henry back to his home but by doing so they have to cross some challenging areas within Wonderland such as the Neverglades and Drawrof, during this adventure the relationship between the Hatter and Henry blossom.
"Rules are merely a fistful of conundrums, obstacles and barriers knotted and twisted together for the sole purpose of sucking the last bit of fun out of every experience"
I loved this book so much! The world-building was amazing that I felt like I was in Wonderland alongside the Hatter and Henry. Every section of Wonderland they crossed was so different from the last and every bit as magical.
The book is only 190 pages so a very fast and easy read. I liked that all the original characters were used and they all had the same traits as from Alice in Wonderland and that new creatures added and were blended in well.
The friendship between Henry and that Hatter was very sweet and heartwarming as they ventured on through the mystical lands and defied death, the feelings for one another become more than companions.
There were some particularly funny moments in the book that did make me laugh out loud as they were quite witty and there were still some essence of nonsense but not as much as Alice in Wonderland.
Alice to me was the only character that I didn’t really feel genuine, it felt a bit forced like she had to been in the book because it was based on Alice in Wonderland by C.S Lewis.
Nearing the end of the book there was a particular cheesy bit that I didn’t really like as it was a bit of a cliché but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I was sucked in to the magical world that was Wonderland!
I think there is definitely room for a sequel.
"That’s the secret to Wonderland. Believing. It’s what fuels magic"
I would recommend this book for anyone that reads/likes Young Adult and Lite fantasy novels.
I have never read anything else by Dakota Chase, though she has other books published such as ‘Changing Jamie’ and ‘Monster Town’.
Overall I rate this 4 out of 5 stars
TheDefunctDiva (304 KP) rated The Outsider in Books
Oct 7, 2018
From the Inside, Out
Contains spoilers, click to show
This book opens like an episode of “Law and Order: SVU” not suitable for primetime.
A gruesome crime, involving a child (and complete with elements of cannibalism) is committed. The alleged murderer, damned by seemingly undeniable forensic proof, is then very publicly apprehended. And then the twists and turns begin. Though eyewitnesses also put beloved schoolteacher Terry Maitland at the scene of the horrific crime, the accused was actually at a conference in another city, where he was seen on camera no less. Then comes a series of events that threatens not only the man’s quality of life but his very existence.
The novel then expands into a whodunnit with a notably creepy character, a morphing being known as the Outsider. As the true perpetrator of this and other crimes against children and their families, he is at once very human and very otherworldly.
This novel is set in the southwest, which is an unusual departure for Stephen King. Therefore, the descriptions of places were perhaps a bit less detailed and authentic than I would have liked. But having lived in San Antonio, I can say he did a pretty good job and the scenery offered certainly didn’t detract from the story.
In some respects, the monster in the Outsider echoed back to Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The descriptions of the constantly morphing Outsider character had an eerie element. In the end, the flesh of the outsider consisted of nightmarish worms. And there was a particularly nasty substance he used to morph into his intended victims, some unidentifiable black substance which seems the stuff nightmares are made of. Appropriate, since he went around “eating sorrow” like some unhinged emo kid. Leaving entire families in his wake with his vile need to satiate himself. In his default shape, he resembled a man with “straws for eyes” which is haunting, but not nearly as terrifying as some of King’s other humanoid villains.
This book had several scenes that are now ingrained in my memory. The scene that stole the show for me was when bereaved Arlene Peterson, the victim’s mother, pours funeral leftovers on her head before ultimately succumbing to a heart attack. But the arraignment scene was definitely one that offered more action and intrigue than previously seen in the book. Chaos is one of the things King does best, and this section was remarkable. The book up to this point dragged a little, but the arraignment reigns as a pivotal point that brings many horrors sharply into focus.
I especially enjoyed the murder mystery elements of the book, as I am a sucker for a good detective story. Holly, an investigator who worked with lead detective Ralph Anderson, was my favorite character. Throughout the novel, she is depicted as smart, shrewd, and socially inept. She is also a tad obsessive-compulsive, which I related to on a personal level.
Throughout, the book seems to focus on the dual nature of man, especially in the concluding scene. It seems every man in his lifetime, by choice or fate, wears more than one face. The Outsider was a quality thriller and mystery. It is at once mysterious and devastating, and a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit.
A gruesome crime, involving a child (and complete with elements of cannibalism) is committed. The alleged murderer, damned by seemingly undeniable forensic proof, is then very publicly apprehended. And then the twists and turns begin. Though eyewitnesses also put beloved schoolteacher Terry Maitland at the scene of the horrific crime, the accused was actually at a conference in another city, where he was seen on camera no less. Then comes a series of events that threatens not only the man’s quality of life but his very existence.
The novel then expands into a whodunnit with a notably creepy character, a morphing being known as the Outsider. As the true perpetrator of this and other crimes against children and their families, he is at once very human and very otherworldly.
This novel is set in the southwest, which is an unusual departure for Stephen King. Therefore, the descriptions of places were perhaps a bit less detailed and authentic than I would have liked. But having lived in San Antonio, I can say he did a pretty good job and the scenery offered certainly didn’t detract from the story.
In some respects, the monster in the Outsider echoed back to Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. The descriptions of the constantly morphing Outsider character had an eerie element. In the end, the flesh of the outsider consisted of nightmarish worms. And there was a particularly nasty substance he used to morph into his intended victims, some unidentifiable black substance which seems the stuff nightmares are made of. Appropriate, since he went around “eating sorrow” like some unhinged emo kid. Leaving entire families in his wake with his vile need to satiate himself. In his default shape, he resembled a man with “straws for eyes” which is haunting, but not nearly as terrifying as some of King’s other humanoid villains.
This book had several scenes that are now ingrained in my memory. The scene that stole the show for me was when bereaved Arlene Peterson, the victim’s mother, pours funeral leftovers on her head before ultimately succumbing to a heart attack. But the arraignment scene was definitely one that offered more action and intrigue than previously seen in the book. Chaos is one of the things King does best, and this section was remarkable. The book up to this point dragged a little, but the arraignment reigns as a pivotal point that brings many horrors sharply into focus.
I especially enjoyed the murder mystery elements of the book, as I am a sucker for a good detective story. Holly, an investigator who worked with lead detective Ralph Anderson, was my favorite character. Throughout the novel, she is depicted as smart, shrewd, and socially inept. She is also a tad obsessive-compulsive, which I related to on a personal level.
Throughout, the book seems to focus on the dual nature of man, especially in the concluding scene. It seems every man in his lifetime, by choice or fate, wears more than one face. The Outsider was a quality thriller and mystery. It is at once mysterious and devastating, and a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Rampage (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
I have long written about the troubled history of bringing video game movies to the screen. For every success such as “Resident Evil” there are failures such as “Super Mario Bros”, “Wing Commander”, “DOOM”, and countless others. In recent years studios have taken more control of films based on their titles and we have seen some better success at least from a financial point. I was on set and very briefly in “Postal” and “Far Cry” and between scenes it was explained to me that with many video game films, you can use names and a basic premise from the game, but visuals, scenarios and such are usually forbidden as they cannot follow past stories or impede on any possible new projects. What is left is usually something with the name of the game and a very loose association.
“Tomb Raider” and “Assassin’s Creed” recently had a solid box office and while “Warcraft” fizzled domestically it did well overseas but not enough to trigger a sequel but showed an upward trend of star power and bigger budgets for game related films.
All of which brings us to “Rampage”; which is based on a classic arcade game which spawned version on multiple gaming platforms and sequels over the years.
The movie stars Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye; a former military operative who joined an anti-poaching task force and now resides in San Diego caring for Primates. His associates note that he has a better relationship with the animals in his care than he does the people around him and Davis is more than fine with this.
His favorite animal is an Albino Gorilla named George and Davis has even managed to teach him and other members of the group to speak to him via sign language.
All seems well until debris from a satellite crashes into George’s enclosure one night as well as various locales around the country.
George begins to grow at an alarming rate and shows increased aggression which is troubling to Davis and draws the attention of a genetics company who are involved in a rogue genetics experiment and a disgraced scientist named Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) who strive to help George and get control of the situation. Naturally the people behind the experiment are not going to let this happen and involve Government Agent Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), to transport them all to a secure locale.
Naturally things do not go as planned and with multiple creatures now on the loose and heading to Chicago, and the military powerless to stop the carnage, it is up to Davis to save George and save the day.
The film uses some lavish visuals to depict the creatures and the action scenes are very entertaining. For a game with a very basic premise, it was nice to see the attempt made to flesh out the backstory and characters and not make the film just an extended FX reel.
There are some scenes and lines that would not be appropriate for younger viewers as a couple at our screener seemed to have some issues with the intensity at times. That being said, “Rampage” delivers an over the top, campy, and fully entertaining mix of video games and classic monster movies. The strong cast and great effects make for an enjoyable action film as long as you accept things with a wink and a smile. I hope this is a success as I would love to see a future film in the series and Johnson, Morgan, and Harris were a very winning combination.
http://sknr.net/2018/04/11/rampage/
“Tomb Raider” and “Assassin’s Creed” recently had a solid box office and while “Warcraft” fizzled domestically it did well overseas but not enough to trigger a sequel but showed an upward trend of star power and bigger budgets for game related films.
All of which brings us to “Rampage”; which is based on a classic arcade game which spawned version on multiple gaming platforms and sequels over the years.
The movie stars Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye; a former military operative who joined an anti-poaching task force and now resides in San Diego caring for Primates. His associates note that he has a better relationship with the animals in his care than he does the people around him and Davis is more than fine with this.
His favorite animal is an Albino Gorilla named George and Davis has even managed to teach him and other members of the group to speak to him via sign language.
All seems well until debris from a satellite crashes into George’s enclosure one night as well as various locales around the country.
George begins to grow at an alarming rate and shows increased aggression which is troubling to Davis and draws the attention of a genetics company who are involved in a rogue genetics experiment and a disgraced scientist named Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) who strive to help George and get control of the situation. Naturally the people behind the experiment are not going to let this happen and involve Government Agent Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), to transport them all to a secure locale.
Naturally things do not go as planned and with multiple creatures now on the loose and heading to Chicago, and the military powerless to stop the carnage, it is up to Davis to save George and save the day.
The film uses some lavish visuals to depict the creatures and the action scenes are very entertaining. For a game with a very basic premise, it was nice to see the attempt made to flesh out the backstory and characters and not make the film just an extended FX reel.
There are some scenes and lines that would not be appropriate for younger viewers as a couple at our screener seemed to have some issues with the intensity at times. That being said, “Rampage” delivers an over the top, campy, and fully entertaining mix of video games and classic monster movies. The strong cast and great effects make for an enjoyable action film as long as you accept things with a wink and a smile. I hope this is a success as I would love to see a future film in the series and Johnson, Morgan, and Harris were a very winning combination.
http://sknr.net/2018/04/11/rampage/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
It has been ten years since humanity triumphed over the invading Kaiju in “Pacific Rim”. The world has begun rebuilding from the devastation caused by the conflict and for the most part humanity has moved on. However for Jake Pentecost (John Boyega), he exists as a hustler in a yet to be recovered zone that was heavily damaged by the conflict. Jake lives for the hustle, finding and trading one item of value for another from cookies and cereal to parts from down Jaegers.
Looting and operating parts from the former combat giants is very illegal but with the massive payout from their parts, the lure is too great for Jake to ignore. This pursuit leads him into trouble and reluctantly paired with young scrapper Amari Namani (Cailee Spaeny). Jake gets a choice of prison or returning to train Jaeger pilots as he is the son of the late hero Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), and naturally has many unresolved issues of sharing the name of the beloved hero.
Figuring training a class beats jail, Jake agrees to teach Amara and a new class of Jaeger pilots with his former rival Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood), and to say they still have issues with one another would be an understatement.
Despite this, training moves along as planned and Nate and Jake even work well enough to pilot a Jaeger at a ceremony that will usher in a new but controversial new age in protection for humanity.
When an unexpected threat arrives and causes mass devastation and chaos, Jake and Nate must get to the bottom of the threat. As their investigation moves along a massive threat is discovered which pits them and their untested recruits against a threat old and new which threatens to end humanity.
What follows is a FX laden finale where cities are laid waste to and massive combatants engage is a truly impressive visual spectacle
While “Pacific Rim: Uprising” does use a familiar plot threads, it does so in an engaging way. The film does have a very basic plot and does not delve too much into character development and leaves some of the threads it opened unresolved. What it does have is a good amount of action after a slower than expected buildup. The action is visually appealing and exciting and delivers a much better experience than the last few “Transformer” films did. The cast works well with one another and it was nice to see Charlie Day and others from the first film return as Day always makes his scenes engaging.
While you may have a sense of seeing much of this before in giant monster and robot films, it is done in an appealing way. There is much of the film that you can see was clearly included to make sure the film appeals to audiences in China and Japan but in the new global film market, it is vital for films to do well in those markets, and with a film based in the Asian Pacific Rim, it only makes sense to do this. Eastwood and Boyega work well with one another and the finale opens the door wide open for a third film that looks like it would extend the franchise by taking things in a new and exciting direction.
http://sknr.net/2018/03/21/pacific-rim-uprising/
Looting and operating parts from the former combat giants is very illegal but with the massive payout from their parts, the lure is too great for Jake to ignore. This pursuit leads him into trouble and reluctantly paired with young scrapper Amari Namani (Cailee Spaeny). Jake gets a choice of prison or returning to train Jaeger pilots as he is the son of the late hero Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), and naturally has many unresolved issues of sharing the name of the beloved hero.
Figuring training a class beats jail, Jake agrees to teach Amara and a new class of Jaeger pilots with his former rival Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood), and to say they still have issues with one another would be an understatement.
Despite this, training moves along as planned and Nate and Jake even work well enough to pilot a Jaeger at a ceremony that will usher in a new but controversial new age in protection for humanity.
When an unexpected threat arrives and causes mass devastation and chaos, Jake and Nate must get to the bottom of the threat. As their investigation moves along a massive threat is discovered which pits them and their untested recruits against a threat old and new which threatens to end humanity.
What follows is a FX laden finale where cities are laid waste to and massive combatants engage is a truly impressive visual spectacle
While “Pacific Rim: Uprising” does use a familiar plot threads, it does so in an engaging way. The film does have a very basic plot and does not delve too much into character development and leaves some of the threads it opened unresolved. What it does have is a good amount of action after a slower than expected buildup. The action is visually appealing and exciting and delivers a much better experience than the last few “Transformer” films did. The cast works well with one another and it was nice to see Charlie Day and others from the first film return as Day always makes his scenes engaging.
While you may have a sense of seeing much of this before in giant monster and robot films, it is done in an appealing way. There is much of the film that you can see was clearly included to make sure the film appeals to audiences in China and Japan but in the new global film market, it is vital for films to do well in those markets, and with a film based in the Asian Pacific Rim, it only makes sense to do this. Eastwood and Boyega work well with one another and the finale opens the door wide open for a third film that looks like it would extend the franchise by taking things in a new and exciting direction.
http://sknr.net/2018/03/21/pacific-rim-uprising/
Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Statham vs Massive Prehistoric Shark
Before I start my review, I think I should add a quick disclaimer. I knew fine well that I wasn’t walking into a Oscar-worthy, perfect film as soon as I booked my ticket for The Meg. With the exception of Jaws, how many shark films have actually been award worthy? We’ve seen a huge boom in shark popularity ranging from plausible to the downright stupid (yes Sharknado, I’m looking at you and your buddies). But despite my already low expectations, I still have a fair amount of criticism for what I saw.
My biggest problem from the get-go is that we get no explanation for why the megalodon, a shark that’s been extinct for 2 million years has suddenly came back to gobble people up. How did it survive? Why is it there? Even the most low budget, downright awful creature features try to offer some silly scientific explanation for why the antagonist exists at all. It’s dumb, but hey, at least they tried. The Meg makes no effort to try and explain anything which was frustrating to me. The most we got was “Oh hey, there’s this really big creature that we thought was extinct but it’s actually living down in the Marianas trench – surprise!”. This might be a sufficient explanation for some, but not for me.
Having said that, was it an entertaining film? Sure. I did really enjoy the visuals especially and thought they did an excellent job with the CGI and actually bringing this creature and the underwater facility to life. Cinematically it’s a stunning film to look at, and despite all this implausibility, it still transports you to this huge, unknown, underwater world for the duration. I’ve seen some terrible CGI in my time, but thankfully The Meg doesn’t fall into this category. These visuals make up for the cringe-worthy script and lines that were supposed to be serious and instead made me burst out laughing. But let’s be honest, I’d be disappointed if the script wasn’t this god-awful. You walk into a film like this expecting to face palm a couple of times, don’t you?
I would’ve liked a bit more brutality as the Meg is supposed to be a terrifying, monster shark that’s approximately 60 feet in length. (The Great White shark can grow up to 20 feet for comparison). Despite it’s 12 rating I’m sure more blood and violence would’ve been acceptable as Jaws managed to get away with it back in 1975. Who could forget that scene where an unfortunate fellow slides down into the shark’s mouth? Brutal. Whilst I appreciate this isn’t necessarily a horror film, it actually needed more violence and less filler scenes in my opinion. It’s not often that I ask for more violence,` especially in an action film, yet here we are.
To conclude, The Meg is a fun way to spend your evening, but it ultimately felt like a high budget B-Movie. The actors tried their best with the script they had, but even people like Jason Statham and Ruby Rose couldn’t make it better. (what was up with Statham’s accent, by the way?!). If you’re wanting a silly shark film with more substance, I’d recommend Deep Blue Sea instead
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/08/19/statham-vs-massive-prehistoric-shark-my-thoughts-on-the-meg/
My biggest problem from the get-go is that we get no explanation for why the megalodon, a shark that’s been extinct for 2 million years has suddenly came back to gobble people up. How did it survive? Why is it there? Even the most low budget, downright awful creature features try to offer some silly scientific explanation for why the antagonist exists at all. It’s dumb, but hey, at least they tried. The Meg makes no effort to try and explain anything which was frustrating to me. The most we got was “Oh hey, there’s this really big creature that we thought was extinct but it’s actually living down in the Marianas trench – surprise!”. This might be a sufficient explanation for some, but not for me.
Having said that, was it an entertaining film? Sure. I did really enjoy the visuals especially and thought they did an excellent job with the CGI and actually bringing this creature and the underwater facility to life. Cinematically it’s a stunning film to look at, and despite all this implausibility, it still transports you to this huge, unknown, underwater world for the duration. I’ve seen some terrible CGI in my time, but thankfully The Meg doesn’t fall into this category. These visuals make up for the cringe-worthy script and lines that were supposed to be serious and instead made me burst out laughing. But let’s be honest, I’d be disappointed if the script wasn’t this god-awful. You walk into a film like this expecting to face palm a couple of times, don’t you?
I would’ve liked a bit more brutality as the Meg is supposed to be a terrifying, monster shark that’s approximately 60 feet in length. (The Great White shark can grow up to 20 feet for comparison). Despite it’s 12 rating I’m sure more blood and violence would’ve been acceptable as Jaws managed to get away with it back in 1975. Who could forget that scene where an unfortunate fellow slides down into the shark’s mouth? Brutal. Whilst I appreciate this isn’t necessarily a horror film, it actually needed more violence and less filler scenes in my opinion. It’s not often that I ask for more violence,` especially in an action film, yet here we are.
To conclude, The Meg is a fun way to spend your evening, but it ultimately felt like a high budget B-Movie. The actors tried their best with the script they had, but even people like Jason Statham and Ruby Rose couldn’t make it better. (what was up with Statham’s accent, by the way?!). If you’re wanting a silly shark film with more substance, I’d recommend Deep Blue Sea instead
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/08/19/statham-vs-massive-prehistoric-shark-my-thoughts-on-the-meg/
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Price of Privilege (Price of Privilege, #3) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
While this is most definitely one of the darkest books I’ve read, I am in awe of the author’s magnificent way of transmitting Julia’s emotions to the reader.
**If you have not read the first two books, please be aware of spoilers**
Julia Elliston is about to face her Goliath and her entire world is crumbling in front of her eyes. Her dream of living happily ever after with Edward is snatched away almost the moment it begins. Julia and Edward are forced to return to Lord Pierson as news of the scandalous vicar has reached the village where Edward served. But before they can even begin to settle into their new life, Macy has returned to “collect his wife”. Using his notorious skills of manipulation, Macy has set in motion the charges that will destroy the entire Pierson family, and return Julia to his safe keeping. Lord Dalry brings forth his old school friend Mr. Whitney to fight her case. We meet another friend in this book, Jameson, the fetching butler. Edward offers Jameson a job after his father decides to replace him. Jameson adds some much needed humor to this story. As she prepares for her court date, Julia comes to hate herself for the mistakes that she has made. But with Isaac’s help, in the most touching and tragic way possible, she comes to see herself as God sees her and loves her. She becomes a new person walking in the love and acceptance of the Father. A place that I hope we can all achieve. As tensions grow and truths are revealed, everyone has very severe choices that must be made. How will Lord Pierson protect his daughter? Will Edward be charged with crimes he didn’t commit? Is there anyway Isaac can free Julia from this monster? Has Macy paid off everyone so he will walk free and claim his wife? But most importantly, will Julia’s faith stand firm throughout the trials and the hardships?
I have had completely mixed emotions about the entire story in general. I have come to realize, however, that it is because I prefer a more lighthearted book. The conclusion of the Price of Privilege Trilogy went above and beyond my expectations. It was also hard for me to relate with Julia in a lot of ways. Her decisions and reactions in specific situations are the complete opposite of how I would think to react (Although I don’t have a blood thirsty husband, who could at any moment snatch me away). I also remain uncomfortable with the portrayal of some of the romantic scenes. They are brief and few, but I feel as if they were a little too provocative without being graphic. That being said, as our story concluded, I was moved to tears. The emotions I was reading were very easy to grasp onto. The series as a whole is very dark and depressing, too much for my own emotional health to handle in 2 ½ weeks. (I need about a week just to process everything now.) I wasn’t sure about the books at first, but I am glad I stuck with it. My congratulations to Jessica Dotta on her first series, I look forward to reading any future works!
I received a free copy of Price of Privilege (Price of Privilege Trilogy Book 3) from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.
**If you have not read the first two books, please be aware of spoilers**
Julia Elliston is about to face her Goliath and her entire world is crumbling in front of her eyes. Her dream of living happily ever after with Edward is snatched away almost the moment it begins. Julia and Edward are forced to return to Lord Pierson as news of the scandalous vicar has reached the village where Edward served. But before they can even begin to settle into their new life, Macy has returned to “collect his wife”. Using his notorious skills of manipulation, Macy has set in motion the charges that will destroy the entire Pierson family, and return Julia to his safe keeping. Lord Dalry brings forth his old school friend Mr. Whitney to fight her case. We meet another friend in this book, Jameson, the fetching butler. Edward offers Jameson a job after his father decides to replace him. Jameson adds some much needed humor to this story. As she prepares for her court date, Julia comes to hate herself for the mistakes that she has made. But with Isaac’s help, in the most touching and tragic way possible, she comes to see herself as God sees her and loves her. She becomes a new person walking in the love and acceptance of the Father. A place that I hope we can all achieve. As tensions grow and truths are revealed, everyone has very severe choices that must be made. How will Lord Pierson protect his daughter? Will Edward be charged with crimes he didn’t commit? Is there anyway Isaac can free Julia from this monster? Has Macy paid off everyone so he will walk free and claim his wife? But most importantly, will Julia’s faith stand firm throughout the trials and the hardships?
I have had completely mixed emotions about the entire story in general. I have come to realize, however, that it is because I prefer a more lighthearted book. The conclusion of the Price of Privilege Trilogy went above and beyond my expectations. It was also hard for me to relate with Julia in a lot of ways. Her decisions and reactions in specific situations are the complete opposite of how I would think to react (Although I don’t have a blood thirsty husband, who could at any moment snatch me away). I also remain uncomfortable with the portrayal of some of the romantic scenes. They are brief and few, but I feel as if they were a little too provocative without being graphic. That being said, as our story concluded, I was moved to tears. The emotions I was reading were very easy to grasp onto. The series as a whole is very dark and depressing, too much for my own emotional health to handle in 2 ½ weeks. (I need about a week just to process everything now.) I wasn’t sure about the books at first, but I am glad I stuck with it. My congratulations to Jessica Dotta on her first series, I look forward to reading any future works!
I received a free copy of Price of Privilege (Price of Privilege Trilogy Book 3) from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.
My rating 2.5
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. </i>
There is often a preconception that self-published books are not as good as those printed by world famous publishers. Yet, given a chance, there are a few that surprise you. Unfortunately, there are many issues with Laura Foster’s debut novel <i>Crimson</i>. The actual concept has promise of appealing to a range of readers due to falling into a variety of genres: fantasy, science fiction, young adult and paranormal/horror. Where the novel suffers is within the writing style and obvious lack of proof reading.
The storyline concentrates on a homeless young girl whose frightening nightmares have led her to believe she is in grave danger. Dawn Pearson, who the reader is led to believe is only twelve or thirteen years of age, is determined to get as far away from the creature in her dreams as possible. With the help of Mike, a friend she makes on the street, she narrowly escapes being captured by the red-eyed, irascible monster she has named Crimson.
While the pair flee, Dawn and Mike become aware of another terrifying beast, although neither understand why Dawn is being hunted. It soon manifests that Dawn harbours an ethereal power, suggesting that she is far from the human she believed herself to be. As the thrill of the chase heightens, readers are left with questions: who is Dawn? Who is the Crimson? Which characters can be trusted?
It is not clear what the target age group is, however the youthful ages of Dawn and Mike make it suitable for a young adult audience as well as adult readers in general. Dawn and Mike’s relationship, although sudden, becomes a key aspect of the story. For once a friendship between a male and female has no romantic connotations attached, thus not detracting from the surreal circumstances of the plot. Both Dawn and Mike show admiral traits of selflessness – something that ostracizes them from the remainder of ignoble characters.
Sadly, the dramatic climax spirals into confusion. Ever changing plot directions make it unclear who the heroes are, and perplexing scene descriptions make it difficult to picture what the author had in mind. This was a more prominent issue toward the conclusion of the book, resulting in an unsatisfying ending.
One of the major problems with the writing is the constant switching of points of view. Although written in third person, a narrative still speaks from one character’s perspective. This can change from character to character, but usually separated into different chapters. In <i>Crimson</i>, however, Foster alters the viewpoint from paragraph to paragraph. This occasionally makes the text difficult to follow.
As with any lengthy body of text, printing errors can occur – nobody is perfect. On the other hand, the amount of typos in <i>Crimson</i> makes it hard to believe that it had ever been proofread in the first place. Some mistakes are clearly typing errors that are (probably) not the author’s fault, however the repeated misuse of words such as seized/ceased and wondered/wandered are not easy to forgive.
Overall, the premise was there, the writing not so much. It is understood that Laura Foster is currently working on a sequel to <i>Crimson</i>, but its success rests on how well this first book is received. If people can tolerate the errors pinpointed above, then the author has nothing to worry about, yet as it stands, it does not look promising.
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. </i>
There is often a preconception that self-published books are not as good as those printed by world famous publishers. Yet, given a chance, there are a few that surprise you. Unfortunately, there are many issues with Laura Foster’s debut novel <i>Crimson</i>. The actual concept has promise of appealing to a range of readers due to falling into a variety of genres: fantasy, science fiction, young adult and paranormal/horror. Where the novel suffers is within the writing style and obvious lack of proof reading.
The storyline concentrates on a homeless young girl whose frightening nightmares have led her to believe she is in grave danger. Dawn Pearson, who the reader is led to believe is only twelve or thirteen years of age, is determined to get as far away from the creature in her dreams as possible. With the help of Mike, a friend she makes on the street, she narrowly escapes being captured by the red-eyed, irascible monster she has named Crimson.
While the pair flee, Dawn and Mike become aware of another terrifying beast, although neither understand why Dawn is being hunted. It soon manifests that Dawn harbours an ethereal power, suggesting that she is far from the human she believed herself to be. As the thrill of the chase heightens, readers are left with questions: who is Dawn? Who is the Crimson? Which characters can be trusted?
It is not clear what the target age group is, however the youthful ages of Dawn and Mike make it suitable for a young adult audience as well as adult readers in general. Dawn and Mike’s relationship, although sudden, becomes a key aspect of the story. For once a friendship between a male and female has no romantic connotations attached, thus not detracting from the surreal circumstances of the plot. Both Dawn and Mike show admiral traits of selflessness – something that ostracizes them from the remainder of ignoble characters.
Sadly, the dramatic climax spirals into confusion. Ever changing plot directions make it unclear who the heroes are, and perplexing scene descriptions make it difficult to picture what the author had in mind. This was a more prominent issue toward the conclusion of the book, resulting in an unsatisfying ending.
One of the major problems with the writing is the constant switching of points of view. Although written in third person, a narrative still speaks from one character’s perspective. This can change from character to character, but usually separated into different chapters. In <i>Crimson</i>, however, Foster alters the viewpoint from paragraph to paragraph. This occasionally makes the text difficult to follow.
As with any lengthy body of text, printing errors can occur – nobody is perfect. On the other hand, the amount of typos in <i>Crimson</i> makes it hard to believe that it had ever been proofread in the first place. Some mistakes are clearly typing errors that are (probably) not the author’s fault, however the repeated misuse of words such as seized/ceased and wondered/wandered are not easy to forgive.
Overall, the premise was there, the writing not so much. It is understood that Laura Foster is currently working on a sequel to <i>Crimson</i>, but its success rests on how well this first book is received. If people can tolerate the errors pinpointed above, then the author has nothing to worry about, yet as it stands, it does not look promising.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I’m new to this whole world of YA Fantasy and to Victoria Schwab’s work. This Savage Song has been repeatedly brought up on different BookTube channels and consistently been listed as favorite books by many different people. Schwab has a strong presence in the world of YA. I couldn’t let these recommendations go to waste, so I promptly went to my local book retailer and purchased my copy of This Savage Song. As soon as I got it home I knew I would be reading it right away. I must tell you; this book DID NOT disappoint.
The dystopian elements along with the fantasy elements weave together to create an alternate version of our world for us to escape to. I love the way Schwab created new monsters for us and didn’t resort to the same old monsters of lore. Obviously the Sunai are my favorite of the monsters. The juxtaposition between monsters who were created out of something terrible happening but then essentially working with the humans to keep the peace is a thing of beauty. She provides a fresh perspective. Imagine a monster that only need sing to steal your soul and kill you, or with a couple of strokes of the bow on a violin, you’re done for. These ideas just blew my mind. A fresh idea to stand out among all the rest. The best part for me was the fact that Schwab didn’t feel the need to overload the book with needless killing just to prove how cool the Sunai were. You see some a couple of kills in the first half of the book, but she teases you throughout the second half of the book leaving you craving to see what happens when a Sunai goes dark.
It bears mentioning the other two monsters in this story the Malchai which are solitary predators that use blood as a form of sustenance. They are weakened by sunlight and to me are like a vampire’s second cousin. Then you have the Corsai which move in swarms like a massive shadow and feed on flesh and bone. They have a hive mentality and everything they do is driven by fear.
This book focuses on two main characters Kate and August. They are from opposing families. She is portrayed as hard and guarded. August, is a Sunai and just wants to be human. These two characters are shoved together under the worse of circumstances and they learn to trust and rely on each other. Many times, throughout this book I found myself comparing them to Romeo & Juliet; however, Schwab doesn’t play the romance card in this book. I thought I was going to be upset about that, but in the end, I think it was smart because it would have detracted from the deeper relationship formed and the story wouldn’t have meant as much, in my opinion. There are several supporting characters like Ilsa, Henry, and Emily that I hope to learn more about in the Our Dark Duet.
I can’t wait to read Our Dark Duet, and I will have it as part of my March reading list for sure. I’m a huge fan of Schwab’s writing style and the depth of her characters. I’ve also added Vicious to my TBR as well as her upcoming book City of Ghosts.
I would love to hear everyone else thoughts about this book, or Schwab’s other books.
The dystopian elements along with the fantasy elements weave together to create an alternate version of our world for us to escape to. I love the way Schwab created new monsters for us and didn’t resort to the same old monsters of lore. Obviously the Sunai are my favorite of the monsters. The juxtaposition between monsters who were created out of something terrible happening but then essentially working with the humans to keep the peace is a thing of beauty. She provides a fresh perspective. Imagine a monster that only need sing to steal your soul and kill you, or with a couple of strokes of the bow on a violin, you’re done for. These ideas just blew my mind. A fresh idea to stand out among all the rest. The best part for me was the fact that Schwab didn’t feel the need to overload the book with needless killing just to prove how cool the Sunai were. You see some a couple of kills in the first half of the book, but she teases you throughout the second half of the book leaving you craving to see what happens when a Sunai goes dark.
It bears mentioning the other two monsters in this story the Malchai which are solitary predators that use blood as a form of sustenance. They are weakened by sunlight and to me are like a vampire’s second cousin. Then you have the Corsai which move in swarms like a massive shadow and feed on flesh and bone. They have a hive mentality and everything they do is driven by fear.
This book focuses on two main characters Kate and August. They are from opposing families. She is portrayed as hard and guarded. August, is a Sunai and just wants to be human. These two characters are shoved together under the worse of circumstances and they learn to trust and rely on each other. Many times, throughout this book I found myself comparing them to Romeo & Juliet; however, Schwab doesn’t play the romance card in this book. I thought I was going to be upset about that, but in the end, I think it was smart because it would have detracted from the deeper relationship formed and the story wouldn’t have meant as much, in my opinion. There are several supporting characters like Ilsa, Henry, and Emily that I hope to learn more about in the Our Dark Duet.
I can’t wait to read Our Dark Duet, and I will have it as part of my March reading list for sure. I’m a huge fan of Schwab’s writing style and the depth of her characters. I’ve also added Vicious to my TBR as well as her upcoming book City of Ghosts.
I would love to hear everyone else thoughts about this book, or Schwab’s other books.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Slender Man (2018) in Movies
Jul 5, 2019
Director: Sylvain White
Writer: David Birke, Victor Surge (Screenplay)
Starring: Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso, Alex Fitzalan, Taylor Richardson, Javier Botet
Plot: In a small town in Massachusetts, a group of friends, fascinated by the internet lore of the Slender Man, attempt to prove that he doesn't actually exist - until one of them mysteriously goes missing.
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: The Worst Horror Film of 2018
Story: Slender Man starts with four high school friends Wren (King), Hallie (Telles), Chloe (Sinclair) and Katie (Basso) decide to learn about Slender Man on the internet, they watch a video to summon him and the next morning the girls have had nightmares, before Katie vanishes.
The three remaining girls start searching for answers after the police come up with nothing and soon find themselves the latest target for the Slender Man.
Thoughts on Slender Man
Characters – Usually I would start to describe the characters here, but this film could well be the worst character development film I have ever seen, we have Wren and Hallie who are the longest surviving members of the group, who mostly just scream and think they are better than everyone else. Chloe is here too, she doesn’t listen to instructions and Katie is the one that goes missing. This is how little we learn about the characters in this film.
Performances – With terrible characters, comes no chance for the poor actresses in the main roles of the film to get anything memorable in, it is hard to give any of them any praise for their performance, mostly because it was hard to tell Joey King and Julia Goldani Telles apart too.
Story – The story follows four girls that play along with a Slender Man mystery that leaves them being terrorised by the mythical monster. The problem with this story is that we are force to follow four boring high characters that are given nothing to make them standout in a crowd, we have a internet video starting the nightmare which doesn’t create any sort of rules behind the mysterious figure. We have one person literally vanish, another one getting chased which just makes it hard to believe just what is happening with the characters will be going through. It is the most lacklustre pointless story we have seen that almost feels like everything is complete list of what not to do when making a movie.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in the film could be high tension moment, only for it to come back flat on its face not building the tension just, this is a scary moment, over. We even have a mystery which should be interesting but soon turns into nothing important.
Settings – The film is set in a city, didn’t notice which one, but it is surround by woodlands which only get to add what could be the mystery about the Slender Man who could use this area for hiding places.
Special Effects – The effects are just complete the weak attempt to make a movie here, with the Slender Man never getting anything remotely looking scary which he should be if he is literally kidnapping children.
Scene of the Movie – Ummmmmmm, the credits were good.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The kids have nothing that makes them look different.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the weakest horror films you will ever see, it is just a terrible mess, with no scares and doesn’t give the talent a chance to shine in.
Overall: Bad is being nice.
Rating
Writer: David Birke, Victor Surge (Screenplay)
Starring: Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso, Alex Fitzalan, Taylor Richardson, Javier Botet
Plot: In a small town in Massachusetts, a group of friends, fascinated by the internet lore of the Slender Man, attempt to prove that he doesn't actually exist - until one of them mysteriously goes missing.
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: The Worst Horror Film of 2018
Story: Slender Man starts with four high school friends Wren (King), Hallie (Telles), Chloe (Sinclair) and Katie (Basso) decide to learn about Slender Man on the internet, they watch a video to summon him and the next morning the girls have had nightmares, before Katie vanishes.
The three remaining girls start searching for answers after the police come up with nothing and soon find themselves the latest target for the Slender Man.
Thoughts on Slender Man
Characters – Usually I would start to describe the characters here, but this film could well be the worst character development film I have ever seen, we have Wren and Hallie who are the longest surviving members of the group, who mostly just scream and think they are better than everyone else. Chloe is here too, she doesn’t listen to instructions and Katie is the one that goes missing. This is how little we learn about the characters in this film.
Performances – With terrible characters, comes no chance for the poor actresses in the main roles of the film to get anything memorable in, it is hard to give any of them any praise for their performance, mostly because it was hard to tell Joey King and Julia Goldani Telles apart too.
Story – The story follows four girls that play along with a Slender Man mystery that leaves them being terrorised by the mythical monster. The problem with this story is that we are force to follow four boring high characters that are given nothing to make them standout in a crowd, we have a internet video starting the nightmare which doesn’t create any sort of rules behind the mysterious figure. We have one person literally vanish, another one getting chased which just makes it hard to believe just what is happening with the characters will be going through. It is the most lacklustre pointless story we have seen that almost feels like everything is complete list of what not to do when making a movie.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in the film could be high tension moment, only for it to come back flat on its face not building the tension just, this is a scary moment, over. We even have a mystery which should be interesting but soon turns into nothing important.
Settings – The film is set in a city, didn’t notice which one, but it is surround by woodlands which only get to add what could be the mystery about the Slender Man who could use this area for hiding places.
Special Effects – The effects are just complete the weak attempt to make a movie here, with the Slender Man never getting anything remotely looking scary which he should be if he is literally kidnapping children.
Scene of the Movie – Ummmmmmm, the credits were good.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The kids have nothing that makes them look different.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the weakest horror films you will ever see, it is just a terrible mess, with no scares and doesn’t give the talent a chance to shine in.
Overall: Bad is being nice.
Rating
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Good Liar (2019) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
Mirren and McKellen are acting in 2 different movies
In a time where large comic-book, CGI-infused monster fests are all the rage in the Cineplex, it is a welcome relief to find a cleverly written, acting-rich mystery story featuring two world class actors of "a certain age", defying the odds to make a memorable motion picture.
And...they almost succeeded.
Written by Twin Cities native Jeffrey Hatcher, THE GOOD LIAR tells the tale of a...well...good liar played by Ian McKEllen. His con-man, Roy Courtney, is a roguish scamp, bilking crooks and ne'er do wells out of their money. He then sets his sights on rich Widow Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) and her millions of dollars.
We spend the first 3/4 of this film following Roy - and his con-man ways - and it is a pleasure to spend that time under the twinkling eyes of Sir Ian McKellen. He plays Roy with a bit of a light touch, driving down into the dirty work whenever he needs to, but spending most of his time outsmarting his opponents with a sly grin, a wry comment and a light step. He cares not for his marks, that is...until he meets Betty. And Mirren and McKellen have the ability to play off each other very well and this would have been a more effective film if both of them were acting in the same sort of film.
For, you see, McKellen is playing in a bit of light drama, landing his acting chops in a style reminiscent of con-man films like THE STING and NOW YOU SEE ME. Mirren, however, (who takes over the last 1/4 of the film) seems to be performing in a heavy drama like SOPHIE'S CHOICE or THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN and I think it was the tone that each of these actors brought to their roles that drove both of these fine actors to this project.
Unfortunately, the dichotomy of the different acting styles, mood and tone ultimately derails this film and brings it down a peg from the austere heights it aspires to be.
I place the blame on Director Bill Condon (Mr. Holmes) who had two very good actors - and an interesting story - and just couldn't find the correct balance point for these actors, and this story. He also is not helped by Hatcher's script which really takes a dark turn (darker than is necessary for the story) that is a bit jarring. If this film wanted to be heavy and dark, then it shouldn't have been so light and fun at the beginning - and Sir Ian's performance needed to be heavier and darker at the beginning. Or it needed to "lighten up a bit" at the end and push Mirren's performance out of the darkness and a bit more into the light.
All-in-all it's a fine, throwback. A two actor film that is in short supplies these days - so well worth seeing. Though I will always pine for what could have been had the tone been evened out between these two veteran performers.
Letter Grade: B
7 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And...they almost succeeded.
Written by Twin Cities native Jeffrey Hatcher, THE GOOD LIAR tells the tale of a...well...good liar played by Ian McKEllen. His con-man, Roy Courtney, is a roguish scamp, bilking crooks and ne'er do wells out of their money. He then sets his sights on rich Widow Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) and her millions of dollars.
We spend the first 3/4 of this film following Roy - and his con-man ways - and it is a pleasure to spend that time under the twinkling eyes of Sir Ian McKellen. He plays Roy with a bit of a light touch, driving down into the dirty work whenever he needs to, but spending most of his time outsmarting his opponents with a sly grin, a wry comment and a light step. He cares not for his marks, that is...until he meets Betty. And Mirren and McKellen have the ability to play off each other very well and this would have been a more effective film if both of them were acting in the same sort of film.
For, you see, McKellen is playing in a bit of light drama, landing his acting chops in a style reminiscent of con-man films like THE STING and NOW YOU SEE ME. Mirren, however, (who takes over the last 1/4 of the film) seems to be performing in a heavy drama like SOPHIE'S CHOICE or THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN and I think it was the tone that each of these actors brought to their roles that drove both of these fine actors to this project.
Unfortunately, the dichotomy of the different acting styles, mood and tone ultimately derails this film and brings it down a peg from the austere heights it aspires to be.
I place the blame on Director Bill Condon (Mr. Holmes) who had two very good actors - and an interesting story - and just couldn't find the correct balance point for these actors, and this story. He also is not helped by Hatcher's script which really takes a dark turn (darker than is necessary for the story) that is a bit jarring. If this film wanted to be heavy and dark, then it shouldn't have been so light and fun at the beginning - and Sir Ian's performance needed to be heavier and darker at the beginning. Or it needed to "lighten up a bit" at the end and push Mirren's performance out of the darkness and a bit more into the light.
All-in-all it's a fine, throwback. A two actor film that is in short supplies these days - so well worth seeing. Though I will always pine for what could have been had the tone been evened out between these two veteran performers.
Letter Grade: B
7 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)