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The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
The hidden truth of those dogs, cats, and other four-legged friends you care about continues. More like a three episode animated series than a 80 minute feature film, The Secret Life of Pets is a collection of three interconnected stories, a Pup Furtion with Chloe as the wise Paul and four wolves instead of just Winston Wolf. First, Max (now voiced by Patton Oswald) and Katie have a new master, the baby/toddler Liam. Parenthood give Max an anxiety disorder turning him into a canine version of Marlin protecting his yound ward from all the dangers of New York City instead of the Great Barrier Reef. Katie and new hubby take Max and Duke to the country for some relaxation where Max meets alpha dog Rooster who teaches our old dog new tricks. The second story is Gidget who is entrusted with Max's toy Busy Bee and loses it in the apartment of a cat lady. Gidget is given lessons in cattitude by Chloe to save Busy Bee. Last up, Snowball who moonlights as a costumed hero meets a femme fatale Daisy who wants Snowball to save a circus tiger from an abusive Russian. For a supposed family feature, there is a lot of animal cruelty on display whether intentional or not. I cannot support any film without regard for the safety of its animal cast. Therefore, avoid Secret Life of Pets and watch Aladdin a second time.
  
HO
House of Thieves
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
How far would you go to save the life of a loved one? That’s the question that architect John Cross is forced to ask himself after being confronted with evidence of his son’s gambling problem and subsequent debt. The amount is more than his son, or he himself, could ever hope to repay. To keep his son from being killed by the gang holding the debt, John uses his specialized knowledge of local buildings to help the gang plan burglaries, with the understanding that with each job, some of the debt will be forgiven.

I admit that I was expecting a little more of a mystery element after reading the blurb, but even without the mystery this book takes you on an enjoyable trip to the past. The story takes place in New York, 1886, and is rich with descriptions of society life, rat baiting, etiquette, gambling dens, and almost anything else you might want to know about the time period. I did like the way that almost every member of John’s family, without his knowledge, flaunted tradition and expectations to pursue happiness in their own way, even though to be found out would have meant their ruin and social outcast. It was hard not to root for them even when you knew they were doing wrong.

If you are a fan of historical fiction (or if you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York), then I highly recommend this one.

Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.