Search

Search only in certain items:

40x40

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Collective in Books

Jul 31, 2022  
The Collective
The Collective
Alison Gaylin | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A very satisfying tale of revenge that I raced through in quick time.

Unfortunately, we have all heard of cases where a child is abused or found dead, murdered or killed by someone else and the person thought to have committed that atrocity walks free. We all feel for the parents but what would you do if that parent was you? Would you want revenge and how far would you go?

Camille is that parent; her only child is gone and her marriage has ended.

Grief has no time scale and after five years, the pain is still as raw, if not more so as the person she believed murdered her beautiful daughter is walking free and getting on with their lives. She has to do something but what?

Enter the collective ... a secret online group of mainly mothers who will help you get the justice you feel you deserve by working together.

Camille now has purpose but how far will she go?

With a great plot and interesting characters written at a pace that was quite slow at first but increased as the story developed, this book is a great thriller and certainly had me gripped from the start waiting to see how it all turned out.

Thank you must go to The Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read The Collective and share my views.
  
The Transatlantic Conspiracy
The Transatlantic Conspiracy
G.D. Falksen | 2017 | Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well-paced, good dialogue, some fluttery heartbeats but no trifling romance (0 more)
It's a Falksen book, so you know someone's going to die and it might be someone you like. (0 more)
Exciting, fast-paced, no fluff
Classic conflicts of child/parent, friend/(boy)friend, working/privileged classes, come to a head with a brutal murder, pre-WWI industrial espionage, and a race to survive the crossing.

The publisher classes it as YA, but it is suitable for a well-read late middle grader as the murder is neither gory nor superfluous to the plot. The language is clear and direct, the dialogue natural, and the settings imaginative.
  
Goodbye, Vitamin
Goodbye, Vitamin
Rachel Khong | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A stark, realistic look at Alzheimer's
Written as a journal: a year in the life of the main female character. She returns home for a year to help her mother look after her father who has Alzheimer's. He is quite far advanced, but at the beginning he is lucid. As the book progresses, so does his Alzheimer's. It's not just about a child caring for their parent: the main character has split up with her boyfriend and she feels as though she has made a mess of her life. This is her chance to set her life to rights.
This doesn't sugar coat any of the story, and I enjoyed it.
  
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
2019 | Animation
Not just for kids!
I'm not interested in the first 2 films, but having kids I've been subjected to watch them. So when they realised the 3rd film was out, obviously we had to go and watch it instantly. But OMG how good?! From start to finish it had such an easy story line to follow. Its got so many life lessons in, such as losing a parent, people having limbs missing, forming friendships and relationships. It's got such a lovely ending. I cried. But then I love a good ending so?‍♀️ but honestly if you like I feel good cartoon it's worth the wTch
  
What We Lose
What We Lose
Zinzi Clemons | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Gender Studies
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wonderful variety but something missing
This is an interesting literary debut from Zinzi Clemmons, with many semi-autobiographical elements discussing her heritage.

Thandi, a girl of mixed race, has to endure taking care of her dying mother, all the while battling various social aspects of living as a daughter of a South African and an American parent. Written in different formats, from a text message to hip hop lyrics, Clemmons explores the rich tapestry of her life and layers it with various threads.

While I mostly enjoyed this story, I do feel there is something missing and could have been weaved together a little more clearly.
  
40x40

Spencer3327 (0 KP) rated Wishtree in Books

Jun 20, 2018  
Wishtree
Wishtree
Katherine Applegate | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Touching Tree Tale
I grabbed this book to read before making suggestions to my students and I fell in love with it. It is a wonderful tale of a town, girl and a tree full of animal friends. It takes a few chapters to get into, but once you get hooked, you can't put it down. The messages learned along the way are lessons that children... and many adults need to remember going through life. I really liked the concept of wishes and sharing them to allow others that feeling of being helpful. I suggest this book to any parent or teacher to read aloud. Amazing conversations will occur.
  
13 Reasons Why - Season 2
13 Reasons Why - Season 2
2018 | Drama
Exceptional realisation of male rape (2 more)
Tackles hard issues
Helps young people deal with suicide
One of the best shows I’ve ever seen and one I’ll show my future children
This show teaches you it’s okay not to be okay. It shows you that life goes on, it shows you how to cope with grief, it enables people to be more sympathetic. This is one of the best, most touching shows I’ve ever seen. As someone with a parent who has tried to commit suicide what I don’t think the shows done has made people idealise suicide if anything it shows people the effects suicide causes.
  
I'm currently pregnant with my first child and so I have no experience with children yet, because of this I thought this book may help. I just can't put my finger on why in some areas this book just wound me up. It took me quite a while to get through as reading it felt very heavy...like being a parent is a massive chore and you'll have nothing but problems. Perhaps this was a bit too one sided for me, however, there are some great pointers in here so it wasn't a complete waste of time. I'll be sticking to her true life stories in the future.
  
40x40

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Jumper in Books

Nov 18, 2019  
Jumper
Jumper
Rebecca Scarberry | 2013 | Children
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jumper tells the story of a red ball that is desperate to escape from the toy store and explore the world. Thanks to some help from Mr Wind he is able to have some adventures.

Written for parents to read to their young children, Jumper will not only engage 4 year olds with the tale of the adventurous ball but also has some depth and scope for discussion between parent and child over some of the issues, such as the desire to explore versus obeying rules.

A good book that will be a favourite of parents and children to be read and re-read