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Olivia (102 KP) rated Infinite Blue in Books

Aug 13, 2018

Infinite Blue

Darren Groth, Simon Groth | 2018 | Contemporary, Young Adult (YA)

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I received an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

What I expected from Infinite Blue was a story about two teens trying to make love work and last. Instead, what I got was a contemporary, magical-realism book about life, love, passion and just how eternal they are.

Infinite Blue is a mystical read that I highly enjoyed. The relationship between our two main characters, Ash and Clayton, was incredibly sweet, the concept of this book felt highly original, and it was quick and easy to read. So, with all that praise, why have I given it a relatively low rating?

Infinite Blue left me wanting more. Unfortunately, not in the traditional "I loved this book and never want it to end! Give me twenty spin-offs of it!" way. The book is only 178 pages long. In that time a lot happens. But so much of it is skimmed over to an extreme extent where I felt I'd only read a third of a book. Yes, all the details a reader need to know are disclosed on paper, but there is practically no build up toward these events. That alone is why I don't feel I can give it a higher rating. The book feels incomplete.

With that being said, Orca Publishing specializes in publishing books for reluctant readers. This is a book I would recommend to reluctant readers ages 12-15. It's very straight to the point so it leaves little room to get distracted and the concept is extremely interesting.

But ultimately, as an avid reader, I found myself a bit let down by how incomplete the book felt as a whole.

Kudos

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Scream (1996) in Movies

Apr 22, 2020 (Updated May 9, 2020)

Scream (1996)

1996 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

8.2

(81 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

1996 was a time where slasher horror had become boring. The quality of countless sequels for certain franchises had dipped dramatically, and Wes Craven intended to give the whole thing a jump start with Scream. It's safe to say that he succeeded in that respect.
I was 8 years old when Scream release, and I remember the buzz around it. Other kids in my school would talk about how their older siblings had managed to rent a copy, and just how shocking it was, and in the years since it released, Scream has gone from that excitable buzz to a bonafide genre classic.
Obviously, the screenplays self awareness was a game changer. Characters constantly talking about horror movie 'rules' whilst doing the exact opposite, dialogue about upcoming sequels etc. Even the antagonist Ghostface has a slightly goofy look, and it's this tongue in cheek approach that was immediately imitated by others, although never quite as well.
That's not to say that Scream doesn't have it's fair share of horror. It's a bloody film for sure, and even though it's scares aren't major by today's standards, it's easy to see why it gained the clout it did.

The cast is headed up by Neve Campbell, as extremely likable final girl Sidney Prescott. Sidney is fleshed out enough for the viewer to really get inside, and isn't just there for eye candy. She is joined by the likes of Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy and Drew Barrymore in an all round decent cast.
Honestly though, I can't heap enough praise at Matthew Lillard for his absolute batshit crazy performance. Guy deserves more recognition for that commitment.

Scream isn't the best horror movie I've ever seen, but as I said above, it's a genre classic, and certainly changed the face of horror. A definite win for Wes Craven.