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Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems: Family-Based Interventions for Resistance, Rejection, and Alienation
Abigail M. Judge and Robin M. Deutsch
Book
In recent years there has been heightened interest in the clinical and legal management of families...
Dark Places: The Haunted House in Film
3.0
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Book
Horror films revel in taking viewers into shadowy places where evil resides, whether it is a house,...
Eat Me: A Natural and Unnatural History of Cannibalism
Book
Cannibalism. It's the last, greatest taboo: the stuff of urban legends and ancient myths, airline...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) in Movies
Apr 22, 2021
After the detritus that was Halloween 5 and 6, H20 is a somewhat refreshing sequel that brings the series back to basics. The return of Jamie Lee Curtis is of course a huge plus point. Revisiting her character 20 years later is a pleasure, and Curtis is brings her A-game, as she always does. The rest of the cast are perfectly likable as well.
Story wise, H20 is a direct sequel to the first two movies, ignoring everything that came in between, a good decision considering how convoluted the overarching story became before. Existing in a post Scream world means that H20 has its fair share of meta moments, as EVERY horror immediately following Wes Craven's classic did. It's all a little on the nose, but any horror fan surely can't help but crack a smile during the hugely unsubtle nod to Psycho.
Unfortunately, there are some downfalls. The script leaves a lot to be desired, flitting between quoting the original Halloween (a lot) and just being plain overdramatic. The pacing is also a little iffy - considering the runtime clocks in at under 90 minutes, H20 flirts with boredom more than once. When Michael Myers is finally in the midst of things, it's hard not to be distracted by his weird looking (and frequently changing) mask.
Overall though, H20 is a good time that doesn't take itself too seriously. A pretty middle of the road slasher, but far from the worst in the series.
Story wise, H20 is a direct sequel to the first two movies, ignoring everything that came in between, a good decision considering how convoluted the overarching story became before. Existing in a post Scream world means that H20 has its fair share of meta moments, as EVERY horror immediately following Wes Craven's classic did. It's all a little on the nose, but any horror fan surely can't help but crack a smile during the hugely unsubtle nod to Psycho.
Unfortunately, there are some downfalls. The script leaves a lot to be desired, flitting between quoting the original Halloween (a lot) and just being plain overdramatic. The pacing is also a little iffy - considering the runtime clocks in at under 90 minutes, H20 flirts with boredom more than once. When Michael Myers is finally in the midst of things, it's hard not to be distracted by his weird looking (and frequently changing) mask.
Overall though, H20 is a good time that doesn't take itself too seriously. A pretty middle of the road slasher, but far from the worst in the series.
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Psycho Shifters (Cruel Alphaverse #1) in Books
Mar 29, 2022
PSYCHO SHIFTERS is the first in the Cruel Shifterverse series and, as the titles of the book and series suggest, this is not a warm and fluffy book! What it is, is a gripping and intriguing story, from the alpha-holes to mysterious portents in the Sacred Lake.
Sadie has had a hard life, frequently whipped with a belt. So long as it protects her sister, she's okay with it. Well, not okay, exactly, but you know what I mean. A series of events lead her to being left alone at a training centre where no one thinks pretty much of her, including the other alphas she's supposed to be with.
Each of the other alpha's have distinct personalities and react to her presence in their own delightful ways. We find out more about Jax and Cobra than we do Ascher, which is a story all by itself.
There are plenty of raunchy moments here so be prepared. Also, it doesn't skimp on violence, which is perfect for this book.
It does end on a cliffhanger, so consider yourself warned. Poor Ascher! I can't wait to see where we go next. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sadie has had a hard life, frequently whipped with a belt. So long as it protects her sister, she's okay with it. Well, not okay, exactly, but you know what I mean. A series of events lead her to being left alone at a training centre where no one thinks pretty much of her, including the other alphas she's supposed to be with.
Each of the other alpha's have distinct personalities and react to her presence in their own delightful ways. We find out more about Jax and Cobra than we do Ascher, which is a story all by itself.
There are plenty of raunchy moments here so be prepared. Also, it doesn't skimp on violence, which is perfect for this book.
It does end on a cliffhanger, so consider yourself warned. Poor Ascher! I can't wait to see where we go next. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Cyberstalker in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I saw that this book was available to review, I knew I had to read it. It just sounded so interesting! While it started out shaky at first, it quickly became a book that I couldn't put down.
The title is plain but attention grabbing. When I read the title, I had to read the blurb to find out if it was something I would enjoy.
The cover is a little too bland for my liking. It doesn't really grab my attention at all. In fact, it looks like a book from the 1980's (although it isn't).
The world building is very believable, and that's the creepiest thing. It just makes you realize how easy it would be to have this happen to us or to someone we know. Hildebrand definitely has the creep factor in his world building!
The pacing started off slow at first, and I was wondering if I had made a mistake in agreeing to review this book. I was very disappointed because I wanted to enjoy this book. I made the (wise) decision to stick with the book though, and I was greatly rewarded. Close to halfway in, the pacing really picks up, and I was totally enthralled in this story. In fact, it took me a day to read, and it only took that long because life got in the way...and sleep!
The plot is interesting and all too real. With the anonymity of the internet, you never really know who is on the other side of a computer screen. Lilly thinks Ian could be boyfriend material after talking to him online, but he ends up being a psycho.
I thought Hildebrand did an excellent job when it came to the characters. Lilly is a typical 14 year old girl interested in boys while being self conscious about how she looks. Her friends are all more experienced than her, and she's feeling a little left out. She makes some decisions that I wouldn't have made, and I kept cringing at her decisions, but I'm also older then her. Her decisions are those of a 14 year old girl. Ian was just plain creepy. Ian is a big time psycho, and I thought the author did a great job at conveying at how Ian could just flip out at any moment.
The dialogue fits very well with a young adult novel. The teens all acted their age. I don't remembering any swearing in this book, and there's not really any violence, but there is a the creepy factor which younger teens may find a bit too stressful.
Overall, Cyberstalker is a creepy yet intriguing read. It hits home hard and really makes you realize that this could actually happen to someone you know.
I'd recommend this book to to those aged 16+ who are big on social media as well as those who are after a fantastic psychological thriller.
(I was provided with a free ecopy of this title from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
When I saw that this book was available to review, I knew I had to read it. It just sounded so interesting! While it started out shaky at first, it quickly became a book that I couldn't put down.
The title is plain but attention grabbing. When I read the title, I had to read the blurb to find out if it was something I would enjoy.
The cover is a little too bland for my liking. It doesn't really grab my attention at all. In fact, it looks like a book from the 1980's (although it isn't).
The world building is very believable, and that's the creepiest thing. It just makes you realize how easy it would be to have this happen to us or to someone we know. Hildebrand definitely has the creep factor in his world building!
The pacing started off slow at first, and I was wondering if I had made a mistake in agreeing to review this book. I was very disappointed because I wanted to enjoy this book. I made the (wise) decision to stick with the book though, and I was greatly rewarded. Close to halfway in, the pacing really picks up, and I was totally enthralled in this story. In fact, it took me a day to read, and it only took that long because life got in the way...and sleep!
The plot is interesting and all too real. With the anonymity of the internet, you never really know who is on the other side of a computer screen. Lilly thinks Ian could be boyfriend material after talking to him online, but he ends up being a psycho.
I thought Hildebrand did an excellent job when it came to the characters. Lilly is a typical 14 year old girl interested in boys while being self conscious about how she looks. Her friends are all more experienced than her, and she's feeling a little left out. She makes some decisions that I wouldn't have made, and I kept cringing at her decisions, but I'm also older then her. Her decisions are those of a 14 year old girl. Ian was just plain creepy. Ian is a big time psycho, and I thought the author did a great job at conveying at how Ian could just flip out at any moment.
The dialogue fits very well with a young adult novel. The teens all acted their age. I don't remembering any swearing in this book, and there's not really any violence, but there is a the creepy factor which younger teens may find a bit too stressful.
Overall, Cyberstalker is a creepy yet intriguing read. It hits home hard and really makes you realize that this could actually happen to someone you know.
I'd recommend this book to to those aged 16+ who are big on social media as well as those who are after a fantastic psychological thriller.
(I was provided with a free ecopy of this title from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review).
HLD (99 KP) rated God of War in Video Games
Jun 12, 2018
A new direction for the franchise (2 more)
Beautiful - as always
You really see another dimension to Kratos. The hack and slash psycho of the past is only slightly present in this.
Balls to the wall fun
When I first started playing this, I was disappointed that there weren't a multitude of Gods to rip apart as I slowly but surely upgraded Kratos to defeat the main God... However, it didn't take long for me to get into the swing of things.
The real story is of Kratos and Atreus - father and son, who appear more like uncle and recently orphaned nephew. They start out with the kind of relationship you might have with the local drunk who buys alcohol for underage kids.
They have their problems, and Baldur, the main antagonist, has a HOST of mummy issues.
While he is threatening throughout - he can't die after all. You never feel like he's going to kill Kartos, even if he is immortal.
The story is fresh and definitely a new direction for Kartos' character, but the only real challenge were the Valkyries, who aren't really a part of the main story.
All in all, it's the first in what is clearly going to be a new set of games taking on a fresh story for the God killer. It's fun and exciting, but it leaves the opportunity to really dive into this new world that we find ourselves in for future games.
The real story is of Kratos and Atreus - father and son, who appear more like uncle and recently orphaned nephew. They start out with the kind of relationship you might have with the local drunk who buys alcohol for underage kids.
They have their problems, and Baldur, the main antagonist, has a HOST of mummy issues.
While he is threatening throughout - he can't die after all. You never feel like he's going to kill Kartos, even if he is immortal.
The story is fresh and definitely a new direction for Kartos' character, but the only real challenge were the Valkyries, who aren't really a part of the main story.
All in all, it's the first in what is clearly going to be a new set of games taking on a fresh story for the God killer. It's fun and exciting, but it leaves the opportunity to really dive into this new world that we find ourselves in for future games.
Hypnotrading: A Practical Guide to Using Hypnosis and NLP to Improve Your Trading Performance
Book
Trading is a minefield of psychological and emotional challenges. Hypnotherapy and neuro-linguistic...
Sufism for Non-sufis?: Ibn 'ata' Allah Al-sakandari's Taj Al-'arus
Book
Few forms of classical Islam are more controversial among modern Muslims than the spiritual...
Bedside Guide for Neonatal Care: Learning Tools to Support Practice
Book
Neonatal care is a specialist area that often requires health professionals new to the field to...