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Mo (66 KP) rated Bonded in Blood in Books

Jul 25, 2018  
Bonded in Blood
Bonded in Blood
L. Gene Brown, L. Ann | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.5 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
exciting plot (3 more)
subtle twists
Not cheesy
Not- teen drama heavy
some points in the book are unexplained (1 more)
contradicts itself in a big way
A really good book
This book was actually a good read. I was a bit skeptical when I found out it was a vampire story. However, it was very well done. It did not go over the top with the focus on vampires, it did not totally steer away from the plot like other vampire based books recently. It is not some cheesy teen drama with vampires book. It was a book with a bit of romance in places, a bit of vampire-centricity in others, and a lot of action, and a nice concise story. It did leave some questions hanging which really ruins the immersion, but you can look past them and enjoy the book. The next one looks really cool, and I will be reading that in the future.
  
Westworld - Season 2
Westworld - Season 2
2018 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Often brilliant, frequently confusion
Much like with season 1, I frequently found myself completely confused with what was going on in Westworld season 2. I struggled with the interwoven timelines, and usually wound up reading those online articles with titles such as '5 burning questions I have after watching episode x of Westworld' or 'Explaining that ending in Westworld'. There are occasions though where I can watch an entire episode and fully understand it! They tend to be the episodes that focus on a very small number of characters, telling their side of the story, and making me realise overall just what an incredible show this is. Despite my frequent confusion, I love the bold direction the story has headed in throughout the season, building on the groundwork laid in season 1. It's also clear from the finale that there are even more elaborate directions left to explore. I just hope that I manage to understand them!
  
Heart of Iron
Heart of Iron
Ashley Poston | 2018 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)
6
7.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Honestly thought I would DNF this book in the beginning - but about 1/4-1/2 way through it really picked up the pace - I loved Di and his story, I didn't care for Ana and the story between Jax and Robb was amazing - I think i'd be down for a story of Jax and his life before he got where he was. And I'd really love a story about Di - but I don't think I'll continue the series after this. I really have words for Erik - I had words for some of the others too but he really got in my head. I must have misread some part of the book because I thought something horrible had happened and I wanted to throw the book a little, but alas - I kind of want to know about the end - like, did she really have what she says she does - it doesn't make sense to me - hmmmm - questions
  
The Keepers - Season 1
The Keepers - Season 1
2017 | Crime, Documentary
This was a decent, interesting yet harrowing series. It initially looked at the disappearance and then death of a young nun teacher, and another young woman within days if each other in 1960s Baltimore. Thereafter the story unfolded covering abuse in the catholic school, repressed memories and a cast of very unusual characters from the city, all of whom appear to have been involved.
While the series is interesting, and the stories being told are truly horrific, the series itself seems to get distracted and is at times all over the place. The first few episodes were quite focused, but the last 2 episodes were a frantic rush to close off aspects of the story, but a number of other avenues suddenly appeared out of nowhere, leading to quite a confusing, tiring conclusion.
One of these days there will be a true crime series on Netflix that ends with all questions answered.
  
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Flynn (6 KP) rated Lizard Radio in Books

Sep 18, 2018  
LR
Lizard Radio
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<spoiler>Kind of disappointed there weren't actual lizard people, and we never learned what vaping actually was, or if blight was as bad as they made it out to be,</spoiler> so the book left me wanting a lot more answers to my questions in a fairly unsatisfying way. A lot of terms thrown at you to with no explanation, and the context makes it hard to actually figure out what stuff means.

Pretty good rep of non-binary and trans folk though and how confusing and hard it can be to be yourself in a strict binary world, but for people who haven't experienced anything really related to being gender non-conforming, it might be a bit hard to understand Kivali's perspective.

As a kid who legit thought they weren't human because they were different and wished I was picked up by my fellow aliens, having actual aliens get Kivali would've been a lot more satisfying than them not being real.
  
Murder Notes (Lilah Love #1)
Murder Notes (Lilah Love #1)
Lisa Renee Jones | 2018 | Thriller
10
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was fast-paced, full of tension and suspense and I just could not put it down!
Oh so good but can I just start by saying MAJOR CLIFFHANGER!? Another fabulous, yet totally different read from Lisa Renee Jones!! This story follows FBI Profiler, Lilah Love, a tough, cold, foul-mouthed agent who is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and lets everyone know it. Having grown up in the rich Hampton's lifestyle (something she tries desperately to forget), she suddenly finds herself back in the Hampton's on a case and a growing list of questions about those closest to her. This leads her not only back to the family drama she left behind and that of the Hampton's elite, but her ex, Kane and one very large secret shared between them.

This book was fast-paced, full of tension and suspense and I just could not put it down! Highly, highly recommended!
  
Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Loved this movie
This is a must see for all Harry Potter fans. Newt is a fantastic main character and in this film he and everyone else have some hard decisions to make.
There are a few different story lines in the movie, so Newt isn't the only character that holds your attention. All of these stories meet in the end, and the ending leaves the viewer with more questions. I think the movie ended in a really good spot. It felt complete while still making me look forward to the next installment.
The only real problem with this movie is that at times it doesn't follow universal rules that were introduced in Harry Potter. These things are usually very minor, and I think a lot of people won't notice them right away. For me that was the only downside to the movie I would have preferred they stayed true to the original.
  
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Erika (17789 KP) Nov 16, 2018

I completely agree with your last paragraph and I wasn't thrilled with the recon of canon, at all.

An Anonymous Girl
An Anonymous Girl
Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
8
7.5 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
Missing that big reveal.
Like other reviewers, I was super excited when I learned that the authors of The Wife Between Us would be releasing a new book, and I could not wait to dive in! While An Anonymous Girl was GOOD, it wasn't GREAT.

I enjoyed the actual story very much, and I felt like I needed to find out what was going on. I liked the concept of the morality study, and puzzled over some of the questions myself. I sympathized with Jess, and found Dr. Shields to be fascinatingly twisted. The characters were well-written and the plot was well-developed, however it's missing a "big reveal," as we were gifted with in The Wife Between Us. There are plenty of smaller reveals throughout the story to keep it interesting, but I kept waiting for the big one, and was disappointed.

The ending was also a bit strange...kind of "that's it?"

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARE!
  
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Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Arrowood in Books

Jun 18, 2019  
Arrowood
Arrowood
Laura McHugh | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Atmospheric mystery
Arrowood is a grand old house that was used as part of the underground railway network in Iowa. It is the family home for generations of Arrowoods, the home that Arden grew up in and the home from which her twin sister disappeared from twenty years ago.

When Arden inherits Arrowood and returns to the now deteriorating town of her childhood; Keokuk, she is met with some faces from her past. Arden opens old wounds by digging around the unsolved disappearance of her sister, and has to ask herself some difficult questions about what really happened all those years ago at Arrowood.

This book had a great build up in it. The atmosphere created around the house and town was eerie and haunting. There was some delightfully suspenseful moments and overall the feel of this book was intense. The ending went a bit off the rails for me and I'd already guessed roughly the deal but still would strongly recommend for the ride.
  
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Midge (525 KP) rated Keeping Faith in TV

Jan 3, 2019 (Updated Jan 9, 2019)  
Keeping Faith
Keeping Faith
2017 | Thriller
10
7.6 (7 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Actress Eve Myles (1 more)
Breathtaking Scenery
Fantastic Drama/Thriller!
Keeping Faith is a superb TV show with fantastic plots and wonderful actors. Each weeks' episode leaves you begging for the next one. Eve Myles, who plays Faith, was outstanding and you could really relate to her. I also particularly enjoyed the scenes including Hannah Daniel as Cerys Jones (junior associate at the family's law firm, Howells) who was very good. The show is set in Wales where the scenery manages to be both bleak but breathtaking, at the same time.

I loved watching Keeping Faith as it was gripping and kept me hooked all the way through. So many questions unanswered and so much more drama to come. Fantastic!

The closing song of Keeping Faith's first episode which melts me every time was written and sung by Grammy award-winning songwriter Amy Wadge.

This is a beautiful, wonderful drama and I'm ecstatic to hear that there will be a Series 2.