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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Language of Secrets in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Justin Fisher was just an ordinary guy—he was a manager of a hotel, married with a son, and a great future ahead of him. But he decides that he must go back to his home, because he hasn’t spoken with his family in years.
When he arrives, his parents are dead—and his gravestone is beside theirs.
Justin embarks on an amazing terrifying journey of mystery, self discovery, and secrets to try to fix his broken past—or at least figure out who he is.
The Language of Secrets was powerful, ironic, and profound. I was instantly swept away by Dixon’s prose and illustrations. My jaw literally dropped as I read the opening paragraphs, the writing was so fluid and descriptive. It was all written in third person, but switched perspectives every few chapters.
Near the middle I felt like I was in the middle of two separate stories, and I wasn’t sure how they connected, but I knew they did because they were about the same characters. Watching the story unfold in almost a mystery-novel way was incredible: it was a complex series of events woven together expertly so that you can’t even find the seams.
I loved the ending. The Language of Secrets finishes up the story, concludes it, leaves you satisfied, and then throws something at you in the very last paragraph of the very last chapter that you didn’t expect. It sent my eyebrows to the ceiling and my jaw to the floor. I think my eyeballs are still rolling around on the ground somewhere.
The Language of Secrets was amazing—it’s staying on my shelf for a definite re-read.
Content: medium language, some violence, mention of sex but no details, mention of rape but no details.
Recommendation: Ages 16+
When he arrives, his parents are dead—and his gravestone is beside theirs.
Justin embarks on an amazing terrifying journey of mystery, self discovery, and secrets to try to fix his broken past—or at least figure out who he is.
The Language of Secrets was powerful, ironic, and profound. I was instantly swept away by Dixon’s prose and illustrations. My jaw literally dropped as I read the opening paragraphs, the writing was so fluid and descriptive. It was all written in third person, but switched perspectives every few chapters.
Near the middle I felt like I was in the middle of two separate stories, and I wasn’t sure how they connected, but I knew they did because they were about the same characters. Watching the story unfold in almost a mystery-novel way was incredible: it was a complex series of events woven together expertly so that you can’t even find the seams.
I loved the ending. The Language of Secrets finishes up the story, concludes it, leaves you satisfied, and then throws something at you in the very last paragraph of the very last chapter that you didn’t expect. It sent my eyebrows to the ceiling and my jaw to the floor. I think my eyeballs are still rolling around on the ground somewhere.
The Language of Secrets was amazing—it’s staying on my shelf for a definite re-read.
Content: medium language, some violence, mention of sex but no details, mention of rape but no details.
Recommendation: Ages 16+
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, #4) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I enjoyed this book just as much as I joined the previous three in the series. Briggs can be depended upon for maintaining an exciting plot and unique characters, and this book was no exception.
This book gave me a more detailed look into the politics of the vampire culture of Mercy's world, as well as more development of the character of Stefan. Stefan does not seem to talk much, but his body language seems to say that he loves Mercy, even if he knows she will never love him back, especially with the scene on the last few pages. The discoveries that Mercy makes regarding her abilities as a Walker are interesting and can hold lots of promise for future books in the series. I also enjoy being introduced to other lesser characters in the books that often help Mercy in some small way, such as the oakman. These characters give a more well-rounded picture of Mercy's world. Mercy's panic attacks, resulting from her rape in the previous book, were very realistic and made her more believeable as a character, since they gave her a weakness and a way to be related to. Superheroes always seem to be better at their "jobs" when they have a weakness that allows them to relate to the "common man." I'm also glad that Mercy was finally inducted into Adam's pack officially, although I found the method somewhat gross and cannibalistic. I still don't understand how Mercy can be "pack" to both Adam and his pack, as well as to Samuel, without any sort of backlash in the "animal kingdom", but hopefully that will be either explained or absolved with future books.
This book gave me a more detailed look into the politics of the vampire culture of Mercy's world, as well as more development of the character of Stefan. Stefan does not seem to talk much, but his body language seems to say that he loves Mercy, even if he knows she will never love him back, especially with the scene on the last few pages. The discoveries that Mercy makes regarding her abilities as a Walker are interesting and can hold lots of promise for future books in the series. I also enjoy being introduced to other lesser characters in the books that often help Mercy in some small way, such as the oakman. These characters give a more well-rounded picture of Mercy's world. Mercy's panic attacks, resulting from her rape in the previous book, were very realistic and made her more believeable as a character, since they gave her a weakness and a way to be related to. Superheroes always seem to be better at their "jobs" when they have a weakness that allows them to relate to the "common man." I'm also glad that Mercy was finally inducted into Adam's pack officially, although I found the method somewhat gross and cannibalistic. I still don't understand how Mercy can be "pack" to both Adam and his pack, as well as to Samuel, without any sort of backlash in the "animal kingdom", but hopefully that will be either explained or absolved with future books.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Owned in Books
Apr 4, 2019
I wasn't quite sure what to read so I turned to my extremely large Kindle library to find a book that would hold my attention. I've never read a book by M. Never so I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised.
Owned deals with various dark and twisted themes. Readers should know that it deals with the following: Coercion, Kidnapping, Rape, & Abuse. If those themes are instant turn-offs, this book isn't for you. Personally, I love a good dark romance so this book was right up my alley.
I cannot give up too much of the plot but I will say that the characters were well written and the plot was intriguing. I was going to give it 4 1/2 caffeinated stars but I felt that at points the book lost track of the plot & sometimes things were divulged in too obvious of ways. I would have loved it if it flowed better and didn't feel forced at times.
The shining stars of the book were the main characters. Ellie & Kayne were so much fun to read about. I loved Ellie & her snark. The snarkiness was fun and made her more relatable. Kayne was interesting and kept my attention as well. I would have loved to learn more about him. I also LOVED Jett. He was such a fun character and I really can't wait to read more of this series.
All in all, the book was good and anyone that enjoys a good dark romance is sure to enjoy this one. It would also be a decent beginner book for people who want to dip their toes into dark romances. It wasn't too dark though it dealt with darker themes.
Owned deals with various dark and twisted themes. Readers should know that it deals with the following: Coercion, Kidnapping, Rape, & Abuse. If those themes are instant turn-offs, this book isn't for you. Personally, I love a good dark romance so this book was right up my alley.
I cannot give up too much of the plot but I will say that the characters were well written and the plot was intriguing. I was going to give it 4 1/2 caffeinated stars but I felt that at points the book lost track of the plot & sometimes things were divulged in too obvious of ways. I would have loved it if it flowed better and didn't feel forced at times.
The shining stars of the book were the main characters. Ellie & Kayne were so much fun to read about. I loved Ellie & her snark. The snarkiness was fun and made her more relatable. Kayne was interesting and kept my attention as well. I would have loved to learn more about him. I also LOVED Jett. He was such a fun character and I really can't wait to read more of this series.
All in all, the book was good and anyone that enjoys a good dark romance is sure to enjoy this one. It would also be a decent beginner book for people who want to dip their toes into dark romances. It wasn't too dark though it dealt with darker themes.
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Not Thomas in Books
Jul 31, 2018
This is such a sad story I often struggled to bring myself to read it. The novel is written as if it were a true story told by the central character, 5-year-old Tomos. Tomos has just moved in with his birth mother, following a long period of foster care which came to an end when the foster parent died.
The language with which it’s written, is very much like that of its protagonist, with common wording, present tense, short sentences, and childlike enthusiasm clearly conveyed. In spite of this, you may argue it’s not necessarily easy to read, as I shall explain.
In the beginning of the book, the neglect endured by Tomos is more commonplace, such as: occasionally having crisps instead of a cooked meal, making do with a removable ladder to on and off his bed, and his mum missing his nativity play. Later a teacher spots there’s an issue and starts bringing food and uniform for him to school.
However, after each let-down, the author must have thought “Right, what’s the worst thing that can happen next?” By the end of the book, there’s a rape, an arrest, and a murder. Eventually the teacher forges a rescue of sorts for Tomos, but things may never be the same again for poor Tomos.
Reading a book where the dialogue is in my own Welsh valley dialect made the story feel all the more real to me. In the first half of the book, the dialogue amongst the adults provides more depth, context and complexity to the story, which would otherwise only be hinted at.
In the end, it’s the realism of the story that makes it such a hard read.
You can check out more of my book reviews on Wordpress or Facebook:
https://bookblogbycari.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bookblogbycari/
The language with which it’s written, is very much like that of its protagonist, with common wording, present tense, short sentences, and childlike enthusiasm clearly conveyed. In spite of this, you may argue it’s not necessarily easy to read, as I shall explain.
In the beginning of the book, the neglect endured by Tomos is more commonplace, such as: occasionally having crisps instead of a cooked meal, making do with a removable ladder to on and off his bed, and his mum missing his nativity play. Later a teacher spots there’s an issue and starts bringing food and uniform for him to school.
However, after each let-down, the author must have thought “Right, what’s the worst thing that can happen next?” By the end of the book, there’s a rape, an arrest, and a murder. Eventually the teacher forges a rescue of sorts for Tomos, but things may never be the same again for poor Tomos.
Reading a book where the dialogue is in my own Welsh valley dialect made the story feel all the more real to me. In the first half of the book, the dialogue amongst the adults provides more depth, context and complexity to the story, which would otherwise only be hinted at.
In the end, it’s the realism of the story that makes it such a hard read.
You can check out more of my book reviews on Wordpress or Facebook:
https://bookblogbycari.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bookblogbycari/
After-all-this-time? (11 KP) rated 13 Reasons Why - Season 1 in TV
Dec 30, 2018 (Updated Dec 30, 2018)
Very gripping (3 more)
Thought provoking
Emotional
Relatable cast
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was gripped from episode 1 of 13 Reasons. The cast of young actors and actresses are brilliant, and they made it a really gripping show.
The show not only touches upon, but runs head long into some very serious, hard hitting subjects, including sexual assault and rape, bullying, sexuality, drink driving, peer pressure and, of course, mental health and suicide. So, definitely not one for the easily upset. It portrays all of them in a very honest, very graphic way. It can definitely be upsetting, but is very thought provoking and helps you see things from several different perspectives. It was great seeing mental health finally being spoken about and highlighted in such a mainstream way, without it being belittled.
The storyline follows Clay, a teenage boy, who has recently suffered a bereavement in the form if the suicide of his friend and love interest, Hannah. Some time after Hannah's death, a package containing several tapes is delivered to Clay's house, with instructions for him to listen to them. Every side of each tape describes how each of the 13 people the tapes are intended for contributed to Hannah feeling as she did. Not only does she explain her feelings and why she committed suicide, but also how their actions have had repercussions for other people. They reveal, deep, dark and dangerous secrets about a large number of peoole at their High School, and the revelation of the tapes to the public has the potential to destroy multiple lives, and sees multiple people getting hurt, physically and emotionally.
How far will Clay listen? Can he change things to make things right for others? Can he get restitution for Hannah? And what dark secrets is he going to reveal along the way? Hit play, and find out! You won't regret it.
The show not only touches upon, but runs head long into some very serious, hard hitting subjects, including sexual assault and rape, bullying, sexuality, drink driving, peer pressure and, of course, mental health and suicide. So, definitely not one for the easily upset. It portrays all of them in a very honest, very graphic way. It can definitely be upsetting, but is very thought provoking and helps you see things from several different perspectives. It was great seeing mental health finally being spoken about and highlighted in such a mainstream way, without it being belittled.
The storyline follows Clay, a teenage boy, who has recently suffered a bereavement in the form if the suicide of his friend and love interest, Hannah. Some time after Hannah's death, a package containing several tapes is delivered to Clay's house, with instructions for him to listen to them. Every side of each tape describes how each of the 13 people the tapes are intended for contributed to Hannah feeling as she did. Not only does she explain her feelings and why she committed suicide, but also how their actions have had repercussions for other people. They reveal, deep, dark and dangerous secrets about a large number of peoole at their High School, and the revelation of the tapes to the public has the potential to destroy multiple lives, and sees multiple people getting hurt, physically and emotionally.
How far will Clay listen? Can he change things to make things right for others? Can he get restitution for Hannah? And what dark secrets is he going to reveal along the way? Hit play, and find out! You won't regret it.
Jacqueline Stewart recommended Within Our Gates (1920) in Movies (curated)
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Halloween (2007) in Movies
Jun 3, 2021
The original Halloween is such a goddam incredible movie, that anytime the franchise has tried to stray too far from its roots, the wheels just come off. The psychic stuff in Halloween 5 just didn't work. The cult stuff in Halloween 6 just didn't work. The found footage stuff in Resurrection just didn't work. This time around, it's a remake of the original, directed by Rob Zombie. His particular brand of hateful characters and nasty dialogue can be effective in other corners of horror, but when applied to the Halloween template, you guessed it, it just doesn't work.
It has its moments - Malcolm McDowell is great as Dr Loomis, and the towering behemoth of a Michael Myers we get her is genuinely fucking terrifying. There's also a fine selection of genre icons here and there - Dee Wallace, Brad Dourif, Clint Howard, Ken Foree, Sybil Danning, Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Danny Trejo, Danielle Harris - it's an impressive roster for sure.
All of this isn't enough to lift this remake above all of its problems however.
None of the characters are particularly likable, and it's off pacing make for a bloated experience, an issue that's further exacerbated by the more widely available Directors Cut, which further pans out its runtime with an horrifically unnecessary rape scene.
I can appreciate the decision to explore the origins of Michael, but the end results are very mixed. When the familiar stuff kicks off halfway through, it's actually kind of boring. It manages to ape the original at every turn, whilst simultaneously feeling disrespectful with it's token RZ tropes.
All in all, Halloween is a remake that I wouldn't take issue with, but the decision to put Zombie in the driver's seat results in a movie that doesn't feel like it belongs anywhere. An inferior re-tread in every aspect, that leaves a bitter after taste.
It has its moments - Malcolm McDowell is great as Dr Loomis, and the towering behemoth of a Michael Myers we get her is genuinely fucking terrifying. There's also a fine selection of genre icons here and there - Dee Wallace, Brad Dourif, Clint Howard, Ken Foree, Sybil Danning, Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Danny Trejo, Danielle Harris - it's an impressive roster for sure.
All of this isn't enough to lift this remake above all of its problems however.
None of the characters are particularly likable, and it's off pacing make for a bloated experience, an issue that's further exacerbated by the more widely available Directors Cut, which further pans out its runtime with an horrifically unnecessary rape scene.
I can appreciate the decision to explore the origins of Michael, but the end results are very mixed. When the familiar stuff kicks off halfway through, it's actually kind of boring. It manages to ape the original at every turn, whilst simultaneously feeling disrespectful with it's token RZ tropes.
All in all, Halloween is a remake that I wouldn't take issue with, but the decision to put Zombie in the driver's seat results in a movie that doesn't feel like it belongs anywhere. An inferior re-tread in every aspect, that leaves a bitter after taste.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Revenge (2018) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
I always feel a bit iffy about rape-revenge horror - it's a sub genre that at its best can be a satisfying and empowering thrill ride, and at it's worst, can come across as cheap exploitation. Revenge is luckily in the former camp.
Lead actress Matilda Lutz gives us a badass vengeance seeking protagonist for the ages, while the other three actors (it's a damn small cast) Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombes, and Guillaume Bouchède effectively provide the the absolute bastards we all want to see die so badly.
The locations and wide shots in Revenge look stunning by the way. In between all the nasty bits(which we'll get to), it's just a stunning and vibrant film to look at, with a lot of the horror elements taking place in blazing sunshine.
As for the aforementioned nasty bits - holy shit, this film is violent. By the time the credits roll, everyone and everywhere is just covered in blood. The practical effects used are pretty great, and looks believable, even if the sheer amount of viscera is absurd at times.
It provides us with some grisly set pieces that linger on the brain, in particular, a scene where a character has to un-impale herself from a tree - it's genuinely quite harrowing.
Also, maybe give this a pass if you're squeamish about foot stuff. I don't know about you, but I always found the foot abuse in Die Hard rather uncomfortable, and this makes that look like a children's cartoon at times.
Overall, Revenge is just a smack to the face. A fairly slow build, but high octane when it gets rolling, with good performances, plenty of blood, and enough jarring sound and camera edits to make you uncomfortable. Worth a watch for horror fans, without a doubt.
Lead actress Matilda Lutz gives us a badass vengeance seeking protagonist for the ages, while the other three actors (it's a damn small cast) Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombes, and Guillaume Bouchède effectively provide the the absolute bastards we all want to see die so badly.
The locations and wide shots in Revenge look stunning by the way. In between all the nasty bits(which we'll get to), it's just a stunning and vibrant film to look at, with a lot of the horror elements taking place in blazing sunshine.
As for the aforementioned nasty bits - holy shit, this film is violent. By the time the credits roll, everyone and everywhere is just covered in blood. The practical effects used are pretty great, and looks believable, even if the sheer amount of viscera is absurd at times.
It provides us with some grisly set pieces that linger on the brain, in particular, a scene where a character has to un-impale herself from a tree - it's genuinely quite harrowing.
Also, maybe give this a pass if you're squeamish about foot stuff. I don't know about you, but I always found the foot abuse in Die Hard rather uncomfortable, and this makes that look like a children's cartoon at times.
Overall, Revenge is just a smack to the face. A fairly slow build, but high octane when it gets rolling, with good performances, plenty of blood, and enough jarring sound and camera edits to make you uncomfortable. Worth a watch for horror fans, without a doubt.
BookishWoo (317 KP) rated Zodiac in Books
May 25, 2020 (Updated May 25, 2020)
Zodiac is the 2nd book of the Sergiu Manta Series and the first to be translated into English.
I was captivated by Zodiac right from the first page. Anamarie wrote this extremely well and in a way that you felt you were reading a script for a crime drama, scene by scene. This is slightly different to what I'm used to, but I found as long as I paced myself and didnt speed through it I could keep up with the scene jumps and found that I completely enjoyed her writing style. Although this is a fast paced thriller do not be fooled that being only 218 pages long you can speed through this quickly. This is a book to savour and enjoy.
I can honestly say that I fell in love with the main protagonaist Sergiu, he was an unpredicatable, motorbike riding, charming "Agency" man willing to do whatever it takes no matter what the cost.
His character was in stark contrast to Marius who was a typical police inspector and family man with a moral conscience. This worked well alongside Sergiu's character and didnt give you that typical good cop, bad cop feel. They complimented each other well.
The plot was fantastic, and just when I thought I had it all figured out the twist came along and surprised me completely!
I cant wait to read more of the series and hope that the first book gets translated so I can read this too!
If you are a fan of fast paced thrillers I highly recommend this!
Trigger Warnings: swearing, sexual themes, rape, murder, guns, violence
I received Zodiac by Amamaria Ionescu for free in exchange for an honest review from Love Book Tours and Corylus Books.
I was captivated by Zodiac right from the first page. Anamarie wrote this extremely well and in a way that you felt you were reading a script for a crime drama, scene by scene. This is slightly different to what I'm used to, but I found as long as I paced myself and didnt speed through it I could keep up with the scene jumps and found that I completely enjoyed her writing style. Although this is a fast paced thriller do not be fooled that being only 218 pages long you can speed through this quickly. This is a book to savour and enjoy.
I can honestly say that I fell in love with the main protagonaist Sergiu, he was an unpredicatable, motorbike riding, charming "Agency" man willing to do whatever it takes no matter what the cost.
His character was in stark contrast to Marius who was a typical police inspector and family man with a moral conscience. This worked well alongside Sergiu's character and didnt give you that typical good cop, bad cop feel. They complimented each other well.
The plot was fantastic, and just when I thought I had it all figured out the twist came along and surprised me completely!
I cant wait to read more of the series and hope that the first book gets translated so I can read this too!
If you are a fan of fast paced thrillers I highly recommend this!
Trigger Warnings: swearing, sexual themes, rape, murder, guns, violence
I received Zodiac by Amamaria Ionescu for free in exchange for an honest review from Love Book Tours and Corylus Books.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Star Trek - Nemesis (2002) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
This film should have worked. They had four years to work up the film: the biggest gap between movies in the series to date. The sets and special effects deployed are a notable improvement on “Insurrection” and are, at times, very impressive. It’s a movie that has personal angst for Picard; an epic space battle; and the death of a major character. And a young Tom Hardy turns in a memorable performance, belying what was to come: it’s interesting that this is only Hardy’s third feature (following his debut in “Black Hawk Down” just the year before!). It’s also a full NINE years before he won the BAFTA Rising Star award!
And yet it’s just not very engaging: I find myself fiddling with my phone while its on, which is never a good sign. Gone are any of the comic asides that have tended to lighten the mood of these films: this is dark and plot-heavy throughout. It’s even got a ‘mind-rape’ scene that is quite disturbing.
Naturally, the Enterprise insurance premium has taken another hammering by the end of the film. You can just imagine the discussion back in space dock… “no mate…” – sucking air in through his front teeth “…that whole front bumper’s gonna have to be replaced, and that’ll cost you a pretty packet”!
Combined with poor marketing and fierce competition (the film opening in the same month as “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”), this ended up with the worse financial performance of any of the Trek movies (in terms of budget to return ratio). And it killed the franchise. The only option was to be a full reboot: something that was to take another seven years to happen.
And yet it’s just not very engaging: I find myself fiddling with my phone while its on, which is never a good sign. Gone are any of the comic asides that have tended to lighten the mood of these films: this is dark and plot-heavy throughout. It’s even got a ‘mind-rape’ scene that is quite disturbing.
Naturally, the Enterprise insurance premium has taken another hammering by the end of the film. You can just imagine the discussion back in space dock… “no mate…” – sucking air in through his front teeth “…that whole front bumper’s gonna have to be replaced, and that’ll cost you a pretty packet”!
Combined with poor marketing and fierce competition (the film opening in the same month as “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”), this ended up with the worse financial performance of any of the Trek movies (in terms of budget to return ratio). And it killed the franchise. The only option was to be a full reboot: something that was to take another seven years to happen.